Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/11/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  3/13/25-3/31/25 ************ picked up my items from ******* to transport to *********. When I finally received and opened the boxes there were bugs in many of the boxes, many items broken along with a new TV that was broken. They were clearly careless. I would like a complete refund or though they make it very difficult to get one. ************ was not worth it. They began with giving me a quote at first of which I agreed, Then later on after I agree to the price, they claimed there were many things not listed on the quote, which was not my fault as I listed all the items to the lady on the other end of the phone. She did not place them on the quote. So They charged me additional money. They send you a contract about 30 pages long with tiny wording relying on people not to read every tiny word.They are clearly not honest from day one. When I called to complain about these issues, they clearly give you a run around. Finally, after a few days of waiting to hear back from them, I had to reach out to them only to find that now I need to fill out a claim form. Once again this form is filled with small tiny words explaining how difficult it will be to get my claim approved. There is no Justice with this company no matter how righteous they claim they are.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/14/2025

  Good Afternoon, we have been very responsive and proactive in assisting Mrs. **** with her claim. ***** booked her move on 2/22/25 with our salesrep ***** ****** Our estimate consists of 5 total pages. The Terms and Conditions section is in a *****pt font size and is sectioned off and color coded. It is not fine print and is very easy to read. Each estimate has a complete breakdown of the inventory that was provided by the customer to ensure that everything is accurate prior to signing and accepting the quote. On 3/12, the day prior to her move, we did Mrs. ****** pickup confirmation and final inventory to ensure that there were no items to be removed or added before our team arrived. We do this as a courtesy on every move to ensure there are no surprise price increases at the time of pickup and so the customer is aware of how any changes may impact their pricing. On this call, Mrs. **** removed a King ******** but added 24 Large Boxes and 6 Duffel Bags that she had packed since her initial inventory was taken at time of booking. She also mentioned on this call that she informed the salesrep about the pictures but was unsure of the qty so the salesrep advised her that she could add these at a later time once she has a final count. Mrs. **** advised that 3 Pictures should also be added to the estimate. These changes resulted in an increase of $450 for the cubic feet which included $50 packing fee that ***** wished to add since she did not want to pack the pictures herself. At the time of pickup, no further increases were made and her final price remained at the total of $3100 as agreed upon the previous day. On Friday April 4, we received an email from Mrs. **** that she received her items and some boxes had bugs and there was a TV that was broken. We replied to customer same day thanking her for bringing this to our attention and requested that she please send photos of the bugs and damages for our review. Mrs. **** kindly sent the photos of the bugs and the TV the same day.  On Monday April 7, we received a follow up email from Mrs. ***** Again, we replied the same day taking responsibility for the bugs as it seems another customer packed food items which is included on the prohibited items list. I requested that Mrs. **** please send me the remaining photos of the other items that she referenced were damaged. No photos of these items have been received to date, nor has she advised what these items are. After speaking with ***** on 4/7, she stated that the other items were misc and she was not worried about these so she tossed them in the garbage. Now that we had everything required to investigate further on our end we began speaking with all teams involved in the handling of Mrs. ****** move. Photo/damage evaluation can take 2-5 days before we proceed to next steps of filing claim. On 4/11 we received an email from ***** to which we replied with the instructions for filing her claim directly with *** (our 3rd party claims company). ***** seemed very confused and we tried to explain the claim process and that she needed to follow the one page of instructions where it tells her what site to go to in order to file. We were under the impression that this was being done when we received this complaint. As mentioned previously, we are truly sorry that ************** was damaged but there is a process and protocol that must be followed with regard to claim filing. We have been very responsive to all of Mrs. ***** email, calls, etc and do not feel that any monetary reimbursement outside of a claim settlement is warranted at this time. Once ***** files her claim we will promptly issue the settlement that is awarded but she must file her claim with *** as we do not process claims in-house.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/10/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I had a box filled with medications, some controlled substances, go missing when ESEA vanlines collected my stuff for moving. They picked it up, and are now denying ever having it in their possession. I know for a fact that they had it and packed it in their truck. Then, I was forced to buy boxes for things I didnt want to buy boxes for. (like a free tv off of marketplace.) I was forced to spend $150 additional to my move, when I didnt want them boxed. I had everything wrapped tightly in bubble wrap and ready for transport. I then have had a good amount of my belongings broken. Things that were supposed to be taken care of and transported safely are broken and unusable now. When they had picked up my stuff, that man assisting me forced me to choose the lowest insurance option as it would fully cover me. Now **** is saying that I chose the lowest option and they can only help me but so much. The man assisting me made me sign the lowest, and this is very upsetting for me. I think ESEA vanlines is a criminal moving company and I believe they need to be investigated. I have spent over $1000 more than originally estimated, have missing items, and a bunch of broken items, including a ripped mattress that contains fiberglass that is now exposed in my apartment. I also have two broken lamps but am unable to retrieve photos as the damage isnt detected by my camera. This isnt right.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/11/2024

  We are in receipt of the customers complaint regarding missing and damaged items from her move and have been actively working with the customer to address her concerns and assist her with filing a claim. As explained to Ms. ******** at 3 different points during her move, Medications are on the Prohibited Items List and are not to be included with her move. This Prohibited Items List was sent to Ms. ******** on 8/31. Please see attached Welcome Email that was sent to client. We also provide information about additional insurance coverage that can be purchased through our partner ********************, and we very clearly explain what is expected with regard to packing if a client is a self pack customer. Information about what is/is not included with the move service is also very clearly spelled out on every Estimate including the packing requirements. Unfortunately, the customer decided to overlook all of the information that was provided to her from the start of her move. We have made every effort to provide all of the resources to make her move a successful one but we cannot force a customer to opt for additional coverage or to follow the instructions and guidance that we give them. A full inventory was done at time of loading and unloading and every item loaded onto the truck at pickup is showing as delivered. We are truly sorry that Ms. ******** is missing her medications, these never should have been included in her shipment, and we addressed this concern promptly upon her making us aware due to the nature and severity of the alleged missing item. We have sent the customer instructions on next steps in filing her claim and we are waiting for Ms. ******** to provide the final list and photos of the damaged items so that we can assist in moving her claim forward to next steps. Once the customer provides the requested information we will gladly help her initiate her damage claim. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/21/2024

   
  Complaint: 22407682
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I have missing items that I will never be compensated for. I was tricked into signing a minimal insurance plan by the man (an employee of ****,) who handled my move to ******. Its not right. He insisted over and over that I should sign the plan I had signed as it was full coverage and the other ones were unnecessary. I tried to sign the other plans. I wouldnt be this upset had I had been given an option to choose a better insurance plan, and had my items not have been lost. I believe my missing tub that couldnt have been transported was thrown away or stolen in the companies possession. Had it of been thrown away, I should have been informed by the movers and I could have taken it with me. I want to be compensated outside of the insurance plan that will most likely leave me with under $20. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  Montana ********

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2024

  Hello ******************************* Email that was sent to you gives a very detailed description of the insurance options that are available to you. It also provides an example of the coverage level for the standard released value so that customers understand that this is very low level coverage. We do not set the coverage parameters, this is the minimum coverage set forth by the **************************** and is the bare minimum that all moving companies are required by law to offer. We partner with ******************** and this information was provided to you in the Welcome Email that was sent on 8/31/24. You also had the right to select additional coverage at the time of pickup via the Valuation Selection Form. I am very sorry if you felt rushed but we do our best to provide every customer with their options and are always available to assist with any questions or clarification while the team is on site. I am still awaiting your final list of damages so that we can initiate your damage claim. We have no idea what the settlement will be until we receive this information so the $20 refund that you cited is purely speculation. Once we receive your list of damages and the photos we can move forward with the claim. I do not show that the missing box was ever recorded on your list of inventory from the pickup and I see that all items loaded on the truck were unloaded at time of delivery. I am not certain what happened to this box of medications but we do not have any record of removing this item from your home. 

  I look forward to receiving this information from you and working toward an amicable resolution on your damages. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/21/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This moving company quoted $1700 dollars to move various items. A virtual inventory was scheduled before the items were to be collected. This did not happen. The movers called at five pm, informing me they would be arriving the next day at 12 pm. The broker told me there would be a ***** hour window before the movers arrived and a virtual inventory would be scheduled. The day the movers show up, it's dogey looking at best, a magnet sticker on a truck, but we had already put down a deposit and been reassured by the broker (*******) things were ok and there were not going to be any extra charges. The guy that was in charge of the move was nice enough, but quickly inflated the moving cost $750 above the quote for "extra square footage" he calculated in his head. In fact the computer quote was so far off the brokers, they could only take cash. (Again kinda odd) Fast forward to today, a week later, we have two boys that have moved into a new house and this company is holding our stuff hostage for even more money. Please don't do business with them and we expect our things for the agreed price considering they left us without a dining room set, rolling toolbox, and no computer desk and chair even though it was on the bid. At minimum, I'll pay $700 on the remaining balance as I have to replace what didn't make it on the truck.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/11/2024

  We are in receipt of ********************* and are very sorry to hear that he is unhappy with his relocation service. After reviewing the complaint that he lodged with the Better Business Bureau we did find a few discrepancies. Please see below.
  
  We always do a final call with every customer 1-2 days prior to their pickup. This is never a virtual survey but can be performed virtually if the customer requests this. Normally this is a regular call to review the inventory and any packing needs to prevent increases to move balance or cubic feet on site. Mr. ******* pickup was scheduled for 9/15/24. We did attempt to call the customer on 9/14 at 5:02 pm EST. Unfortunately, the customer did not answer so we left a voicemail. I do see that he is alleging that this call was never made but if you review the attachment QA Call to client you can see that we did make every attempt to reach him as promised.

  
  Immediately after the pickup the customer began sending threatening emails which included foul language demanding a refund. We replied to him advising that we will gladly conduct a review of the account to see what resulted in the overage. If you refer to the attached Account Review Email document you can see the full breakdown of what caused the increase.  At the time of booking we were expecting to pick up a total of 49 items/437cf. The customer had ************************************************************** an increase of 122cf. Furthermore, he had additional items also not listed on the estimate that he requested to be loaded on the truck and decided to swap out items that were listed in place of these. Overall the customer was charged for an additional ***** which we were able to justify.

  
  With regard to the payment method, these are very clearly listed in our Estimate which customer electronically signed, on our Bill of Lading, and in the Welcome Email that was sent to client on 9/12. We accept Cash, Cashier Check, Postal Money Order, Zelle, and Personal Check at time of pickup. We never require Cash and, in fact, prefer alternate method of payment for safety reasons.

  
  I am unsure why he claims we were holding his items hostage. You can clearly see in the email thread where he requested an update on his move and we provided it. The remaining balance on the move is not due until the driver arrives to complete the delivery and there was never any demand made for payment in advance.

  
  At time of delivery, our team arrived and the customer was refusing to pay his balance. We did speak with the customer and as a courtesy refunded him for adjusted space once the items were loaded on the semi-trailer. This was a difference of 37cf and we deducted the $166.50 from his delivery balance on site.

  After delivery it was brought to our attention that there were several items that were damaged during the move and we are actively assisting the customer with a damage claim.
  
  We feel that we have resolved the customers issues on our end and we have not received any further demands from client. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/11/2024

   
  Complaint: 22317502
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The contract was unsatisfied due to items on the packing list being left off. The "additional boxes" were small items mostly shoe box sized and didn't affect the loaded cargo, (I loaded them myself) The items left off the truck cost hundreds to replace. The damaged items cost thousands to replace, and I spoke to ******* who promised me everything would stay with ****, not contractors. A contractor delivered my belongings. As it turns out my things were picked up in *********, driven to a storage location that night, and held ****** until two weeks from then when a contractor picked them up. No additional insurance was ever offered. I completely agree I used one curse word in an email. I feel given the gravity of the situation it was justified. The police officer who was unfortunately involved in the situation as I was being told additional funding was necessary to receive all my destroyed belongings said he had dealt with this company before and encouraged us to sue them. Thank heaven he was able to get the driver to unload without the additional extortion fees that were being suggested. Overall, the cost to move was a thousand over the quote and the cost to replace my damaged property was $3k. It would have been much higher if the police didn't intervene. Turns out some rich guy is running this operation from his condo in *******. As I understand it, he runs the company until he gets enough complaints then changes the name. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2024

  Hello Mr. ***************** response to your reply please see below for our response to the various concerns that you raised:
  1. The contract was based on a specific item list and cubic feet. As I very clearly explained to you in the Account Review email and in my previous reply to your complaint, you had additional items that needed to be moved and you chose to load those items in lieu of some of the items on your list because you did not want to pay any further increase. You informed our ******* that you would transport these yourself. We would have gladly loaded these items for you at the increased cost for the additional amount of space to which you denied. This is entirely your right to refuse so we honored your request and only moved the items that you requested at the cost to which you agreed upon.
  2. Your move did stay under Esea Van Lines Inc contract, we did not broker your move to another company as we are a carrier. The agent that delivered your items is under our operating authority and Esea Van Lines Inc is solely liable for any damages that you may have incurred as a result of your relocation. We have already been in communication regarding a Claim and the instructions to file your claim have been provided to you.
  3. Additional Insurance is offered at two points during your move. First being the Welcome Email that was sent to you on 9/12/24, the same day that you booked your move with Esea Van Lines. There is an entire section explaining the insurance options available to you and included an attachment for ************************ with whom we partner with should a client want to explore additional coverage options. You never inquired about additional coverage with me or with your salesperson. The second time that you have the option to purchase additional coverage is on site at the time of pickup. You were given a Valuation Selection Form that presented two options: Full Value Protection and Standard Released Value. I show that you opted for and signed proceeding with the Standard Released Value which covers you at $0.60 lbs and is included free of charge with your move. I am very sorry that you made the conscious decision not to further protect your move but these options were presented to you and they are offered to every client. The Welcome Email that was sent to you is attached for your reference along with the Valuation Selection Form that you signed at pickup. I have also attached the ***** International Brochure that was included as an attachment in the Welcome Email that you received on 9/12/24.
  4. With regard to your claim that your items were held hostage, this is entirely false as you can clearly see from our email exchanges that were attached to my initial response. The standard delivery timeframe set forth by the **************************** is 2-21 business days after the first available delivery date that the client provides. I show that your move was picked up on 9/15 and was delivered on 9/25, this is 10 calendar days or 8 business days after your first available delivery date that you provided of 9/15. At no point did we threaten to hold your goods or demand any additional payment from you in advance of the delivery. As per our contract, our payment policy is as follows: Deposit at time of booking, 50% of remaining balance due at time of pickup and final payment due at time of delivery. The increase in charges was presented to you prior to the work being started and you signed the Revised Estimate accepting these charges. Per your request, we conducted the account review once your concerns over the increase were brought to our attention and found the increase in cubic feet to be more than justified based on the inventory that was loaded on the truck. We also provided delivery updates via email and at no point did we attempt to extort additional funds from you or require any payment in advance of your final delivery payment as per the terms of our contract. This claim is entirely false and all supporting documents are attached.
  5. Your claim that there was police involvement is also entirely false as I was in direct communication with you and our Driver while on site. In fact, you and I spoke at the time of your delivery when you were refusing to remit payment for the remaining balance of the move as per your Bill of Lading that you signed and accepted at the pickup. We did not require any additional funds above the balance listed on the contract. There were no accessorial fees for Shuttle or Long Carry, only the remaining balance in the amount of $1105.49 which we discounted for you on site crediting $166.50. This reduced your delivery payment to $938.99. It is the policy of most Moving Companies, and this information is listed in our contract, that payment must be remitted prior to unloading. We were not attempting to extort more money from you, we only expected that you uphold the terms of the contract and the pricing that you agreed to and signed at the time of pickup. You simply did not want to pay and felt that you could threaten to withhold payment for services rendered. This is precisely why the contract clearly states that payment must be received in full prior to unloading. This does not qualify as holding your items hostage.
  6. You are correct that our mailing address and primary business address is listed as *************************************. However, this is simply our mailing address. We have locations and satellite offices that we operate from as we facilitate moves from various states and deliver to all lower 48. Furthermore, our business has been registered with the *** in good standing since **************************************** fact, your complaint was the very first that we have received with the Better Business Bureau so once again your claim that we operate under one name and then reopen under a new name once we receive numerous complaints is also entirely false. All of this information can be verified on the ***** website if you would like to check.
  Mr. Little, once again, I am very sorry that your move did not meet your expectations but we operated 100% in accordance with our contract and the terms that were agreed upon when you booked your move with Esea Van Lines Inc.