Business Profile

Moving Companies

UniGroup

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for UniGroup's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Customer Complaints Summary

105 total complaints in the last 3 years.
25 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

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The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

Initial Complaint
Date:04/09/2024
Type:Delivery Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Better Business Bureau, I am lodging a complaint against The ********* Company regarding invoice U103-14844-3. Our move involved missing items, delivery errors, and damage to our car, totaling $2249.83. Despite acknowledging tardiness with a $700 deduction, we're unsatisfied. The company's lack of accountability and delay in compensating us is unacceptable. Assistance in obtaining the owed reimbursement is requested. Despite repeated attempts to resolve this matter with ***************************, Certified ********************************* Manager at The ********* Company, we have encountered nothing but delays and excuses. Our requests for compensation for the damage to our car have been met with indifference and reluctance. We understand that mistakes can happen during a move, but the lack of accountability and failure to address the damage caused is unacceptable. We urge The ********* Company to take responsibility for their actions and provide the compensation owed to us promptly. We request your assistance in resolving this matter and obtaining the reimbursement of $2249.83 for the damage to our car. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to a swift resolution. Sincerely, ***********************
Business Response
Date: 04/26/2024
We have received your complaint from the BBB and are reviewing your concerns. There are several parties involved that we need to talk to when there are property damage concerns and we respectfully ask that you allow us some time to do our investigation. Part of the delay involved getting information to the correct parties, where in this instance, two different ********* Companies (same name but distinct business entities) were involved in the relocation. We will provide periodic updates to the BBB as we progress through the process. Your patience is appreciated.
Business Response
Date: 05/22/2024
We are currently in conversations with the ***** and have confirmed their contact information. They have been offered the settlement amount as claimed. Thank you for allowing us the requested time to investigate and conclude this matter.
Customer Answer
Date: 06/19/2024
Dear Better Business Bureau,
Subject: Lack of Correspondence from UniGroup Regarding Settlement Processing
I am writing to bring to your attention an issue I am facing with UniGroup. I received a few emails from ******************* of RPD Unit | UniGroup on May 21st, 2024, stating that she was working on processing my settlement. The most recent email correspondence I received was on May 21st, 2024, in which she mentioned that she would update me with details such as the check number and posting information.
Since that date, I have not received any further correspondence or updates regarding the status of my settlement. This lack of communication is concerning, and I am reaching out to seek your assistance in resolving this matter.
I simply want to be made whole again and have the settlement processed as promised. Any help you can provide in facilitating communication and ensuring the completion of this process would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
Sincerely,

***********************
********************
**************

Business Response
Date: 06/20/2024
**************-I've checked with our Acctg. ***** and found out their new system caused a little bit of a delay and we are sorry. I have confirmation that your check, made payable to ******************* since that was the name on the move, was put in regular mail to you on June 18, 2024. You should receive it within the next few days. Please keep an eye out for it and let the BBB know when you've received it so they can close the file. Thank you - we are sorry there was a delay and do appreciate the patience you've shown. Have a good day.
Initial Complaint
Date:04/01/2024
Type:Product Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I used United VanLines (via ********* Movers) to move from ** to **. ******** was the storage company and delivery agent. This pertains ONLY to their role and is not reflective of the entire move (which was much worse). When I spoke with *************************, who is in charge of *********, he told me the storage costs would be about 11k. This was based on a 2 month storage plan. I specifically asked him what happens if we need storage for longer than that and he said dont worry, the majority of this expense is in the delivery out of storage; the incremental charge per month is not significant that it will make a huge impact. I did not personally sign an agreement regarding long term storage prior to the move. I was not given appropriate information regarding the difference between storage in transit and long term storage and the potential costs for long term storage were never discussed. When a delivery request was made, ******************** told me I had to pay nearly 23k to get my goods out of storage and I would not be able to get my goods without paying and I was forced to pay under duress. ******** damaged my new home's wood floors and carpet and is responsible for other minor damages. This house is just under ***** sqft and there is damage throughout requiring replacement of carpet at stairs and refinishing hardwoods throughout. I went through their claim process and despite showing photos of perfectly fine floors the day before they came and then damaged floors the day after they came they essentially denied my claim, lied and said it was already there and lied and said that the inspector who came said it was pre-existing although he verbally told me otherwise. They offered me an insulting $250 for what is probably over 50k worth of damage to my home. The delivery team told me this would happen. I have video recordings of them telling me (they told me to record them saying this) that I should challenge any claim outcomes because they always make up stuff.
Business Response
Date: 04/04/2024
Please see attachment for business response.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/04/2024
Complaint: 21480440

I am rejecting this response because:

This response is really not a response that means anything. It is a reiteration of basic events from the perspective of a person who doesn't have a clue about what really happened. I have attached a detailed complaint in ***. I have also attached my response to ******** after they responded to my claim regarding the damage to my house. I have yet to hear from United regarding the claim to the damages against my personal items and the missing items. This move was a complete disaster and the responses from this company make a mockery of what a professional business should be or stand for. In my response to ********** pathetic offer of $250 to settle what is likely 50k worth of damage to my hardwood floors, I wrote that attached response and included photos taken by by the professional cleaning company the day before the move in. Literally, the day before. You can see the floors are basically in pristine condition. They sent some inspector here who spent two hours crawling around on my floors taking pictures and telling me about the damage and how deep some of the gashes in the floors are and then they turn around and respond to me that the inspector didn't think there was any damage caused by the movers. It's a total farse. This guy didn't even take room measurements. What kind of inspector comes to assess damage to hardwood floors and doesn't take square footage measurements? How would you ever be able to estimate the dollar amount the damage is worth? They never intended on making a settlment and this is why I filed the BBB claim. There are so many parts to this move. Not just damage to my home. Not just a non existant inventory. Not just losing my vehicle for a few days and causing me to change my flight plans at the last minute, also incurring financial loss. Not just about lying to me about how much the storage costs and forcing me to pay under duress. I could go on and on for hours about all of this fraudulent behavior and practice. You can see in the *** attached showing an email that **** from ******** sent me that he admits there is no contract and no real notification was provided to me regarding cost of storage at any point beyond the 2 months they describe. My claim description attached documents the conversation I had with the broker who arranged this move, *************************. I am not a liar. I am a medical doctor. I am actually a published and highly respected author, speaker, and educator. Why would I be wasting my time on this backwards company if they had not financially injured me substantially with their unethical practices? Does the consumer have no rights? Do I not have a right to chose and be informed? I literally have testimony from their own employees who literally told me to video tape them saying what they were saying because they thought this move was done so incorrectly and they literally told me that this company will go out of their way to make things up and make sure that no claims are paid. How or why would I make that up? This company broke my belongings, lost/stole my belongings, poorly transported and packed (or didn't even pack) my belongings and packed many boxes with just bubble wrap and tape with nothing more than a few pencils in multiple boxes, damaged my new house, defectated in my toilets and made a mess, did not assemble half the furniture, left furniture halfway assembled, lost the parts for other pieces of furniture, etc etc. Like I said, I could go on for hours telling you about all the things they did. And this is the kind of response we get back from them? A response that says and does nothing? So, to say the least, I reject this apathetic response and demand a true one; one that is aimed at actually making right what they have done wrong.

Sincerely,

***********************
Business Response
Date: 04/12/2024
Please see attachment for business response.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/12/2024
Complaint: 21480440

I am rejecting this response because:
This person who is responding is failing to actually read and review the complaint. They are reiterating things that are out of context and out of order. I was NOT given advanced notice of the pricing. In fact I showed you an email that literally proved this point and proved that there was no agreement on pricing for storage. Further, I was not given a choice in place of storage. Moreover, if I wanted to get my stuff out of storage i would STILL have to pay as this is what I was told. This is all documented and clearly stated and this paralegal is just restating the same erroneous things in order to confuse and distract. The impetus for the BBB complaint was also that the company failed to acknowledge and reimburse for damage to my house; they wanted to pay $250 for what is likely 50k worth of flooring damage. And I have been waiting MONTHS to get a response on the claim for stolen and damaged goods. Are they going to pay interest on this loss? How long do I have to wait? Remember, this company didn't even take an inventory. I could have hundreds and thousands of dollars worth of loss but I was trying to be kind and focus on the large items that I know about. They have already had inspectors come and give reports to them. yet i have heard nothing. These responses from the paralegal are a delay tactic as they do not really convey anything meaningful, yet try to make me (the victim here) appear and feel like a criminal, when in fact this company and the broker that they work with are that criminal. This is fraudulent and unethical conduct on their part and they have zero regards for what they have done. They think that continuing to respond as they are will cause me to give up and stop responding. But I will not and I ethically cannot. Everything they are saying is not accurate or in the proper context. If they even read my written out complaints and summary of the events it would be clear that their response does not engage the actual and true problem(s). perhaps the BBB can help them read the complaint if they do not understand what the issues are. The crux of this issue is not what they suggest it is. There is a dearth of evidence they have presented to support their stance. Meanwhile I have provided detailed accounts and even photographs showing that they are wrong. I don't know what other evidence you would need. It's pretty clear.

Sincerely,

***********************
Customer Answer
Date: 07/30/2024
7/30/2024 PE Emailed (and phoned) the consumer for clarification on his compensation, if any and what bbb could and could not pursue. Asked for a response via email or phone.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/31/2024
7/30/2024 PE Email received today. Here is the text of the message: Hi,I figured BBB had forgotten about me. Its been a long time since the original query. In the end, the moving company and I mediated it ourselves and we reached an agreement. Nothing else needs to be done at this time. Thanks for the follow up. ***********************, MD
Initial Complaint
Date:03/27/2024
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
United Van Lines signed a contract with us for full value replacement & a high value inventory sheets for our move last ************ They were also hired to store a partial load for 2 weeks. This included a Steinway baby grand piano. The piano was delivered in a totally destroyed state. It had been dropped during Uniteds possession. In addition there was so much damage to our load, United Van Lines, Unigroup, termed it, & referred it to their catastrophic claims division. We filled out 22 claim forms detailing the damage as we unpacked & examined items with completion 12/31/23. United did not respond in a timely manner to emails & to arrange inspections until we hired an attorney, communication with the attorney stopped -it was not until I filed a complain with the *** did they acknowledge my claims receipt. They claim they do not pay their claims until your bill is settled, yet they billed us for moving & storage of items destroyed complete, such as the piano, and missing items such as our shelving they removed from cabinets & hutches. They are not allowed to charge for these items according to ************* carrier law, also they are demanding payment in full for 3rd party services such as furniture assembly - which they disassembled & were to reassemble upon destination. They owe us for property damage on both ends of the ************** for destruction and loss. We have had multiple inspections, they finally sent their inspector in March to review claims I submitted in October of 2023. They are refusing to pay the replacement value of an original condition Steinway. They are bound by federal law to pay for damages & yet one cannot get them to hold to their contract without an attorney. Even then, they use the time ************** position of ************** to lawyer up & out-do the financial ability of their clients to pursue. Their business model for claims is to make it too expensive for their clients to legally claim what is contractually owed them.
Business Response
Date: 04/02/2024

April 2, 2024

Better Business Bureau
Serving **************** & *****************
***************
Suite ***********************************************

RE: ******* & *******************
United Van Lines, LLC Order Number: **********
BBB complaint ID# ********

To whom it may concern:

I am responding on behalf of United Van Lines, LLC (United) to the complaint received
in your office from Mr. and ************** arising from their interstate move identified as United Order
Number **********.

As the ****** acknowledge in their complaint, they have retained counsel to represent them
as it relates to their move and subsequent claim for reported cargo loss and damage. Thus, United
is obligated to communicate with the ****** counsel.

United has exchanged correspondence with the ****** counsel and explained its position
regarding the ****** concerns in those communications. United will have no further comment in
this forum and will instead continue to direct all future correspondence to the ****** counsel.

Thank you for the opportunity to review and respond to Mr. and Ms. ****** concerns. If
there are any questions, please contact me.

Sincerely,

*******************
Senior Paralegal, Cargo Litigation

24-000004216
#UWFJTPVR0D1PUAv1
Customer Answer
Date: 04/03/2024
As Unigroup ( United Van Lines, Mayflower) has responded, we, as stated in our complaint, did indeed have to hire legal counsel to attempt to have them settle our claim. We have a legally binding contract, protected by Federal laws, yet, yes, we had to obtain an attorney to recover the damages & destruction of our belongings & baby grand piano. We are now 9 months post move on 4/17/24

Customer Answer
Date: 04/10/2024
They have not responded to my attorney or settled this complaint
Customer Answer
Date: 04/10/2024
This complaint is not closed. Please help
Customer Answer
Date: 04/10/2024
They have not settled my claim or addressed my losses. This case is not closed
Customer Answer
Date: 04/15/2024
This company, Unigroup, has certainly not acted in good faith. As they clearly stated, I needed to hire an attorney. They do not respond, they do not uphold their legal obligation to compensate for full replacement value insurance as I purchased and they will not share details as to adequate repair of all the damages they are responsible for.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/30/2024
******* worldwide which operates under the auspices of United Van Lines Mayflower & Unigroup was hired in April of 2023 to do our household move out of state. They packed us in June & moved us in July of 2023. We paid for full pack, which you can see from the photos was not done, and a contract was signed by us & Art ******* with a high value inventory sheet & our payment of insurance for full replacement value of our entire load. Some of Our items were also stored including our Steinway baby grand piano. Upon delivery, we received the piano totally destroyed from apparent dropping from a height , and destruction & damage to our furniture & belongings entailing 22 claim sheets of items & totally tens of thousands of dollars. Unigroup is trying to charge us for missing stolen items & the moving & storage if the piano which they destroyed to zero value. Unigroup themselves classifies our case as catastrophic damage. Yet here we are 9 months later with no replacements no repair & mounting bills for the attorney we had to hire to try & have them uphold their contract!!! They are legally liable for all this negligence & damage & only started by offering us only 1/3 the value of the piano! We are devasted! This business model operates by the premise that they can get away with not paying honest claims by delaying them against Federal laws. You cannot get an enforcement of your legal rights to your claims without an attorney. I want my claims paid & the full current market value replacement for items they destroyed. extra insurance for full replacement value on our entire shipment. We have losses due to
Initial Complaint
Date:03/21/2024
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Most of the team that supported our move were fantastic to work with, however the company in the end let me down. We contracted A Action Movers / United to move us from ********** to **. We had a lot of stuff to move and bought extra move insurance from the company (proved to be worthless) in case of a major accident on the way. Thankfully there was no major accident, but we did have a piece of furniture damaged during the move that we only discovered a month later when additional furniture we bought for the room arrived and we went to set everything up. One very heavy night table had a side that was smashed and someone tried to hide it or fix it with a big nail. We reported the issue per the United policy and expected quick resolution as the damage was pretty apparent But in a duck and dodge effort the company refused responsibility as a repair (nail I guess) had been attempted. I wrote back that I was not responsible for the damage or the attempted repair and they need to fix or replace it. I added that it made no sense that I would try and fix something that THEY broke and I had paid for EXTRA insurance on but once again, the request was denied. I reached out to the A Action Moving team that supported my move to ask that they escalate to their management but apparently the company does not want to accept responsibility for a $500 fix on a $26,000 move as there has been no reply.
Business Response
Date: 03/21/2024

This move was conducted under the authority of United Van Lines (UniGroup) in ******, *** Per their policy, these complaints are to go directly to them. Please confirm that you received this and that complain is reassigned to United Van Lines for response.

Business Response
Date: 03/27/2024
Good Morning-

*************************

Claims Manager
UniGroup
1 Premier Drive
**********************
*********************
Fax #: ************
Business Response
Date: 03/27/2024
Good Morning-

*************************

Claims Manager
UniGroup
1 Premier Drive
**********************
*********************
Fax #: ************

Initial Complaint

Date:02/05/2024

Type:Service or Repair Issues

Status:

Answered

Resolved:: The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:: The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:: The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:: The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:: BBB is unable to locate the business.

We moved from ******* to *******. We contacted Mayflower Co. They did not tell us that they would not be doing the actual move. They used a contracted company by the name of ******** Moving and Storage -***** **. After loading they were going back to *****, unload truck, repack and put on another truck. We had no idea that our load was going to be handled in this manor. Due to circumstances we needed to get a storage unit at our destination. We were at the storage unit when they unloaded our belongings. Many came off the truck broken. When the furniture was unloaded we were handed a Parts Box of broken pieces that they found. Nothing in the parts box was ours. Upon getting our new property a crew was sent to load another truck to transport load to the new home. When we finally were able to see out processions it was unreal. Almost every piece of furniture was damaged extensively or broken to some degree. We contacted the company. After a while they passed us on to a 3rd party claim adjusters. They sent a fellow to repair some furniture. We received messages stating "they are very sorry for our experience and they hope to rectify the situation". The claim adjusters now consider the case closed. We sent photos, etc. They collected their money $14,000+ and threw us into the trash. They treated us like dirt. They refused us any compensation. They state that they needed to inspect the items prior to delivery to our location. This was not done. Inspections: shouldn't this be done for everyone? Several things that needed to be done were instructed to us after the fact, not before. I told them that we had photos of most of the items shot in ******* prior to the move. They lost dishes, furniture, etc. There are items that were never found. They lost boxes that still remain missing. Eight months later they refused any and all compensate. Now my home looks like a broken up second hand store. We are in our 70's and are not capable of dealing with this company anymore.

Business Response

Date: 02/09/2024

Please transfer this complaint to the Eastern Missouri BBB as the ************************* shipment moved under Mayflower Transit, LLC ("Mayflower") interstate operating authority. For purposes of the ************************* interstate move, ******** Moving & ******* was acting solely as a disclosed household goods agent of Mayflower. As a disclosed household goods agent, ******** Moving & Storage cannot be liable for damages arising out of Mayflower's performance under its interstate Bill of Lading. Therefore, please remove ******** Moving & Storage from the complaint and forward the complaint to the Eastern Missouri BBB (Better Business Bureau Serving ****************************************************************************************************************************************; ****************************************************). The Mayflower reference number for this shipment is M1089-111-3.

Thank you,

*********************/Client Services Manager

Business Response

Date: 02/15/2024

Hello,

This shipment delivered to a mini storage on March 27^th, 2023 and Mayflower received a claim for damage on September 5, 2023. An inspection was performed and repairs were made. During the settlement process the adjuster confirmed the items were moved from the delivery address to a new location and issued a denial for the items that were not repaired. Based on the Mayflower Tariff (attached and below) the shipper should not move any items claimed as damaged before an inspection is performed. The shipper is made aware where to find the Tariff for review on the Bill of Lading (attached and below). Since items were moved prior to an inspection, Mayflower would be unable to accept liability for any damage. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Mayflower Tariff Verbiage

Business Response

Date: 02/15/2024

Hello,

Customer Answer

Date: 02/15/2024

Hello
What inspection would be necessary?
The shipment was unloaded at storage under direction of Mayflower Driver, *************, by persons under his direction who I expect are also working directly or indirectly for Mayflower.
These gentlemen also loaded us out of the storage to our residence.
This all seems like this major corporation is looking to beat us out of responsibility by coming up with new term at each corner.
We are seeking the satisfaction for damages done. We never squawked about the $14000+ that was paid for this atrocious service.
This complaint covers but 1/3 of the actually issues that occurred dealing with
1) Pickup and truck packing
2) Misrepresentation of services
3) Misdirection of goods
To name a few. I am hopeful that is matter gets resolved soon and quickly.
Craiter

Customer Answer

Date: 02/23/2024

Keep getting shuffled around. Everybody 'buck passing'.
I hired a company.
The company said they could and **** do the job.
The company palmed me off to another company, under their direction.
One of the companies did major damage to or lost possessions.
None of the companies involved want to take responsibility.
BBB has directed me to 'another site' 3 times.

I am asking BBB......
WHO and where do I need to direct my complaint?
Simple question
Appreciate a simple answer
Craiter

Initial Complaint

Date:01/31/2024

Type:Service or Repair Issues

Status:

Answered

Resolved:: The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:: The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:: The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:: The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:: BBB is unable to locate the business.

I hired The Liberty Group, operating under the umbrella of United Van Lines (aka UniGroup) to move my household from New Jersey to Massachusetts. I paid $17,661.86 for these services which included insurance costs to cover full replacement/repair costs due to damages or a total loss. My items were loaded on 9/18/23 and delivered to my home in Massachusetts on 9/22/23. Per policy, I am entitled to submit a claim for damages within 9 months of the move. I initially notified United and Liberty (via email) of damage to our dining room table on November 8, 2023. Upon further inspection of my goods, there were other items that were also damaged which I included in an online claim using their standard online procedure. Upon receiving my claim, the UniGroup assigned a repair company to review the damaged items, which never took place. A few days later, I was notified on 1/22/23 by UniGroup that they denied my claim in full, citing that there was no damage noted on the inventory control form at the time of delivery. According to United's published rights and responsibilities document, only the following actions limit or reduce their liability for damages:

"Your actions may limit or reduce your mover's normal liability under the following three circumstances:
1. You include perishable, dangerous, or hazardous materials in your household goods without your mover's knowledge.
2. You choose the alternative level of liability (60 cents per pound per article) but ship household
goods valued at more than 60 cents per pound ($1.32 per kilogram) per article.
3. You fail to notify your mover in writing of articles valued at more than $100 per pound ($220 per kilogram). (If you do notify your mover, you will be entitled to full recovery up to the declared value of the article or articles, not to exceed the declared value of the entire shipment.)"

None of these conditions apply to my situation, and United/Unigroup is forcing me into arbitration rather than honoring my claim.

Business Response

Date: 02/06/2024

Good afternoon,

At the time of delivery all of Mr. ******'s items were delivered to his basement per his request. No items were noted as damaged at the time of delivery. Before Mr. ****** filed his claim, he moved all the items to a new location. As such we have no evidence the items were damaged by United and not in the subsequent move. Mr. ****** has been provided with the information for arbitration which would be the next step to further dispute his settlement.

Thank you,

***** *****

Cargo Claims Manager

************

************ (fax

Customer Answer

Date: 02/06/2024

Complaint: ********

I am rejecting this response because: The damage to my household goods was caused by the original move into my home, not by any subsequent handling of my furniture. During the date where my items were delivered into my home, they were stacked into one area of a basement which made it impossible to fully inspect the items. In addition, there was family emergency that day required medical attention which further prohibited for a thorough examination of every household good that was moved into the basement.

Sincerely,

***** ******

Initial Complaint

Date:01/16/2024

Type:Service or Repair Issues

Status:

Answered

Resolved:: The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:: The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:: The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:: The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:: BBB is unable to locate the business.

FALSE ADVERTISING / PROPERTY DAMAGE / THEFT We hired Mayflower to move from *********, ** to *************, **. (NOTE: Due to an administrative error on Mayflower's part, some forms incorrectly list the wrong address, which caused part of the problems described below.)***Notably, we paid for Full Value Protection (FVP) with $0 deductible and up to $124,000 in coverage. We were told that this meant that if anything was damaged or lost, it would be replaced at full value.***Upon delivery, the driver withheld the Inventory Control Sheet until it was time for him to leave. As such, we were not able to confirm at that time whether we had received everything. In fact, when we were told to sign the Inventory Control Sheet, we refused to initial the boxes indicating that everything was received. From the attachment titled "Response to Proposed Settlement": "We did NOT waive our right to check off the Inventory Control Form; in fact, we were NEVER given the opportunity to check off the Inventory Control Form prior to signing. The boxes in question require Customer Initial, and as you can plainly see, I did NOT initial those boxes. **** told me to, but I refused because I didnt know if everything had been delivered. **** put the Xs there. My initials are MAS (and my sons initials are JWS). There is no X in either of our names."As it turned out, several items were damaged and several items never made it. We submitted a claim via Mayflower's website and they have been stalling to avoid having to compensate us. Despite our Full Value Protection (FVP), they only offered $1,049.00.Attached are several files with additional information, including the original binding quote (signed), our submitted claim, their proposed settlement, and our response to their proposed settlement.We are seeking $8,009, which is not even full replacement value. As such, we will not accept any less than this amount.

Business Response

Date: 01/16/2024

Mayflower Transit ("Mayflower") respectfully asks that this complaint be transferred to the Eastern Missouri BBB as the ******* shipment moved under Mayflowers interstate operating authority by a disclosed household goods agent of Mayflower. The disclosed household goods agent cannot be liable for damages arising out of Mayflowers performance under its interstate Bill of Lading. Therefore, transfer the complaint to the Eastern Missouri BBB. Thank you.

Business Response

Date: 02/02/2024

Good afternoon,

Sincerely,

***********************
Manager, Cargo Claims

************

***************************************

The UniGroup Companies

Customer Answer

Date: 02/03/2024

Complaint: 21076843

I am rejecting this response because:

1. FALSE ADVERTISING. The business is refusing to acknowledge Full Value Protection (FVP) coverage, as advertised on their website (******************************************************************************************; see also attachment "FVP Advertised on Website"). Below are just some of the ways the business advertises FVP:

-- "Mayflowers basic Full Value Protection plan is designed to compensate you if something happens to your belongings that we are moving for you during the moving process."

-- "Our Full Value Protection option is not insurance, like the insurance coverages that *** be provided by your homeowners policy, because YOU DON'T HAVE TO PROVE OUR NEGLIGENCE CAUSED THE **** OR DAMAGE [emphasis added]. Instead, subject to certain limits, we will be responsible for your claims; our Full Value Protection option reflects the monetary value of that responsibility."

-- "With our basic Full Value Protection option (included in every initial quote), you can trust Mayflower to strive to protect your belongings during your move."

Not only do we have the basic FVP plan, we also paid for additional coverage over and above the basic FVP plan. Our total coverage is up to $124,000 with $0 deductible, as is clearly shown on the attached signed binding estimate. If the Full Value Protection (FVP) plan (with additional paid coverage) does not actually do anything, then this is a clear case of false advertising.

2. The business's proposed settlement is unreasonable. We paid $25,445.82 (including the upgraded Full Value Protection coverage). They offered us $1,184.00. That number is nowhere close to the amount of damage and missing items. In fact, just one of the missing boxes is worth that much. We originally estimated the claim at $12,444 (not even accounting for full value replacement). Given that we are supposedly covered up to $124,000 with FVP (see Item #1 above), it seems that the business could come up to our final proposed settlement of $8,009.00. Indeed, we will not accept any less than that.

3. CONFLICT OF INTEREST. Third-party arbitration, as proposed by the business, is not an acceptable resolution due to an inherent conflict of interest as the business will be paying for said arbitration.

4. MISSING ITEMS. The business is still refusing to acknowledge the 10 missing boxes and the fact that the driver falsified the Inventory Control Form. As stated in the original BBB claim, we were not given an opportunity to check that all of our belongings were delivered, and in fact, not all of them were delivered. See original claim for full details.

5. DAMAGED ITEMS. In addition to the missing items are several damaged items that were not repaired satisfactorily. Please see attachment "Response to proposed settlement" for those details.

Sincerely,

***********************

Customer Answer

Date: 02/14/2024

Hello,

Thank you for your support in providing mediation for this claim.

I just wanted to make sure you have my complete phone number: **************. (When I view it in the system, it appears that the 1 got cut off.)

Looking forward to speaking with you soon.

Sincerely,

****

Business Response

Date: 02/21/2024

Good morning,

Mayflowers basic Full Value Protection plan is designed to compensate you if something happens to your belongings that we are moving for you during the moving process. This statement is accurate however liability still must be confirmed by following all required policies and procedures of the claims handling process including but not limited to having a completed and valid submitted claim form, inspection, photos confirming damages, thorough review of all move documentation, etc.

Our Full Value Protection option is not insurance, like the insurance coverages that *** be provided by your homeowners policy, because you dont have to prove our negligence caused the loss or damage. Instead, subject to certain limits, we will be responsible for your claims; our Full Value Protection option reflects the monetary value of that responsibility. This statement is accurate as well in the fact the responsibility is not put on you to prove liability of the claim however put on the claims team handling the claim. As stated above, there is a thorough claims handling process that consists of several steps as well as policies which must be followed to ensure we are accepting liability where appropriate and that all necessary confirmations are made in order to accept and pay on the claim. This statement does not mean that no matter what is claimed, what the amount claimed, etc. that it will be accepted and paid regardless of the facts, documentation, etc.

With our basic Full Value Protection option (included in every initial quote), you can trust Mayflower to strive to protect your belongings during your move. Again, this statement is accurate however unfortunately like with every relocation and every relocation company there is always the possibility of loss and/or damage. Mayflower does strive to ensure a satisfactory relocation and if a claim does arise a satisfactory and amicable claims settlement resolution.

Sincerely,

***********************
Manager, Cargo Claims

************

***************************************

The UniGroup Companies

United Van Lines | Mayflower | UniGroup Worldwide Moving | ************************* | UniGroup Logistics

Customer Answer

Date: 05/14/2024

TR 05/14/2024 [C] ************ has failed to honor the full value protection we paid for and replace all items that were damaged, broken, and lost. We are seeking full replacement value of $8009.00.

Business Response

Date: 05/14/2024

TR 05/14/2024 [BR] ****** stated this case is being handled by *********************** who submitted the business response. [M] Sent an email to ***** regarding mediation.

TR 05/22/2024 [M] Sent an email to ***** regarding mediation.

TR 06/07/2024 [M] Sent email to ***** regarding mediation, also Cc Laurel.

TR 06/13/2024 [BR] We have worked with the consumer and made several good faith offers to resolve, all were denied. We have explained the only option to move forward in this dispute is to arbitrate through ATA, all info was provided to the consumer.

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