A Charlottetown woman has turned to the police and media in hopes of recouping all her possessions and thousands of dollars from a moving company with a blemished record.
Kerry Aitcheson, 56, has been delivered nothing but stress and anguish from a Toronto-based company called Move Me Again Transportation.
Aitcheson signed a contract for about $9,000 to have her belongings moved from Toronto to her new home in Charlottetown.
She arrived on Sept. 1, with her cat named Roxy, to begin two weeks of self-isolation in her house on Churchill Avenue.
The moving company, which was scheduled to arrive Aug. 31, has yet to pull up to her property more than one week later.
Aitcheson is waiting anxiously for the truckload of items, ranging from clothes to furniture, that she estimates would cost between $100,000 and $150,000 to replace.
“All my personal things are on there," she says. “My photos, my memories. My whole life is on that truck."
Her new home, on the other hand, is rather sparse at the moment.
She slept on the floor in a completely empty house until kind neighbours learning of her plight loaned a mattress, a television and a lawn chair to provide some comfort and entertainment.
“They have been lovely," she says.
The moving company, however, has Aitcheson seeing red. She feels duped and swindled.
She says Move Me Again Transportation told her on Sept. 2 that her possessions were still in Toronto, and that the company’s policy was not to deliver out of province until being paid in full.
This was news to her. So, too, was learning the company now wanted $17,985.25, not the $9,000 and change that had been agreed to in writing.
“They more than doubled (the cost)," says Aitcheson.
Still, out of desperation, she paid the company the nearly $18,000 it was seeking. She was told a few days later she owed an additional $487, which she also paid.
She is left feeling robbed while also being required to remain in self-isolation not knowing if, or when, the moving company will deliver her possessions.
“I’m distraught," she says. “I am absolutely flipping out. Stressed."
Making the right moves
Here are 10 tips for hiring a moving company:
- Research companies.
- Get more than one estimate
- Make sure mover is aware of everything being moved
- Get insurance
- Pay close attention to the contract
- Ask questions about the contract
- Move during winter.
- Stick to your delivery date.
- Check inventory to ensure nothing is lost or damaged.
- Make sure company is legit
Source: howstuffworks.com
Aitcheson says Toronto police told her Tuesday her situation is a case of fraud and theft, and the police have opened a file against Move Me Again Transportation.
The company appears to have left many unsatisfied customers in its tracks.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) notes on its website many complaints have been received concerning the company billing increases and delaying deliveries among other customer services issues.
“Consumers have advised our office that the cost of their move increased substantially from the initial quotes that (led) them to enter into a contract," states the BBB. “When consumers request an explanation or reduction, they are advised that their items will not be delivered until full payment is remitted. Additionally, consumers have also advised that their items are not delivered on time, and the company does not compensate or advise when their belongings will be returned."
The BBB notified Move Me Again of its concerns in a letter sent May 5 and requested that the company work towards correcting the underlying reasons for the complaints.
The company advised the BBB that consumers were not comprehensively reviewing the terms and conditions of their moving contracts. However, when BBB requested to review the contracts and emails that Move Me Again sends to their consumers, it did not receive a response.
Subsequent follow-ups have been unsuccessful, adds the BBB.
The Guardian attempted to contact Move Me Again. A woman identifying herself as a customer service representative with the moving company said she would have a supervisor call back in five minutes.
No one called back. Subsequent attempts to reach the owner of the company were also unsuccessful.
Aitcheson plans to take legal action to recoup the added charges and to receive compensation for being forced to live a week and counting in self-isolation in a near-empty house without any of her possessions.
“I’m gobsmacked at them (Move Me Again) being so cavalier," she says.
