4 months after transfer from California, North Carolina household nonetheless ready for belongings from shifting firm

October 11, 2021

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4 months after transfer from California, North Carolina household nonetheless ready for belongings from shifting firm

WAKE COUNTY, NC – Some families in North Carolina face a lot of frustrations after being left without their possessions as they roamed the country from California.

“A lot of stress, a lot of crying from the start,” said Maria.

In April, she paid moving companies to move her belongings to her new home in Wake County.

“They answered me a couple of times. They said the stuff would be loaded on the truck in two or three days, but that was a month and a half ago,” she said.

During their stay in California, Maria and her husband received a binding move estimate from the Florida-based company Alliance Moving & Storage.

“They seemed a lot cheaper, they called us $ 2,500,” she said.

When it was time to move, the movers didn’t show up on the scheduled date, and when they finally showed up, only one man from Deluxe Moving from New York showed up with a new contract, and the price of the move jumped from $ 2,500 to more than $ 5,800.

“Because we were so close to our moving date, we felt we had no other options and just do what they said,” said Maria.

Maria said it took the one man from Deluxe Moving 10 hours to get all of his belongings into the truck and his floor was damaged in the process.

Eventually everything was loaded into the truck and Maria flew to Wake County with her husband and moved into her house in April, expecting Deluxe Moving to deliver everything.

However, it is now four months later and they are still waiting.

She said when her husband called Deluxe Moving to get an update, “they told him they were loading the truck this weekend and now they say they will be loading it in a week.”

Frustrated with nothing of her belongings, Maria contacted the troubleshooter Diane Wilson.

Wilson approached both companies.

Alliance Moving & Storage said that it is only the broker, not the actual carrier, and as stated in the contract, it is not responsible for anything against the carrier. They apologized as brokers and said they would continue to stand up for Maria. A representative added that due to this and other complaints related to the Deluxe Moving Group, Alliance terminated its agreement with the carrier.

As for Deluxe Moving, after several attempts, Wilson finally got a rep on the phone who said they were facing a driver shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic and claimed their goods were on the way.

Maria says she’s been hearing that for months.

“Not all hope is lost, but I would just say 95% of hope is lost,” she said.

Hopefully the movers will get through, but Maria is about to file an insurance claim.

She is not alone. Wilson has heard of other families facing the same situation when they move.

To prevent this from happening to you, get several estimates. If a price is too good to be true, that’s a red flag.

Next, do your research, read reviews, and see if the mover is licensed. If you are moving within the state, contact the North Carolina Utilities Commission at (919) 733-7766 or online to access the list of certified moving companies. You can also ask the commission if it has any complaints against the company. If you’re moving from one state to another, the US Department of Transportation’s website can help you find registered and insured moving companies and check for complaints.

Once you’ve chosen a moving company, take a close look at the contract and you will receive everything in writing, including the price and possible changes, as well as the pick-up and delivery dates. Finally, try paying with a credit card to protect your move.