ComplaintsforFiremen Movers Inc

• Initial Complaint

  13/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Firemen Movers billed me approximately $5000 per day for what was supposed to be a full-service move. There was a series of errors on their part due to lack of communication, including them failing to deliver packing material, going to the wrong address, refusing to answer emails, failing to book the delivery to my new home destination, negotiating a higher price with the ferry to take my items to my new home, and other mistakes. I tried to have a frank conversation with Patrick about my concerns and he was unprofessional and dismissive. I told him my confidence in his company had been eroded completely. He said he would try to correct their mistakes and send a new quote with a discount. They tried to book another day of loading without the new quote. When it finally arrived, their "discount" was to offer me free storage until my move. Storage was not negotiated in the price because they chose the packing and moving dates themselves (approx 2 weeks). They demanded payment upfront before my items were moved without explanation (I have already paid a deposit) and when I declined to pay before delivery, they cancelled my move and demanded immediate payment and payment for storage, threatening to "seize' my belongings if payment is not rendered in 60 days. This is, even according to their own website, * **** *** **** ** * **** ****** *******. I feel I have been taken advantage of and Patrick is now attempting to hold my belongings hostage, having never rendered the services I am being billed for.

  Business response

  14/11/2024

  Ms ***** requested a full service move with us to Pictou Island, Nova Scotia. We provided her with a quote and rendered service for 2 elaborate pack days.  She refused to pay her bill as part, of our terms of service.    As this client has been difficult to communicate with and variables constantly changing, we asked her to settle her bill and collect her belongings. 

  If no payment is received within 60 days, we will seize her goods. As is our right to do  Terms we put in writing to her after she refused to pay her bill for the days of packing.

  While her goods remain in storage with us, she will continue to accrue storage charges.  She will also be charged for supervision of her goods leaving when she makes arrangements to have them picked up. Again, aspects that were communicated to her when we discontinued service.

  She has been advised to collect her goods and we have withdrawn service from her for the rest of her move.  A significant loss of revenue for our small company, however, we feel that this is the most prudent course given these exceptional circumstances.  We wish her well and look forward to her settling her account and removing her effects from our facility.  

  Thank you.

  Customer response

  14/11/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I did indeed request a full-service move and I did not receive one. I have been billed over $10,000 for two days of moving items that I already packed into their storage and for 20 pieces of furniture. There were errors in the estimate for full-service packing, which I carefully reviewed with representative Kat and was assured would be completed "with a full team" in two days. I requested packing materials a week in advance and through various "oopsies" which were never explained, nor accounted for, I did not receive them until two days before the pickup. Their team apparently drove 3 hours in the wrong direction. But I was assured that the crew would take care of everything and my move would continue on schedule.
  
  The fellows who showed up to move were kind and worked hard but were very definitely not professional movers. No protection for my floors and carpets was offered, the packing was accomplished 90% by myself, they left items scattered everywhere, and they ran out of packing materials and had to leave without completing for the second day. I chose this company even though their rates were very high compared to comparable companies because I am a retired firefighter myself and wanted to support my brothers with a fair wage. As it turns out, the owner is not a firefighter and has no history in that service, he just trades on the name. None of the fellows doing the moving are firefighters either, though some have aspirations in that direction. Again, they worked hard, were polite, and did their best. They simply were not supported in their work nor trained adequately to be professional movers.
  
  There was no estimate provided for the move to Pictou and it was explained that we would "see how it goes" and then they would send one. They finally sent an estimate and for a move to Nova Scotia from Ontario for my 2-bedroom home plus a single-floor barn loft room, it came to over $100,000. I told them this was far too much. Additionally, they tried to book me with a freight hauler, who is not set up for residential moves. I was not aware that, had I allowed this move to take place, all of my furniture and other items would have arrived smashed to bits. There was no communication about this, Firemen movers did not make me aware that this was the arrangement, and seemed completely unprepared for this move. I only found this out when I contacted a competitor of theirs to salvage what could be salvaged of this expensive debacle, and they kindly informed me of what would have happened and how bizarre Firemen's actions have been until this point. They, by the way, are charging less than a tenth of the quote from Firemen with none of the nonsense. They are making extra stops to repair this damage and to pick up my items, both from the warehouse and from my home.
  
  I have not been difficult to communicate with, in fact I am the one who has initiated communication throughout via email. Particularly as the date approached for my move and it was clear they had not arranged anything at all on the Nova Scotia side, I repeatedly emailed to find out the status of their preparations. They made no arrangements except to call the ferry operator in Nova Scotia and only after I requested they communicate with him multiple times. Their response was: "oh yes, it would be in our interest to figure that out." When I requested an email or meeting with the owner, Patrick, he was dismissive, defensive, and unhelpful, constantly rolling his eyes throughout the conversation. I told him that their many mistakes and lack of communication and transparency had eroded my confidence in their ability to deliver my move. I asked him what assurances he could give me that my items would be safe and that this move would progress as scheduled. He responded: "I am not going to buy your confidence." I told him I would appreciate meeting him halfway and that if I completed the rest of the packing by myself (as I had already packed the vast majority of the items myself anyway) that he ought to offer me an additional day of loading for free since the delay was not on my end and they had packed very little. He agreed to send me a new quote. He never did, in fact the initial estimator sent me a quote for "storage" at their facility. Indeed the dates that they arranged and chose were their own, so storage was only necessary for a couple of weeks because they did not arrange the move properly. They made all arrangements on their end and the dates they chose were the ones convenient to them.
  
  When they told me I would need another day and a half of packing at $5000 a day plus storage and that i had to pay in advance, I replied that this was not the industry standard, that charging me for storage that I never asked for and for extra days of loading was not the premium service I had asked for, and that I would pay on delivery of service. On their own website, they warn people to beware of anyone who demands payment for a move in advance, as it is a red flag of a moving scam. Patrick cancelled my move and requested immediate payment, threatening to seize my items. He also added storage fees and a "supervisory" fee for anyone coming to pick up my items from the warehouse. 
  
  So here I am, with less than half of my home packed, not a trace of full service moving, a freight transport that would have destroyed my items when I paid extra for comprehensive coverage, and Firemen movers are holding my household goods hostage because I would not pay them in advance for their incompetence. I feel I have been taken advantage of in every way possible and so do the people I have hired to fix this mess. I cannot in good conscience recommend this company to anyone and I will be pursuing further action to ensure no one else ends up in a similar position to mine.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Deborah *****

  Business response

  15/11/2024

  We contend that we tried our best to serve this client.  We could not keep up with the moving target that was her satisfaction. Her comments and accusations are far from the truth and it no longer matters.  We have been paid for services rendered, under the terms and conditions that she signed for.  We maintain that we worked in a clear and transparent fashion and worked collaboratively with her.  We were helpful with her complex move and provided good practical advice including providing pathways to cost savings.  

  We would have very much liked to service her fully, however that was not possible.  We wish her well in the future and happiness in her new home.

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