KILLEEN, Texas — When Larry and Della Moore hired Alliance Moving and Storage to move from Colorado Springs to Killeen, they didn't know it would take over a month to get their belongings.
They arrived on June 4. On July 15, 6 News learned their belongings are still in Colorado.
Larry Moore said he had moved multiple times before, but this time, nothing went as planned and they are still sleeping on a donated mattress. The couple didn't even know where their items were until 6 News reached out to a subcontractor in charge of the move on Thursday.
Here are five questions you must ask the moving company to keep this from happening to you.
Who is actually moving my items?
When the couple hired Alliance Moving and Storage, they believed the move would be handled by Alliance Moving and Storage. The estimate Della Moore later received stated the move would include "Professional Door to Door service," "Expert advice and guidance throughout the course of your move," and "Loading & unloading of all goods" among other perks.
To their surprise, the movers that came out on the selected day were from a completely different company. In the Terms and Conditions for Alliance Moving and Storage, it clearly states "The customer has hired Alliance Moving and Storage as a moving coordinator/facilitator/shipping agent/broker." That means the actual move would be handled by a different company.
May I see the contract before paying?
As the customer, you should be able to review the terms and conditions of the moving company before paying them a penny. In this case, the couple didn't know the move would be handled by a different company until after they had spent $3,000 upfront.
If the company representative will not allow you to read the fine print, or cannot direct you to the exact location on their website where you can read it, you should probably hang up the phone. Additionally, if the company will be subcontracting another company to do the work, make sure you ask to see their contract as well.
Have they included my first available delivery date on the contract?
The company that eventually showed up to move the Moore family was Alpine Van Lines. That company had its own contract and the contract had a specific place to enter the first available delivery date. Unfortunately, the date was market as "TBD" when the contractor left with the items.
When are you required to arrive with my belongings?
While the couple had seen their items loaded onto a vehicle 50 days ago, the items were still in Colorado as of Thursday. At the same time, the moving company still had breached its contract.
So how is that possible?
According to the fine print on the contract with Alpine Van Lines, the company could arrive up to 28 business days (meaning Saturday and Sunday don't count) after the first available delivery date selected by the customer. This left the company over a month to deliver the items from the first day the couple was able to receive it.
The couple had eventually selected June 23 as the first available delivery date and had not read the fine print. They could be stuck waiting at least two more weeks to get their items.
It is possible to have a company deliver on a tighter timeline, but it must be arranged in the original contract and will most likely cost extra. Again, know what the contract says ahead of time.
What is their rating with the Better Business Bureau?
It is entirely possible the representative won't know, or won't be able to tell you. In that case ask: What is your legal company name and where is your headquarters located? Then, use that information to locate the company on the Better Business Bureau website.
In this case, "Alliance Moving and Storage LLC," which is based in Florida, had a alert posted and an "F" rating, while "Alliance Moving & Storage," which is based in Illinois had an "A+" rating. Make sure you know exactly what business you are hiring.