So, my father e-mailed me out of the blue last week and asked if I wanted our childhood baby grand piano and a few other items. I have been talking about that piano forever and felt this was our last chance to get it…so…Dale and I cleaned out our savings account and hired a moving company. Now, in the big scheme of life, this is nothing really, but boy I don’t like being lied to, stolen from, and treated rudely by a company that I am giving money to. And here’s how the saga goes….
I hired Orion Moving and Storage to move my antique baby grand piano, bunk beds, a dresser, and a box from Austin, Texas to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That is a total of 5 items. This was the most unprofessional company I have ever worked with. Since I called only 2 weeks ago, I have talked to Pam, Meghan, Larry, and Landon, foreman#1 (couldn’t ever understand his name) and foreman#2 (who I could never understand HIS name either). Out of ALL of those people, not one person did their job correctly.
I completed all of MY paperwork and responsibilities to make this happen in a timely manner. I signed a 50% authorization document so that the person in Texas would not have to sign for the money. I signed a 10% deposit authorization form prior to scheduling.
I tried to work with Landon, but as I would call him back everyday, the phone would ring and ring and ring. After 3 days of playing phone tag, I finally got a hold of Larry and told him that Landon’s number just doesn’t seem to be working. I was advised that Landon had moved offices and hadn’t switched his number. I SHOULD HAVE RUN AWAY AT THAT POINT because this company cannot communicate.
We scheduled the pickup, at my father’s house in Texas for 2 days later. I forewarned EVERYONE to call the person in Texas NOT ME when they arrived at his house.
I received a call from Foreman #1, Friday evening at 6pm. He wanted to discuss the delivery details. I told him that my number was not the one to call. He needed to call the other three numbers (the Texas numbers) as was clearly communicated to the sales team.
Received a call from Foreman #1, Saturday 9am. Apparently he did not know that there was a piano involved to move and didn’t have enough men to move it. MY JAW DROPPED. The ONLY reason they were down there was to pick up my piano (and 4 other things). He was going to add it to the list but the cost was going to go up because the piano was not on his list. I asked him what was on his list (since I only had 5 total items to move) and he said his list said “partial house move.”
Okay, what moving company does not send an inventory list to the men doing the moving? Don’t you need boxes or crates or special items depending on the move? What mover doesn’t read what he is moving the next day!!!!!!
My sales guy, Landon, assured me the piano would be moved appropriately and with a piano board. The foreman did not have a piano board but would add “extra blankets.”
He proceeded to tell me that the owner of the house told him the piano weighed 1200lbs not the estimated 560, so it would cost me more to get the piano hauled. I told him my car doesn’t weigh 1200lbs, the piano does not weigh 1200lbs. I was SHOCKED that the foreman was basing his estimate on the owners “opinion.”
I was told to call Megan in operations. I called Megan and she was not aware that there was a piano to move either. I did not get any apologies, the only blame that was happening was the foreman #1 and Megan said it was all “sales fault” because they did not communicate that information. The chain of command was 3 people. The first person, Landon either did NOT communicate the necessary stuff OR this company is completely negligent. I would say both. How does OPERATIONS not have an accurate inventory list? How is that even possible?? It is a PIANO?!
I was told they were waiting for a third man to help them move the piano. I waited for HOURS for someone to call me and tell me what was going on. No one called, so I had to call. Of course my blood pressure was rising as no one seemed to own up to what was going on. I spoke with Megan and told her I was not happy with how the foreman was basing the weight estimate on the owner of the houses’ opinion. She “assured me” that “3 men would not be able to pick up 1200lbs” and that their estimate was not going to be that far off. I told her that was a good guarantee. BUT “if the weight is more than we estimated, you’ll have to pay. “ I told her I was not paying for what they had already done based on the negligence and she threatened to discontinue what they were doing. I should have taken her up on that.
I asked that they find a piano board and she said, they would not be able to do that on a Saturday morning. She didn’t care if Landon told me I’d have one. She then proceeded to tell me that there isn’t a truck at the house but a trailer that will be taking the items to the warehouse where they will unload the piano, repack it on a piano board and then get it ready to ship again. Again, no apologies, “these guys know what they are doing.” I asked her why a piano board was so important then if they were just going to “strap the piano to the side of the truck.” She said, “It is the safer way to haul a piano.”
Megan was so incredibly rude, actually stating that there wasn’t a “problem” that they would take care of everything. She kept threatening me that they would not continue. She stated the piano would be just fine. I asked for that in writing. Of course, she ignored that.
Then, Megan told me that they were going to take the piano to their warehouse and unload it, put it on a piano board and then load it again. NO ONE EVER told me my piano was going to be loaded and unloaded twice. Anyone who owns a piano, knows that moving one numerous times does not do it well.
After the pickup, I was told that I needed to sign more papers. I didn’t know why, so I called Larry. The first thing he said was “I heard you were at odds with Megan this weekend.” I basically said that was not how I’d put it. His team was completely negligent in not being prepared. Then Larry proceeded to threaten me. OBVIOUSLY they have these kinds of discussions on a daily basis. Larry and Megan both told me almost identical things. If I didn’t “change my attitude” then they wouldn’t be able to help me.
I asked for a simple apology, no one yet has apologized for the drama.
Larry proceeded to tell me that they didn’t do anything wrong and would not apologize. It was not their “best practice” to show up for a move without proper equipment but there wasn’t anything to be upset about. They did their job. He was incredibly rude and has no way of treating customers with respect and/or owning up to their mistakes.
I signed the papers and awaited the arrival of my shipment.
Foreman #2 called and asked a few questions. I could barely understand what he was telling me. He said they would arrive on Thursday between 8-12. Guess what? They called at 11 and said they’d be 3 hours late. Go figure.
He arrives and shows me the bill. It is incorrect. They had kept the 50% on the invoice when I had already signed off on it ahead of time. THEN HE TOLD ME I HAD TO HAVE CASH OR A MONEY ORDER!!! NO ONE EVER told me that. Why didn’t Landon or Larry tell me this??!!! Now, I see it on one of the documents, but why didn’t I get a phone call explaining this to me?
I had to run to the bank and get the money. I came back and foreman #2 proceeded with 2 other guys.
Then, they couldn’t figure out how to get the piano put back together again and they LEFT IT without putting it back together. Foreman #2 said Megan would call me to discuss it. I have yet to receive a call.
I signed the documents, asked him if I should count every item that he dropped off. He looked at me annoyed and said he dropped it all off. I should have taken an hour and counted all 5 things, because guess what? HE DIDN’T UNLOAD EVERYTHING FROM THE TRUCK and it is on its way back to LA. I’m pretty sure I will never see it again according to how this company operates.
He then proceeded to ask me to fill out an evaluation. I was kind only because it was for his third party boss (NOT ORION). He then proceeded to read it in front of me and comment on it. Who does that?
They left ALL THE TRASH in my house, on my lawn and porch. Didn’t clean one thing up.
I called Megan immediately after to see what her resolution was now that my piano is here and I can’t play it. No one would pass me through to Megan, they said she’d call me back. I have yet to receive a call from her. I called again today and was patched through to voicemail.
So here we go…I will call everyday until I get resolution on the piano, the 2 missing items, a hefty discount and possibly an apology. If they would have apologized in the first place, that would have gone a long way.
DON’T use Orion Moving & Storage. A few issues of course can happen, but everyone I talked to did not do their job correctly. I am missing 2 items, a broken piano and high blood pressure now.
