Recently, we moved from Austin to Atlanta as I changed my job.
As per the contract Nationwide Relocation the moving company agreed to provide me household shipping scheduled on Mar 12th/13th 2008 and gave me an estimate of $2359.04 and the two transactions above (totaling to $1570.82) took place as initial deposit for the agreement. The movers did not show up on either of the date mentioned in the contract; instead another company called ADS Moving and Storgae packed and shipped my apartment. They told me that they were sent by Nationwide Relocation. However, ADS Moving and Storage charged us $3099.87 and refused to adjust $1570.82 I gave to Nationwide Relocation. They in fact refused to deliver our stuff until I gave them $3099.87 in cash. Upon contacting Nationwide Relocation about $1570.82; they told me (for the first time) that they are not shipping company but a broker firm and my initial deposit was their fee/commission. This is outrageous, if they were broker firm then they should have:
1)told me this to see if at all I am interested
2)fixed the commission from both the parties
3)taken the responsibility of overall move
4) paid our initial deposit to the actual moving company. They did none of this except charging my card for $1570.82.
There is absolutely no reason that they could keep this money. It is ridiculous that now they are telling me the charge of $674.21 was the initial deposit I agreed on and $896.61 was for updating inventory on their papers. None of this makes sense. ADS Moving and Storage made its own list of inventory and bill of lading and they had their own billing system all independent of Nationwide Relocation. We were repeatedly told by Nationwide Relocation on phone that they are the moving company and the money given to them is the initial deposit? towards the overall cost. Even in their response to our dispute they refer the amount of $1570.82 as our initial deposit . Later on they call it their fee. Nationwide Relocation claims of making bills, preparing list of inventory, updating inventory list, giving 76% discounts, taking deposits etc. has absolutely no meaning at all. We never got any 76% discount mentioned in their response. Nationwide Relocation never ever did anything related to our move, delays, lost and damaged stuff, and excess charges. They just kept the initial deposit and stand aside, and now suddenly they are a broker company. We can almost see that Nationwide Relocation showing us terms and conditions, and telling that they have recorded our conversations on phone etc. but they will not answer the question: how initial deposit of $1570.82 became their fee including $870.61 just for updating list of inventory.
Chronology of events:
1)Nationwide Relocation salesman contacts us about our move and gives us an not to exceed estimate and take $674.21 initial deposit.
2)They send us deliberately incomplete? list of inventory that troubles us, so we contact them back about it and nothing happens for several days and moving date is coming close.
3)Finally another salesman updates our inventory and updates our initial deposit to $1570.82.
4)Nationwide Movers never show up, moving date is a history of 48 hours without the move.
5)ADS Moving company comes 12 hours prior to our flight time (we had an apartment lease ending on the same day).
6)Three movers of ADS company, my wife, 3 of my friends, and myself pack the apartment for 8 tireless hours and we rush to airport.
7)ADS moving company prepares its own inventory, bill and refused to adjust the money given to Nationwide Relocation.
8)Upon contacting Nationwide Relocation their representative tell us that if we do not give money to ADS of their billing they will not deliver our stuff.
9)Things get delayed by a day and ADS charges us another day of storage cost.
10)We give $3099 (the complete moving cost) to ADS and take delivery to avoid any further storage cost.
11) Now if we are asking the question where is our initial deposit? What wrong with that?
12) We contacted Citibank to cancel the credit card payment to Nationwide Relocation and they happily did that but Nationwide Relocation responded with a threat letter of going to court and charging us court and attorney fee. And Sending collection agency to our place.
13) We decided to take the case out of Citibank and contacted Better Business Bureau in Florida they closed the case without ever reading our complain and the Nationwide Relocation's response. I did not know that BBB is so powerless when it comes to repayment of fradulant charges on consumers.
15)We have decided to take the case to court in Florida.
Nationwide Relocation is a fraud company that does nothing except fighting with the people who they have cheated. They will write detailed report and rebuttle if you contact credit card company for cancelling the payment. Essentially, thats what their core strength is. They are not a moving company but a cheat and fight business company. Stay away from them. See how many people have complained about them:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/movers/nationwide_relocation.htmlhttp://www.ripoffreport.com/searchresults.asp?q1=ALL&q4=&q6=&q3=&q2=&q7=&searchtype=0&submit2=Search%21&q5=Nationwide+relocation+services
