5 Star Relocation

1.0 star rating 8/14/2017
BEWARE!! Had we known that Allied Moving Group of Coral Springs (DOT 2944134, MC 996253), was a broker with NO connections to Allied Van Lines who, for a measly $569 down payment, would throw all of the possessions of a young couple to the wolves of 5 Star Relocation of Van Nuys, CA (DOT 288130, MC 967231)we would have cancelled the move on the spot.

5 Star ransomed our shipment for an increase in the fare and offered us $500 that they would supposedly give us back later if we wrote a review on Yelp. Yelp's one stars reviews are the ones that represent the 5 Star Relocation we got.

After pick up they claimed our shipment weighed 3600 lbs. and 560 cubic feet not under 2000 lbs. and 300 cubic feet. (In fact, it was 1211 lbs. and 260 cubic feet!) I asked for a reweigh at destination. Mike from 5 Star told me that I would pay the extra money ($900 plus) on delivery if I wanted to see the goods again.

They didn't live up to their promises, answer their phones, meet their delivery dates, and wouldn't tell us where the goods were. Their "address" was in a rent-a-PO box place and we were told they haven't paid their rent in three months and rarely pick up their mail. One of their phones was registered to a Persian Restaurant in Van Nuys. The other cell phones were registered to a variety of people, with names we had never heard of as opposed to a company or anyone we had been dealing with.

We came to distrust everyone we spoke to at the company, Michelle, Mary, Mike Fox, Jason Scott, and Karen after too many unfulfilled promises. We could almost hear the laughing as they told one fantastic story after another, "Michelle is in the Emergency room" Is Karen there? we asked. "Karen's in the Emergency room too." From Mary, "I haven't heard of your shipment and I see no evidence that we have it." Days later, is Mary there? "She's having open heart surgery" Later, "Her mother is having open heart surgery," "We have the truck, it's going out tomorrow." Next day, "I don't know anything about a truck." Two months after we called for delivery we still didn't have the goods or any idea where they were but we did know:

From the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration the Five Star Relocation is a part of VIP Investments in Van Nuys and it has one power unit, I.e one truck. It's a highly improbable to think a company with one truck could deliver a 1200 lb shipment to Boston from San Diego in a timely manner. What they can do is pick up lots of shipments in the area and drop them in warehouse to be delivered out later..or not at all. Read the reviews. See the pictures.

Three of us researched, reviewed, filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau, called lawyers, the Attorney General, the FMCSA and made a massive amount of phone calls to 5 Star Relocation daily. Eventually we got permission to pick up the goods at a privately owned warehouse with no connection to 5 Star in Northridge CA at 10121 Parthenia St., unit D-43, (818-349-3173). 5 Star had a big unit with many shipments in it and our driver was told, "We have shipments all over the place." And then explained that they are not very organized.

We are now waiting to be picked up by another carrier and have paid for the shipment more than twice! (actual weight 1211 lbs.! 260 Cubic feet); $1569 we paid for the non-move, plus the truck and men to pick up our valuables at the warehouse, and the money to rebuy things we couldn't live with out for two months We were told by a 5 Star Relocation representative that the carrier is required to pay us $25 a day for every day past the delivery spread, in our case, $1025. We would ask for it if 5 Star was reachable.

In short, our move from San Diego to Boston which was promised in a binding estimate to be a little more than $1700 in actuality, cost us well over $5000 plus a massive amount of stress and time wasted!

A few things you should know:
Brokers are required to tell you they are brokers, but ask them anyhow
Brokers and carriers are required to give you a book before your move about your rights and responsibilities
Brokers are required to tell you the names of the carriers they use
Research the carriers, ask how many power units? Have they ever done business under another name? Read ALL the reviews right down to the end.
You should not have to pay for a move with a household goods carrier up front
Your carrier is required to do a complete inventory, listing and numbering every item and it's condition and the individual size of the cartons
Check out carefully any company that has in their name "Moving Services," "Relocation Services" "Moving Group"
Look up your carrier on it's MC # and DOT # they cannot change that as easily as their name and make sure they don't have the same numbers as I wrote above for Allied Moving Group and 5 Star Relocation.
Go on all the moving review sites,Yelp, Movingscam, my moving reviews, rescuemove.com, Angies list, and the Better Business Bureau for the local area.

Move size: Partial Move Service cost: $1700

This cross country move nightmare started on May 22, 2017 when 5 Star showed up to move our items across the country. We had never heard of this company as we had contracted with a broker. We paid the broker $600. as a deposit and paid the 5 Star driver another $1,000. We estimated the items to be under 2000 pounds. We called to have the items delivered on May 28th, from that date the company has 21 days to deliver the items. At this time Mike, last name unknown,818-605-8773, is his number but mailbox always full, called and despite their drivers saying the items were well under a 2000 pound weight Five Star called and said it was actually 3500 pounds. After some heated discussions with Mike from Five Star we agreed on the original price plus $500 which would be returned after we reviewed 5 Star Relocation with a 5-Star review. In another conversation Jason also stated we would get the $500 back upon a 5-Star review on Yelp. We called numerous times to confirm a delivery date but got no response. Finally we were told it would be delivered around the first of July, then no it would be the second week of July. Still no delivery. When we called and spoke to Mary we were told they only gave us those dates "because we were calling so much". We also became concerned that maybe our items were lost, damaged or stolen. Asked numerous times via phone and text for a picture of our items. Finally on July 24th, 2017 I called and told them I wanted the items back. Do not deliver them, do not move them and also stated I would call the police. Mike said he would call back, he did not (I was told by Jessica at 5 Star that Mike does not have a company cell phone and does not want to use his personal cell to call customers). Jessica, when I called on Tuesday said the items had left at 7:00 am that day. I got a call on the 26th of July from Mike Knox who told me he was in contact with the driver and the items were at the Arizona Border and he just got word we wanted it back. I asked him when the items had left he told me at 4:30 pm on Tuesday which was not what I had been told earlier. I told him I wanted them to bring the items back and we were going to pick it up. Mike Knox gave me his word he would call me when the items got back to Los Angeles. Have not heard from him again. We spoke to Jessica on the morning of the 27th. She said good news, the driver just pulled in, he is in Van Nuys. Asked for the address, she told us she would call back. Spoke to Jessica, the items were someplace else. Again asked for the address. Called back and the items were in a storage unit in Northridge. It turns out they were never on the way to the East Coast, never at the border, never anyplace other than the original unit they were in when they left our house. The good news is they items were not damaged as others peoples items have been. We actually hired a trailer and spent eight hours to recover our items. We got the run around for weeks from Desiree, Mike, Mike Knox, Mary, Jessica.This long tale only includes half of it. We have since hired another moving company who actually weighed the items here. Confirmed the same items were at 1011 pounds, no where near Mike had said at 3500 to try to get more money . The bad news is I have called every day since July 28th to try to get my money back. Even asked the BBB to step in to help recover the money owed but 5 Star is not responding to them either. They do have a number to call to submit a claim but it is their business number which they do not respond to. They note on internet searches their address is on Cass Street in San Diego but I went there and it is a PO Box. I was also told once they record their calls but it is not on the top of the call ( which is illegal) but I hope they do as they will also have documentation on the above stated. The purpose of this post and review is to advise you to use this company at your own risk.

Move size: Partial Move Service cost: $1600