Need a mover? Avoid Barrett Moving & Storage, Waukesha!

[Tom Snyder]

This is unbelievable! We had to move from our house to an apartment because  the buyers wanted to move in right away, and our new place isn't ready yet.

We called around to get quotes on movers. Barrett Moving & Storage in Waukesha promised us a seasoned 3 guy team with no temporary workers or newbies (apparently that's a big deal because, as our salesman explained to us, "the other guys" not only allegedly use those types, they charge you full rate for them, too).

So our Barrett Moving & Storage team of 3 guys shows up. Guys #1 and #2 bust butt... guy 3 was slow, needed constant direction, stacked boxes upside down, piled boxes on boxes that were clearly marked "do not stack anything on top of this box." When we asked the team leader about guy 3, and he said... "Oh...he just started, and he's just Summer help."  

So our original quote for the move was $1800. But as they're packing up at the end, we get a bill for $2800. So we told them that we'd need to discuss this with our Barrett Moving sales rep. But because of Barrett's policy, they had to demand payment in full before they could leave. We tried calling our rep, but he was gone. We were able to talk to a supervisor.  We asked if we could be charged for 2 1/2 men, and he said he'd be willing to split the difference, so we paid for 2 3/4 men. Not great, but the crew couldn't leave without a check, so we paid them and sent them on their way.

We got our receipt marked paid, and thanked (and tipped) our 1 and 2 guys, and told them we'd see them in two months when it was time to complete the second phase of the move from our temporary apartment and storage to our new house.

So the other day we get a letter in the mail from the Waukesha Barrett Moving manager declaring our negotiated settlement is no deal, that we'd better pay the full amount, and if we don't, the matter will be referred to collection. And the full amount now included an hour for the 3 guys to stand around while we negotiated the rate on the phone after they were done. We called him today, and he was unrelenting, didn't care what we had been told, didn't care about the negotiated deal, and didn't care whether or not they got the business for the second phase of the move. He basically said "pay up, shut up and go away."

Heck of a way to run a business. We have prepaid legal, so we'll get it taken care of.

But now we're looking for a mover for the second move to the new house and it will be a cold day in Hades before we use Barrett Moving and Storage, Waukesha but we're thinking we can't believe what any sales guy tells us. Any recommendations?

[gb4fan92]

Tom

  Why didn't you ask your buds here on the forum to help you move??  It probably would have only costed you a few beers and some food  

[Tom Snyder]

We have lots of antiques and family heirlooms. So we prefer hiring insured movers. That way if something gets broken, we can just file a claim.  If a friend broke something they and we would both feel bad.

Besides, we don't want our friends thinking that they'd have to do work to get fed and quenched. We prefer to just invite folks over to RELAX for food and drinks.

[Gregg Lengling]

I had to go look at the truck doing my neighbor (they are moving to So. Cal), but it's Belkin that's moving them and I'm sure USC is paying for her move...she took a position there (she got her Doctorate there) in their school as a prof. of Phys. Therapy.

But they had the movers there for 2 days packing and 1 guy was good, one was a young minority that spent most of his time on the cell phone and was overheard saying, I'm not saying anything without my attorney present.  Oh yeah good Help.

[Tom Snyder]

Man.. this gets even better.

My mail just came and we have a letter from the regional boss of Barrett Moving  & Storage.

He's denying everything that the salesguy told us (although he's conveniently ignoring the copy of the original $1800 quote that we enclosed).

He's denying that the other moving crew guys told us that the third guy was a seasonal newbie (I guess that means that we were hallucinating when they told us about the newbie trick they were going to play on him where they wrap a moving blanket around a fire hydrant and tell the newb to load that one last piece of furniture).

In fact he categorically denies everything that we were told by everyone at Barrett Moving, and comes to the conclusion that we are doing nothing more than lying to try to con them into having to pay a lower price.

They say that happy customers hardly tell anyone, and unhappy customers tell 10 people. Hmm... I can't wait to tell my friend Elmer Prenzlow over at Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection this story. And the local guy who handles our Better Business Bureau membership. And the folks at Angies List.  And MovingScam.com. Too bad I don't know any local TV GM's... oh wait.

Call me ugly, call me stupid, but DON'T call me a liar.   :mad:

[Paul S.]

Slam the guys head into the desk until it's free. I'm a firm believer in that fighting solves EVERYTHING.

[Tom Snyder]

Yikes! I can't tell if you're serious. Either way, I need to make sure I never have anything to solve with you. You're bigger than I am.  :rofl:

We'd be happy to pay what we were originally quoted, because the quote was a big factor in our decision. And if we had been given a quote based on estimated weight, and the actual weight had been different, we'd pay the overage. But when the quote is based on man-hours, and the number of man-hours runs long because one of the guys a just slow and bad, I'd like to be able to discuss it without having my integrity questioned.

[StarvingForHDTV]

Check with your bank to see if they have cashed your check.  If they have, contact prepaid legal and inform them.  I believe cashing the check is an act that traps them in to accepting the deal you offered at the end of the move.

Good luck.

[jkane]

I'm with Paul.  How about a little visit en-masse at their regional office.  :bang:  Is 2:00 good for everyone.   :p

[Doug Mohr]

Slam the guys head into the desk until it's free. I'm a firm believer in that fighting solves EVERYTHING.

I'd like to hire you as my Attorney. How much of a retainer do you require?  :rock:

[Tom Snyder]

I'm thinking he'll probably do it for a Sony KDS-60A2000 60"  

[Paul S.]

:rofl:


Seriously, sometimes the only way to get through to someone is bring bodily harm. The results are MUCH faster than calling someone, filing papers, blah blah blah blah-blah. The guy will be too embarassed to admit to someone he just got his a$$ kicked so it's less likely he'll sue

[LoadStar]

Honestly, these days you have to cover your butt on every single detail. I know if I were hiring a movers, I'd get a written quote, covering details like who would be sent, how much time is alloted, how much would be charged for overage, that sort of thing. Then, when the movers arrived, I'd have the lead sign off on the quote, and get the names of the members of the moving team.

I don't know if it's true or not, but from all the horror stories I've heard about movers, it sure seems like there's an abnormally high number of scummy people in the industry.

[Dan the Man]

Tom,

When I moved last year, we hired Mr. Mover out of Grafton. I submitted my list of items over the internet, they called me with a quote, followed up in writing and showed up, on time, worked fast, were polite and took care of it all. They even disassembled furniture like beds, mirrors, etc. and put it all back together at the new place.

Someone referred me to them and I was pleased. Moved the big stuff and some boxes from an apartment into a house for around $550.00. We moved other boxes and clothes ourselves. I highly recommend them.

[jkane]

Had two movers and didn't like either in my life.   I usually moved myself when I was younger.  The last mover really teed me off.  They "promised" that their truck was big enough for everything in the house.  I was all set I thought.  They moved everything on the first floor and filled the truck.  I asked them what they were going to do about all the boxes in the basement.  They said I paid for one truck load only and they were done!  I was really mad.  It was the walking up and down the steps with heavy boxes that I had hired them for.  I ended up renting a trailer and moving the rest myself.  Grrrr.  Never will I use a moving company again without a clause that covers EVERYTHING at a top end cost.  Saying it will fit is not good enough.  I want that in writting.  And I want it to say $XXX is the maximum I will have to pay no matter what they end up lifting, or how big it is, or how long it takes them.