29 Nov 2021 · MoveAdvisor
1.0 out of 51.0
This company is so unprofessional and irresponsible, where do I begin? There were 3 payments. I made the first, largest payment to the broker they are associated with, American Long Distance Moving and Storage, which deserves their own separate blast. I told American my contract dates with a 3 day window wouldn’t work, because my lease would be up. The sleazy rep flat out lied to me, said the date had to be written that way ‘for legal reasons’ but swore up and down the pickup would be on my requested date.
J&D Moving was late on both ends, both the pickup and delivery. J&D Moving was 3 days late on the pickup. After days 1, 2 and 3 went by and I was constantly promised the pickup would be that day or the next, I entered into a chaotic hell of constant unpacking and repacking as I had to get stuff I needed already packed in the car, then packing again always hoping to go. This became the most surreally stressful period of my life, explaining and apologizing to the apartment manager for not leaving when my lease ended, wondering whether I should cancel my Air BnB at my destination, and came this close to being evicted and having all my possessions thrown on the street after I’d already paid moving expenses!!
After day 3, I couldn’t delay my trip from Phoenix to San Diego any longer and had to leave in the evening instead of a morning start when I was fresh, as I’d planned. This was not only inconvenient but downright dangerous, making a long drive on treacherous steep curvy mountain roads at night when I was tired after working all day, or at least trying to work at home as best I could on the phone, without wifi after I had to return the cable box.
The only reason J&D Moving were not 4 days late instead of 3 days, is that I paid a friend last minute to help their driver pack the van. The driver didn't call me until evening day 4, and told me he was unexpectedly alone and would have to reschedule. I also had expenses of at least 2 days missed work, I had to pay extra rent, and I couldn't get a refund for the Air B&B I'd already paid for as I remained stuck waiting for them.
J&D Moving was a no-show for the original delivery date. They did not email me until after the fact, that they were not able to fit my possessions in their truck the night before. I had already had to spend like an hour before the scheduled time putting away an airbed and other temporary arrangements, to make room for them, and basically they killed my Sunday. They already knew they couldn’t come the day before, and didn’t bother to let me know; they could have at least picked up the phone that morning, especially since they emphasized to me to be available by phone for the delivery people. There is just no excuse, sooooo inconsiderate.
From that date, they were completely incommunicado until after 2 weeks from the date I originally contacted them to request delivery. I counted one day; I tried to call 10 times, and I tried each extension and left messages. No one responded to emails either. I called and emailed every day for a while. I got no voicemail, email or text. I know they must have blocked my number because eventually my mother was able to call them for me. Very unprofessional! They should have responded, even if just to say there was no update at that point. For all I knew, they went out of business due to Covid or some other reason. After they were a no-show and I could not reach anyone to reschedule, I had to stay in an air B&B another 11 nights.
When they finally delivered, they gave me zero notice in spite of their previous promises the driver would call on the way, and that I would be notified before the day before. I simply got a call on my lunch break, and the driver told me he was at my home already. I had to apologize at my new job. For God’s sake, what if I were a surgeon, or teacher or something? A lot of people have no flexibility to just leave like that; some people aren’t even allowed to bring cell phones into work.
They lost a lamp, a $100 pair of dance shoes, a record player, a medical foot treatment machine, and my entire set of scarves. They did bring me someone else's shelf and lampshade.
In the 15 days it took them to deliver from the time I contacted them, most of that time them being completely unreachable, I could have bought all new furniture and possessions and gotten comfortable 10 times over. I estimate the expenses they caused me directly cost more than the sum total of all 3 payments I made for moving, between travel delays and lost possessions. Most likely I will never again use a long-distance moving company. This was such a terrible experience, I considered many times abandoning my stuff and just telling them to screw themselves. I might have, except that that my photo albums of sentimental value were there; I started wishing I’d packed those in the car. Bottom line: do not trust these people with your valuable items, whether sentimental or expensive/rare. Just don’t trust them at all.
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