Consumers from across the United States tell Better Business Bureau (BBB) they had to pay thousands of dollars extra in order to have moves completed by Gateway Moving and Storage LLC.
BBB advises consumers to use extreme caution when doing business with Gateway Moving and Storage LLC, which rents virtual office space at a location on Olive Boulevard in Creve Coeur. Consumers allege the business does not honor price quotes, fails to deliver household goods as promised and does not issue refunds.
The business has an “F” rating, the lowest on BBB’s rating scale. Consumers from nine states have filed complaints about the business. BBB also has received several negative reviews about the company.
“Consumers go into the move expecting to pay the price quoted, but then are told they must pay much more once the company has their goods,” said Michelle L. Corey, BBB St. Louis president and CEO. “They then feel they have no choice but to pay the additional fees.”
A Durham, North Carolina, woman hired the company for a cross-country move in January 2019. The woman told BBB she was given an estimated cost of $4,800 by Gateway Moving and Storage. Instead, she wound up paying more than $7,000.
She said she was told by workers after her goods had been loaded onto a truck that the load was too big and she would have to pay more in fuel and other charges. Hoping to stay within her budget, the woman asked if workers could unload some items to cut down the load size. She was told the workers could do that for $150 per hour per person with a four-hour minimum. She kept the items on the truck and paid an additional $1,200.
The woman said getting her items delivered was difficult. She declined to wire money to a bank prior to scheduling the delivery. After the company insisted on payment, the woman filed a complaint with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. She said her goods were delivered quickly after that. She said she had several items damaged and was missing some things after the load was delivered.
“I’ve never had such a horrible experience,” she said.
A Cedar Rapids, Iowa, man told BBB he paid an extra $1,700 for Gateway Moving and Storage to move his son to Iowa from Columbus, Ohio, in December 2018. The man said he paid more than $1,000 extra on the day of the move after movers said the goods were taking up more space than what was estimated.
The man said it took a month for the items to be delivered. When he asked to measure the load upon delivery, he was denied and the company left with his items. After filing complaints with several agencies, delivery was made several days later. The man said he had to pay a $600 redelivery fee. He said he paid just over $4,400 for a move estimated to cost $2,700.
A Nashville, Tennessee, woman told BBB she paid an extra $1,000 for a move in February 2019. She told BBB Gateway Moving and Storage “low-balled me” on an estimate. She said she was told on moving day that it was going to cost more than the estimate.
“I had to move,” the woman told BBB. “It’s not like I could find another company.”
When her items were delivered, she said she was asked to pay an extra $140 in order to have the items unloaded. She said many of her items were damaged, and that she has been unable to contact anyone with the business.
The business is not registered with the Missouri secretary of state. A BBB investigator spoke with employees of Gateway Moving and Storage located in Hallendale, Florida, and Overland Park, Kansas. The business is registered in those states. Each employee said their business rented virtual office space in St. Louis. Both claimed to use the same website - www.gatewaymovingandstorage.com. However, neither claimed to know the other business.
The Florida-based Gateway Moving and Storage LLC lists Kelli Delaney and Charlie Ohana as managers. Both are listed as agents of several Florida-based moving companies. Ohana in December 2018 was listed as a defendant in a federal lawsuit brought against him and Finest Movers, Inc., which also does business as East Coast Moving and Storage. The complaint alleges violations of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act as well as violations of both federal and state moving statues. Allegations against the company include deceptive marketing and sales of household moving services, while holding consumers’ goods hostage for ransom in Florida and other states.
In an interview with BBB, Delaney said her business has its own U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) registration number and schedules its own jobs. She said she had no association with those who operate the Kansas-based Gateway Moving and Storage. Delaney’s business was formed in February 2018 as Ribbon Moving and Storage. The business changed its name to Gateway Moving and Storage in August 2018, according to Florida secretary of state records.
Kansas secretary of state records show Phillip Fatzer as the organizer of the Overland Park-based Gateway Moving and Storage LLC. The business was organized as Moving Forward Moving LLC in April 2013. It changed its name to Gateway Moving and Storage on Jan. 2, 2019. The business has a USDOT registration number but is not authorized to carry goods.
The Kansas-based business told BBB that Phillip Tataglio is in charge of its Overland Park and St. Louis offices. A BBB investigator spoke with Tataglio. He blamed consumers for failing to give accurate estimates of their goods as the reason why they were being asked to pay extra for their moves. Tataglio told BBB he does not know Delaney and did not know about a Florida-based Gateway Moving and Storage. He also claimed to have never spoken with Fatzer nor could he supply a phone number for him.
BBB offers the following tips for consumers who need to hire a mover:
- Research a business and its owners carefully before paying any money. Check the company’s BBB Business Profile at bbb.org or by calling 888-996-3887.
- Be wary of movers who don’t make an on-site inspection of your goods and give an estimate over the phone or by email.
- Get at least three written in-home estimates. Remember that the lowest estimate may be an unrealistic low-ball offer that can cost you in the end.
- Watch out for movers who demand cash or a large deposit before the move.
- Be careful of company websites that have no address and no information about a mover’s registration or insurance.
- Consider taking out insurance to cover any losses; be cautious of movers who claim all items are covered by their insurance.
- Search the company through the S. Department of Transportation.
About BBB
BBB is a nonprofit, business-supported organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. BBB services to consumers are free of charge. BBB provides objective advice, BBB Business Profiles on more than 5.3 million companies, 11,000 charity reviews, dispute resolution services, alerts and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. Visit bbb.org for more information.
St. Louis area media contacts: Chris Thetford, Vice President-Communications, (314) 584-6743 or (314) 681-4719 (cell), [email protected]
Rebecca Phoenix, Media and Research Manager, (314) 584-6727, [email protected]
Don O’Brien, Investigator, (314) 584-6785, [email protected]
Columbia media contact: Michelle Gleba, Columbia Regional Director, (573) 886-8965 or (573) 645-3204 (cell), [email protected]
Cape Girardeau media contact: Whitney Quick, Cape Girardeau Regional Director, (573) 803-3191 or (573) 318-1137 (cell), [email protected]
Quincy media contact: Mara Clingingsmith, Quincy Regional Director, (217) 209-3972 or (217) 242-6272 (cell), [email protected]
Springfield media contact: Stephanie Garland, Springfield Regional Director, (417) 380-5074 or (832) 472-9722 (cell), [email protected]