Complaint Review: Regal Moving Van Company - New York New York

I contacted Regal Moving Van through the yellow pages under the name GV Moving systems. The number for the local moves was 201-567-3900. My contact was L------. We made an agreement over the phone as to the day of the move, at a cost of $120.00 per hour for 4 men. I was told that they would move me from my old house, blanket and pack furniture and items, and would stay with me until the move was complete, putting boxes and furniture in place at the new address as per my designation. He quoted an estimated total charge of $1080.00.
The move began on a day in November at 9:30 AM, and the 4 movers left the new address at 9:00 PM. 1 hour was also charged for travel time (which was actually 15 minutes from the one house to the other.) That would be 12.5 hours, and a total of 1500.
I was charged $3695.00, plus a deposit of $100.00. I had to sign papers and the Amex charge before they would take anything off the truck. I was told that that was their policy. I later confirmed that with ------The lead mover said the charge was what he estimated by cubic feet of what was in the truck. In the truck were the rest of my furniture, boxes I had packed, a mattress and some other boxes that they had packed (pictures, contents of a few cabinets, the TVs, VCR, Microwave, clothes). (Some of my furniture was already in the house from a previous move about three months before.) I was quite taken aback by the contrast of the actual charge from the estimate I was given and what I was charged for the previous move. The previous move with another mover was $1000.00 which, by the way, had taken 2 hours longer because many things had to be packed, and everything was put in place. The charge for that move was calculated differently, and was a little less per hour than the move in question. So I did expect this move to be a little more.
I believe the mover from Regal Moving Vans charged me by what he though "the traffic would bear" by using padded fees. He did not give me a detailed breakdown, or a receipt, or a carbon copy, even though I asked for it.
The practice of making you sign something that does not have a carbon copy is a poor practice at best, and at worse done to later fill in information that is not correct. Also the practice of making you sign something before they would take anything off the truck is a kinda blackmail.
I spoke to L------ concerning the over-charge, and he said he would straighten it all out. I also complained that the movers did not move all that was supposed to be moved (many things were left behind), and also that they did not put everything in place as I was told would happen. Furniture was placed helter skelter, placement instructions were ignored, and one room was left impossible to walk into. Finally they just put things into the garage, leaving it to me to get things from there to the second level. They were very nice young men, and they worked hard, but they were not well trained to handle a move to the standards promised. And they just wanted to get home.
However, my other complaint, through L------, was about a TV that was missing, and the damages that were caused to my property by the movers. Lorenzo was very nice about it, helping me and being considerate over the phone. He instructed me that I needed to communicate through him and that I should send a complete list of the damages and missing item via e-mail. I did this. Sending it twice. Since then I have not gotten any communication from the company, not even to my request of confirmation that the adjustment department received my list. Their website was not functioning in the communication area.
The following is the list I sent to L------:

As I said to you (L------)on the phone, There were items damaged, and also I am still unable to locate the den TV. Curiously enough, packed with the other TV (kitchen TV), were the VCR and switch wires that were part of the den TV system.
Below is a list of the damages up to date, and comments:
TV from den still not found. In the box must also be the cable box. (Cable company will charge me $133 for it.) Only smaller boxes left. None TV size. Did they put it in something else, or somewhere else?
Large wood kitchen table now has wide scrapes all across the table in several areas and it is gouged as well. Other things were wrapped in blankets but not all. This table did not seem to be protected in any way.
Small black leather adjustable office chair. Seat was cut through. This chair did not seem to be protected in any way. It should have been wrapped. They did not seem to have come with enough blankets.
Extension dining table scratched This table also did not arrive wrapped.
Antique Chinese screen: enamel scraped/chipped off on edges, one edge is very bad. Don't know how this can be repaired. May take a special restoration. This should have been wrapped. Also tape was used to hold it closed. Plastic strips should have been used. I am afraid what will happen if I try to take off the tape.
Newly finished hard wood floors were scraped w/ a couple of deep scratches and marred in some parts by movement of furniture. I didn't have this happen during the other move. They should use helpful moving supplies within the new house to prevent damage. The floor man said all of floor will have to be buffed and a new coating re-applied in order for these to be repaired. Spot fixing won't work. I may need to find a furniture repairman for this.
Two large bookcases mis-aligned and coming apart. The integrity of the bookcases should have been protected before moving them, by winding them with the sort of plastic wrap tape that movers use. Now the backs are unattached and the bookcases need to be fixed. I cannot do that myself and will have to get help. (The shelves were removed and taped together for the move. They should have been re-assembled before leaving.)
One small ceramic broken
Small mahogany table top scratched up This too was not blanket wrapped
One pane of small glass curio cabinet was broken. This will be impossible to replace.
Woodwork in old house was chipped. Wall was marred at the new address.
Boxes left behind in old house.


The above were the damages and the over-charge as stated. Because I have not heard from this company, I am afraid they may disappear, as do some other companies from what I have heard from friends. or that they meant to rip me off in the first place, and now have the doctored papers to protect themselves. They should have sent an inspector right away. they should have at least said that they investigated, and that this was their findings. But instead, Nothing!

I complained to American Express, and the company sent Amex doctored information as to how many boxes they used for my move, and extras never mentioned in the move agreement. Less than half the boxes were actually used! This information was added on the page with my signature, plus a signature (supposedly mine) I never made was on the same page. They said, although the papers say otherwise that I am not entitled to damages becauses I should have paid extra for that - which, of course was never said to me, nor was there paperwork that pointed that out.
Unfortunately I wasn't paranoid enough to call the police when they made me sign papers before they would take my property off their truck.