Please, Please, Please use caution when hiring a moving service, absolutely DO NOT use ALL AMERICAN TRUSTED VAN LINES. We paid a "moving broker" that contracted All American Trusted Van Lines to move our personal belongings 1300 miles across the country. I will not mention the name of the "moving broker" as I feel they were also deceived by All American Trusted Van Lines.
All American Trusted Van Lines is owned and operated by a SNAKE named Franco Matar, whom when asked if he was the owner-operator, lied and claimed to be a "company driver”. All American Trusted Van Lines was supposed to show up to pick up our belongings on a Monday, finally after many phone calls to Franco (wondering where he was and when we could expect his arrival,) he finally "promises"... for the tenth time to be there the following Friday at 7am.... after he did not show up as he promised we repeatedly called his cell phone but he would not answer. A rented BUDGET Truck eventually rolled up at 5pm Friday, just as it started to rain like crazy. As Franco stepped out of the truck, he told us before he would begin to load our belongings; we were required to pay him a portion of the total balance due. I proceeded to show him our contract with the "moving broker" that stated that our entire remaining balance was to be paid in full at time of delivery to our new home.
After he tried to persuade us to believe that we actually were obligated to pay him on pick up and we didn't fall for his crap, he proceeded to tell us that he had no money for gas and if we didn't give him any money he would have to sleep in our driveway that night and he would delay the delivery of our possessions.
Instantly we were very leery of trusting this guy with everything we own on a 1300 mile trip. One must wonder about a “company driver” that doesn’t have a fuel card and the nerve to ask a customer for fuel money . We refused. Now it gets better... we go back outside and his partner has the truck door pulled open and to our shock the contents of the back of the truck (that belongs to some poor soul he ripped off before he got to us) were absolutely a hott mess!! If I was judging strictly by the contents of the back of that truck I would have thought it was in a rollover accident. The boxes were crushed, ripped, and some were even cut open, not to mention the furniture was not secured and was strewn throughout the truck... now keep in mind it is raining cats and dogs at this point they are parked on an incline and there was rain pouring in the back of this truck (soaking its current contents.) All the while his partner is tossing the "moving blankets" that were torn to shreds and covered in dirt and grease outside of the truck, in the rain and on our muddy gravel driveway... don't they pad furniture with those things? Who wants their furniture wrapped in wet, muddy, greasy blankets??
I immediately called the "moving broker" to whom we had already paid a $1000 deposit, that sent these jokers to haul everything I own 1300 miles away and I told them it was unacceptable and I was not putting any of my possessions on that truck (keep in mind that in my contract with the "moving broker" it states that once my property is on a "carrier's" truck, any disputes regarding cost at delivery, damaged or stolen/missing property, are strictly between All American Trusted Van Lines and us.)
Although I was assured by the "moving broker" that everything was okay and we were all in agreement of the terms of the Moving Contract, we were still hesitant to allow Franco of All American Trusted Van Lines to take possession of our property. Franco claimed that the belongings that were tossed around in the back of the truck were his own belongings. We wondered who would treat their things this way? By now, it was really pouring rain and getting dark and Franco said since it was raining and dark, he wanted to return the following morning. We were so uneasy with the situation we told him we would be contacting our "moving broker" and would get back with him in the morning to tell him whether his services were even needed. Upon leaving our house, Franco unzips the case in which we store of our guns and runs his fingers over the barrel and the zips up the case without speaking a word. Again, we wonder why he would behave this way and never mention a word about the gun. What was he planning to do if he was allowed to transport our guns?
That night, we went to where we had been staying since our home is packed to the ceiling with boxes and no electric (we scheduled for the utilities to be cancelled because the truck was supposed to be there the previous Monday) and got online and googled "All American Trusted Van Lines Reviews" and were absolutely appalled by the reviews by previous customers (they have a B- with the BBB, but as we all know as long as you pay your membership dues, the BBB will make you look good) but as far as every other review we read we knew this guy was a weasel. In the reviews he was referred to as a crook, a liar, a thief, careless, rude and a PIRATE! People claim that he would quote a price and upon delivery, he would demand double the amount of the original quote or hold their items hostage, and once they received what was left of their belongings, their boxes were busted, cut open, items were stolen... one review actually stated that a lady lost $30,000+ in property to All American Trusted Van Lines.
The next morning Franco had the nerve to show up at our home with intentions of moving our belongings even though we basically told him we would not be using him. A neighbor called to warn us that he was at our house. We immediately called the local police as we were 30 minutes away from our house. A policeman shows up ………drum roll please......... when he runs their Drivers’ Licenses he finds that both men have SUSPENDED DRIVER'S LICENSES. Franco's partner even had a warrant in California, but for some reason he couldn't be held by police. In Kentucky a driver cannot carry insurance without a valid license. What if we would have let them take our belongings and he got pulled over 650 of the 1300 miles into the move and was caught driving without a license and the truck with everything we've ever owned was impounded and Franco was jailed...????? Worse yet, if he had an accident and our property was destroyed, with him having no insurance, HOW COULD HE REPLACE EVERYTHING WE OWN IF HE COULDN’T EVEN AFFORD FUEL?
The policeman ordered them not to drive the truck with a suspended license. Franco assured the Officer that someone was meeting them to drive the truck. As soon as the Patrolman was out of sight, Franco and his partner high-tailed it out of town with no driver's licenses or insurance.
Minutes after they fled, we arrived at our house and found that they had picked our lock to get in our home. Unfortunately since all of our belongings are in boxes piled throughout our house, it will take time to know what is missing.
After All American Trusted Van Lines had fled the scene , we discovered boxes left behind in our yard that belong to a customer they picked up before us... although he claimed everything in that truck was "his," upon closer inspection, the rain soaked, cut open boxes contained baby products (diapers, baby thermometers, baby christening dress, ect. and another box had roach /ant spray and feminine hygiene products, toilet gaskets, plumbing supplies...) I would venture to say that the contents of that truck were not his personal belongings and in fact belong to another customer who was ripped off by Franco of All American Trusted Van Lines.
In conclusion, I would haul my furniture and belongings in a horse drawn wagon before letting All American Trusted Van Lines haul it 1 mile, much less 1300. AS OF TODAY 3/19/11 FRANCO, PRESIDENT AND DRIVER OF ALL AMERICAN TRUSTED VAN LINES HAS A SUSPENDED DRIVERS LICENSE!! Do not in-trust All American Trusted Van Lines with your move. And I must add there was nothing American or Trusted about this business or Franco Matar!
After Franco had fled from the police he even had the nerve to text me and tell me "I personally will make sure that u dont get [$1000] deposit back" The "moving broker" was appalled by the information we had provided them about Franco's suspended license and is working on our refund.
I would highly recommend thoroughly researching any "carrier" before trusting them with your possessions... and please, oh please spare yourself the drama, stress and worry of moving with All American Trusted Van Lines!! In the long run, Franco’s victims would have been much better off had he chosen a career as a suicide bomber rather than a mover… on second note, even suicide bombers can’t be five days late.
