Subject :DECEPTIVE SALES PRACTICES IN NOT INFORMING CUSTOMER OF CHARGES AND DOUBLING CHARGES WITHOUT AUTHORIZ

Comment : Incident Description RIPPED OFF CUSTOMER SPOKE WITH EXCLUSIVE VAN LINES TO RETAIN THEM FOR HIS OUT-OF-STATE MOVE ON DECEMBER 28, 2016, FROM FLORIDA TO CALIFORNIA. AN INITIAL, PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE WAS MADE BASED UPON INFORMATION GIVEN TO A SALES REP WHO INFORMED RIPPED OFF CUSTOMER THAT A FINAL ESTIMATE WOULD BE COMPLETED BASED UPON ANY NEW INFORMATION. RIPPED OFF CUSTOMER WAS CALLED BY TINA OF EXCLUSIVE VAN LINES, AND RIPPED OFF CUSTOMER GAVE TINA THE FINAL SPECS (NUMBER OF BOXES, ETC), AND NO NEW ESTIMATE WAS MADE WITH THE NEW INFORMATION. THE MOVERS CAME, AND NO NEW ESTIMATE WAS PRESENTED, ALTHOUGH EXCLUSIVE VAN LINES WAS TOLD ALL THE NEW INFORMATION ON THE PHONE. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS A LOADING DOCK AT A CERTAIN DISTANCE FROM THE APARTMENT, ALSO A STORAGE UNIT WHICH INCURRED A CERTAIN DISTANCE, ALSO PICTURES TO BE WRAPPED, AND SEVERAL BOXES WHICH WERE TAPED UP. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL CHARGES WHICH RIPPED OFF CUSTOMER WAS NOT INFORMED OF AHEAD OF TIME. THESE CHARGES COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN MENTIONED WHEN TINA SPOKE WITH RIPPED OFF CUSTOMER. TINA SIMPLY SAID, "WE CAN DO THAT", BUT LEFT OUT THE CRITICAL INFORMATION THAT THESE THINGS WOULD BE DONE FOR A CHARGE. IT WAS ALSO CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT THESE EXTRA CHARGES ALSO WERE NOT REFLECTED IN THE COMPANY'S ESTIMATE. IT IS CUSTOMARY IN THE INDUSTRY TO ASK ABOUT THESE PARAMETERS, AND THEN INCLUDE THESE ADDITIONAL COSTS IN THE ESTIMATE. WE FEEL THAT IT WAS A HIGHLY DECEPTIVE BUSINESS PRACTICE TO (1) NOT INFORM RIPPED OFF CUSTOMER IN ANY PHONE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE EXTRA CHARGES, WHICH INCURRED AN ADDITIONAL $550 TO THE MOVE, AND NOT INCORPORATE THESE EXTRA CHARGES INTO THE ESTIMATE, WHEN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY SIMPLE TO GET THIS INFORMATION AND INCLUDE IT IN THE ESTIMATE. (2) IT WAS ALSO HIGHLY DECEPTIVE BUSINESS PRACTICE TO NOT INCORPORATE THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WHICH RIPPED OFF CUSTOMER GAVE TO TINA ON THE PHONE ON THE ADDITIONAL BOXES. TINA SHOULD HAVE MADE CERTAIN THAT WE RECEIVED A NEW ESTIMATE ONCE RIPPED OFF CUSTOMER HAD THE EXACT NUMBERS FOR HER ON THE PHONE. THIS INCURRED ADDITIONAL CHARGES OF $2,5000. IN TOTAL, DUE TO EXCEPTIONALLY DECEPTIVE LACK OF COMMUNICATION, RIPPED OFF CUSTOMER INCURRED AN ADDITIONAL $3,000 OF MOVING EXPENSE ON TOP OF THE ESTIMATE THAT WAS GIVEN TO HIM, DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE GAVE TINA ALL THE RELEVANT INFORMATION ON THE PHONE. THE ESTIMATE WAS SIMPLY NO GOOD AND DID NOT REFLECT THE FINAL INFORMATION THAT RIPPED OFF CUSTOMER GAVE TO TINA. THIS DECEIVED RIPPED OFF CUSTOMER INTO GOING WITH THE COMPANY. HAD RIPPED OFF CUSTOMER KNOWN OF THE ADDITIONAL $3,000 IN CHARGES, HE WOULD HAVE FORFEITED THE DEPOSIT AND GONE WITH ANOTHER COMPANY OR TAKEN ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE, AS THIS WAS UNAFFORDABLE. THE COMPANY MADE NO GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO PRESENT AN HONEST ESTIMATE IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER. RIPPED OFF CUSTOMER PRESENTED EXACT INFORMATION IN A FOLLOW UP CALL WITH TINA, AND NO NEW ESTIMATE WAS PRESENTED TO HIM. ALSO, TINA DID NOT INCORPORATE ANY OF THE ADDITIONAL PARAMETERS, SUCH AS LOADING DOCK DISTANCE, OR PACKING OF PICTURES, OR TAPING OF BOXES, INTO THE ESTIMATE, AND SHE DID NOT INFORM RIPPED OFF CUSTOMER THAT ANY OF THIS WOULD INCUR ANY ADDITIONAL CHARGES. THE COMPLAINT IS AGAINST EXCLUSIVE VAN LINES FOR DECEPTIVE SALES PRACTICES AND DECEPTIVE ESTIMATE PRACTICES DUE TO NEGLIGENT OR DECEPTIVE LACK OF COMMUNICATION ON CHARGES. THEN THE CUSTOMER IS BLIND-SIDED WITH A BILL THAT IS DOUBLE THE ESTIMATE, SIMPLY BECAUSE EXCLUSIVE VAN LINES WOULD NOT PRODUCE A NEW ESTIMATE WITH ALL OF THE EXACT INFORMATION.

Review :