Atlanta Flat Rate Movers LLC

I waited several months to review so that any emotion would be diminished To be fair I was a challenging move. I was rushed to move and close so I thought using professionals would be better as I was still packaging while they moved furniture and boxes in staging area. When setting up, we agreed on 4 movers to help with packing if needed. This involved a move to storage for a week and then to new place. I paid for tons off insurance. Moving out. They initially worked efficiently. They were understandably frustrated that I slowed them down; however, they let me know and no one asked to help me or make suggestions. After a couple of hours when the heavy items were almost done, they started to stand around in the truck. As I packed, they loaded. After about four hours, they said the truck was full. The coordinator was helpful, but he was doing inventory. After they stopped because the truck was full, an attitude that this was all my fault and they couldn't take more. I noted that the truck didn't look full. they would load a few items and begin the cycle again. After several iterations where they continued to wait AND putting more in the truck. They finally claimed they could take no more. There was no discussion about how I was to move the rest. It was my problem. I tipped them well out of habit and thinking they will be helping the next day and I needed my move solution solved, period. I phoned the manager, he was in full of "this was my fault mode." We went back and forth and we agreed a small team of 2 would come the next day. I was charged with staging and putting a list together. He was to send boxes for the odd shaped items that needed to be boxed with wardrobes. I took pictures of what was left. The next day, they came on time. They loaded and packed the remaining items. Again, they came to me with the fact that they could not take anymore due to lack of boxes. Surprisingly, many of the items left were in the pictures I sent the day before. At the end, they threw remaining items in the truck after I told them I could not fit in my car and they had to be moved today as cleaners and the final walk through was that afternoon for a closing the next day. Delivery This went smoothly until they told me the armoir could not fit through the stairs. I asked if it broke into parts. They checked again and said no. I, a non-mover pro, went out and found where it separated. They then moved it upstairs in pieces. Again, no problem solving! I assembled things as they came in to help. At the end, they approached me with a list to sign that everything was there. It was a full inventory and I was faced with going through everything right then while they waited. I checked big items and signed. After I unpacked, I noticed a few things missing. These were odds and ends to assemble exercise equipment, a foot to a subwoofer was broken off, and a 20 inch plasma TV was missing. The TV was old2c but cutting edge when I bought it. I called and spoke to the manager. Again, he said everything was there and I just needed to look harder. He said things pop up later.He also clearly stated that I signed the inventory so anything broken was not covered. Again, emphasizing no fault of theirs. A couple of days later, he said they found the TV in some blankets. He personally found it. He said they will deliver on Monday and agreed to take the boxes for repurposing. II stayed home and they did not come. They came on Tuesday with the TV without a truck and said he would send one the next day or so. I waited weeks but the weather made a few days delay understandable. A it all, he was right about some things popping up. I didn't feel bad calling him multiple times as I paid for every minute. What I thought would be a thousand or less became more than 2000. They charged my credit card each day. What really irritated me was that I found the broken foot of the subwoofer in a planting pot. There is no logical reason for it to be there unless someone found it broken and placed it there. Why didn't they fess up at the time? They are pros. It was only a small item costing few dollars to special order. When I went to vacuumed the place, my cord was wrapped around the vacuumed in an odd way. My Dyson vacuum cleaner was broken multiple ways. For the cord to be wrapped around it the way it was, someone must have noticed the break and had to wrap it up differently so the cord wouldn't hang. Again, why didn't they fess up at the time? In the end, it was a very expensive move. With an expensive move, you expect professionals and some problem solving with it. With the crew saying they were done without any customer service mindset to not leave me stranded with stuff on both days is not acceptable. I can get THAT level of service with TWO GUYS and a TRUCK at half the hourly rate. I suppose that things would be better if I packaged and staged better,; however, I am not a professional mover charging 179 an hour. The hands up "that's all we can do" leaving me lurching is not professional. The manager continually telling me that they will not comp any time without exploring a situation were they were standing around is not professional. The ongoing statement of the truck being too full and still fitting more and more in was not professional. I think they should charge Two guys and a truck type rates if the customer has to manage the move and be responsible for broken items. . Again, not professional. Hiding broken items isn't professional. The quick inventory gun too the head with the clock running is not professional. I hired professional movers. These are the facts. Amateur Movers at Professional Prices. They had no "faults or accountability" for the entire move. It was "all me".

We hired Atlanta Flat Rate Movers LLC to move us from our current home to our new house purchased a few weeks ago.  When I called to speak with the sales rep., I was told that it would take approx. 5 hours to move my home as we were downsizing and it would be a "Flat Rate Move" hence their name.  I inquired as to whether they were licensed, bonded and insured and was told twice that they were.  However, when the crew showed up at my house, I was told of all of these extra charges that we would have to incur and also I had to purchase insurance for my belongings.  PLUS they want to charge me to "excessive" wrapping of my wood furniture and also to wrap the glass items.  This was all stated that they would do as part of the service we were quoted.  I mean you have to wrap furniture to move it.  Then he pulls out a sheet for insurance...WHAT!!!  We asked the sales rep. at least 2 times, "Are you  licensed, bonded and insured?" and they said "Yes!" every time.  But on arrival it was a bait and switch telling me I have to pay and then the levels of insurance are crap, 1st tier only covers up to $300 (no charge - gee thanks!), and then the next level I have to pay $56.50 PER ROOM to only cover up to $3000 total. and then there is an option to pay $18, but I have to pay a deductible of $300. 

They only had to move my big furniture pieces, NO BOXES.  Also, since we were downsizing they were only moving some of the furniture.  We were moving all the boxes and smaller items ourselves on different days in between things.  The service was to include dismantling, wrapping, moving and reassembling of my pieces.  I strongly feel they purposefully left crucial pieces of furniture in the old home to force a second haul.  As later that night, after we had to assemble everything ourselves, we realized they left pieces to stuff we couldn't do without.  We had to go over with our car to get bed rails so we could sleep that night.  Plus now because we wouldn't do a second haul we have to hire ANOTHER moving company.  We did not do a second haul because the first haul total was twice as much as quoted!!!  So we weren't going to let them rip us off even more.

In addition, they went to lunch at a Wendy's location extremely out of the way. They said they where going to Wendy's for lunch.  Instead of going to the Wendys on the way to our new house (we pass it every time in between the old house and the new one) they went almost 30 miles around trip out of their way to another Wendy's in the next TOWN!!!!  They said they were only leaving and taking 30 minutes for lunch.  NOT TRUE!! They left at 3:11pm and got to my new house at 4:41pm.  For this hour overtime lunch they credited us one half hour.  Does that make sense?  And they acted like we should be grateful for that.

Atlanta Flat Rate Movers LLC charged our credit card $1547 before I even had a final total and when we were disputing the charges whe the driver we were told that the supervisor was unavaiable and not able to speak to us directly and they they already charged our card.  And on top of it all they charged my wife's credit card almost $180 MORE than the bill they left with us on their departure.  The bill they left us with was for $1365.  They charged the credit card $1547.  So that right there is bad business and misleading in my opinion.  Maybe they will fix this maybe not.

UPDATE - they credited back the money that was wrongly charged.

In fact the foreman said if we help unwrap all the furniture ourselves it would save some money as they could work while we did.  Plus he said that way we weren't charged for the time to fold all the blankets back up as when they had unloaded and assembled the last item the clock would stop.  And his folding the blankets would be on their time.  We have all of our kids unwrapping furniture.  Then after running around for an hour I realize the foreman is doing nothing OTHER THAN FOLDING THE BLANKETS my kids are giving him ON THE CLOCK.  The exact opposite of what he said he would do if we helped.  
Atlanta Flat Rate Movers LLC brought out 4 men and a 28ft truck.  They went over estimate double plus overcharged the credit card.  They left pieces we needed at the other house to make us do a second haul I feel.  AtlantaFlatRate Movers.com were very slow and in my opinion very dishonest!

POSITIVES:
They did wrap the furniture well after trying to charge us extra.  And they were careful moving.  But often they took three men to move something that only should have taken two with the third just saying don't hit the walls.  Which is important but I don't know if it was the best use of time.  The movers were very nice.  But they said they had no control over extra add ons that were not disclosed at sales quote.  They said they could not help it went slow.  And when we asked to speak to the owner when the foreman was on the phone with him he said no.  But they were nice, just very slow.

Biggest Compliant:
Our biggest compliant was we were lead to believe the entire move would cost somewhere close to the estimate of around $800.  Somewhere around the number.  And then when they got there they tried to add on extra charges to boot.  If we would have let them do a second haul and it took the same amount of time as the first our grand total would have been close to FOUR times what was quoted to win our business.  And our final compliant was we were charged more than the bill left at the end of the move.

It was not the movers themselves.  It was the business practices in our opinion.

SUGGESTION:
My suggestion and in hindsight is to go with a moving company that will sign a BINDING MAX CHARGE.  We got a quote from one for $1600 to move our entire home even if it took multiple trips and no matter how many hours they would only charge us a maximum of $1600.  And if the hours where less the total would be less.   That is how I really know we got screwed by Atlanta Flat Rate Movers LLC.  As they almost got to that total with only half the house moved!

So find a company that does a maximum amount binding contract.  You'll be happy you did.

Luckily, all my items were moved safe and sound.  I'm just upset at the overall lack of effecientcy and disclosure about the overall time it would take.  I understand there is a margin of error with estimates, but 5 hours versus 8 hours? The job could have easily been done in 5 hours, even less.  I know because we had movers before who did it in less time.

AFRM arrived punctually, almost to the minute of the scheduled appointment.  Team of three men was very careful in the padding and carrying of items.  No damage sustained to items moved or to any of the four houses/apartments involved in the move.

The time estimate of the move was not met, but this was largely due to the extended driving time required in moving to four separate locations around metro Atlanta.  Nonetheless, the price was excellent.