Read BEFORE HIRING -- Very Disappointing and Unprofessional
My experience with Alder Moving Service was extremely disappointing and unprofessional.
The movers were scheduled for 8:00 AM and were 4 hours late. One of the movers called and said they would not arrive until noon because they had worked the previous night until 3:30 AM and needed more sleep. I never received a call or an apology from the owner, Jayson Berger.
When they arrived, the movers said they were exhausted. One appeared to struggle physically, took frequent breaks, and was sweating heavily around my belongings. At one point, there was water throughout my floor, and he suggested it may have been his sweat. I found the situation extremely unpleasant.
An additional person was brought to the job without my prior knowledge. One mover brought his girlfriend, and I witnessed them canoodling that I felt was inappropriate while they were on the clock. I raised my concern with Jayson Berger. He told me we should "agree to disagree," said I had received "an extra person to help for free," and that they were young and "just having fun." He accused me of being upset they were having fun. I hired them to move my belongings not play around on my dime. Also,he told me he had known the young man since he was five and that he was a "good kid." Regardless of their ages or relationship, I hired movers to move my belongings, not for personal behavior in my home. Because the additional person helped move some of my belongings, I ultimately felt compelled to tip her as well. Which was an extra cost I didn't expect.
I specifically asked that my upholstered, fabric bed base be wrapped and protected from the dirty truck floor. I provided plastic and tarp bags for that purpose. Instead, the upholstered side was placed directly on the truck floor without adequate protection, and the fabric and corners were not properly covered. This was the one large piece of furniture I specifically asked them to take special care with. They didn't wrap it properly and exposed the sides.
I also repeatedly instructed the mover that my mattress needed to remain flat and that nothing should be placed on top of it because it was going into storage. I had to tell him approximately five times not to put items on the mattress.
There were also significant billing and communication issues. I had already moved a substantial amount of furniture myself before the move, including a sofa, entertainment center, exercise equipment, nightstands, and other items. I notified Jayson Berger by email that the move had been substantially reduced, and I was told the price would be adjusted. I have the emails documenting this.
I understood there was a three-hour minimum and was prepared to pay it, even though the movers completed the job in approximately 2 1/2 hours. However, the movers had not been informed of the agreed-upon price adjustment.
I was prepared to pay by credit card but was then told there would be a 3.5% fee. I was told they accepted paper checks, but I was not told they also accepted electronic checks. Because the price adjustment had not been communicated and I did not have enough cash for the amount requested, including a $55 return-to-office fee that had never been quoted to me, I asked if they could follow me to a nearby bank approximately five minutes away. There was still about 30 minutes remaining on the three-hour minimum I was already paying for, and they agreed.
Later, Jayson Berger characterized this as me making the movers go to the bank on his time clock. I strongly disagree with that characterization.
After I reported the condition of my bed base, Jayson Berger said he would send me a claim form so I could formally submit a damage claim. He never sent it. He also subsequently agreed to issue a refund. On July 31, he texted, "Check was sent," and later said, "I mailed you a check and you should have it by now." As of the date of this review, I have received neither the check nor the promised refund.
The four-hour delay, poor communication, handling of my belongings, billing issues, unexpected additional person, failure to send the promised claim form, failure to provide the promised refund, and the way my concerns were handled by the owner have left me extremely dissatisfied.
I am sharing my experience so other customers can make an informed decision. read more
