American Van Lines

American Van Lines / avl service: deceitful, misleading ads, unprofessional, careless, disregard for customer
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Claim #180****
On Sept. 22, 2018 my husband entered into a contract with Chloe Walsh to move a 4 bedroom house of goods from a storage unit in No CA to GA. He sent in a deposit of $1462 and made plans for a pickup between 10/15 and 10/17. Expected delivery would be Nov. 7th. This was important to us because we were planning Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends in the new home.
On 10/13 my husband rec'd a call from Chloe with news that the AVL truck was not available and that another mover would arrive on the 15th. (1st Red Flag) This did not sit well with him, however, we'd already closed the account on the storage unit, so he went along.
Monday, the 15th, Juan with Vanguard Van Lines met my husband at the storage unit and with his movers, began to load our items. My collectibles and other household goods were packed in plastic containers and boxes and clearly marked "Fragile, Handle with Care". I also had heirlooms, new items still in the original boxes and a number of loose items. The 65' TV had been packed by my husband and was further wrapped by Juan's men.
My husband was told that he'd have to pay extra for our piano. No problem. When Juan had completed the inventory sheet, my husband signed them. The top of the sheets were printed with the blue and red AVL logo. He asked for a copy of the inventory list and was told by Juan that AVL would send it to him. (2nd Red Flag). So then my husband asked if if they were going to get on the road and head for GA. "No, we have to take your items to So CA to be weighed. (3rd Red Flag) Was told that the truck would be unloaded and the items put on another truck. Again, not happy with this--room for error, including: breakage, loss, damage, destruction.
My husband called Juan several times to get the inventory sheets. The calls were never returned. He then called Chloe, again several times, before she emailed the sheets November 7th. The AVL logo had been blacked out and replaced with Vanguard.
Several days after our goods were taken to So CA (Ventura Cty), my husband received a call from Roberta of Vanguard requesting more money before they would load our goods for delivery, and that might have happened were it not for his error with the credit card and a call from Chloe telling him not to give them any more money.
We received a call towards the end of October with a date of delivery change to Nov. 9th. Then another call, Nov. 12th. Three different delivery dates. (DOT rules for long distance deliveries -21 days from date of pu).
Nov. 7th, the invoice was emailed: 8210 lbs, Total price of $7621 minus the $1462, with instructions for a cashiers check for the balance.
On Saturday, the 10th, I received a call from Andre the mover, stating that he would be at my GA home by noon. So the truck arrived just about that time-black cab with no markings, white trailer with no markings. Two tired men emerged. Andre, the mover, could not tell me if he worked for AVL or Vanguard. (4th Red Flag-sub-contracted with Vanguard!) Said they'd already made two stops and had another stop in NC before going home to NY.
Andre said he had to have the check before they would unload my items, so I called my husband and rather than to argue I reluctantly gave him the check. I asked for a receipt, he had none. So I took a photo with my camera of the paperwork he had.
They did not look like or act like certified, professional movers; they stepped on my flowers and scratched my new floor. I received a faint apology. Our items were put in the house; they complained about making their last stop, and when they'd unloaded the last of the goods, they got in their cab and left.
AVL's website:
Our professional long distance movers provide the very best delivery and care
American Van Lines is a long distance moving company with extensive resources. Regardless of where you're moving to and from, one of our long distance moving branches will always be within reach. American Van Lines will always provide excellent moving services wherever you need to go.
Long Distance Moving with Speed and Accuracy
Our large fleet of moving trucks is always ready, well-serviced, and ready to move. You won't have to worry about our ability to provide the services you need exactly when you need them. We have the means to accommodate several customers at all times without delay or hiccup. Last minute long distance moves are welcomed at no additional charge. With weekly shuttles to and from every major city in the country, your next relocation will never be too far away. The swift and convenient nature of our long distance moving services makes it easy to facilitate a hassle-free moving experience.
Expert Long Distance Movers for Exceptional Service
Our long distance moving company has certified packing experts ensure your belongings are always safely packed and stowed away. Our long distance movers are some of the best in the industry and come highly recommended by previous customers. Here are just a few of the advantages of relocating with the American Van Lines long distance moving team:
• Swift deliveries available seven days a week.
• Specialty services like piano, fine arts, and antique moving.
• Accurate inventory of all items being moved for your personal reference.
• Individually wrapping each and every item for the safety of your possessions.
You Can Feel Confident About Our Dependable Long Distance Moving Services
You never can tell what will occur on the road during a long distance move, and this is exactly why the American Van Lines takes precautions to keep your items safe. We know that prevention is better than repair, so we keep our trucks in tip-top shape with regular maintenance. All of our moving trucks are modern and equipped with air-ride suspension to sustain a smooth, turbulent-free ride to your new home. Every moving truck is spacious, safe, modern, clean, and serviced regularly. Reliability is one of the most pertinent features of outstanding moving services and it is a chief ingredient in our formula for success.
When I began to take note of the crushed plastic containers and boxes, the scratches, dents, and missing parts to my furniture, my heart skipped several beats. I spoke with Chloe, perhaps the next day or so, and was met with an attitude of "I'll transfer you to the claim department to file a claim". I demanded to speak with the manager and after a couple of days, connected with Sam Parker, the CS manager.
Both my husband and I spoke with Sam several times. He expressed sympathy and said that he would make it right and that we would be "very pleased".
I began to go thru items. So many of my signed collectibles were broken and destroyed, very few furniture and accessory items were intact. They were chipped, crushed, dented, broken. Many items missing-heirlooms, my collectible shoe items, Christmas decorations, kitchen pots and pans, new coffee maker and roasting pans still in original boxes, artwork. My husband unwrapped the 65" TV and to his horror, the screen was cracked from end to end and the back was dented in. It appeared that our items were just thrown into the trailer unsecured without anyone caring how we received them. My husband took photos of the TV and sent them to Sam. During one conversation my husband said he would drive to So CA to retrieve our missing items and was quickly discouraged from doing so by Sam.
Sam lead us to believe that he would be on the up and up, strung us along into believing that he truly would compensate us fairly, though no price can replace our missing heirlooms and other sentimental items.
Now after completing the loss sheets and faxing them in, completing the broken, damaged and destroyed list, and emailing them in March, it took them the full 120+ days to offer $1000 of which $271 was Sam Parker's additional compensation. Additionally, we were denied compensation because the plastic containers and boxes were "packed by owner-contents and packing methods are unverifiable therefore carrier accepts no liability".
We did not accept this. So we went back and forth on what we felt was fair. Sam asked me what amount would satisfy us and I said $7000. He said that they did deliver my items--yes they did but for $7600 we didn't expect to receive them in the condition they were in.
So we went back and forth and I finally agreed to accept an additional $200, bringing the total to $1200. On July 30th, I requested the paperwork. Aug. 6th I sent an email to Sam that we had not received the documents. Claims responded that they'd sent them out a week earlier. When I asked where they were sent, I got no response.
I emailed again Aug 7th for the address to where the documents were sent. Aug. 8th I received the documents postmarked August 5th. Their response on August 12th:
Dear Yvonne Young,
Please accept our apologies for the delayed response. The Settlement documents were mailed to:
This is the address listed as the delivery address and on the claims form.
There was no need to lie, and yet they did.
This delay, however, gave me time to reflect on the offer relative to our losses. So on August 20, I sent this email to Sam and his claim department:
Claims; Samuel Parker,
We received the documents August 8th, more than a week after claims' initial response that the documents had been mailed a week earlier. Not until August 6th did we get a response to our second request for where they were mailed. The document is postmarked August 5th.
Additionally, upon reading the terms and conditions by which we would receive $1200 as compensation for the damages caused by your sub-contractor, his sub-contractor and you, we no longer accept this. This amount is not nearly enough to place a *** order on us. We will share our experience with American Van Lines, Vanguard Van Lines, and Andre the mover in writing, to social media, internet, persons and entities engaged in radio, television or Internet broadcasting, etc., etc.
Though we finally agreed on the amount with Sam, after second thoughts the amount of $1200 does not begin to cover our missing, broken, and destroyed items. American Van Lines does not want to take responsibility for any of their errors. We paid a large sum of money to have our items shipped in the condition that they were picked up. The boxes in question were clearly marked "Fragile, Handle With Care", even if they were PBO Because you cannot find the missing items doesn't mean they didn't exist.
Further, your document instructs us to return the signed agreement within 30 days and yet you will not issue a check for 4-6 weeks. It appears that American Van Lines wants to have it all their way. As a matter of principle, we will not accept this, but instead will go to the media.
We want the public to be well informed about what can happen when using the services of a carrier that offers deceitful and false marketing hype and then later tell you that you didn't pay for certain things. They choose to hide behind their "legal obligations" without regard to doing what's morally right for the customer.
My correspondence to Sam:
Our items were picked up and unloaded twice before we received them, leaving open room for error-- mishandling, losing and/or taking our property, damaging and destroying it, etc. The two men who showed up in GA with our property could not even tell me what company they were with. No markings on the trailer or the cab. Andre, the mover, wanted the cashier's check before they would begin to unload. They did not look like certified, trained, and professional movers. They even walked on my plants and scratched my floor.
We recognize and acknowledge that we signed documents that we may not have read thoroughly or understood, a mistake on our part. But we also understand that your job is to protect AVLines. There's not much regard for the clients' loss. You lost control when you brought in a sub-contractor who then hired his own sub-contractor. We didn't pay $7600 to get what we ultimately got. And $1200 compensation does not move us to sign a document agreeing to keep quiet, as if it is hush money and then wait 4-6 weeks after signature to receive it.
It is our goal to share our total experience with the public so that they are fully informed and can then make a decision on choosing to use your company.
Now Sam is accusing me of extortion because we've changed our minds and decided not to accept his offer, of which he says he has gone over and beyond the amount he is" legally obligated to offer".
We Do Not Recommend the use of AVL for long distant moves. Their website is misleading and untrue and you stand the chance of receiving your property in horrible condition by the 2nd or 3rd sub-contractor. Instead, thoroughly investigate your mover, use the Pods or Home Depot, or pack up your things yourself and drive them to your destination. You'd be better off than to intrust your treasures to American Van Lines.
I've added a few of the many photos for your review.

My experience with this company it was a nightmare ! I hire them to move to North Carolina They come over to the truck1st thing they told me There my bell it will be $1,000 more Great fine Also the told me That my stuff will get to North Carolina between 7 and 10 days lies again it Talk a whole month When the finally got to North Carolina lies again what company hiring people with felony background? The reason why I know that that's because my delivery He's in a military base The drivers there both got checked out In the current getting side the base So to disappoint the manager call me and she got the nerves to tell me that we never let them know that the delivery it was done in a Military base base lay again we told then from the 1st telephone call !To m car go with all these

Lets start with customer service: We never received a telephone call from our customer service rep that was not initiated by us through their horrible process of leaving a message or not getting anyone on the line. It was only after we were connected with a supervisor were we able to get information.

Now lets go to the move itself: They did not show up during the 3 day window, but only after supervisor intervention did they show up on day 4.

The professional movers and packers who we were told would arrive, was a subcontracted third party. The movers were less than professional. Items arrived damaged and broken. Things they were supposed to professionally pack were thrown onto the truck without any packing at all.

Because we were unable to be there because of the delay in their loading our belongings, we were unable to leave a gratuity.

The driver called and chastised us for not leaving a gratuity. We told them it would be a few days to provide the gratuity. Imagine 4 days later we provided a gratuity (still not knowing how our belongings were). At the time the driver received the gratuity, all of a sudden we were told our delivery would be the next day.

I requested they wear masks, and the masks were put on below the nose...doesn't do much good.

Things that we had put in the garage were haphazardly stacked and "tossed" into the garage.

Before they would unload our belongings we were told the weight of the move came to more than an extra $1,000 with no proof of the actual weight. Either they lo-balled us to start, or the sub-contracted company scammed us for the extra money.

There are no words to possibly explain the horrible and hideous move I was subjected to by this horrible disgusting company American Vanlines. Where do I even begin.

Start with this..They wasted so much time and come to find out the guy with the AVL truck was a indie agent didnt even work for the company and used 2 of his relatives to help pack and load. One was old tired zero experience relative the other nice but no experience either they left so much behind like $30.000.00. At the end of the day it was night time I told the main guy you have to come back you cant just leave all my stuff behind? Im a high end antique dealer and have lots of things.

His 2 relatives kept begging me to talk to him to come back the next morning, they only lived 40 minutes away but main dude said and I quote...' I never go back' No words to describe this heinous move.

They broke items on purpose and once they landed at my new home all *** broke lose..Main guy and his big helper started calling me a *** and said to me *** you. I had to endure them loading off all my $$ items...And yes I called and called and called the company to complain and zero~

Absolutely unacceptable customer service

I contacted few months back the American Van Lines regarding move from Providence, RI to Carmichael, CA. The initial contact with Harold Brown was excellent and we discussed in details all my needs and concerns and he assured me that that are very experienced movers specializing in piano moving, as our move included my wife's baby grand piano which is needed for her to perform her job as a church musician and teacher.

Our house was for sale and we agreed that I will let them know in advance the exact date of the closing so we can schedule the pick up. They scheduled the pick up window between July 26 and July 28 and they executed the date perfectly on 26th. But, in contrary to our verbal agreement that the pick up will be done by their truck, they called me three days before the pick up date and told me that they do not have any trucks available in our area and they will send a subcontractor. That was the first problem at the pick up.

The second problem was that the subcontractor didn't even know that they should move a baby grand piano and arrived without piano board which is mandatory to move instrument safely. There were only two movers and they did an excellent job wrapping furniture (everything else I packed myself). The third problem was that they had to use a shuttle rental truck supposedly due to the fact that 18 weeler couldn't get to our street. I understood that, but they immediately added $700 to the original estimate.

So, after already paying $3000 deposit I also gave movers at the pick up $2000 and there was a balance of another $2000 due at delivery.The original estimate was $5000 and now it went up to $7000. I was fine with that and did not argue or complained, as I was prepared to that. The subcontractor who picked up our belongings on July 26 told me that we will receive our load in TEN days. Today is already 26th day from the pick up, bu we not only did not have our belongings, but they don't even respond to our requests to give us a date.

Two weeks after the pick up I called our personal move coordinator named Leslee with my concern she told me that their contractor will make the delivery between August 10 and August 12.

It was a lie, as when I called her around August 14th she told me that our belongings are still in the warehouse in New York City and the subcontractor is planning to start the move from there around August 19 to 21. Today is August 21 and we still haven't heard from them. After I expressed my dissatisfaction to Leslee I was contacted by her superior Sam, who told me that he is taking over our move and will personally control the process. He promised me to call me on Friday, August 16, which he did and told me that he will call me back on Monday the 19th.

NO CALL ON 19. On Tuesday the 20th I left TWO messages - one for Sam and one for Leslee, but nobody responded. At that point I left a one star review on YELP, and literally 90 SECONDS after that I received a call from Sam, who expressed his dissatisfaction with my review. I explained to him ONE MORE TIME that we live already for almost a month in California either in friends home or in the hotel.

We had to buy a bed and a mattress which we do not need to be able to sleep in our empty apartment which we are paying rent for. My wife is a piano teacher and she MUST start teaching in a few days, but she would be unable to do so without the piano and will lose her wages. We are unable to register our vehicles, take care of health insurance as all our documents are still in the load.

There are also many other inconveniences and complications in addition to enormous stress which affects us both dramatically. I am 66 years old cancer survivor with heart condition, and I can not continue to live under this conditions.

Hired them for an out of state move was assured by representative they do not use other companies would be one of there lines, When van got here it was a hired company not American , I asked them not to drag furniture on hardwoods and they repeatilly did even laughing when my husband said something thus leaving scrapes on newly refinished floors, They broke corner off my headboard when putting bed together , Broke a *** off night stand , My Country table that was my mother-in-laws they lost the bottom crossbar that keeps it sturdy , I had 1 box I expressed to Rep was fragile containing my framed photography and nothing should be put on top of, when I open there was broken glass and frames ( had them all bubble wrapped seperately to assure they were safe ) box looked crushed . I've move 2 other times with other companies with no problems this was a nightmare, would not recommend them , you can't even get anyone at company to give you any answers they just keep transferring you to another dept who can't help who transfers you to complaints dept who never answer . Would never use again , The small family owed company I used last time was 100 times better !