I haven't posted in a long time. In the meantime, I've started a new job all the way across the country and mostly completed the move. I say "mostly" because while I am here, my furniture and other essentials are taking their own sweet time getting across the country. My experience should maybe serve as a cautionary tale. Based on the experience detailed below, I must recommend to anyone who asks that they stay away from Colonial Van Lines Relocation Division (which is different from Colonial Van Lines, by the way) and especially from Best Price Moving and Storage (who were hired for me by Colonial Van Lines Relocation Division).
Here's what's happening:
In September, I knew I was going to be moving to Seattle, so I contacted several moving companies to get estimates for the cost of moving my stuff across the country. After viewing several estimates, I chose to go with Colonial Van Lines Relocation Division because their estimate was close to $1000 less than the others even though they estimated the weight of my stuff as higher. Being on a tight budget, this seemed like a good idea at the time.
I made the decision in mid-September and immediately talked to someone at Colonial Van Lines Relocation Division about the need to pick my stuff up on October 26. (NOTE: I was making arrangements over a month in advance, mostly because I was not going to be in Connecticut during the month of October, but also partially because I figured that would give them plenty of time to schedule things for a rapid and efficient move.) I was told that they had to give a two day window, so they said October 25 or 26. I made it very clear that it really needed to be Saturday the 26th, as I had plans for Friday. I was also told that the move itself would take "about one to two weeks" from pickup to delivery, so I figured I'd have my stuff by the beginning of November, maybe about November 10 at the latest. Over the course of the next few weeks, I was contacted by various people, all of whom said that the pickup window was October 25-26; I always emphasized that it really needed to be the 26th and I was always reassured that the two-day window was a formality and it was 99% certain that they would be picking my stuff up on the 26th.
Less than a week before the pickup, I finally got a phone call confirming that they were coming to pick up my stuff on, of course, the afternoon of October 25. Luckily, the only unbreakable plans I had for that day were in the morning, so I broke all plans for the afternoon so I could hang around my apartment waiting. Around 1:30 that afternoon, I got a call from the movers (Best Price) telling me that they were running late and wouldn't be there until about 4:00. Just before 4:00, I got another call saying they wouldn't be able to be there until 7:00 at the earliest, but would probably have to come back the next morning to finish. I really didn't relish the idea of splitting the process, so I suggested the next morning at 8:00. The driver asked, "Not 7:00?" I told him that 7:00 was okay even though I really didn't want to get up early enough to be ready for them at 7:00. I was ready on time, and they arrived promptly at 8:19 that morning.
The two guys who were there were very efficient and had me moved out by 12:30. I have no complaints about the work they did. I was, in fact, very impressed by how carefully they packed everything and how quickly they got the job done. When they were done, the driver presented me with paperwork stating that the delivery window was November 1-13. Still believing the one-to-two weeks estimate, I assumed it would be well before the 13th but that they were giving themselves some extra time in case something went wrong with the truck or something.
On November 4, I received a voice mail telling me that they were sending a truck out on November 12 and that delivery would be on the 13th, 14th, or 15th. I was not happy since two of those dates were even outside the window given to me by the driver, but what could I say? I had to accept the dates. I did call and leave a message that I really needed to talk to my move coordinator because those dates were "unacceptable". My call was never returned.
Today (November 13), I called and again left a voice mail for my move coordinator saying that I needed to speak with her. A couple of hours later, she did call me, not because she had gotten my message, but because she had found out that the truck with my stuff was making a delivery in Illinois today and had a stop in another state nearby (I forget which one right at the moment) tomorrow before heading my way. As a result, my stuff would be delivered on November 19, 20, or 21. Needless to say, I was not happy. She asked me if I could be flexible. I asked her if I had a choice. It's not like I could say "No, it has to be here by tomorrow since you promised." They couldn't magically get the truck from Illinois to Kent, WA overnight. She didn't seem to understand my point and, in spite of me making it very clear that I was angry, not at her, but at how this move has been botched from the start, had nothing to say to mollify me--not even an apology, let alone something that might make me feel a little better.
I would like to point out that they don't know that I am staying with my parents. For all they know, I'm renting a motel room or sleeping in an empty apartment while I wait for them to get their acts together. But they clearly don't care if I've been left out in the cold all this time. In the meantime, I have been paying rent on my apartment since November 1 since they told me they might deliver that early, and now I won't even have my stuff until the latter half of the month. I'm tempted to send them a bill for November's rent.
Here ends the recital of facts. You can see why I am unhappy. I am beginning to wonder if I've really been the victim of a big scam and they've stolen all of my stuff and are just putting me off over and over in order to keep me from reporting it soon. I am on the verge of contacting the attorneys general in WA and CT to see if there's anything they can do for me. Just in case it wasn't clear, here's the moral of my story:
I STRONGLY recommend that you avoid doing business with Colonial Van Lines Relocation Division and Best Price Moving and Storage. You may save money by going with them, but the aggravation just isn't worth it.
Edit (11-18-2013): Now they are saying that it will be November 27-30 that my stuff will get delivered.
Edit (11-25-2013): After a bit more back-and-forth, I was told that I would receive my stuff this morning and the driver himself told me he would call me last night to confirm the time. Sure enough, promptly at 7:15 this morning, he called to confirm drop off today. (I realize that 7:15 this morning is not the same as last night, but give the rate at which this company moves, I would say that making it within 12 hours is akin to him having called me last Tuesday on anyone else's timeline.) I am now sitting in a box-filled apartment wondering what I'm going to do with all of this stuff.
