Soft Touch Movers
Complaint 64944 Details

Itemized complaints, issues and disagreements as follow:
Upon arrival, the “foreman” Anthony began going over the paperwork with me and told me that there would be a “fuel surcharge” as well as additional charges for wrapping up some of my belongings on the itemized list. I showed him the agreement where it indicates “PROFESSIONAL WRAPPING OF ALL FURNITURE” and “GAS, TAXES, TOLLS AND MILEAGE INCLUDED”. He continued to dispute these items with me and I had to “negotiate” with your salesperson Keith to include these items as he told us they would be included. First he asked me if I would find it fair to charge me an additional $250.00 and after I declined, he ultimately, spoke to the owner, EDNA, about it and included them as originally promised.

After completing the loading of the truck, Anthony told me there was a total of 1,400 cubic feet. I disagreed, with the argument of simple arithmetic on my side. I physically measured the EXTERIOR dimensions of the truck, including what you refer to as the “peak” (the area that extends over the cab) with Anthony present. I then showed him on a calculator how to measure cubic footage, which is the length (26’) x width (7’-6”) x height (8’-6”). This calculation is the main body of the truck (again EXTERIOR), which equals 1,657.5 cubic feet. The “peak” measured a maximum of 67.5 cubic feet (3’ long (deep) x 7’-6” wide x a little less than 3’ high). Therefore, the total amount of cubic feet this truck could hold assuming its walls and roof were paper-thin, would be 1,725. There was 8’ of floor space left at the end of the truck (which again, Anthony was present for and agreed with). This means a deduction of 8’ long (deep) x 7’-6” wide x 8’-6” high should be deducted from the total cubic feet of the truck (1,725-510) which equals a net total of 1,215 cubic feet. This is the MAXIMUM cubic footage that I am willing to pay for because that is the maximum that I shipped. Anthony asked that I note my dispute on the paperwork, which I did, and I did not sign ANYTHING at the completion of the loading to indicate acceptance of 1,400 cubic feet. He simply wrote whatever he felt like afterwards, which to me does not constitute a legal or binding agreement. In my businesses, I certainly don’t have the luxury to modify contracts after they are signed without agreement of all parties.

After all was said and done with the loading of the truck and the dispute noted above (item 2) I gave Anthony a tip of $100.00 in cash. He responded with “Is that the best you can do?”. He asked for another $50.00, which I gave to him as I was fearful of what might happen to my belongings if I did not.

The delivery date was promised by Keith to be within 7-10 days of the pickup date. I selected the date of 12/29/11 (9 days from the pickup date). This was confirmed with Keith before the pick up date and again on 12/22, it was written on the paperwork provided by your foreman Anthony, and also confirmed by EDNA personally to my assistant Amanda on 12/27 (just two days before delivery). I spoke with Keith on 12/28 who said that if the delivery was not made tomorrow, it would be made within a day or two thereafter. Then I spoke with EDNA on 12/29 and she also assured me that the delivery truck was in California and would be made within a day or two. Accordingly, my wife and infant son took a flight to join me here on 12/31. We had to sleep on the floor and eat with plastic kitchenware until I things were actually delivered on 1/12/12.

After EDNA and I spoke on the morning of 12/29 and you indicated you would call me back within a few hours, I attempted to reach you no less than 20 times, and left no less than 10 messages. EDNA did not return my call. I did however receive one phone call from Keith on 12/30 who indicated you were willing to deduct $350.00 from the total amount you were overcharging me. I said, “That’s nice, but what about the delivery???” He said he would call me right back. To date, he has not done so. I am convinced that Keith is some combination of incompetent and dishonest.

On 1/3/12, I received a phone call from a company called Red Gold Logistics. They indicate that they were contracted by you to deliver my furniture and belongings, which were in Kansas City and would arrive early next week. As nice as it was to hear from SOMEONE, it was incredibly unpleasant to find out that it would be yet another week, some 10-14 days beyond the discussed and agreed delivery date. It was additionally unpleasant, but not surprising to find out that part of Keith’s sales pitch of “all your own employees, trucks and equipment” was completely not true.

I spoke with Tina from Red Gold Logistics a few times. She was the one who initially called me from this company (on 1/3/12) with the new delivery date of January 9th or 10th. She asked in the very first phone call if I was in agreement with the balance due and I said “No.” I explained to her the situation and that as a start, I was expecting the balance due to be reduced by $350.00 as I was told by Keith the week before. Tina, nor anyone else in her company had any knowledge of this so they were forced to contact Soft Touch Movers to verify this. I followed up with at least three phone calls to confirm the price reduction and finally it was confirmed. Only now, the balance was still at least $100.00 too high because I wasn’t even credited for the “EARLY RESERVATION COUPON” that Keith included in the quote. I called Edna and spoke with her to try and address this oversight and she was very short with me and told me that she didn’t care what the agreement said and that she wasn’t going to accept “$1.00 less”, and that I had to pay or the driver will not unload the truck. All of a sudden, I felt like a hostage negotiator. We ended the conversation in disagreement.

On January 12th around 9pm, most of our belongings were delivered, and most of those that were delivered were not damaged. I paid the driver with a check referencing the $100.00 “coupon” in dispute, and paid the balance in cash as he requested of me.

The drivers who unloaded explained that they did not “assemble” ANY of the furniture. I said, “But it says right here on my agreement: ASSEMBLY, DISASSEMBLY, LOADING, UNLOADING”. It’s the first word!! They acknowledged and shrugged it off and didn’t assemble anything besides one bed as some sort of gesture. If they had assembled as they were supposed to, they would have quickly noticed missing/stolen item #1 – The universal TV bracket that attaches the TV to the wall. Soft Touch Movers removed it from the wall in my home in NY, yet it didn’t get delivered.

The delivery driver instructed me to notate all of the instances of damage on the paperwork, which he provided me a copy of. He also said that I should contact Soft Touch Movers regarding the damage. I spoke with him again two more times once we began to notice some obvious missing items. He confirmed that his truck was empty and had nothing remaining of ours.

I called Soft Touch Movers the following morning and left a message regarding the disputed “coupon”, the damaged items and the missing/stolen items. To date, they have not returned my phone call. We have unpacked just about everything and so far the missing/stolen items include:
- the above-referenced TV bracket (new one purchased for $100.00)
- a DeWALT 18v Cordless Drill Kit (new one purchased for $135.00)
- a box labeled “Liquor” which contained no less than 10 bottles of liquor
- a box(es) of pantry items, which included a near full one-gallon jug of Raw Organic Agave Clear Nectar, at least 25 cans of 365 Organic Coconut Milk, and two 3-qt cans of Organic Diced Tomatoes.

I was quoted a price of $2910.00. I actually had to pay the company $4550.00 in order to have my items delivered.