Complaints

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:12/08/2022

  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.

  On 10/1/22, I completed an in-person moving consultation with Around Town Movers employee ****, which I understood to be necessary to ensure that I received an accurate price quotation. Ultimately, after reviewing all of the information, **** stated that I did not have a lot of furniture. However, he described mine as an easy move and quoted $2340 for 7-8 hours of labor for a four-person crew and one truck. I relied upon ***** estimate and agreed. During the same consultation with ****, I inquired about buying additional insurance. However, **** assured me that insurance was unnecessary because Around Town Movers offered outstanding quality and would deliver my furniture free of damage. On 10/2122, I had second thoughts because some of my furniture was unique and expensive, and I was unfamiliar with Around Town Movers. Accordingly, I telephoned Around Town Movers and requested to add $30,000 of additional liability insurance (phone record proof). After I completed this transaction with the representative, I felt more comfortable about the process.The move on 10/24/22, did not go as promised or as planned. Contrary to Leons estimate, a member from the moving crew informed me that I had a lot of furniture and said that two trucks were required. I was surprised because **** and I had already discussed my furniture and the dimensions of the items I was moving when he provided an estimate. Moreover, I began to wonder whether ***** estimate had deliberately understated the cost to induce me to agree to use Around Town Moversonly to be followed by a bait-and-switch upcharge. Worse, the move itself went poorly. The crew began around 9:00 a.m. and did not complete the job until 10:00 p.m. And on top of that, once we realized how long the move would likely take, my cousin and I carried many boxes during the movethus effectively adding two people to the crew. I would likely have overlooked the inaccurate estimate and long day. But what led me to file this complaint is that the crew damaged both my furniture and the railing wall of the house I am renting. When I spotted the damage and alerted the crew lead, one of the crew members asked me not to inform Around Town Movers and indicated that he would come by and fix the damage himself. However, I became concerned because this arrangement seemed improper, and I suspected that such a procedure might result in the loss of coverage if he failed to do the repair work correctly. I also had a dispute with the billing, in which the price was higher than the contracted and erroneous amount of insurance. The lead crew member stated that I had to sign the bill so they could leave my home and should contact the Around Town Movers office to discuss my concerns with the bill. On 10/25/22 when the crew member showed up unannounced at my house to fix the damage the next morning, I declined his offer. I also contacted Around Town Movers to clarify billing and file a claim. On 11/3/22, I contacted Around Town Movers via email to follow up on insurance. However, Around Town Movers compounded its series of errors and omissions by providing further misinformation and stonewalling. On this occasion, the employee I spoke with by telephone claimed that I was only covered up to $10,000 instead $30,000 as requested. The employee stated she would pass my message along to the claim department, and I would hear back from someone. The company has since refused to address the issue. In good faith, I have allowed Around Town Movers to repair my furniture. On 11/16/22, ****************, a third-party contractor, came to fix the wall that the crew from Around Town Movers damaged during the move. However, he could not complete the job and requested to return another day. On 11/1822nearly a month after my move and after I had invested time and effort on multiple occasions to rectify the harm Around Town Movers caused*** ****** returned to attempt to fix my furniture. After surveying the damage, **************** stated he could not fix my bookshelf and could cause more damage if he attempted the repair. Further, the repairs he attempted on a dresser and bookshelf did not resolve the damage Around Town Movers caused. Specifically, the attempted repairs failed to match the color, contained excess glue, and left cracks.Around Town Movers failed to handle and deliver my furniture carefully and safely, causing damage to them, and refuses to abide by a contracted ******************** Given the series of misstatements, inadequate performance, and unremedied damage, Around Town Movers should promptly and fully replace the furniture in the total amount of $14,927.98 to resolve the harm it caused.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/16/2022

  December 16, 2022

  Dear *** *******,
  

  Thank you for submitting your complaint to the Better Business Bureau. We are sorry that you felt it was necessary to submit the complaint.
  

  **** had previously contacted you and provided a discount for the move. We are sorry that the move took longer than expected. You had nice furniture and many fragile items. The movers took extra time and care to complete the move properly.

  The Around Town Movers moving process is proactive and each move is confirmed electronically in writing in advance of each move. The contractual General Terms and Conditions are provided as part of the electronic confirmation. The Around Town Movers office staff have responded in a timely manner to all of your communications. The most recent communication addressed your concern about the recent repairs, and we advised you that our repair technician would need to return to complete the repairs. We also realize that we may need to escalate the repairs to a restoration firm.

  Your claim is on hold because you have not paid for your move. The General Terms and Conditions require that payment in full is required.
  

  “PAYMENT IN FULL FOR ALL GOODS AND SERVICES RENDERED BY THE COMPANY MUST BE RECEIVED IN FULL PRIOR TO THE COMPANY’S CONSIDERATION OF SETTLEMENT OF ANY CLAIM FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE. Non-payment issues extending beyond thirty days (30) shall fully release the Company for any and all claims for lost and/or damaged property or articles.”
  

  Your payment was returned to our bank on December 12, 2022 and this shall serve as your notice as a final demand for payment. After 30 days, you may become liable for interest and attorney’s fees.
  

  “THE COMPANY AGREES TO RESPOND TO ALL CLAIMS WITHIN ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY DAYS (120) FROM THE RECEIPT OF THE CLAIM as to whether the claim is accepted or not. If accepted, the Company, at its sole option, reserves the right to exercise one of the three following options to settle a properly submitted claim: a. pay the cost of repairs, subject to the terms of the coverage plan selected by the Shipper. b. replace the item with one of equal value, subject to the terms of the coverage plan selected by the Shipper. c. pay a cash settlement, based upon and supported by proof of value; i.e.: sales receipts, appraisals, estimates of values by manufacturers, stores, or professional appraisers and credit card receipt, less depreciation if applicable, and subject to the terms of the liability coverage plan selected by the Shipper.”

  Your claim was submitted on November 3, 2022 and we promptly responded to it. A manager and repair person arrived at your home to initiate the repairs. We repaired the rail handle even though it had been previously damaged and repaired (poorly). The damage to all items was remediated with the exception of the bookcase. This item does not show any sign of mishandling. The vertical crack in the particle board is likely a result of environmental or inherent vice. The Company does not provide coverage for items constructed of particleboard or pressboard as stated in its General Terms and Conditions.

  As such, we are unable to provide coverage for this item.
  A second visit is required to complete the repairs. All of the affected areas are very small. An average person looking at the damaged items would likely not notice the repairs. As such, the request for replacement is not reasonable.
  We would like the opportunity to complete our claims service, but you have not allowed us to complete the repairs and your claim is on hold because of payment issues.
  We are happy to continue the claims process once we have received the following:
  1. Payment
  2. Proof of purchase, the date and cost of each item claimed. Settlements for the coverage selected are subject to
  depreciation.
  3. The name of your previous mover and any communication with the previous mover about damaged items. You commented to a member of our staff about the troubles that you had with your previous mover.
  Please provide the requested items in order to proceed with the claims process and I will contact you directly to bring the claim resolution with the required 120 days, minus the days the claim is on hold for non-payment.
  

  Signed,
   
  Certified Claims Analyst

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/03/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
  
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Dear *****,
  I appreciate your response. However, many statements you have made are untrue.
  1. The move took extra time because, Around Town Movers’ employee, ****, poorly and carelessly estimated my move. **** stated that I did not have a lot of furniture; therefore, it was “an easy move” that required a four-person crew and one truck. Contrary to ****’s estimate, the moving crew informed me that I had a lot of furniture and said two trucks and a six-person crew were required for my move.
  2. The Around Town Movers moving process is not proactive and has not responded promptly. My last communication addressed my concern about the recent repairs being
  poorly made, and I am not satisfied with them. I also informed you that I do not want a repair person attempting to repair my furniture and causing further damage to my furniture.
  3. Your statement that I have not paid for my move is false. My move was fully paid for on October 25th, 2022. The payments made were (on October 10th, $480 and October 25th, $2952.25).
  4. In good faith, I have given Town Around Movers reasonable time and opportunity to remediate the damage caused to my furniture. However, because of your lack of transparency, misstatements, poor repair quality, and unwillingness to honor the paid liability insurance, I disputed the payments aforementioned with ********** company.
  5. Around Town, Movers was notified of the disputed charges by ********** company on December 10th (see attached). Unfortunately, around Town Movers decided not to respond to the claim and made false accusations that the move was not paid in full. 

  6. The manager, *****, and the repair person, *** *****, arrived at my home to initiate the repairs. The manager stated *** ***** was very talented and my furniture would be restored to its original state.
  7. Your statement that all items were remediated, except for the ********** bookcase, is false. In addition, *** ***** made two visits to my home for attempted repairs, not one visit as you stated.
  8. On the first visit, *** ***** could only repair the rail handle broken by the movers who banged my furniture on the rail handle. So, he scheduled to return the following week to
  complete the repairs for the bed frame, small white bookcase, standing ********** mirror, ********** dresser, and ********** bookcase.
  9. On the second visit, *** ***** attempted to repair the other damaged items that he couldn’t repair on the first visit. Unfortunately, the repair he tried on a ********** dresser and small white bookshelf was poorly made and did not resolve the damage Around Town Movers caused. Specifically, the attempted repair on the ********** dresser failed to match the color and contained excess glue. As for the small white bookshelf, your statement that the vertical crack in the particle board likely results from environmental or inherent vice is incorrect.

  Instead, the vertical crack results from the mover handling the bookshelf carelessly and causing it to crack and chip off.
  10.Also, during the second visit, *** ****** stated he could not fix my ********** bookshelf and ********** mirror because he could cause more damage if he attempted to repair them.
  Therefore, he left my home without repairing them.
  11.Around Town, Movers wanted to schedule a third visit, which I declined.
  12.During the consultation with Leon, I inquired about additional liability insurance because of the value of my furniture and my negative experience with the moving company, Quality Services, that damaged my ******** Dining Room table (replaced) and white couch (repaired). Nevertheless, **** tried to talk me out of it, assuring me that insurance was unnecessary because Around Town Movers offered outstanding quality and would deliver my furniture free of damage.
  Looking forward for a resolution. 

  Best,

  Business Response

  Date: 01/05/2023

  Dear BBB,

  We have contacted our customer and hope to be able to resolve the issues with her directly.  Thank you.

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/16/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
  
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response am rejecting this response because:
  The damage on the silver leaf bookshelf was caused by the movers and not by climatic  conditions.  
   
  
  Regards,