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:02/28/2025

  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.

  American Moving and Hauling moved the contents of our home on 2/1/25. A piece of ***** built custom furniture less than a year old that cost $4500 was severely damaged. The movers placed it on a hand truck with no blanket underneath. It scratched the entire end of the dresser and caused three permanent divots. I was told to file a claim through a third-party company they use and quickly did so. I sent multiple photos of the damage and received a response that they would offer us a mere $27. I disputed the claim but have not heard back. I reached back out to the moving company to attempt resolution with no success. They even stopped taking my phone calls. Instead, they sent a text saying all further communication needed to be via text or email. ****** the operations manager, refused to entertain the idea of any solution for the damages that their movers caused. I am seeking the cost of repair for the damaged furniture.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/10/2025

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

  
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/26/2025

  American Moving and Haulings Response to ******** Tuckers Complaint
  American Moving and Hauling received ******** ******** complaint regarding damages on February 3, 2025. That same day, we also received photos of the damaged item. Upon receiving the complaint and the photos, we immediately initiated the process with our trusted furniture repair company, either to assess the images or inspect the piece in person. Our goal was to schedule a resolution as soon as possible.
  After informing ******** that we had begun this process, she responded that our approach was unacceptable. Please see her message below:
  Incoming SMS (This message indicates her refusal to allow us to use a furniture repair company of our choosing, which is our right as a moving company.)
  02/03/2025 @ 3:30 PM
  ******** ****** sent the following message to American Moving and Hauling *************):
  "We will not allow a furniture company to repair Amish-built custom furniture that cost $4,500. The only way for it to be fixed is for the Amish to build a new top piece, match the stain, and replace it. If you need something from the Amish builder in ****, we are happy to obtain it."
  Since ******** declined to allow us to proceed with repairs, we provided her with information on how to file a claim instead. It is important to note that ***************** was labor-only, which is a non-regulated service involving a crew moving furniture without transporting it. Despite this, *** offered to repair the furniture as a courtesy. Additionally, we provided her with claim filing information, even though labor-only services are not covered under valuation.
  ******** was dissatisfied with both our repair offer and the claim-filing option. Given her unwillingness to follow the required process, we are unable to assist her further.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/26/2024

  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.

  I needed to move quickly from ********* on August 15, 2023 due to illness, I trusted American Movers hoping they would do the same quality job as a move two years ago and had them pack, move, and store my property while my house in ********************* *** was being renovated, completed in late September, 2023. They did extensive damage or lost many smaller items with a value of $5941. They also scratched and damaged multiple pieces of furniture which they have offered to have fixed, though they have not done so at the time of this complaint and the cost is unknown. However, they are now refusing to give me any compensation for the items even though I purchased $40,000 of replacement coverage. In October, they turned this claim over to a third party out of state who assured me they would compensate me fairly. One of American's agents came on October 11,2023 and again on March 11, 2024 to take photographs and inspect damage, He acknowledged the negligence of the moving crew in front of witnesses, though he now informs me he is no longer with the company. American Movers is claiming now they owe me nothing on the smaller objects because they claim the boxes were not damaged and their movers didn't pack the items that were broken, which is untrue. Three packers spent hours and I also have witnesses to this. They claim I didn't unpack boxes from two years ago when I did. They also claim I packed certain items myself, and while I acknowledge a few boxes coming from storage, due to a stroke I was in no condition to pack the items they packed. Further, I gave their third party additional pictures and a list of everything damaged or lost along with auction values of comparable unique items and offered to answer questions. None were asked or to no expert on historic NC, the bulk of damaged pieces, was consulted over months leading me to believe they never intended to compensate me and were/are taking advantage of my disability in not paying a claim. They are a shameful company.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/29/2024

  We have been working diligently with ************ to resolve his claim. We are using a third party to help communicate with him about the damaged pieces. We have a furniture repair company going out to repair the furniture.
  There are many issues with the damaged items ************ is claiming. In the picture(s) items have been wrapped with bubble wrap, we do not use bubble wrap to pack our boxes. We use newsprint that has no print or writing on it. The other boxes are boxes that they purchased and packed before we arrived. The boxes used on the move in August of 2023 will have black writing on them. The boxes that look like those with blue writing would have been packed in a move prior to 2020. Picture 3603 shows a box that is not ours.Picture 3604 shows a box that we would have used prior to 2020, but both boxes in pictures 3603 and 3604 have the same handwriting that are also on the liquor boxes that we did not pack. Picture 3618 shows the liquor boxes and handwriting.Picture 3620 show boxes that arent ours. There is one box in the picture that is ours, but it is from a move prior to 2020. It was not packed by us for the August 2023 move. The tape used is clear, our tape has been brown since 2005. (Pictures 3603 and 3604 were unable to be uploaded due to space.)
  None of his boxes are damaged. Under NC moving guidelines,if we didnt pack the box and there is no visible damage to the box, the damage is a result of the quality of packing, not the move.
  You may choose to pack some or all boxes yourself. However,movers are not liable for any damages to items you pack unless there is external damage to the box and an inspection is done at delivery. (Page 9, Moving 101 Brochure)
  
  We will continue to work with ************ to resolve the damage that we are liable for. The time it takes for our repair company to get to him is out of our control. We hope to have this completed soon. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/12/2024

   I am rejecting this response because: their response continues to be unsatisfactory. This message is the first I have received from Ms. **** the owner, though I have requested to speak to her a number of times. She is still free to do so but this lack of direct contact is hardly indicative of a sincere attempt on her part to resolve this claim. Instead, American Movers has used delaying tactics for months now in a false "process" with a "third party" apparently hoping that I will either give up on my claim or confusing what they packed verses what boxes I have acknowledged were in storage. They also questioned the value of my items confirmed by recent auction prices as another (false) justification for them giving me nothing for obvious damages. None of what Ms. *** wrote was mentioned in September when I was led to believe by her staff that they would settle this damage fairly. Their evidence of selected pictures is overwhelmed by the damage to 13 pieces of furniture (which is impossible for them to deny) and their charges to my employer for a crew of five packing agents on August 14, 2023 for more than half a day, not to mention charging for plenty of boxes and packing materials. To say they didn't pack damaged items or that boxes they provided are outdated ones is untrue. What were they doing for all that time, if not using their own boxes and packing? It's also not true that boxes themselves were not damaged. Not only did they damage items they packed but are guilty of gross negligence in the handling of all my items considering the scale of the damage, more than 30 items beyond furniture, some not even reported. All but one of these were damaged so badly they cannot be repaired; it wasn't damage but destruction. Their estimator was aware that I had many fragile items and apparently did not provide a proper crew for that accordingly. They also failed to inspect any boxes afterward, failing to open any of the boxes they delivered. Their crew that day nearly turned their truck over getting in the driveway and left as soon as possible, not even properly assembling beds and other items. In addition, they did not acknowledge two lost or stolen items, one of which was in an open box. My employer paid them for $40,000 of replacement coverage. which they have not honored though they charged for it. While a furniture repair service has finally been scheduled 7 months after the damage, they still owe me a conservative estimate of $5,682 to replace damaged items, $125 for missing items, and $134 for the one item which can be repaired (and they insisted I not get repaired while they "investigate.") I was also not given disclosure information, nor did I sign for it. Their own employee who took those pictures did not open any of the boxes at the time. He is no longer employed by them according to him but while he was there acknowledged the negligence of that particular crew saying they have been dismissed or reassigned to other groups. American Movers is still liable for their negligence, and I have given them plenty of time and opportunity to settle this claim. I relied on an outstanding move two years prior with a different crew which I was told is no longer there, and their boast of quality service, social ethics and supposedly satisfied customers. They have shown me any of that with this move, and this complaint remains an open matter.
  
  
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/03/2024

  See attached

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/06/2024

   I am rejecting this response because: Ms. ***** response involves inaccuracies and outright untruths.

  -American Moving and Hauling, like all moving companies must receive a claim from the customer before we can begin processing the claim.

  This was submitted December 15, 2023 to *********************** via email and the spreadsheet attached was exactly what she asked for. 

  -It is also within our legal rights to use a third-party company to process claims.Focus Moving Solutions handles claims for moving companies all over the nation.

  I followed their instructions and now you are denying that I did. There is a similar complaint about Focus Moving Solutions in a negative review of your business from a year ago and a response where you promised to use a different third party. You've clearly used them for delaying and now denying purposes. An ethical business does not need a third party, this could have and should have been resolved months ago. You have still refused to speak with me, apologize for your company's negligence, and negotiate any fair settlement.

  -It took months to hear back from ************ about the damage,

  Completely false and I have the emails to prove this. i contacted your company immediately. Yes, it took time to open all the boxes because your movers offered no assistance and left everything unorganized which I have pictures of. At the time. I'd recently had a stroke and it took time to open everything which your staff was well aware of and verbally granted me.

  -once we did, he expected us to make the claim for him.

  I did everything ****************** asked, compiling a detailed spreadsheet with replacement values.

  -As a curtsey we tried to help take some pictures, but ultimately this was his task to complete.

  I've got plenty of my own pictures and repeatedly asked if there was anything else I needed to provide but was told by ****************** she had everything she needed.

  -Focus Moving Solutions walked ************ through the claims process.

  Apparently not. Have you ever read Catch-22? No matter what, it appears from this correspondance you were not going to honor your responsibility from the beginning. 

  -The items that ************ said were replacement pieces did not match what was damaged.

  So you did receive the claim you now say you didn't. Some matched, others are unique items with comparable recent auction values. You knew many of my items were antique/historic items and failed to use care or an adequate crew for the task.

  -This slowed the process considerably.

  You slowed the process to make determining what you packed verses what we did more difficult. I know your game; it is called running out the clock.

  -**** at Focus Moving Solutions had a hard time communicating with ************ because his responses were delayed and not always about what she needed from him.

  I have emails that prove this to be completely false. I never failed to communicate quickly on anything she asked for, which was only on one object.

  -**** then asked if we would communicate with him because she wasnt able to make any progress with him and his claim.

  I was never informed of this by her or you. Now she's probably asking for you to respond because I have filed a complaint against her with the Illinois ************************* and will likely be adding some of these details here and all of her correspondence to the complaint.
  
  -The furniture repairs took seven months because we only had the completed claim a couple of months. Then the furniture repair company had about a month wait before they could get his repairs.

  So far, I give credit where credit is due, **************** is an excellent wood repairer with a good reputation from a fellow acquaintance.  He isn't finished but I trust him to do a good job with what he has left to do and understand this takes time. Count this as resolved with my thanks.

  -We packed some items for this move.

  You packed most items for this move. Five crew were billed for half a day and all the boxes you used are on the invoice.

  I acknowledged that there were some of these. Ny mother values my objects, they were packed correctly. If anything was damaged from these, I am not aware of it.

  -Because we did not pack these boxes and there is no visible damage to the box, we are not liable for the damage to the items in the box.

  This gives you the perfect excuse not to take any responsibility for the clear negligence of your packing and moving crew.

  -This comes from the Moving 101 Brochure, page nine, in the Packing Day section. ************ is familiar with our style of moving because we didnt open boxes at the completion of the last move. So, we have no reason to open them on this move either because there was no visible damage to the boxes.

  I didn't open boxes immediately because I physically could not and trusted I didn't need to. My last move was a perfect move. I asked for the same crew but I was informed that crew is gone. You'll find no complaint from then and I trusted your firm to deliver the same quality again. It is why I recommended you to others and trusted only you to move me again. That trust has been entirely damaged, not only did your packers and movers destroy 30+ smaller objects but scratched/damaged ********************************** stole two. Sounds like gross negligence to me and you've done everything you can to avoid responsibility.

  -We asked for the pictures of the boxes that each damaged item was in.

  No you didn't. You sent your manager out and said you had what you needed.

  -The pictures that were supplied do not show damaged boxes. ************ did get Full Protection however, because we didnt pack the boxes and they werent damaged, full protection will not apply.

  You did pack boxes that were damaged and know you did.

  -There were several attachments with the original estimate that included the Moving 101 Brochure. I have the signed paperwork from the day of each move. I also have a breakdown of the boxes that we packed for this move.

  *****I have no memory of signing anything August 15, nor do two people who were with me all day, nor does my mother remember signing anything in September. Our signatures and initials look nothing like the documents you claim we signed. In case you want to blame my stroke for that, I have a copy of a check to someone with my signature the same week. It does not match.
  
  -We will reimburse ************ for the missing ladder. The amount claimed is $50.00. We will send a check for this once ************ has signed and return the claim synopsis to Focus Moving Solutions.

  Again, proof that you've certainly seen this claim. But there is also a missing office chair valued at $75, $125 total owed for those. And I have already submitted a synopsis, which you seem to be aware of.

  -With the check for the ladder, we have satisfied our legal obligations. 

  Thats your opinion on the legal obligation: My property was handled negligently, neither I (and two witnesses who were by my side and will testify they didn't see me sign anything), nor my mother remember signing anything in August or September and the initials and signatures very obviously look nothing like ours, and now you are claiming I didn't communicate when I have a stack of emails that are dated which say otherwise--these matters have not been satisfied. Nonetheless. I'd like to come to a settlement, avoid court, and be done with filing complaints. My offer to talk (civilly) still stands. That is up to you.

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/23/2023

  Type:Delivery 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.

  The company damaged my property during a move and at this time they have not been able to provide adequate fixes to all of the damage done. The primary item in question is my daughters crib from ******* ***** There was an attempt to have it repaired, but the work done was subpar. When I requested a replacement part ordered I was told they needed an order #, SKU # and the phone number used to order the crib from ******* ***** I do not have this information and was told by AMH “…If you do not have a paper receipt or emailed one, maybe you should be able to call and give them your information or the credit card information you used to purchase the item. This is as far as we can go without this information.” When I called ******* **** I was told this information is not required and they can get a parts order request submitted. Following up with AMH with this information I was told “…Since you spoke with them and received a more favorable response, you're more than welcome to order the specific part, and we would be more than happy to reimburse you once the invoice is sent over...” I would like the company to take responsibility for the damages they have done and work with the company the crib came from to have a replacement part ordered. I should not have to spend my time on something they should be responsible for fixing There are other items damages, the floor in our old house, missing nut to a bed frame and damaged hutch door, but those tentatively have repair dates. If not resolved I will add additional notes to this case.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/28/2023

  Thank you, *******.

   

  Response- Repairs and product delivery takes time. All issues with Mr. ****** have been remedied. 

   

   

  Amy 

  Sent from my iPhone