Couple's Moving LLC

In their written estimate for the full-service move, CM promised to supply blankets, plastic wrap, and tape, presumably to protect the customer’s possessions and property. Unfortunately, if these items were brought to the move in the first place, they certainly were not used, and none of my furniture was wrapped or protected in any way. I did not notice this until midway through the move, due to the chaos that moving day brings. This omission was negligent on CM’s part, and they should expect to be held responsible for any and all damages resulting from their negligence. CM’s movers had a difficult time navigating a sofa out of the rental unit, which caused significant damage to the doorframe/doorjamb with some lesser damage to stairwell walls and the sofa itself. Kareem Britt (owner) admitted, both verbally and in writing, to experiencing ‘difficulty’ in removing the sofa from the condo and further admitted in writing to ‘prioritizing speed over quality assurance’. (CM also advised that there was some damage to the base of a floor lamp, which presumably could have been avoided had they utilized protective materials prior to moving it.) After damage was discovered, documented, and disclosed to CM, I questioned Kareem as to how such damages would be addressed by CM, and was given several conflicting written responses. Some (but not all) of these responses suggested that CM would return to perform, at maximum, cosmetic repairs to address the door damage (whether or not that proved sufficient to return the property to its original condition), a $150 discount on the contemplated third move at some point in the future, and a suggestion that the landlord should submit the damages through his own insurance for any necessary repairs to be made. No remedy for the damage CM caused to my sofa was proffered. CM, as I later learned, does not have any type of formal complaint process in place for dispute resolution, and as such, at least in my case, any attempted resolution consisted solely of continued and fruitless discussions with Kareem. CM seemed to be of the belief that after causing damage, it could then limit the extent to which repairs would be made, and if that entailed a loss to the customer, so be it. So unprofessional. CM at one point offered a settlement of approximately 1/5 of what the cost of repairs would actually be, with a request that they be released from liability. When I inquired of Kareem why CM thought it appropriate to place the financial burden of its own negligent actions back onto the customer, he had no response. As negotiations dragged on, I got the distinct feeling that CM’s professionalism and desire to make sure this customer was completely satisfied with the entire moving experience began to diminish once payment and gratuity had been proffered, and especially once a problem/issue was brought to CM’s attention. I felt a definite unspoken undercurrent coming from CM that somehow the customer was to blame for damage that CM had caused or that damage was otherwise pre-existing—anything to ensure that responsibility would not fall on CM. Again, to treat a valued customer in this manner is inconceivable, but apparently, CM wanted this to be addressed in the review of their services. Given the foregoing, I would strongly suggest that future customers ensure that CM wraps/protects their belongings prior to attempting to move them, even though there are countless other things demanding your attention on moving day. I would also insist on CM providing an option to purchase mover’s insurance, to protect customer’s items so that CM is held responsible for any damages they may cause, and are not in a position to attempt to place that financial burden back onto the customer. I have already reported CM’s business practices to state consumer protection agencies. Unfortunately, due to my dealings with CM, I have no avenue for relief other than to initiate time-consuming civil litigation against them in an attempt to recoup my damages. I cannot remember having to fight so hard to encourage a business to make things right for a customer they had harmed. I consider CM’s treatment of this customer to be absolutely disgraceful, and they have obviously lost any future business I would have given them, but my experience is still deserving of providing constructive feedback that I hope they take to heart when dealing with future customers.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $1000