This review is disconcerting on many levels. First, I’m extremely disappointed that this customer has come away with a negative experience about BoxCart. I’m also frustrated that the first and only indication of any dissatisfaction with BoxCart is coming by way of a review, rather than contacting us directly during his move so we could resolve any issues at the time they arose. Third, and most disturbing are the accusations of “extortion” and “swindling”, and I feel very strongly that I must address the numerous factual errors in this customer’s account of both our services and our billing practices. Please see below for more details about this specific job. If you have any questions or concerns about choosing BoxCart for any reason, I would ask you to please call me directly, and I’d be happy to discuss those with you. I can be reached in the office @ (703) 263-3300. Unfortunately, we are only able to address concerns if we are aware of them, which in this particular instance, we were not. We provide every customer a personal point of contact within the office who is dedicated to answering any questions before, during, and after the move. Unfortunately, we never received a call during the move to raise concern about the hourly rate, the pace at which the crew was working, nor did the customer request to speak to anyone when the final total was presented and his payment was collected. Even given the time at which the move was completed, our crews have both BoxCart owners’ cell phone numbers, in the rare instances they need to reach us outside office hours. Both Aubrey and I gladly accept our crews’ calls at any time of the day or night to ensure we are available to resolve any issues at the exact moment they arise, and it is disappointing that the customer chose not to take advantage of the many methods available to reach us. Furthermore, the only feedback we did receive from the customer was that the crew was polite and well-mannered and that they met his expectations, as indicated on the “crew evaluation form” he completed at the end of his move. Next, regarding accusations of “extortion” and “swindling”, there are many factual errors to address: 1) The accusation of charging a higher rate than agreed is false. The net hourly rate charged to this customer was, in fact, $190/hour. While the contract showed the full standard amount of $200/hour, it also clearly stated that there was a 5% Angie’s List Discount. $200 less 5% is $190, and the crew calculated the final bill based upon the correct $190 discounted rate. 2) The accusation of using too much paper to increase the time and materials charge is false. Our estimates for packing services are based upon packing methods that minimize the risk of damage to our customers’ belongings. In actuality, the total quantity of supplies used (and therefore the total amount actually charged to the customer) was under the estimated amount by approx. $80, and it is my understanding that the packing done by our crew protected the customer’s belongings and there was zero damage to any items. 3) This customer has implied that that his job was guaranteed not to exceed 8 hours, however it was presented several times, both verbally and in email confirmation form PRIOR to his move, that the job would be billed based upon actual time and materials used. While the hours it took to complete this move exceeded the estimated number of hours, there were several unforeseeable, but valid factors that contributed to this: a. It was understood during the estimate that this customer had reserved the elevator at the origin for his exclusive use. Unfortunately, while the elevator was technically reserved at the origin address, residents of the complex continued to use the elevator. Because of this, the elevator could not be “called” up to the customer’s floor, and one of the crew members was forced to continuously stop loading the customer’s belongings and instead take the stairs up or down to find the elevator and then bring it back to the correct floor before resuming his loading duties. b. The difficult logistics at the destination address were not presented to Leon in order for him to accurately estimate the amount of time it would take to move the customer into the new address. While we estimated the hours based upon ground-level entry at the destination, the reality was that there was a flight of stairs to get up to the front door, and then once inside there were several more flights of extremely tight stairs to access the living areas where the belongings were to be unloaded. While these logistics are not a problem for our trained crews, it also understandably slows the process down, as they must carry fewer items during each trip into the house, and they must maneuver the stairs at a slower pace to prevent the walls from being damaged. Again, while it makes for a slower unload, it is my understanding that the crew was able to maneuver these difficult logistics with zero damage to the customer’s furniture and also zero damage the home itself. In summary, I would implore our customers to please communicate any questions or concerns at the time they arise. Had we been aware of this customer’s concerns while the move was taking place, there are several remedies that come to mind that could have alleviated any and all of the issues raised here. Also, it is very important to disclose any special requests and logistical issues during the estimate process. Our goal is to accurately estimate the total cost of the move – we hate surprises just as much as our customers, especially when it comes to the final bill. We would rather pass on a job than to have any customer come away from BoxCart feeling they were taken advantage of. Thank you for allowing me to explain this particular job, and again, please don’t hesitate to contact me, if you have any concerns about choosing BoxCart!! Kind regards, Amy Stowell Vice President