BELIEVE The Negative Reviews...My Mistake
Gregory Peterson
Submitted this review about
Colonial Van Lines
Review made Live: 4/3/2014 7:42:00 PM
I read reviews in time to cancel the job order but didn't cancel...MY MISTAKE. Colonial Van Lines Relocation Division does very little on your behalf. Their contract protects them in ALL cases. They have 30 days to deliver your belongings!! 30 days! They have 30 days to return any money owed! 30 days! It's all in the fine print which no one reads. Bottom line: They always win. If there's damage, it's on you to prove it with photos and repair estimates...I doubt most people will waste their time...that's what they count on.
They estimate the costs based on a room-by-room listing of the belongings you intend to ship, including all boxes...That actually is very helpful; however, the total you owe will depend solely on the ACTUAL weight of your items...It could be more or less expensive than the original agreed-to amount...You have to be willing to accept the fact that the final cost cannot be determined until the truck is loaded and weighed.
I was upset that the "Agent" Colonial contracted with, Holleman Hauling, refused to give me OR Colonial the final weight numbers until the delivery...inexcusable...and that was Holleman's fault, not Colonial's.
Also Holleman's fault was the 12-days to finally deliver the goods. We actually had been "promised" a delivery date just 4 days after pick up...we were there with friends to help...Holleman did not show up. When I called Holleman, he said: "What? No one called you? I'll get right back to you." No one at Colonial called, and they claimed not to know the delivery hadn't been made. Holleman did not call back. All of this will typically occur on weekends when you cannot even reach Colonial...but, frankly, it doesn't do any good to talk to Colonial. They don't know anything about what the agent is doing...and...they do NOTHING to support you, their customer...NOTHING! Oh wait! They DO take your money...that's something, I guess.
I don't know what mover you can trust...I know we had a bad experience with Colonial and Holleman Hauling. If you mention the negative reviews to a Colonial sales person, you will be told that they handle 15,000 moves per year and that there are only a little over 100 complaints over a 3-year period. The sales person has been trained to give you re-assurance. We recommend you do not believe their pitch and their hype.
We DID finally receive our things, delivered by Holleman...he had ransomed OUR belongings because Colonial owed him money...so he claimed. The belongings arrived extremely dirty and there was A LOT of incidental damage...too little for an insurance claim...but damage nonetheless. The movers took ABSOLUTELY NO CARE OF THE CARPETS, WALLS, ETC. They moved the stuff very quickly and left marred walls and floors behind...IN BOTH HOUSES!! They are supposed to dismantle and re-assemble anything that can be dismantled. They take very little precaution in doing the dismantle and actually refused to re-assemble at our new home...I was amazed that I had all the parts (I kept most of the parts myself though) I recommend you dismantle and re-assemble yourself to assure you have all the parts.
As I said earlier...congrats if you've read this entire post...I honestly don't know who you should contract with as a mover. You should read reviews and satisfy yourself...then, don't beat yourself up if you choose the wrong mover...I feel I did; however, I have no way of knowing whether or not my experience is typical across the industry or not...I hope never to have to contract with a mover again...Good luck on your move
