Really bad experience - Moving Review

This is a no, at least not in Atlanta, We hired them thinking we would get professional movers, and we were willing to pay more than other companies asked in order to get the move done right. Get that? We paid more for this company than what other companies had asked.

We ended up with a move that could have been 5 hours long that became 7 hours long. We did all the packing ourselves. We are now missing an ironing board, a Blu-Ray player, and a portable clothes rack (perhaps not stolen by the movers, but stolen by someone else while in the possession of the movers... the truck was empty but we keep realizing things are missing as we unpack). The mover backed the truck into the fence at the apartment complex we were vacating three times, hitting the neighbor's fence on the other side.

The head mover asked us, at the end of the move, to pay part of the fee in cash even though the central office had two of our credit card numbers. And when the head mover left the apartment, peeved that we wouldn't (and couldn't... try making a $400 withdrawal on a Sunday night from the closest ATM that does not belong to your bank. Your bank will shut down your debit card) pay them part of it in cash, and peeved that we couldn't tip them, he told the other movers in front of us: "they paid us with a credit card; there's no money." Then he tried to call someone to make arrangements to pay the other movers.

We have worked in a lot of different environments and are well-versed in labor issues. His behavior tipped us off that he was likely a subcontractor, which would explain why his truck had no decal or identifying marks from the moving company, and that the other movers were not on the payroll, i.e. being paid in cash under the table. A subcontractor is one thing, if they had told us they would be using one (the company did not tell us that), but non-payroll employees? Uh-uh.

If I am hiring someone under the table, I want to make that decision myself. I do not want a professional, insured moving company sending me people who get paid in cash only. What the hell is that? That is so exploitative of the workers. I want to use a company that uses just labor practices, and paying people only whatever tip is given to them is totally not cool. Oh yeah, it is probably also not the most legal behavior in the world.

We left one message for them saying we would like to talk to them, including saying we would contact the Better Business Bureau. They called back once and left a message (we missed the call). They haven't tried again. We have contacted John Daley by email, and he has not responded. Next step? Contacting the Better Business Bureau.

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