AB Movers

I posted a recent review regarding AB movers and my experience with the company and the movers.  I find it extremely unprofessional for the company to respond with a complete and utter LIE.  Here is the company's response:

"We regret that this former customer abruptly and rudely ended our phone call to attempt to resolve this issue. Ab Moving takes each customer’s frustration as top priority to be addressed. The customer was given 2 quotes by email with the same hourly rate. On the recorded phone conversation with the customer and Ab Moving’s representative she specified that the rate quoted to the customer was a good rate based on the raising prices due to high demand days. The representative from Ab Moving quoted the customer 6.5 hours including some packing. The representative then proceeded to list off the customer’s items that needed to be moved and the customer agreed that was correct. Which is a significantly more than what is listed in the review. The customer needed 5 wardrobe boxes that the mover did not charge her for, which is confirmed by our inventory and the customer herself. The location was 1 hour and 17 minutes away. The movers left the first location at approximately 6:00 PM which is during prime time traffic. The customers first location was a 2-bedroom apartment on the 3rd floor with only access to a shared residential elevator. The customer was billed for the exact move time of 5 hours and 47 minutes"

Since ABMovers records the conversation then you all will hear the conversations where I gave the company the instructions that I lived on the 3rd floor less than 30 feet from an elevator.  I asked your crew if they would like to use the freight elevator that my complex would've gladly shut down for them for two hours (you all can confirm that the complex does this if you’d like), however "D" stated that they would be able to take things down in the elevator near my apartment since I didn't have a lot of large items and only used the freight elevator once when they got ready to leave for my King mattress.  If you all record the conversation, again listen to where I asked about COMPLETELY packing my apartment at which time the representative told me it would take 6.5 hours to completely pack and I told her that I would try to do as much as I could since my move was a quick one.  The company offered me wardrobe boxes to rent for $5; however my fiancé and I set up and COMPLETELY packed the FIVE wardrobe boxes and I confirmed that with Christine when she called to “follow up”.  The only thing ABMovers did was shrink wrap the large items in my apartment as I CONFIRMED with Christine over the phone so that should be recorded as well.  The movers ARRIVED to my apartment at 2:58 pm and left at 6:00 pm and finished at 8:45 pm. The move was exactly 61.6 miles and I drove it as well and left at the exact time they did, yet I arrived 30 minutes prior to them and even went to the store before they arrived (if need be I can provide the receipts for my store transaction that day as well.)  The review also states that you all moved more than what I listed, however, I have a detailed list of what I called and had quoted and the amount moved was ACTUALLY significantly less.   If you all need the itemized listing I gave prior to the move, I'll be more than happy to give it to you!  I have 10 wardrobe boxes listed (as you confirmed I only actually had 5), a 40-60 inch TV (I moved the TV myself), 4 suitcases (It was 3 with wheels), 10 pics/artwork () and 15 boxes (I purchased 10 medium boxes from Lowe's and 5 small boxes and I only used 13 total and none of them were over 50).  It amazes me that you state I “rudely” ended the call but gave no further details.  Your representative (go back and listen to the recording since you all have access to it) told me that I didn’t have a background in moving which is why it appeared I didn’t understand why your movers did what they did.  It amazes me the assumptions that company’s make regarding customers.  How did she know what  I do or have done for a living?  Is it a requirement to provide my employment background in order to hire a moving company?  How do you know that I’ve never owned a moving service or worked for one?  The reality is that she didn’t.  AB Movers, the next time you follow up with a complaint, make sure you’re calling to resolve a complaint and not attempt to undermine what the customer legitimately is making a complaint about.  Not once was I rude to your representatives during the process and I paid your representatives without so much as a mumbling word.  I’ve used a few moving companies around the metroplex and I have yet to be provided the service that AB Moving company provided. 

I was scheduled to have them get there between 1-4... of course I didn't get a call until 15 til 4pm and they didn't actually arrive until about 4:15.  I did the base rate for what I put on the order form so there was a bunch of stuff that ended up getting left behind (I wouldn't recommend the base rate unless you are sure you captured everything on the form).  Anyway, the 2 guys were really cool and nice but they took FOREVER to move my stuff.  It was a bunch of chit chatting - they both needed to use my bathroom (one spent a lot of time in there) and asked several times for water (which of course I didn't mind, luckily I had some solo cups left out of a packed box).  They couldn't get my washer and dryer because they weren't unhooked.  So after 2.5 really long hours we were finally ready to go.  They were going to follow me and I lost them because they were going really slow.  When we finally got to my new house, they began unloaded and it took them another hour and half for that.  All in all it took them a little over 4 hours which I thought was a bit long.  After they left, I noticed that they didn't even bring in the treadmill, just left it out in the garage.  And discovered after a day or so as I was moving things into their rooms that a glass piece to my nightstand was missing.  They did an ok job, but I'm a little disappointed that it took so long and now I'm gonna have to track down that glass piece, which I'm sure is long gone.

The estimate process began using the company's online tools.  Once submitted I immediately received a follow-up email the next day, and administratively, everything seemed very well organized and I was happy.

With the online process I requested packing services, plus packing materials to be provided by Company.  These details were further confirmed on a 2nd email whereby I was dealing with the office manager.

In the week leading up to the move, I then called the office manager just to confirm again, that this Company was experienced and capable of packing up complete kitchens (my main concern being dinnerware, glassware etc).  I was reassured this was not going to be a problem.

I was given a window arrival time of 10 - 12 noon.  This in itself did seem quite late given the house size of 5000 + sq ft.  On the day prior to moving, I received an office call telling me that whilst there is a window, it will be approx. 10am arrival.  Okay, great I thought!

On day of moving, the truck appeared at 11:30am!  The lead of the team introduced himself and asked what was to be done.  When I said everything  - move all furniture and pack-up everything, I was told that he wasn't packing!!!  His professionalism in dealing with customers was somewhat lacking.  Eventually he said that the office had not told him there was packing involved therefore he had no packing supplies with him.

I immediately called the office and spoke with the manager I had always dealt with.  What really infuriated me next was when she said "you've never once requested packing services'! I couldn't believe it.  I had at least 2 emails between us whereby I said 'yes' to packing services and 'yes' to packing materials required, plus our phone call !.  (I instantly forwarded these emails back to her, and five days later still no acknowledgement or apology).  However, to rectify the situation there and then, the Company did have someone drive out with packing supplies right away and a 2nd truck fee, if required, was to be waived. I did appreciate this!

The moving team consisted of 3 guys.  It became clear straight away that these guys are not a team that work together on a daily basis. Communication between the 3 of them was pretty non-existent, which meant my husband and I were constantly answering the same questions from each of them.  The guys were also extremely inefficient.  When unloading at the new house, they would carry large furniture items through the house, simply to ask me, "where does this go'?  More often than not, they had to back-track to get back to a previous room they had already passed.

In terms of packing supplies, there was no wardrobe boxes.  Why would a moving company not provide wardrobe boxes?  As a result, my husband and I ended up moving our own clothes!  Bubble wrap was also not available.  This meant my fragile items such as glassware were wrapped in brown paper, nothing else.  Many of the packed boxes were unmarked and many of my precious wall hangings were wrapped in nothing more than shrink wrap! 

I provided lunch and water for the 3 men on both days which I generally don't mind doing, but by the 2nd day when all my supplies were packed and my pantry was empty, I found it very irritable that these guys did not have a cool box sitting n their truck with water to keep them hydrated!  On a day when so much is going on, the last thing I needed to do was go out to buy more waters!  Likewise, at the new house, the first thing my husband had to do was change out the fridge water filter so that we could provide water to them at that end!

Overall, this was a bad moving experience for us.  I understand this company works with Contractors and that is what we got. A Contractor who owned a truck and had 2 random guys working with him.  Perhaps we just landed unlucky with the Contractor we got, but the initial customer care I received from the office on the day of moving only added to my disappointment.  If you want a guarantee of experienced, efficient, reliable and trained Movers, then this is not the Company to use.