Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/08/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am rejecting this response because:

  
  Thank you for your response. When you offered to dispatch employees to inspect and document the damages I gave you a valid explanation as to why I didn't want to do that and reminded you that I had posted pictures of the damage on my Yelp review, which you acknowledged that you had viewed. Several days after we spoke I noticed another item that had been damaged and emailed you about it; my email included pictures of that item.
  
  
  
  You said, "Additionally, it is important to note that at the end of each job, our movers request that clients carefully inspect their belongings and confirm their satisfaction before signing the completion agreement. On the day of your move, you signed the agreement, confirmed the satisfactory condition of your items, paid and expressed appreciation to our team before they left." however it is impossible to inspect everything prior to the movers leaving, so based on what I saw at the time I signed that believing that to be true. It was after they left that I noticed most of the damage, at which point I wrote the Yelp review to note it. We also discussed this in further detail on the phone.
  
  
  You said, "The team began unloading as per your instruction over the phone since you were delayed in arriving at the destination." however that is incorrect--As I stated in my complaint here as well as my Yelp review (found here: ***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************(direct)), I had gone over everything when they initally arrived at our old apartment prior to them beginning the move in order to avoid issues when unloading at the new apartment. I also said to let me know if they needed to be reminded about anything prior to unloading, but they didn't do that. You said, "Boxes labeled Master Bedroom were placed in the master bedroom, while boxes labeled Office were placed in the spare bedroom. Upon your arrival, you informed us of your preference to switch the purpose of the rooms, which required relocating some boxes." which is patently false. One reason that I explained everything prior to them starting the move is because things were set up in an unusual way: the master bedroom was being used as the office (so those boxes were labeled "Office") and the front bedroom was being used as the bedroom (so those boxes were labeled "Bedroom"). I have attached a picture of the labeling system I created and emailed myself, which I read to them. Explaining the box labeling system to them was only one of a number of items I went over with them, which are contained in one tab of a spreadsheet that I went over to make sure I didn't forget to go over anything (picture attached). Additionally, as I mentioned in my complaint here and in my Yelp review, it wasn't just those two rooms that needed to have boxes moved--it was as if they didn't read the labels on the boxes. Literally every room in the apartment had numerous boxes that were clearly labeled for other rooms. Additionally, as my Yelp review mentions, we were so exhausted and eager to get the move completed that we started moving some of the boxes ourselves.
  
  
  You said, "You initially contacted us in ******* 2024 during slow season in moving industry and our promotional period. Although your move booked after 10 months in October 2024, we honored the discounted ******* rate, saving you over $250." that was not the explanation you gave, in the Yelp chat you simply said, " Hello again *****!We can offer special hourly cash rates for you...".
  
  You said, "Your move date was rescheduled three times (initially October 24, then October 31, November 7, and finally November 8). Normally, we charge a $50 fee per rescheduling to account for blocked team availability and truck reservations. However, we waived these fees, saving you an additional $150." which is completely false. When I booked the move it was only booked tentatively in order to lock in the quoted price, so I picked 10/24 because in the Yelp chat you said, " I totally understand! In that case, I recommend booking a tentative date for now. We can always reschedule later without any charge." When you emailed me the quote and a rebooking fee was listed in it I messaged you about it and you replied, " I understand your concerns! There will be no rescheduling fee, and you can cancel your move anytime, with the deposit fully refundable. You have our word in writing here as well. We're updating this information in our system soon. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!"
  
  You said, "At your request, our team assembled a brand new bed, a service typically performed by a handyman and outside the scope of standard moving services which include only disassembling and reassembling furniture if its necessary for loading, saving you at least $200." however you said that this service is included in your standard hourly rate and it didn't have a stipulation that it was only included if it was necessary for unloading (see attached picture). It wasn't a new bed frame--it was a frame that had been disassembled prior to the move, so that actually reduced the move time.
  
  
  I would like a refund of $165.78, refunded to my original payment method, which I think is more than fair, especially since the artwork is irreplaceable and cannot be repaired because the artist has passed away. Here is how I came up with this number:
  
  
  
  Mixing up boxes: 30 minutes: $70.78 ($149/hour minus 5% cash discount = $141.55/hour)
  
  Damage to mini freezer (picture of part of receipt attached; if you want the entire receipt I can email it to you because I can only attach five pictures here): $25
  
  Damage to painting: $50
  Damage to mattress cover (which includes a hole so I will have to replace it; picture of part of receipt attached; if you want the entire receipt I can email it to you because I can only attach five pictures here): $20
  Total: $165.78
  
  
  
  I hope that you find this to be a reasonable resolution. Thank you.
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/17/2024

  Dear *****,
  
  Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns regarding your recent move with our company. We highly value feedback from our clients, as it allows us to continually improve and ensure the highest level of service. Over the years, we have successfully completed over ***** moves and have received more than 450 positive reviews, which reflect our dedication to providing seamless and stress-free moving experiences. We were truly surprised to receive your complaint, as this is the first time we have encountered negative feedback regarding our services. Nonetheless, we take your concerns seriously and are committed to addressing them with the utmost diligence and professionalism.
  
  Below, we address the two main points outlined in your complaint:
  
  1. Possible damages
  
  We take extra care to protect our clients belongings by utilizing professional packing techniques and high-quality protective materials. While we pride ourselves on minimizing risks, we acknowledge that no moving process is entirely free from potential damage.
  
  As a licensed moving company operating in compliance with California state regulations, our work is fully insured. To file an insurance claim, we require specific documentation, including detailed descriptions of the damage, the affected items model, weight, size, and age.
  
  When we first received your call regarding the issue, we immediately offered to dispatch our manager and ******* to inspect and document the damages for further investigation and resolution. Unfortunately, you declined our offer to come and prohibited a follow-up visit. This limited our ability to verify the nature and extent of the damage or determine the cause.
  
  Additionally, it is important to note that at the end of each job, our movers request that clients carefully inspect their belongings and confirm their satisfaction before signing the completion agreement. On the day of your move, you signed the agreement, confirmed the satisfactory condition of your items, paid and expressed appreciation to our team before they left.
  
  Without a proper inspection, it is difficult to assess whether the reported damage occurred during our service or existed beforehand, especially older or previously transported items that have pre-existing wear and tear from prior use or move. 
  
  2. Duration of the Move 
  
  Your move was handled by one of our most experienced crews, consisting of three skilled prosVlad, ****, and Mykolawho are consistently praised for their efficiency and professionalism. During your move, the team worked tirelessly for eight hours in a row without taking a single break, including for lunch, to ensure the job was completed as quickly as possible despite several challenges:
  Long-carry at pick up. Parking the truck far from your apartment, requiring additional walking to load items.
  Flights of stairs. Transporting all belongings to the second floor at the delivery location.
  Amount of stuff. Carefully stacking, loading and unloading a completely full 26-ft truck.
  
  Regarding your claim that the move could have been completed 30 minutes earlier due to misplaced boxes, we would like to clarify the following:
   The team began unloading as per your instruction over the phone since you were delayed in arriving at the destination.
   Boxes labeled Master Bedroom were placed in the master bedroom, while boxes labeled Office were placed in the spare bedroom. Upon your arrival, you informed us of your preference to switch the purpose of the rooms, which required relocating some boxes.
   This adjustment took much less time to complete for three movers, as the apartment is compact, and the boxes were readily accessible.
  
  In hindsight, it would have been preferable to wait for your arrival before unloading to ensure alignment with your preferences. However, this approach would have resulted in additional time and cost to you. But we acted in good faith to save time and reduce your costs. 
  
  Additional Accommodations Provided
  
  We strive to exceed expectations for all our clients. In your case, we made several accommodations that went beyond our standard services, including:
  1.Discounted Rates:
  You initially contacted us in ******* 2024 during slow season in moving industry and our promotional period. Although your move booked after 10 months in October 2024, we honored the discounted ******* rate, saving you over $250.
  **** Rescheduling Fees:
  Your move date was rescheduled three times (initially October 24, then October 31, November 7, and finally November 8). Normally, we charge a $50 fee per rescheduling to account for blocked team availability and truck reservations. However, we waived these fees, saving you an additional $150.
  3.Complimentary Handyman Service:
  At your request, our team assembled a brand new bed, a service typically performed by a handyman and outside the scope of standard moving services which include only disassembling and reassembling furniture if its necessary for loading, saving you at least $200.
  4.Waiver of Double Drive Time (DDT):
  Under California law, moves exceeding 10 miles are subject to double drive time charges. Despite the 18-mile distance between your pickup and drop-off locations, we did not apply this fee, saving you approximately (0,5 hour) $75.
  
  In total, these accommodations amounted to approximately $680nearly 50% of the total cost of your move.
  
  If necessary, we can provide all relevant evidence, including text messages, the signed contract and phone calls recordings. 
  
  Our Commitment to Your Satisfaction
  
  At SMOOVE, we are dedicated to ensuring every client has a stress-free and positive moving experience. We sincerely apologize if we fell short of your expectations in any way. To demonstrate our commitment to your satisfaction, we are pleased to offer you an additional 10% refund, which will be issued using your original payment method upon your approval.
  
  Please let us know how you would like to proceed, and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further concerns or questions. We value your business and hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future.
  
  Thank you again for your feedback and for giving us the opportunity to serve you. We hope to rebuild your trust and welcome you back as a valued client in the future.
  
  Sincerely,
  The SMOOVE Team

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/30/2024

  Dear *****,
  
  We accept your offer to resolve compliance and ensure your complete satisfaction.
  
  A partial refund of $165.78 has been processed to your original payment method.
  
  Thank you!
  
  Respectfully,
  The SMOOVE Team
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/03/2025

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my concern, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.