Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/02/2023

  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.

  I hired Skaleski moving to help pack and load my belonging into a Uhaul truck I rented, so that I could drive the truck myself to ****** (my final destination). The short version of my concern is that, based on direction from his employees, I upgraded from a 20ft truck to a 26ft truck (at the cost of $479.85, plus added fuel costs), which turned out to be entirely unnecessary. In fact, numerous parties along the way commented that I could have likely gotten away with a 16ft truck. After his employees finished loading the Uhaul with my belongings on January 20th and I was able to see the VOLUMES of unused space, I called **** to voice my concern that I had spent nearly $500 more than necessary based on bad advice/direction from his employees. I sent pictures to him as evidence. I am attaching the string of email communication that followed, which contains a better timeline of *************** details to support my request for a refund of the $479.85. I should also note that I ended up spending over $500 more in fuel than expected on the trip, which I attribute in large part to the upgrade in truck size and motor type, again at the direction of Skaleski employees. However, I would be satisfied with the refund for the difference in truck rental price. Lastly, I also want to note that I chose to email **** rather than call him as his email directed because he was very domineering on the phone when I initially expressed my concerns, often cutting me off and talking loudly over me so that I couldn't communicate my thoughts...it felt quite bullying. He tried to tell me it was my fault for listening to his employees, but how was I supposed to know his employees aren't supposed to make recommendations or shouldn't be listened to when telling me I needed to upsize? While, neither his employees or company as a whole financially benefited from the change in truck size, I'm sure it was easier to load a 26ft truck than a 20ft truck, which is my guess as to their advice.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/01/2023

  Good day..

  My name is **** Skaleski, President of Skaleski Moving & Storage, ***** I met personally with customer ************************* for a 2nd time in early December of last year 2022. Our first visit together was back in March of 2022. In mid-December of 2022 ****** contracted my company to simply provide a few very specific, basic LOCAL services for her personal **Haul move from ********, ** to ******: Pack/Box her breakables & electronics;  International wrap/protect her furniture; Load her household goods onto her personally arranged **Haul rental truck per the contract (Original contract can be furnished upon request if needed).

  These LOCAL services were  quoted out accordingly & were basically the extent of the services being requested by customer and provided by **********************. Subsequent to these LOCAL services being performed, per the contract customer received, customer was then taking over the reigns & she was responsible for driving or arranging the transport of her own household goods from ********, ** out to ******.... I am very pleased to say that Skaleski's final actual cost came out lower than the estimated cost that was quoted initially and that all her household goods fit onto her **Haul rental truck which she was directly responsible for arranging via a 3rd party (Skaleski Moving & Storage, *** does not provide "rental truck services" - FYI)... No items were left behind. No OVERFLOW which is always a critical & a MUST service outcome when someone is moving from ********* to ****** let alone anywhere for that matter when relocating state-to-state. That being said....      

  In the weeks prior leading up to the above LOCAL services being contracted with and performed by my company discussions between myself & ****** were exchanged. In some of those discussions she shared with me that there were some additional household good items she was purchasing and needed to be included to be shipped to her home in ******. In addition, the initial physical survey I performed on her household  goods was way back in March of 2022.  After these topics of discussion with ******, among others, both ****** & I thought it would be best & very wise  for all parties involved to get together again for a 2nd time to physically re-survey the household goods in her home to insure proper pricing & materials needed to accommodate those LOCAL services she was seeking out. A 2nd re-survey was completed free of charge by me personally in early December of 2022.  After that 2nd, new, updated physical in-home survey was completed the new now more accurate survey results revealed that she did have a HIGHER VOLUME of household goods than what was initially surveyed back in March. I brought this HIGHER VOLUME OF GOODS to customers attention via email & via phone discussion. My immediate concern for my client was with the HIGHER VOLUME of  household goods she was looking to have shipped, insuring that all her household goods actually fit/made it onto her **Haul truck became a part of my immediate attention for her, even though her goods were not being loaded onto a Skaleski truck. As I stated previously one of the main & primary goals for any professional moving company is to 100% insure that there are ZERO items left behind, 100% insure that there is ZERO OVERFLOW. I knew customer was not just ********************** locally across town. She was moving to Alaska. The last service outcome that ANY professional moving company would want to see for their valued client/s is to see household good items that did not fit onto the truck. Insuring 100% ZERO OVERFLOW was especially my focus on this project, again, taking into consideration that this particular client was moving to ******!

  This concern was shared with ****** by me, personally and often, and by Skaleski's assigned crew members. OVERFLOWS are a primary concern for everyone at Skaleski Moving & Storage, *** and will be a point of discussion at any/every given point in time.  Standard procedure is to discuss any/all "potential logistical flaws". OVERFLOWS are "service failures" which I am extremely pleased to say was not the case here on this project.

  Based on this new/updated surveyed HIGHER VOLUME information the **Haul truck size I recommended to ****** initially, knowing that cost was an issue for her on that rental, was a  21 foot **Haul unit but qualifying my "recommendation/suggestion"  stating that "It will be tight!" and a very close call as to whether or not everything would fit.  I then proceeded to suggest to her that she might be better served if she rent a 26ft **Haul truck to insure 100% that Skaleski's load crew had enough space so that nothing got left behind, ZERO OVERFLOW while also preventing a possible 2nd **Haul trip from ********, ** to ****** on any overflowed household goods that ****** would still need in ******. I told her that it would be better to "error on the side of caution" with a 26ft rental truck to insure that  everything fit rather than running things tight & causing any OVERFLOWS.

  Subsequent to my own personal & professional "recommendation/suggestion" on that truck rental size ****** then shared with me via phone discussion &/or via email two (2) very critical pieces of information surrounding her own personal service, logistical and financial needs... ****** **Haul did not have a 21ft rental truck. The only rental truck they had along that size was a 20ft unit. So my immediate thought  hearing this news AND my immediate response to her was obviously more volume of goods being shipped now being loaded onto a even smaller truck with less space to load. I expressed my concerns of an even stronger possibility that items could be left behind and she could have an OVERFLOW.  Now what is extremely strange to me & completely befuddling here in this complaint is that ****** spoke with me directly via phone and via email WEEKS prior to her scheduled service dates basically stating that she really wasn't concerned about "leaving things behind", she wasn't concerned about any OVERFLOW. She stated that the cost for her to rent the 20ft **Haul truck was $400-$500 less than renting the 26ft  **Haul truck I was strongly recommending. ****** then stated (Again, this is WEEKS prior to her scheduled service dates) that she would either load whatever household goods items that Skaleski couldn't  fit onto her rental truck into her own personal vehicle AND/OR leave items behind. But she wanted to save the $400-$500  additional monies on her rental. Very simply & very basically I told her that is "her call. Basically whatever she was comfortable with I was comfortable with.. Skaleski Moving had nothing to do whatsoever on the final decision surrounding the size of the **Haul being rented.  Nothing in nor on the contract with Skaleski stated any responsibility on that front. **************** on that truck rental size was from start to finish. 

  So the game plan that ********************* up and put into motion for herself was renting the 20ft **Haul rental to get the lower rental price, Skaleski Moving & Storage, *** was then to simply load up as much of ******'s household goods as humanly possible onto her 20ft **Haul rental truck  and anything/everything that did not make it onto her rental unit would simply be self-hauled by her via her own personal vehicle &/or items that didnt fit would simply be left behind. ******/Customer did not contact me until the late PM after Skaleski local load services were completed. It was after the load services when I found out that customer made her own personal choice of renting a 26ft truck and deviating from her pre-arranged game plan to go with a 20ft truck along with all the other contingencies surrounding any/all remaining left-over items. Truthfully I was glad to hear that ****** made the switch for herself. Everything fit onto her rental truck for a 1 trip/run from ********, ** To ******. Mission accomplished!!!!!! I will note here that in doing research on 20ft **Haul truck rentals these units have less truck height, less length & less width. A 20ft **Haul unit has 40% LESS LOADING SPACE  than what a 26ft straight truck provides.  Most assuredly, in my professional opinion, customer would have had an OVERFLOW. For some reason unknown to me, not until after services were completed, she decided NOT TO GO WITH HER OVERFLOW GAME PLAN THAT SHE CONTSTRUCTED FOR HERSELF. It should also be noted here that I reached out to ************************* to assist her with some of the added expense of her choosing that 26ft **Haul rental truck but my offer to meet her "half way" in that add-on expense was REJECTED!  This matter is closed as far as Skaleski Moving & Storage, ***. is concerned. I personally wish ****** all the very, very best in ******. I am sorry that a complaint had to be filed here with the BBB. Any questions or additional needs from the BBB, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

   

  Respectfully Yours,

  ************ Skaleski

  President - Skaleski Moving & Storage, ***.