Terrible Moving Experience with Federal / Gateway Moving & Storage and Allied Van Lines
Mike S.
Submitted this review about
Federal Gateway Moving and Storage
Review made Live: 10/4/2015 3:01:00 PM
Federal Gateway Moving as well as their partner company Allied Van Lines was a complete disaster. With our cross-country move, they damaged property and a couple of items were simply not there (lost or stolen). The main contact that we had as well as their customer service were hard to get a hold of and once they realized how bad of a mistake they made, their agent simply wouldn't pick up the phone. If we could give negative stars on this review, we would. It was such a mistake on our part for choosing them, and we don't want others to fall for their bad business practices as we did.
Regarding the delivery date, we understand that moving companies provide ranges especially considering all of the factors with traffic and weather that may occur with a cross-country move. The day before delivery, they typically tell you it will arrive on the next day so that you can plan for it. When that day came, we had not heard anything from them. I called up the agent directly, since they didn't call, and after multiple calls, I finally got a response. They said they didn't know and that I should call the truck directly. First, as an "agent" isn't that part of their job and why we are paying them? Second, I understand that it helps to have the truck driver's number to coordinate with them directly. The problem, we felt like we had to do all of that legwork and coordination, and, for part of the time, the driver couldn't respond because of cell reception problems and because you're not suppose to be on the cell phone while driving.
Finally, I got a hold of the driver who informed us that they wouldn't be able to deliver until the next day. Although this was not the driver's fault, we were livid! We ended up having to find a hotel room at the last minute that would accept a pet we had with us, which was a bit of a challenge. I contacted their customer service line, and they deferred the problem down to the agent, which must be a convenient way for them to avoid the problem. I finally talk to the agent's manager, and she basically made it sound like we were the problem and unreasonable in suggesting that we expected them to deliver on the day that they said, and later on to cover the damage and lost or stolen property that they were responsible for covering.
The poor judgment of our agent, the rude and unprofessional behavior of her boss and the company in general showed a clear sign for their lack of coordination, inability to do the job, difficulties contacting and receiving response, and for simply not caring. Moving is a big deal for a family and good reliable customer service is essential. We understand that things come up, but not answering the phone or following up is unacceptable in any industry, and probably more so with a moving business since they basically are transporting everything we own.
With all of the moving companies out there, don't be fooled by Federal Gateway Moving or Allied. They low ball their prices to lure you in, but you will regret it. The experience horrible and made us anxious. If you want to avoid the pain that myself along with other reviewers who have had similar experiences, go with another moving company that gets better reviews and has a better reputation even if it costs a little bit more. In the end, you'll be happier, your belongings will be in better hands, and you'll sleep better than we did.
