Joyce Van Lines Inc

"In response to this average rating I would like to respond on behalf of Joyce Van Lines, the crew who did an outstanding job on this move, and myself. [Member Name Removed] and [Member Name Removed] called me for an estimate on 10/5. They asked for a "ballpark" figure to move things to FL from their [Member Information Removed] unit in CT. I provided my estimate on the phone, and recommended we meet at the unit so I could see what was to be moved in order to prepare them for a more accurate estimate. We met the very next day, and they were very nice people. I was shown what was to be moved from their unit, and there were many items that were not to be moved as [Member Name Removed] and [Member Name Removed] were "purging" many items not needed in their new home. They did the best they could in showing me what they intended to take, and there would be a lot left behind. Since they were not exactly sure of what was in their unit, and what they wanted, I explained that they were free to continue to go through their things, and make decisions on what to take or not, and that on the load day we would weigh their shipment and charge for the actual weight. I prepared a detailed inventory of items to be moved. Then they told me they had a second [Member Information Removed] unit that also had contents to moved (and not moved), and we proceeded to add more items to the initial estimate. I prepared the cost estimate on site, and sent an e-mail with a copy of the estimate and the inventory that I prepared.. Within the next few days, they called me to schedule the move for loading on 10/14. The initial estimate was for moving 210 items estimated at 8,800 lbs for a cost of $5730.64. The final charges were for moving 378 items weighing 11,200 lbs for a cost of $7137.00. [Member Name Removed] states that the intial estimate was $5,000. It was actually $5730.64. [Member Name Removed] states that the final charges were $7,500. They were actually $7137. In the end, we moved 80% more volume than we were asked to, and her final charges were 25% higher than the original estimte. I can only assume they did not "purge" as much as they had hoped to. Our crew never complained as they were understaffed for this, and they worked hard to get everything loaded in one day. I was happy that there was enough space on the truck to hold the extra volume. There was a bit of a scare before our arrival at the destination address because we were told that their FL address would not accommodate a large tractor trailer, and a shuttle service would be needed at a cost of $860.16. When our driver arrived, he was able to [Member Information Removed] his trailer close enough to avoid this fee, and it was not charged. In the end, the move went very well, and [Member Name Removed] was not overcharged. Naturally we are all very disappointed in the "C" rating received, as we work very hard to assure that all of our relocating customers get the best professional service possible. We feel strongly that this is all about the bill, and not the service. I enjoyed helping her and [Member Name Removed] plan a very successful short-notice move to their new home in FL. -Bill Adams, Cerified Moving Consultant"

"PLEASE READ FULL RESPONSE I am sorry to see such a poor rating and feel compelled to respond. A "C" rating is average at best, not what we expect to see and is what we feel is an unjustified rating for this job. Your claim with regard to the stain on the sofa was a sofa that our men advised you would not fit in the room that you had wanted it to go into. You insisted it go in there and they did their best to accommodate you. You and I had numerous conversations with regard to the delay in handling your claim. My answer each and every time was that that our office manager, Lisa Phillips, mother of one, and the head of our claims department, had passed away at the very young age of 52 to breast cancer. Your comment that our claims department was ridiculously slow lacks compassion. Your claim was filed and attended to within the legal and lawful guidelines and time line of filing such a claim. You were very happy with the crew that loaded you for storage, so much so that you requested and got the same crew on delivery. You had minor damage and you were compensated for that consistent with your choice of coverage. To state that anything that was not in a box was "battered" is simply not true. The last couple of months have been very difficult for those who worked very closely with Lisa. We wish you well in your new home."

"Thank-you for the kind words!"

"Thank-you for taking the time to come back and post your feedback."

"Thank-you for the business."

"Thank-you for taking the time to come back and let us know how things went. We appreciate your business."

"Thank you [member name removed] for taking the time to come back and post your review. Jeff and his crew are one of the best. Good luck to you and your family in your new home."

"Thank-you for taking the time to come back and post your review. We appreciate the business and the referral. Good luck in your new community."

"Thank-you for coming back to share your experience!"

"Thank-you for taking the time to come back and post. The initial requested estimate was for the packing of the kitchen, a mirror, carvings , beds and 2 lamps - a total of 22 cartons. The pack team came out and packed 114 cartons. Additional items, from the office and the house, not included in the original estimate, were added to the final move which increased the final weight by 5600 lbs. There was a shuttle at delivery, an unknown at the time of the estimate, but printed on the order for service as a possible unknown destination service, which also added to the final bill. These factors added to the majority of the difference in your final cost vs your initial estimate. You did experience some damage and for that we are sorry. Claims are a headache for everybody. You did choose the very best coverage for your move and were compensated accordingly. The compensation comes after the bill is paid in full, which is standard in the moving industry. When an inventory has to travel on 2 separate trucks, it is usually because the customer that loads just before the current scheduled customer, took more items taking up more space on the truck. This creates an overflow which has to be re-assigned to another driver and truck, not the fault of the mover. We wish you well in your new community."

"Thank-you for coming back to post! Good luck in your new home!"

"After reviewing this move with our moving consultant and accounting department, we are under the opinion that the customers review and rating of our services are both unjustified. The customer was given an estimate, by a highly professional and experienced consultant, one who has over 25 years in the business helping people plan successful moves. The customer requested an estimate indicating that she would do all of her own packing, except for the mattresses. The order was estimated at $2515.08, written up, agreed to and signed for by the customer. Our consultant explained that any packing by the driver would be on a per container cost basis and that if the customer was unable to finish the packing that we could help. On move day, the customer needed 4 mirrors/pictures packed ( additional $124.80 ) and 2 flat screen television cartons ( $100 ), there was an additional hour of labor needed at an extra stop ( $83.36 mostly due to a snow storm ) and the base transportation rate increased ( $13.87 due to a fluctuating fuel surcharge number put out by the D.O.E. on a bi-weekly basis ). The final bill was $2837.11, the difference - $322.03, most of which was requested by the shipper or necessary to ensure a safe and reasonable move. As the customer mentioned, the move went well, they had a great team! Should you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us directly. Joyce Van Lines sincerely wishes you well in your new home!"

"Thank-you for your business Member. You had a great team assigned to your long distance move. Good luck in your new community!"

"Thank-you for the business!"

"Thank-you for taking the time to come back and share your experience. It is unfortunate that you had damage, and for that we are sorry. That is certainly not our intention. Our commitment to Quality Assurance is never ending and we appreciate the feedback. Different levels of valuation were offered on your move, including full value protection, at a cost, and the basic .60 per lb per item protection, at no cost. You chose the basic coverage. That is the extent of our liability. Part of your claim indicated missing pieces to the chair, based on this, it was determined that Quality Assurance would not send anybody out to re assemble but should reimburse the claim in its entirety based on your choice of valuation."

"Thank-you for taking the time to come back and post a review of your move with us. We appreciate your business. Good luck in the new house!"

"Thank you for coming back to post!"

"Thank-you for coming back to post. Lucas and his team are very, very good at what they do. I am glad that you were pleased. Good luck in the new house!"

"Thank-you for coming back to post!"

"Thank-you for sharing your experience with us. You were the perfect customer and asked all of the right questions. Yours was a big move and I am glad that it all went well for you!"

"Thank-you for coming back to post. I see that you were not completely satisfied and am puzzled. Your final estimate came within $165 of the original estimate, we packed, loaded and delivered you on time and there was minor damage well under your $250 deductible. You also had one of our most experienced and customer oriented drivers on the job. Please feel free to contact me directly to discuss your rating. Hope all is well in sunny Florida!"