Don’t Let ‘Bad Apple’ Movers Ruin the Bushel
Moving nightmares are not very common, but a number of recent stories have highlighted some unscrupulous practices that have cost homeowners thousands. Check out these two horror stories with company’s rated an F by the Better Business Bureau:
February 2022: Billy Bowers was retiring from Atlanta to Daphne, Alabama. He contacted Florida-based Gold Standard Moving who provided him a quote of around $7,000 for the interstate move. When moving day arrived, Gold Standard Movers did not show up. Instead, a man claiming to be from St. Louis-based Road to Load Best Movers came to the door and demanded an extra $5,000. Bowers paid him half of the requested amount up front and agreed to pay the remainder when they arrived at the new location.
Billy Bowers has muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair, so he counted on professional help to move his items. Halfway through loading the truck, the driver to whom Bowers gave the money got into a heated exchange with the other helpers and fired them. Bowers asked his realtor to gather help to finish loading the truck.
Bowers’ items eventually showed up at his new Daphne, Alabama home, but many items were broken or left at his original Atlanta Residence. Bowers received his dining room table that had been in the family for generations broken in pieces. After a six-hour drive from Atlanta to Alabama, Bowers was tired and gave up the rest of his cash to get Road to Load to unload the truck.
Road to Load is now linked to potentially hundreds of complaints through its relationship with Gold Standard Moving. The Missouri Attorney General is currently investigating several of these complaints.
October 2021: A woman in Valdosta, Georgia hired World Class Moving and Storage, based in downtown St. Louis, to complete her move from Washington to Georgia. She paid a deposit of $2,500 toward her estimated moving costs of $8,500. World Class Moving held her items hostage until she paid an upcharge of almost $21,000. She had no choice but to pay part of that charge to get her items and ended up paying just under $13,000 for the move. Her items never arrived. Instead, she found her belongings stored in three different storage facilities in two different states. For months, she and her family lived in an empty home and had to rent a truck on several occasions to bring their items home.
A Richardson, Texas woman had a similar story with World Class Moving and Storage who demanded an additional $2,000 to deliver her belongings that never arrived. She eventually found her entire household of belongings thousands of miles away in an Oregon storage locker. Dozens of more complaints against the company are being investigated.
These dishonest movers are the exception and not the rule. The vast majority of professional moving companies are aboveboard and hard working. ABC Quality Moving and Storage has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Our employees are trained, professional and honest. Our pricing is upfront and our service is impeccable. We have worked hard to become the go-to company for St. Louis’ moving and storage needs. Avoid the nightmare and get your stuff moved the right way. Call the locally owned operated caring professionals at ABC Quality Moving and Storage at (314) 772-1887.