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:01/22/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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 hired Flatrate Moving for my relocation in June 2024, and upon receiving my belongings, I discovered extensive damage and missing items. Many of my boxes arrived in poor conditiondamaged, leaking, and broken. This included boxes from my bathroom, my daughters bathroom, and my lab. My daughters perfumes and creams were shattered and leaked onto other items, and I am missing a ***** ********* 1872 perfume that was in a closed green box. Additionally, my personal products and packaging were severely damaged, with some items arriving completely unusable due to leakage.Beyond these damages, I also discovered that larger and more valuable items had been severely affected. A ******* TV from my sons bedroom arrived with a broken screen. Two wardrobes were completely broken, and all of my bookshelves were damaged due to forced screws, rendering them unusable. I have attached photographic evidence to document these damages.After months of back and forth, Flatrate Moving has offered me only $240 for the damaged items and $725 for the floor damage, which is completely inadequate given the extent of the damage and missing items. They are basing this amount on a $0.60 per pound valuation instead of reimbursing me for the actual value of my losses, which total approximately $10,000. This weight-based calculation does not account for the real cost of the damaged and missing items, many of which are high-value personal belongings, furniture, and ************** has now been eight months, and I have not been offered a fair resolution. I am seeking the Better Business Bureaus assistance in mediating this claim so that I can receive proper compensation based on the actual value of my losses. I expect Flatrate Moving to take responsibility for the damage they caused and to provide a fair reimbursement that reflects the true cost of the affected items.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/24/2025

  Ms. ***** submitted her claim on August 18, 2024.  We did offered a settlement to her claim in the total amount of $1,025 on December 10, 2024.

  That settlement offer was based on a Federal law which requires claims be settled on Released Valuation coverage where the customer does not have private insurance and they waive Full Value Protection liability coverage on their move (both of which add costs to the move.  Note that FlatRate does not sell insurance). 

   

  For your understanding, Full Value Protection is a type of liability coverage where, if any of a customers items are damaged or lost during a move, the Carrier (in this case, Flatrate) may elect to either repair these items, replace them with items of similar like or kind, or provide funds to reimburse the customer.  However, Released Valuation coverage (also known as minimum liability coverage) is a limitation on a Carriers liability; wherein, if any of the customers items are damaged or missing during a move, the limit of the Carriers liability is $.60 per pound of those items (see 49 CFR Part 375, Appendix A).

   

  In the case of Ms. ****** move, she did not have her own insurance on this move that we were aware of, and she did not elect to have Full Value Protection on her move.  This is reflected in the contract Ms. ****** signed with our company to perform the move.  Therefore, we settled her claim based on Released Valuation coverage.  As such, the methodology by which the settlement of Ms. ******* claim reached was appropriate, based on Federal Law (which totaled $240).  In addition, within the same settlement letter (see attached), our company added an additional $785 for property damage which she stated occurred during the move process.  These two amounts totaled $1,025.00.  A check was them sent to Ms. ************

   

  However, we understand that Ms. ****** is clearly upset regarding the outcome of the original claim. We would like to extend our deepest apologies for her less than satisfactory experience.  We understand the frustration with the claim process.  Therefore, a gesture of concern over this matter, we would like to send her an additional amount of $1,000.00 for her inconvenience.  As this is in addition to the $1,025.00 which was previously sent, this would make the new total amount settlement equal $2,025.00; nearly double what was originally offered.

   

  We believe this additional gesture of good faith shows that FlatRate Moving remains committed to fully and fairly resolving this matter. 

   

  Should you have any questions regarding this, please let us know.

  Thank you.

   

   

   

  Regards,

  Claims

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/10/2025

  Alessandra,

  1. As explicitly in the prior correspondence below, your original settlement offer was $1,025.  The check you are referring to in your possession is the check for that amount.  An additional $1,000 will be issued soon, and this in addition to the $1,025 settlement already offered.
  2. The prior correspondence also goes into great detail as to how the original settlement offer was derived; which again, was based Release Valuation, with an additional courtesy on top of that.  To be clear: this federally mandated methodology does not require that the value of the damaged/lost items be taken into consideration.  It only requires weight be the contractual limited liability, which you agreed to.
  3. As such, we have never made any misrepresentation to yourself or the BBB, nor is what we have acknowledged inconsistent with the Federal standards carriers such as ourselves are obligated to meet.

  We will continue to process your additional courtesy amount and mail that out to you.

  If there is anything else you would like clarification, please let us know and we will response with the necessary clarification.

  Thank you.

  Regards,

  Claims

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/10/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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 contracted FlatRate for a move on 5/29/24 from Miami to **. All of my items arrived ruined, damaged, & filthy. Sofa, bed, tv stand, my sofa pillows. I even emailed the company to make them aware of my all white items & can they please pack with *********** assured me they will. Clearly never happened. They wrapped my items in cheap plastic black wrapping paper. The one that has black powder dye. When I addressed my concerns they told me dont worry about it. I offered them gloves & they refused. They even refused to wear booties. They were using my own packing tape I had on my kitchen counter because mine was easier. My white sofa had large shoe print stains from them stepping on my items. Dirty fingerprints from their hands throughout my items. My items have visible drag marks. Lazy, unprofessional, workers from both pick up & drop off. Zero care about packing your items with care. They spent more time informing me about the 20% gratuity than packing my items. These are new items purchased 4 months prior to move. They were even making fun of how small my new apt is. My items are permanently ruined. Steaming is too expensive & some companies told me they cannot get the stains out. I didnt have many items. Relatively small move. What shouldve been an easy, smooth move process turned into a nightmare experience. I shouldve went with another company. Too late now. What a horror negative experience.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2024

  Please accept our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience that you may have experienced with your recent move. Although it is not our intention, it sounds like we fell short. A legal claim was processed immediately, and a settlement check was mailed out in August. 
  *All moving companies are required by state and/or federal law to offer released value protection (minimum liability), which is set at 60-cents per pound per article, and settle those claims accordingly. We did settle this claim back in August, exaggerating the weights of the items to the following At $0.60 per pound at 500lbs your total claim is $300.00. Accordingly, enclosed please find a check in the amount of $300.00 serving as a full and final settlement for claim #******* filed on 5/29/24. A check was mailed out promptly.  

  The results of the claim are as follows:
  
  Sofa:                                                                            200lbs
  Bed:                                                                            200lbs
  TV Stand:                                                                   100lbs
   Total:   500lbs

  Unfortunately due to our workers compensation insurance, movers are not allowed to wear booties, as it can cause a slipping, and gloves can cause them to lose handling of the items. The black film is a high quality, thick film meant to protect the furniture. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/23/2024

   
  Complaint: 22200903
  
  I am rejecting this response because: $300 is just not enough to cover the damages for my items. The steaming alone to clean it is very expensive. Not to mention these were brand new items. Purchased 5 months prior. The move alone was almost $2000. This is so unprofessional. Irresponsible & careless. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** O

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/09/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  Dear Better Business Bureau,I am filing a complaint against FlatRate Moving Company due to poor service and unmet promises. In early June, I hired FlatRate Moving Miami (****************************************************************, Phone: ************) for a relocation from Miami, **, to ************, **, costing $5,680. I accepted their standard insurance coverage of $0.60 per pound, based on their assurance that additional coverage was only needed for "exceptionally valuable items."Upon arriving in ************, I found severe damage to my sofa bed, work monitor, and various dishes. I submitted a detailed claim on July 17th (Claim #*******) with descriptions, photos, and invoices for the damages. On August 8th, 2024, I received a settlement offer of $420.00, based on the standard insurance. This amount is inadequate compared to the $1,224.20 total replacement cost for all damaged items.The settlement does not reflect the true extent of my losses. I am requesting a revised settlement of $1,200.00 to fairly compensate for the damages and inconvenience caused. The service I paid for has not met even basic standards, leaving me with ongoing issues.I seek your urgent intervention to ensure a fair resolution.Thank you for your attention.Sincerely,***********************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/09/2024

  I also attaching pictures and videos of the sofa-bed. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/11/2024

  Sofa pictures and video

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/19/2024

  On Friday August 16th, 2024, I received a check from Flatrate moving for the amount of $420.00 (Picture attached). Not even half of the amount to cover the price of my sofa.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/23/2024

  In regard to any damage claims, all moving companies are required by state and/or federal law to offer released value protection (minimum liability), which is set at 60-cents per pound per article and settle those claims accordingly. This was signed on the Bill of Lading under Waiver of Full Replacement Value Protection, and also on the binding estimate prior to the move.

  Minimum liability insurance of $0.60 per pound per article is included. 
  Flat Rate offers additional valuation protection / full replacement value. 
  (There is an additional cost for this form of coverage.)
  For additional insurance, please refer to www.movinginsurance.com or www.bakerintl.com by at least 72 hours prior to your move date. 

    This lower level of protection is provided at no additional cost beyond the base rate, however it provides minimal protection  A proper legal claim can was processed accordingly with their selected valuation coverage

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/29/2024

   
  Complaint: 22117815
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The refund of $420 provided by the Flatrate business does not cover the price of the damaged items.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/08/2022

  Type:Product 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.

  We hired flatrate Moving to move our belongings across the country from CA to **. They rushed ** to sign documents, ran our credit card for the full amount prior to the move, stopped communicating with us, left us in the dark, and then broke several of our items after showing up nearly 8 hours late. Their recovery efforts were abysmal, the appeals process was a joke and we were left with thousands of dollars in damage and only $1,000 full and final settlement. There is soooo much more, but your character limit is too small. I've attached screenshots of some of the emails as well as pics of the damage. Thank you!!!***** 9

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/08/2022

  This is for the wrong business, pleas direct to FlatRate Moving in **********. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/08/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this is not a resolution, but instead a piece of necessary information. I would like to file the same complaint, but to the appropriate business since the response here stated that it was the wrong business. Please advise on the best way to do so.   
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************