Bekins Moving Solutions, Wilkes Barre, PA and Wheaton Van Lines review: Interstate residential moving experience 1

Bekins Moving Solutions

125 Stewart Rd.

Wilkes-Barre, PA 18706

PA PUC A-108519

Wheaton Van Lines

8010 Castleton Road

Indianapolis, IN 46250

Phone: [protected]

[protected]@wvlcorp.com

I contracted with Bekins Moving Solutions and Wheaton Van Lines to do an interstate move between my old house in Schnecksville, PA and my new house in Paducah, KY. The pick-up date was June 15 and the delivery date was June 24, 2021. The deadline to file this claim, according to your web site, is nine months from the date of delivery, or February 24, and I am submitting this claim on __________ In the course of the move, Bekins and Wheaton violated laws defined in multiple regulations of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and the Surface Transportation’s “Release Rate Order.

This letter explains the need for Bekins and Wheaton to make reparations for the following reasons:

• Firstly, the salesman illegally misrepresented the pricing and used false advertising. He described pricing for a binding contract, but the Estimate and Order for Service were for a non-binding contract. The price of the move was 25% higher than the estimate, when by law, it may only be 10% higher. The salesman misrepresented the company’s service by illegally omitting a delivery spread, which caused me material harm when my family and I had the expenses of living in a hotel for 7 days. A reasonable person could easily conclude that he lied. Had he told the truth, Bekins would not have gotten my business because the service did not fit my criteria.

• Secondly, the manager and salesman used bait-and-switch practices, raising my price one business day before the move. They illegally overcharged my credit card without my knowledge or authorization. The manager used extortion, telling me I could find another mover if I did not want to pay the additional money. The company charged me after the move and refused to provide a receipt, weight ticket or accounting of the additional charges. Neither the driver nor I signed the Bill of Lading, so I never waved my right to witness the weighing. The resulting final price ended up being more than bids I rejected. I made multiple calls to Bekins, Wilkes Barre, Bekins Customer Service and Wheaton Customer Service, but not once did the people I talked to inform me of my right to submit a complaint or seek arbitration.

• Thirdly, the movers did extensive damage to my possessions as the result of an incompetent non-company crew with no experience. This is completely different from the web site, which falsely advertises that it uses “company professionals.” The expense involved in repairing or replacing my damaged possessions is large.

These are the people with whom I dealt with during this move.

Mr. Lauri: Sales Manager of Bekins Moving Solutions at the Wilkes Barre location

Mr. Harrington: Overall manager at the Wilkes Barre location

Mr. Nordheim: Clerical assistant at the Wilkes Barre location

Jimbo: Wheaton Van Lines driver

Moving crews: Wheaton hired local day-labor with no experience.

Shopping for a Mover

The Salesman’s Lies: Bait-and-Switch Practices. Misrepresenting the Company. Withholding Information to Get the Business. Violating Laws Governing Registered Household Goods Movers. Violating the Requirement for a Delivery Spread on the Estimate/Order for Service.

I called Bekins Moving Solutions in Wilkes Barre, PA in mid-April, 2021 when searching for a mover for my interstate move from Schnecksville, PA to Paducah, KY. I had gotten a referral from a company that only did tri-state moves and declined my business. I arranged for a meeting at my house with Mr. Lauri, the sales manager of the Wilkes Barre office. In the meeting, I was clear about what I wanted in a moving company. Mr. Lauri made promises he did not fulfill.

Not a Small Company. Misrepresented the Size of the Company. Failed to Identify Bekins as a Broker. Withheld Information on the Difference Between a Household Goods Broker and a Household Goods Mover:

I told Mr. Lauri my conditions for a mover; I wanted a small company that would drive my possessions straight through from the truck to my house, and I did not want my possessions stored in a warehouse. According to “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move,” (2013), the FMCSA requires a “registered” mover to “explain whether they are a [household goods] broker or a [household goods] mover.” Mr. Lauri withheld this information. Rather, he mentioned something to the effect that Bekins was “here” in Wilkes Barre and had been around for many years. He even volunteered the information that the company began in horse-drawn wagons. While that particular information may be correct, Mr. Lauri knew full well that Bekins is not a small company, and he failed to reveal that he represented a “household goods broker.” Mr. Lauri chose to omit the information, in order to secure the sale that I would not have given him had I known. Later, I learned that Bekins is based in Indianapolis, IN, not Wilkes Barre, PA. It is owned by Wheaton Van Lines, the number four shipper in the country, according to its web site. In not revealing that he represented a broker, Mr. Laurie failed to explain that Bekins has no control over the shipper, driver, truck, dates, loading, delivery or unloading of the shipment. Mr. Lauri did not care about being honest. He cared only about making the sale, and he told me whatever he thought I wanted to hear, in order to make his numbers.

No Delivery Spread in the Estimate or the Order for Service: Violations of Law. Lies. Breach of Contract. Bait-and-Switch Tactics. $1200 to Live in a Hotel and Eat in Restaurants for 7 days: The “Consumer Protection Regulations” under the Transportation of Household Goods in Interstate Commerce says, that an Order for Service must contain “The agreed pickup date and agreed delivery date of the move.” The Surface Transportation Board’s Released Rates Order specifies that an Order for Service must contain a delivery date. Mr. Laurie and Bekins violated those regulations, which made my move far more difficult and expensive. I told Mr. Lauri that I wanted a small company that would drive my possessions straight through from the truck to my house, and I did not want my possessions stored in a warehouse. Mr. Lauri said they would not be warehoused, but he omitted any other information on delivery. Mr. Lauri lied by omission. To keep me in the dark, he illegally left the section for a delivery spread blank from both the Estimate and the Order for Service. He knew very well that the company would not deliver my possessions from the truck to my house without delay. Mr. Lauri withheld the information that the company expected to take up to nine days to deliver my possessions. In the Estimate and Order for Service, there is additional contractual language about how the company will pay a per diem if the customer’s possessions are not delivered in 9 days. However, it makes the proviso that

it will pay if possessions are not delivered “in the spread’s set length above.” Regulations stipulate that a delivery date be named. Clearly the contract stipulates that a delivery spread be named. Bekins was in breach of contract, so this proviso has no application in this situation. Clearly, Mr. Laurie used the lack of delivery spread as a bait-and-switch tactic to deceive me. I specified service without delay, but a delivery spread would have alerted me that the company does not deliver that way. “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move,” says, “Unscrupulous movers could use the blank or incomplete estimate to change the terms of your move, including the cost, without your knowledge or consent.” Mr. Laurie did not use a blank estimate to change the costs; rather, he used a blank delivery spread to omit information that would have eliminated Bekins from the competition for my business. Mr Laurie’s fraud cost me $1200 for four adults and two cats to live in a hotel and eat in restaurants for seven days while waiting for our possessions to arrive.

Pricing Was Not Comparable to Buying an Airline Ticket As the Web Site Advertises. Salesman’s Pitch Described a Binding Estimate But He Billed Me for a Non-Binding Estimate. Fraudulent Bait-and-Switch Practice: When we discussed pricing, I told Mr. Lauri I was flexible as to the moving date, that I could move in June, July or August. He told me specifically that the price rises as it comes closer to the move, and that moving in July was always more expensive than June. So I said I could move in June. He compared it to plane flights, which is the same comparison Bekins uses on its website. Like buying an airline ticket, I was flexible as to the date and stressed that it didn’t have to be on the weekend, when many people want to move. Once I chose Bekins, I locked into a date and price as soon as possible. When a person books an airline ticket, the airline does not raise the price one day before the flight. But Bekins raised my price one day before the move. I now realized that Mr. Laurie described a binding contract in his sales pitch. I read the Estimate, and I thought it described a binding contract, just like Mr. Laurie described. Unbeknownst to me, the Estimate and Order of Service were non-binding, which was a fraudulent bait-and-switch technique. Mr. Laurie deliberately confused the meaning for me. “Rights and Responsibilities” says, “Unscrupulous movers could use the blank or incomplete estimate to change the terms of your move, including the cost, without your knowledge or consent.” Mr. Laurie did not use an incomplete estimate to change the price; rather, he used an incomplete explanation as the basis for changing the price one day before the move.

The Time of the Move

Incompetence. Office’s Failure to Book the Move in a Timely Manner. Last-Minute Price Increases. Bait-and-Switch and High-Pressure Tactics. Overcharging My Credit Card Without My Knowledge or Authorization. Blaming Me for Their Mistakes. Extortion. Ridicule, Refusal to Take My Calls. Refusal to Produce Weight Ticket, Provide Receipts or Document Additional Charges. Fraudulently Underestimating the Cost of the Move. Gender Discrimination.

Lies. Incompetent Traffic Management: A Prelude to Preditory Pricing and Extortion: In discussing pricing, Mr. Lauri explained that that they worked with a spread of three days for pickup of an owner’s possessions. I agreed to it, saying that it was not a problem, as long as I knew the exact date about a week before the move. He assured me I would know. That was another of Mr. Lauri’s lies. On a Friday, one business day before my pick-up spread began, I had no date. One week before the pick-up spread began, I had started calling every day, beginning on Monday. I needed an exact date to make plans and reservations for the two-day trip to Paducah with my child, my 93-year-old mother, our pets, and my husband, who was already in Paducah and was coming back to Pennsylvania to help. Mr. Nordheim put me off every day. He repeatedly told me that the driver hadn’t gotten back to him, which was a lie. It was so last-minute that Mr. Nordheim told me I would have to contact the driver myself—something that was not my job. At the time, I assumed the order had been activated five weeks before, on May 3, when I accepted their bid. However, after I talked to the driver, Jimbo, about these issues, he told me that the reason why I wasn’t given a pick-up date until the night before the pick-up spread began was that Bekins only contracted for a driver the week before, and he had only accepted the assignment a few days before. I can only assume that Bekins waited five weeks to contract with a driver as a way to extort a higher price, then say that they told me the price goes up the closer to the move.

Incompetent Handling of Paperwork. Blaming Me for Offering to Help: The Wilkes Barre office demonstrated incompetence in multiple ways. One business day before the pick-up spread began, Mr. Nordheim said he wanted to send the contract by next-day mail because they needed signatures. I was concerned that it would not reach me on time. I asked him to e-mail it and I would print it. My printer was packed, but I offered to unpack it for this purpose. Mr. Nordheim said he couldn’t email a contract. In this day and age, there is no excuse for lacking basic office technology or basic computer skills. By the end of the day, Mr. Nordheim told me that he had “figured out” how to send the contract by e-mail. A few days later, Mr. Nordheim found a way to blame me for volunteering to print. By the evening of moving day, most of my family’s possessions had been loaded on the truck, and I had repacked my computer. Suddenly he expected me to print additional forms. When I told him I had repacked the computer, he got angry and blamed me because I had volunteered to print forms. So I ended up unpacking my computer a second time. All in all, I packed my computer three times and was blamed for trying to help, thanks to Bekins’ incompetence.

Under Time-Pressure to Sign the Contract. Predatory Practices. No Deposit Led to Fear of Not Having a Mover: I did not receive a contract until the end of the day on Friday, one business day before the pick-up spread began. I signed it and returned it on Saturday. I still didn’t have an exact pick-up date. That is when I realized that Mr. Laurie had taken the unusual step of not asking me for a deposit. Because they didn’t have a deposit and Bekins could still abandon me, I felt pressured to get the contract signed. This is another predatory practice they used.

Last Minute Price Increase. Bait-and-Switch: It was on Sunday that I was able to reread the contract and realized that Bekins had arbitrarily increased my price. I was quoted a “transportation” charge of $6988.92 by Mr. Lauri, and I agreed to that. Suddenly, the transportation charge had been increased to $7756.50, an additional $767.58. The prices of the “fuel charge,” “extra stop,” and “FRVF” remained the same. First thing Monday, I called Mr. Nordheim and pointed out the increased charge. Apparently, he didn’t understand because he told me—twice—that the fuel, extra stop and FRVF charges increased the price. I had to reexplain several times, saying that I was aware of those charges. It was the transportation charge that had changed. Finally, he understood and agreed to change it back. On the copy of the forms that I have included, you can see where he whited out the price and typed over it.

Illegally Overcharging My Credit Card Without My Knowledge or Authorization. After Mr. Nordheim corrected the transportation charge, I gave him my credit card for a total amount of $7979.11 for the four charges. I thought it was resolved, but more problems occurred when Mr. Nordheim illegally overcharged my card for $8800--$820.89 more than the actual charge--without my knowledge or permission. From the time Mr. Nordheim overcharged my credit card, it was next to impossible to talk to him. Every time I tried to talk, I couldn’t get more than a half-sentence out before he would interrupt me and talk at such a loud volume that it precluded any conversation with him. One totally illogical argument he gave me for illegally overcharging my credit card was that they would be charging me more when the truck load was weighed. Firstly, there is no logical argument for an illegal action. Secondly, it was ridiculous; the truck hadn’t even been loaded, let alone weighed. It was impossible for Mr. Nordheim to know whether the actual weight would be greater than the estimated weight. That is, unless he knows that Mr. Lauri makes a regular practice of underestimating loads for the purpose of under-bidding his competitors in a bait-and-switch maneuver. And that is exactly what he did.

Increased Transportation Costs Is the Result of Bekins’ Incompetence, Not Mine: When I spoke to Mr. Lauri to complain that I had been overcharged, his personality changed from the helpful salesman to a man acting like he was a victim. Mr. Lauri accused me of not understanding how pricing works. He said, “I told you that the price goes up in June.” Clearly, he had intended to deceive me. He never said he couldn’t give me an accurate estimate because he was quoting April prices, but June prices would be higher. He never said the price might go up with a non-binding contract; he never explained a non-binding contract. Instead, he said I could lock in a price early (a binding contract), like the airline ticket. It is clear now that he had no intention of honoring that price. When I discussed it with the Wheaton Van Lines driver, Jimbo, he told me that Bekins had not contracted a driver until only a few days before my move. I had agreed to the move five weeks before, so there was absolutely no reason for them to wait. The price went up because Bekins did not book the move on time. That price increase is Bekins’ responsibility, not mine.

Final Cost Was 125% Higher. Law Does Not Allow an Additional Charge of More Than 110%. Bekins Would Not Have Been the Winning Bid. The Salesman is either Incompetent or Acted Fraudulently.

The “Released Rate Order” says,

If you provide a non-binding estimate to an individual shipper, you must provide your reasonably accurate estimate of the approximate costs the individual shipper should expect to pay for the transportation and services of the shipment…You must clearly indicate on the face of a non-binding estimate that the estimate is not binding upon you and the charges shown are the approximate charges to be assessed for the service identified in the estimate. The estimate must clearly state that the shipper will not be required to pay more than 110 percent of the non-binding estimate at the time of delivery.

Mr. Laurie did not provide a “reasonably accurate estimate.” Mr. Lauri’s original bid was $7979.11 while the actual final cost was $9858.78. That is $1871.67 or 125% higher than his original bid, which illegally exceeds the allowable increased rate of 110%. Furthermore, when the price increases are factored in, Bekins was not actually the low bidder for the move.

When I called to complain, Mr. Lauri tried to make me believe it was my fault that I didn’t see through his deception. It is the sales representative’s responsibility to present the product and pricing honestly and to estimate accurately, not to shift the responsibility onto the customer. Mr. Lauri even tried telling me that he gave me a discount although there is no evidence of this in any of the paperwork and he never mentioned it in his sales pitch, another lie. Mr. Lauri illegally underestimated the actual weight in order to underbid his competitors. Furthermore, when I pointed out that Mr. Nordheim had corrected the bill and returned it to the original bid for transportation costs, the phone was on speaker. Mr. Harrington, the office manager, and Mr. Lauri were surprised and angry. I could hear it in their voices and their responses. When Mr. Nordheim confirmed this, they shut him up quickly. They knew exactly what they were doing. Mr. Lauri became so belligerent toward me that he even attempted to shift the blame by pointing out that when he originally came to my house on his sales call, a salesman from another company was there giving an estimate. I pointed out that I had apologized at the time, and he had told me it wasn’t a problem. Now he was using an unrelated issue in an attempt distract from the issue at hand, put me on the defensive, and to discount the validity of my complaints.

Not Taking My Calls, Not Leaving Messages in Order to Avoid Discussing the Illegal Price Increases:. Using Ridicule as a Distraction from the Issue of Illegal Business Practices: After being blamed, lied to and given spurious justification for illegal acts, I wanted to speak to the office manager, Rick Harrington. I called at least three times and was not able to reach him. When I finally did speak to him, he was dismissive. First, I mistakenly referred to him as Rich, the clerical assistant’s name. Mr. Harrington’s first action was to ridicule me for it. Like Mr. Lauri, Mr. Harrington was using a completely unrelated issue in an attempt to distract from the issue at hand, put me on the defensive, and to discount the validity of my complaints. When I pointed out that I had been trying to reach Mr. Harrington, but he hadn’t called me back, he countered that he had called me, but I hadn’t picked up. I asked if he had left messages, and he admitted that he had not, but he argued that he had still returned my calls. His argument was ridiculous. Clearly, he had been avoiding any communication with me because I was holding Bekins to account for his company’s illegal actions.

Extortion: Pay More or “You Could Always Get Another Mover”: Mr. Harrington and I discussed the arbitrary price increase and overcharging my credit card. He replied that if I didn’t like the price, I “could always get another mover.” His response demonstrates the predatory nature of Bekins’ actions. Mr. Harrington was trying to exploit me with a predicament of his own creation. I had a closing date and needed to be out of the house. I could not simply “get another mover” one business day before the move. In essence, Bekins was trying to extort more money out of me. I countered by saying I wanted him to lower the price of the move. I suggested that he think about it and get back to me. When I called back the next day to talk to Mr. Harrington again, Mr. Nordheim refused to put me through. He told me that Mr. Harrington had not discussed lowering my price with him, but he also told me that the company would not lower it. I would like to know why Mr. Nordheim, a clerical assistant, thought he had the authority to make a manager’s decision.

Gender Discrimination: The Men at Bekins Thought They Could Take Advantage of a Woman

In looking back, it is clear that all three men at Bekins thought they could exploit me because I am a woman. Mr. Harrington would never belittle a man by saying that because he got a name wrong, he should not be complaining. He would never have told a man to pay more or find another mover. Mr. Nordheim would never have loudly spoken over me to prevent me from talking. Mr. Lauri would never have suggested it was my fault that I did not see through his deception.

Further Illegal Charges to My Credit Card Without my Knowledge or Authorization. No Receipts, Weight Tickets or Accounting of the Final Charges. I Never Waved my Right to Observe the Weighing: After my move, the company charged my credit card—again, without my knowledge or authorization--an additional $1050.78 for a total cost of $9850.78. That is $1871.67 higher than Mr. Laurie’s bid. I repeatedly asked Bekins Wilkes Barre and Wheaton and Bekins customer service for an explanation of the charge and final weight, but the company has refused to provide a copy of the weight ticket that the driver is required to fill out, according to the Surface Transportation Board’s “Released Rate Order.” I learned about this additional charge only when I got my credit card statement. Additionally, I did not wave my right to observe the weighing because neither the driver nor I ever signed the Bill of Lading.

Not Given Information on Complaints or Arbitration When I Asked:

The Released Rates Order stipulates the following:

You must have an arbitration program for individual shippers to resolve disputes about property loss and damage and disputes about whether carrier charges in addition to those collected at delivery must be paid…Before execution of the order for service, you must provide notice to the individual shipper of the availability of neutral arbitration…you must provide information and forms you consider necessary for initiating an action to resolve a dispute under arbitration.

I made multiple phone calls and complaints to Bekins’ Wilkes Barre office and Bekins’ and Wheaton’s customer service. With each call, employees failed to give me information on the availability of a program to resolve a dispute or for arbitration. In fact, I rarely heard back from any of the Customer Service Representatives. It was always me pursuing the follow-up. The only thing I was given was an insurance form to file a claim for the damage caused. It wasn’t until I went to the Surface Transportation Board’s website that I found it. I had to do all my own digging to learn how to seek redress. In particular, the Wilkes Barre office went out of its way to prevent me from knowing how to seek redress.

Pick-Up and Delivery Days

Bill of Lading Left Blank. Driver Promised a Two-Day Delivery, Then Took Nine Days. Inventory Illegible. Incompetent Crew Was Not “Professional.” Furniture Improperly Wrapped and Packed. Extensive Damage to Furniture.

Bill of Lading Not Filled Out by Driver. Not Signed. Not Dated. Its Significance Minimized: The “Released Rate Order” specifies regulations for the bill of lading.

You must issue a bill of lading. The bill of lading must contain the terms and conditions of the contract. A bill of lading may be combined with an order for service to include all the items required by § 375.501 of this subpart. You must furnish a partially complete copy of the bill of lading to the individual shipper before the vehicle leaves the residence at origin. The partially complete bill of lading must contain all relevant shipment information, except the actual shipment weight and any other information necessary to determine the final charges for all services performed.

I was given a bill of lading (attachment) as part of a group of papers presented to me. It had the ONLY delivery spread listed in writing, but I do not know whether I received it on the pick-up day or the delivery day because the only date on it is 1/1/21, which is obviously wrong. I do know that I did not sign it, nor did the driver. The driver did not fill any of the information he was required to fill out by law. Bekins can make arguments that I still got a bill of lading with a delivery spread, but it may have been given to me after my household goods had already been delivered. It was most certainly given to me in a way minimized the importance of the information in it, whether or not this was deliberate.

The Driver Promised a Two-Day Delivery. Then He Took Nine Days. Did Not Inform Me of Delays. Breach of Contract. $1200 to Live in a Hotel and Eat in Restaurants for 7 days: The Surface Transportation Board’s Released Rate Order lays out terms for delivery.

You must tender a shipment for delivery for an individual shipper on the agreed delivery date or within the period specified on the bill of lading…When you are unable to perform either the pickup or delivery of a shipment on the dates or during the periods specified in the order for service and as soon as the delay becomes apparent to you…You must advise the individual shipper of the dates or periods you expect to be able to pick up and/or deliver the shipment. You must consider the needs of the individual shipper in your advisement.

Jimbo knew that Bekins had not given me a delivery spread. Before we left Schnecksville, Jimbo told me that he had no other moves scheduled, and he promised that he would see me in Paducah in two day’s time. That is the only agreed-upon delivery date I knew of. The delivery date was deliberately omitted on the estimate and the Order of Service that I signed. It was not on the Household Goods Descriptive Inventory that I signed. Jimbo neither filled out the bill of lading, nor did he sign it. I did not sign the Bill of Lading, nor was I asked to. It was just among the group of papers he gave me at some unknown point. Therefore, Bekins and Wheaton are in breach of contract. Instead of the only agreed upon delivery date, the two-day delivery that Jimbo promised verbally, Wheaton sent Jimbo on two other moves before he could deliver my possessions, and two days ended up being nine days. Jimbo did not call me or answer my calls for about 5 days after he said he would arrive, another violation of the “Released Rate Order.” I was left in the dark, knowing nothing. Because Mr. Lauri lied in not telling me about the way the moves are scheduled, I had no idea this might happen. The four of us and our cats ended up staying in hotels and eating out, costing us more than $1200. Had I been given a delivery spread, as Bekins was required by law, we could have made other arrangements.

End-of-Moving-Day Forms: Inventory Condition Codes Were Not Written Legibly. Arpin Van Lines “Extraordinary (Unusual) Value Article Declaration” Does Not Refer to Pieces Worth More Than $1000: At the end of nine hours of loading, when everyone was exhausted, I was asked to sign fifteen pages of inventory but was not given the time to read them. Fifteen pages were inventory. Jimbo just put them in front of me and told me to sign off. But Jimbo’s handwriting is illegible. He could have written anything, but I have no idea what he wrote. I have no idea if he is accurate or inaccurate. I do know that 5 boxes were uninventoried. Jimbo also gave me an Arpin Van Lines’ form called, “Extraordinary (Unusual) Value Article Declaration.” He told me I had to fill this out. I had no chance to read it. I asked him what the company considered to be extraordinarily valuable. He said it referred to items “over $1000.” Jimbo gave me incorrect and misleading information. The company defines it as higher than $100 per pound. This form should never have been presented to me after a full day of loading. It should have been sent long before the move.

Loading and Unloading Household Goods: Extensive Damage to My

Possessions: Not “company professionals” as Bekins Claims on Its Website:

An Incompetent Crew: Day Labor. Zero Experience. No Background Checks. Not insured. Not bonded.

The Bekins website clearly says, “we offer professional packing services”; however, the loading of the truck and the handling of my possessions was done by people who were not part of the company and should never have been allowed to do the job or come near my possessions. In Schnecksville, Jimbo hired local labor to do the loading and packing. The head of the crew he hired had some experience, and Jimbo knew him, but his crew was completely different from the last time Jimbo had hired him. This crew was culled together at the last minute, day labor, and the four men had no experience or training. None of them had ever worked on a move before, let alone the entire contents of a 4-bedroom house. They had no idea of how to pack a truckload of possessions that was going to be driven around the country for nine days. They had no license, insurance, or bonding, as a professional crew would have had. In fact, Jimbo told me they were so poor at the job, he would never hire that person again. The unloading in Paducah was better, but the people were not “company professionals.” They were hired that day. Three of them came from a town two hours away. We had to wait for them to arrive before the unloading could even begin.

Incompetent Packing and Loading: A packing and loading job that should have taken four hours, according to Jimbo, took close to nine hours. Bekins’ website promises to “Wrap furniture pads (specially designed blankets) around your furniture to protect it from damage,” and “Protect overstuffed furniture in stretch wrap to prevent damage.” My furniture was inadequately wrapped and none of the upholstered items came off the truck stretch wrapped. They loaded my antique fine China on the truck when I had not finished packing it. To illustrate their incompetence, someone shoved a plate between two sofa cushions where it was driven around the country for 9 days. Even the head of the crew made poor decisions. He didn’t supervise wrapping or the moving of large pieces of furniture. I heard him come into my dining room and tell his crew that they were packing the large table in the wrong way. And when they unscrewed the dining table base from the tabletop, he told them to put the hardware in a bag and put the bag in the “parts box.” None of them knew what a parts box was. Eventually someone created a parts box, but many parts were never put in it, and the parts box was never given to Jimbo to be stored separately. It was loaded on the truck with the other boxes. The dining tabletop and base were padded with only one blanket. As a result, the tabletop got at least five chips in the edges. The base is cracked and broken, and wobbles now. And the hardware to attach the two pieces was never found.

Mistreatment of Major Pieces of Furniture, Both Antique and Contemporary: I showed Jimbo and every crew member my antiques. One of them was an Early American, chestnut end-table, hand-made in Pennsylvania in 1830. I stressed that they needed to treat these irreplaceable items with extra care. Later, I heard Jimbo tell the crew that the end table had legs that could be unscrewed. This brought me running in to the room to say that under no circumstances must there be any attempt to “unscrew” the legs off a hand-made table from 1830.

“We treat every piece of furniture like an antique.” When I noted the antiques, Jimbo assured me, “We treat every piece of furniture like an antique.” He said this to me several times. That may be true, but not for the reason Jimbo implied. Both antique and contemporary furniture were damaged alike. I have provided a detailed inventory of the extensive damage. The furniture was inadequately protected. Most of the pieces had only one blanket covering them. The china cabinet had a thin piece of cardboard around it. Glass on the inside broke. The packing of the truck was so incompetent that it caused further damage. Furthermore, rattling around in a truck that was crossing the country for nine days exacerbated the incompetent packing. A beautiful mid-century modern kitchen table set, circa 1960, is ruined. Three chair legs and a table leg are broken. Two chair backs are broken. Repairs will have to be entirely custom, and the set will need to be repainted. That set could easily fetch $700 or more, given today’s prices for mid-century modern antiques.

Seventy Boxes Dented, Five Boxes Un-inventoried: I packed my own boxes. I have been packing my own possessions for forty years, and I am good at it. I know how to use padding to prevent boxes from being dented or crushed or the items from being broken. During those forty years, I have only lost a few possessions. But, in this move, the packers were so incompetent that an astonishing seventy boxes were dented and crushed during shipping. These were boxes designed to last from two to four moves. Furthermore, five boxes were never even inventoried. They could have been lost or stolen and there would be no accounting for them.

Forced to Do a Job That the Movers were Hired to Do. Broken China: On the day of the move, Jimbo announced that he was not packing the glass shelves in the China closet or on table tops. I clearly told Mr. Lauri that I wanted the moving company to take care of furniture. Those shelves are part of the furniture. I had to spend valuable time packing items that I hired others to do, instead of doing my own last-minute packing that needed to be completed. As a result, my antique fine China, (Lenox, Ming-Birds, [protected]) was loaded before it was fully packed. It had been wrapped in plastic bubble wrap, but it was not padded or secured in proper boxes. Yet some of it was loaded onto the truck in an unsecured box that was too flimsy to be used. Several plates were found placed at the bottom of a large box with no padding to protect it. No competent mover would have allowed that China on the truck until it was properly packed. Instead of coming to me to ask about it, the movers loaded it with zero attention to safety. In all, eleven pieces were broken, from a rare gravy boat to several salad plates. I checked Replacements, Ltd., the site for out-of-production China. Replacing those specific pieces would cost $800, that is if they are even available to buy. I was not able to get pictures because a family member put the pieces in the trash before I could photograph them.

I Insured My Possessions Against Accidents, Not Negligence: I bought an insurance policy to protect myself, not Wheaton Van Lines. The insurance is supposed to protect me against accidental damage. I was not paying to protect Wheaton Van Lines, and I refuse to be responsible for the $1000 deductible when it was negligence on the part of Wheaton Van Lines that caused all the damage to my possessions.

Missing Parts Box, Missing Parts, and a Missing Mover: When the furniture finally made it to Paducah, no one could find the parts box. I found it a week later, but it had only about half of the parts. The independent contractors in Paducah were unable to assemble some major pieces of furniture because they lacked parts. This included the dining table, and we never did find the hardware for it. Before Jimbo left, he arranged with one of the movers to buy the correct parts, come back to our house and assemble the furniture. But that person never showed up. What should have been the movers’ job ended up being our job. I still have no mirror attached to my bedroom dresser because we haven’t found parts for it.

 

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