Complaint Review: Nationwide Van Lines - Hollywood Florida

We are writing this letter to share our experiences with anyone who may consider using Nationwide Van Lines Inc.5450 S. State Rd 7, Hollywood, Florida, in assisting them to relocate their possessions.

We have included all correspondence less transcript of phone calls that interested parties may review in making their decision to use this company.

Our nightmare began in August of 2001, when we contacted and coordinated a move through this company from Holland Ohio, to Mesquite Nevada. Our furniture and possessions were to be packed, picked up, placed in storage and then delivered to the Mesquite address the first week of January 2002.

The scheduled pick up was for September 15th of 2001. The truck arriving with 2 men after 8pm on the 16th and had not completed packing and loading until 5am on the 17th! The delay resulted an extra day of unscheduled absence from work.

Prior coordination with the company relocation specialist had established a total estimate price of $2,317.50 for the move and $180.00 a month for storage. At pickup the new adjusted price was $2148.50 for pickup and the same at delivery, now $4297.00, plus an additional $450.00, cash for additional items (necessitated we go to an ATM at 4:30 am to acquire the cash!).

Normally we would not of paid and had them unload the truck but due to their lateness and our exhaustion, we felt we had no choice. Their delay added pressure to us in completing the move and terminal cleaning so the new owners of the house could take possession.

The remainder of the year we called NationWide Van Lines monthly to finalize the January delivery date and insure this would be error free as we would need to fly to Nevada to meet the truck and open the house up for the delivery. During one of the conversations it came to light that they had no idea where our belongings were being stored, when initially we were assured that they would be stored in the Las Vegas, Nevada area near our new home.

On December 11th,2001 we received a poison pen letter demanding the remainder of the money and storage fees by December 5th. This letter was dated November 27th and it was sent initially to the wrong address.

The storage fees now had become $216.00 a month versus the quoted $180.00 a month and the balance of the moving fees, paid immediately or we would be assessed with an additional late charge.

We called the company and talked with Monica White, the storage billing manager, and asked why there was a change in the cost for storage and why payment of the balance was now before delivery.

She stated that there was a lot more storage required because the pickup was larger than quoted. She did waive the balance of the moving fees until this took place, but did expect us to pay storage costs through and to include January of 2002, a cost of $864.00.

It seems if they place your belongings in storage on the 25th of a month you are billed for that entire month and if they deliver in the beginning of the month you are expected to pay for the entire remaining month.

So what would be a $540.00 storage fee now had become an $864.00 bill. Image our frustration and fear in having to pay more money and the company not knowing where our belongings were!

After coordination by four phone calls to establish and concur a delivery in Mesquite in January, we flew to Nevada to take delivery of our belongings.

The initial delivery was set for January 5th through the 7th. In December when we called to make sure that all was going according to plan the dispatcher, Joshua, told us that our things were in Gary, Indiana and asked to please be a bit more open on the delivery.

We agreed and said we could go until the 9th of January, but had to be done no later than this as we would need to fly back to Ohio.

To our misfortune, when we called the company from Mesquite, Nevada on the 6th of January, to make sure all was going ok, We were told that the truck had not even left the warehouse in Indiana and there was no way the 9th could happen. We asked when could we expect delivery and he responded he wasn't sure and made excuses do to weather etc., although he would do his best to get the truck there by the following Saturday, the 12 of January.

Our fears only s****.>