Cariing Transitions review: Relocation/moving company

I was watching Dr. Phil one day and saw he had as his guest person/s representing Caring Transitions. They stated that they specialize in providing a range of services to help seniors transition through the daunting task of relocating. Their services include sorting, packing/ unpacking, downsize, donate, discard items, coordinating movers, resettling their client in the new space, providing an estimate for each service and the entire project, all while ensuring your best interests are met throughout the process.

Coming from living on the top floor of a five floor walk-up and living there for 45 years I was quite anxious to say the least, but I was given a fair estimate, so I decided to hire Ms. Rachel Rohn at [protected], [protected]@caringtransitions.com. Ms. Rohn presented me with a Relocation Services Estimate, which did not include pricing. On July 17, 2023 Ms. Rohn gave me an Invoice for a deposit and retainer, fees totaling $1,196.00, along with a Scope of Services Agreement with a detailed description of services, prices included totaling $3,010.00. On July 20 she also gave me an Estimate of Services & Charges with a description, which outlined Ms. Rohn's moving company, Hall Lane Moving & Storage Co., which included their services totaling $1,392.65. When the move was over Ms. Rohn handed me a bill totaling $5,805.20 and it caught me totally off guard and I was in total shock, to say the least. I paid it because I felt I had no other choice.

I found out over the course of a week or two that there was damage to my furniture - my couch, my antique brass bed post, my antique mirror, my Seth Thomas wall clock, my bookcase, plus a few other things to small to mention. Ms. Rohn took no responsibility for the damages stating that they were probably in that condition before the move. As far as items that were missing were my fairly new hiking boots, brand new Botticelli shoes/boots, an antique child's Mickey Mouse lunch box, wooden 5 ft. ladder, two (2) luggage carriers, several chargers to my vacuum cleaner, makeup mirror, electric toothbrush, etc. Ms. Rohn again took no responsibility stating that they were probably there somewhere I just had to look hard enough for them. I ask you how do you disguise a ladder and two luggage carts. I had been texting, calling and emailing Ms. Rohn all along regarding the missing and damaged items, but it fell on deaf ears. When I received an email from Ms. Rohn on December 1 she directed me to their movers, Hall Lane, who are also their insurers., which she never bothered to tell me, as this was the first I was hearing about it. When I called Hall Lane on December 21 Jean Salazar said she didn't know who Rachel was and that she didn't work for them. She also said she had never heard from Ms. Rohn and it wasn't until I brought it to her attention about the damages and missing items that she was just hearing of this. She said she couldn't honor my claim because it was over the 90 day period to file a claim. I pleaded with her to check with Ms. Rohn that all along I had it made known to her what was missing and also damaged and I have texts and emails to prove this. She said she still couldn't honor my claim.

Ms. Rohn said she would come over to help me empty more boxes, so we decided on November 7, 2023, but I did accept this because I was under the impression it was part of the original agreement about visiting with the client up to a week after the move to ensure client satisfaction. This was delayed because Ms. Rohn kept postponing it and I had been hospitalized and in rehab for almost two months and was using a walker. Upon leaving my home after 5 hours, to add insult to injury, she handed me another "Final invoice" for two people for $1,200.00. Not only did she not tell me about this in advance, but she never mentioned it during the time she was at my home. I couldn't find my wallet, so I couldn't pay her and I told her I would mail it, but to date I have not done so.

$ 5,805.20 minus $3,010.00 = $2,795.20 (the Scope of Service Agreement)
$5,805.20 minus $1,392.65 = $4,412.55 (the Estimate of Services and Charges)
If you add them up you still only get $4,402.65

At 78 years old I understand full well what an estimate is, but to be so far off is ludicrous and absurd. I thought this bill would be more toward the estimate than out in left field. The fact that I had to pay $500 for the brass bedpost and $250.00 to repair my couch, (which I am still not happy with), my mirror and my bookcase $100.00, I feel I should be reimbursed not just for the money, but for the time it took to find people to do this work in my home rather than take it out to do.