Do not use these movers they are your worst nightmare
karen kelleher carneiro
Submitted this review about
Unity Van Lines
Review made Live: 7/18/2012 4:26:00 AM
I hired Unity van lines to ship a 20ft container to Portugal where I am relocating. Michelle C. my relocation vice president assured me there were no hidden or additional costs. The total cost was to be 7,480.00USD.
The first incident came on 0ctober 7 when they informed me they needed to move the date of pickup from the 10th to the 8th giving me 1 day to get the boxes ready. The container left with their hired truckers on the 10th according to their new schedule and was to be loaded onto the ship on Thursday October 13.
Unity informs me on 17 October that I need to pay an additional 1200USD as the container did not make it on the ship (it was apparently full) and I had to pay storage and demurrage charges of 1200USD. Furious but left with no option I paid by wire transfer on the October 17th to avoid further delays. it got on the next ship.
The shipment arrived in Portugal on 29 November.
The agent in Portugal hired by Unity Van Lines is Global International relocation.
After delivery to the port in Portugal we had a paperwork issue we needed to sort before the shipment could be delivered to our home. This was completed by 13 December. We then informed we owed an additional 267euros in local charges, which we were not made aware of by Unity beforehand and 240euros in storage. We were to pay 507.25euros to cover the storage and demurrage fees at the port until 14 December and the additional local port and administration charges. We expected the shipment to be delivered to our door as we agreed to in our contract in the next few days.
We were then notified by the agent in Portugal they could not release the shipment as unity van lines had not paid them. So our shipment was being held hostage until they paid and apparently they owe monies not only on my shipment but others as well. I of course had paid Unity in full in October.
It is now 18 July and they still have not paid the agent in Portugal the agent moved the container from the port to their storage unit in January. More charges incurred plus all the additional storage charges incurred from their non-payment. Unity said they would pay all of these charges. According to the agent in Portugal they made a partial payment in January and says they would pay the remaining soon. All the correspondence global gets from Unity is the same. “we are working on it” it will be paid next week”and next week never comes.
Unity stopped answering my emails and phone call back in February they completely ignore me now.
I put in a complaint with the BBB, which also went unanswered by Unity.
The agent in Portugal claims they have had problems with this shipping company before and payments. She says they have money problems.
So even though i have paid Unity over and above the quoted price they have not paid the agent in Portugal to date. and my shipment 8 months later is still being held hostage by the company until they receive payment. which i doubt they ever will.
I am angry, frustrated and upset that people can have such a low regard for other people.
Unity is completely unprofessional. Leah was completely disrespectful and nasty with me. neither Michele or Leah return emails or phone calls, and still have not paid the agent so I still do not have my belongings. Looks like I now have to get a lawyer and fork over more money to get what is rightfully mine and over paid for.
They also list the company as being a member of the BBB this is an act of fraud since they have been removed as a member with an F rating.
