University Moving and Storage- North American Line
About us
University Moving and Storage is a supplier of moving, storage and distribution services to household, corporate and government clientele since 1969. We provide these services for customers moving locally, intrastate, interstate and internationally. Headquartered in Farmington Hills, MI with offices in Cincinnati, OH; Grand Rapids, MI; and Indianapolis, IN; University has consistently ranked as a top-5 affiliate for North American Van Lines, an industry leader worldwide. We are proud to be a woman-owned business since 1986.
Business highlights
Services we offer
100% Labor Certification, Educational, Full Employee Relocation Services through Preferred Partnerships, Global Commercial Moving Solutions, Global Household Goods Moving Services, Governmental and Medical Facility Relocations, Hazmat Certified with the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, International Origin and Destination Services, Military Approved, Specialized Transportation of Fixtures and Displays, Warehousing and Storage
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 38% | ||
| 15% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 8% | ||
| 38% |
We used University in November and had a horrible experience. Donna, the coordinator, who came to our home did not estimate the correct size of truck needed and sent a truck that was too small. What a mess, we were told that we could easily be moved in one day for a local move. We had to move the whole garage and outdoor items ourselves as well as all of our clothing since the coordinator forgot to tell them to bring the wardrobes. They wouldn't have had room for them anyway. Walls, stairways, wood floors and banisters were damaged. There is definitely a disconnect between the driver and coordinator.
When I thought she had not estimated enough help I called prior to the move to ask her if she should add additional guys, she assured me that the heavy item we had could easily be moved without an additional help. So instead, it took them 4 hours longer because they didn't have enough help and then they billed us for an additional 452.00. We still didn't get what we hired them to do, move us in a day, because we had to go back and move the rest of the things ourselves!!
We were also told that our cloth furniture would be wrapped, all floors covered and the corners padded. All they did is put cardboard down in some areas. That is the reason the floor has a big knick in it, holes in the drywall, moldings destroyed and banisters are dented. $3,600+ damage, not including the rental of the Uhaul we had to get and the additional time spent moving what they didn't move. We feel that our new 7 yr. old home is now destroyed!
They also tried to negotiate a deal where they go get the stuff left behind at no charge if we didn't file a claim against them for property damage. It certainly would have been a good deal for them, only costing them free labor for 2 guys instead of fixing the 3600 of property damage they left behind! I told Sue at the home office claims department they should do both and forget the additional bill of 452.00. She said that if I filed a claim against them we had to move the stuff ourselves, pay the additional bill and got a bit nasty with me. Why would I want to hire them twice after this happened? Once is a mistake, twice is a fool!
So we had to file a claim and; were told it would be resolved in 7 - 10 business days and it still has not been resolved. I called to discuss this with Sue, the Director of Quality at the main office in Farmington Hills, MI. She told me she was just to busy. NOT a good sign if the Director of Quality is too busy. Unfortunately, yelp made me give them a star. They didn't deserve that. Here on Angie's list they get an F. Do not use them.
"The property damage claimed was not noted on the signed bill of lading after the move was completed and a walk-through performed. Please see attached. Directly above the customers signature it states "goods received in good condition except as noted hereon". Had the crew damaged the home to the extent that (Member name removed) reported, the damage would have been visible and noted on the bill of the lading. A customer service gesture was issued to (Member name removed) in the amount of $500.00."
The problem was with the actual moving day. The crew showed up and started organizing things and doing the specialized packing. The gentleman who was "in charge" seemed to know what he was doing and kept things moving along. My only complaint with him was the numbered stickers he was using. Every item gets a numbered sticker and all the items are listed on a check-off sheet. The stickers are supposed to be all the same color, but the guy was using all different colors of stickers, so checking off the items as they came off the truck two days later was exasperating because we had items with the same number, but different color which is hard to keep track of.
It was our fault that we weren't completely ready when the movers arrived. The house contents were pretty much ready, but we hadn't gotten to the garage yet, so we used up a huge amount of time packing that day. We ran out of daylight, it was getting late and the guys hadn't had dinner, so the guy in charge called the office to let them know that we'd need another half day to complete loading the truck. A much smaller crew showed up the second day, but we got it done.
The biggest problem we had with the company was that instead of using one of their company trucks and driver, they hired a free-lance guy with his own truck. He was a nice enough guy, but being an independent driver he wasn't involved at all with the loading of the truck. Once it was loaded, I was horrified to find out that he had no padlock with which to lock the doors and secure our belongings! I asked him what he would do, and he replied that when he stopped for the night he would "back up close to a fence" so that no one could open the doors. I insisted he go out and purchase a proper lock and called the movers office to complain. The lock was purchased, and the load transported swiftly and safely.
Licensing
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