Seven Crowns Moving Inc

The sale went smoothly. This was after comparing this company with over 15 other offers via federal online databases (protectyourmove), phone calls, emails and Angie's List (was not on Angie's). All prices were within $100 so price was really not the main issue. The main issue was safe delivery as the furniture is from my parents who are selling my childhood home. So there is great sentimental value in these pieces, all over 25 years old. I specifically chose this company because of their safety profile (fmsca) and because they were listed as a carrier, not as a broker. Ms. Greenberg, the company's sales contact, specifically touted that they were not a broker; that they were the movers. In other words, that the service was not outsourced. My mother meticulously packed (bubble wrap, boxed and double boxed) what she could. She took pictures of how to put certain pieces back together. Everything was numbered or labeled. The company's responsibility was to wrap the larger pieces, presumably to protect them from damage. The delivery was estimated for a Wednesday night or the following Thursday morning. No. No, again. By Thursday afternoon I emailed Laura who said " I do not handle dispatch or routing of the trucks. I am forwarding your email to my dispatch manager,David to respond with your delivery information. However,I just stepped in to his office and he explained that you should be receiving your shipment probably tomorrow." No, again. At Friday around 5pm I get a call from Benjamin, from another moving company, who states they will be there tomorrow morning. I tell Benjamin that I let Laura by email two days ago know that I was working this (that) Saturday. As I live alone, have no family in state, have known my neighbors for only 8 months, would have to sign for delivery paperwork, needed to provide payment of the balance due and whereas work could not be rearranged or a replacement found on such short notice, that I could NOT be there unless they were there and gone by 9:30am or could come that evening after 7pm. Benjamin said he would try his best to be there by 8am (I needed to leave for work by 9 30). Then less than an hour later, he called and said he would try for 8 30. Oh, and by the way, be sure to have the remaining balance payable, in cash, to his company, which was not 7 Crowns. I told him I spoke with Dave 2 days ago and confirmed I could use a money order from my bank, that I contracted with 7 Crowns and that is who it would be written for so I would not be accused on non-payment (and subsequent hostage of items). At this point I said goodbye. He called back and said it was ok how the payment was to be handled and that he didn't mean to scare me. What business does business like this? Saturday morning comes and by 9am I finally get a call from Benjamin who says he won't be there until 9 30 or later. I'm very upset. Benjamin says that I need to find someone to be at my home and he delivers "or he doesn't know when he'll be in there area and my things could be in storage for 3-4 months and I could get charged extra". At this point, I realize I what is going on and given the history of 7 Crowns gaining the contract and caring less about the delivery, I call every neighbor I feel I can depend on and all four agree to be there. The delivery time is delayed again to 12. Again until 2pm. I have four neighbors waiting two hours for a delivery of items only I know the quality of to assess whether or not there is damage with two delivery men who will be throughout my home. Thank God lunch is usually 2 to 3pm and I got lunch that day. I flew home. My items were on a rental truck with others, as expected. The inventory list I was given went smoothly. Until the kitchen chairs came. They were wrapped with, what looked like, black garbage bags. All six garbage bags were ripped. All six wooden chairs were chipped. The four legs of the table were chipped or scraped. These were obvious, different color wood showing, defects. Benjamin denied any responsibility as "We just deliver, we don't package." I signed the inventory list, itemizing what was chipped. I emailed Laura. She never emailed me back. It has been over two weeks. I am sure she got the list and what was damaged because I am sure she would have contacted me if 7 Crowns had not been paid.