ASAP Van Lines Responds To Complaint Alleging $400 Bilking
Tiffany from ASAP Van Lines reached out to us regarding a complaint we posted. Our reader felt she had been unfairly hoodwinked into paying $400 more and was subject to abusive telephone calls. Tiffany offers a different version of the events.
The short version is the Colorado Weights and Measures department is going to reweigh the truck later this week and find out who is right and who is wrong. The long version follows…
tiffany: hi, i have a question in regards to the article on your website
benpopken: k
tiffany: how do you judge the accuracy or facts
tiffany: or how can u pose a rebuttal
benpopken: What post is this regarding?
tiffany: the moving company one
benpopken: do you work for a moving company?
tiffany: yes
benpopken: which one?
tiffany: the one in question
tiffany: Considering the volume of your website, I would like to either show you evidence or talk about the move from our side
benpopken: what company?
tiffany: ASAP Van Lines
benpopken: You’re welcome to send a rebuttal letter to ben@consumerist.com
benpopken: or I can give you a comments login
tiffany: Thank you very much. I did leave a comment but I guess I feel that people should be able to see both sides and understand while maybe there are scams out there, we are not doing that
tiffany: I am a definite believe in rights for the consumer
tiffany: But I also believe in fairness of the story and accuracy of the facts
benpopken: so these people just have a vendetta against ASAP Van Lines?
tiffany: no
tiffany: I don’t think it’s a vendetta
tiffany: I think it’s just a lack of knowledge about moving perhaps. Because she feels that a moving company cant move 2000 lbs but that is considered a minimum for many companies
tiffany: The customer is always offered a reweight if they feel the weight is not accurate
tiffany: It is their right and we will gladly do it to show accuracy
tiffany: I personally take offense to her implying the name is fake and we are lying. The colorado scales and measures people were more then willing to work with us to get the reweigh agreed to
benpopken: What’s your version of the scenario of events?
tiffany: She was given a quote in weight (lbs) through the moving software based on her items list. She had a few extra items we picked up. Her weight was over the original estimate. We called both her and her niece to confirm the balance and delivery information. She did not call back but her niece responded via phone. Agreed to her balance and said to send her shipment as we had a truck leaving that day and she was already in colorado. She apparently talked to her aunt before the aunt called us. she was very mad, yelled, told us she was refuting her card and to keep the items. I offered her a reweigh upon delivery to see the accuracy and we have weight scale tickets. We can easily fax or mail copies and she can have a reweight. The last word she gave me was that we should keep the items and she would be doing a chargeback. I asked her if she could send me something over saying that she was relinquishing items because I didnt want to be accused of theft
tiffany: Then we called her niece who said her aunt was handling it and to not send it. I also told her about the reweigh but she basically kept telling me to call her aunt and was very mad and I told her if she raised her voice I was hanging up, she kept cutting me off, I finally was like fine mam this conversation is done and I will call you aunt and i did hang up. At this point both parties told us to not send it and keep it. I left for out of town and arrived home monday.
tiffany: Monday I came to work to find an email linking me to your site and also some harassing emails. I went to the site and found a completely different version of events.
tiffany: We do not and will not work by cubic feet. Also she said she was awaiting a response but her last word to us was to keep the items and she was charging her car back. Then she accuses me of making up my name and I still dont see why if I was or was not hispanic would matter in terms of her move.
tiffany: So i called her and asked her what she wanted to do, again offered a reweigh, she called me a liar said I wasnt who I said, she was recording everything which I said was fine as I wasnt hiding anything.
tiffany: We readily agree to a reweigh and she has copies of her paperwork
tiffany: all the things she sign have carbon copies for the customer
tiffany: all bill of ladings talk about weight, reweighs, etc
benpopken: Did you ever leave a screaming message?
tiffany: no I did not
tiffany: what i said was
tiffany: very specific
benpopken: Did Aaron ever call her and say the scales were broken and you would now work by cubic feet?
tiffany: From what I was told by Aaron, the only thing mentioned about CF was that we dont work by it, plus he was not trained and does not know about CF, he only knows lbs based on our moving system
tiffany: Plus
tiffany: I am the office manager and I was the one that confirmed with her the job closing giving her the weight
tiffany: The sales rep does not close the job or give the final balance
benpopken: Did the driver assert that they would have to pay $400 more for the cubic feet?
tiffany: no
tiffany: The driver only told her the balance which I had told her and when he would deliver
tiffany: No one will ever work by cubic feet plus her weight which was 2300 is not even 400cf
benpopken: What were the additional items shipped that were not on the initial list she provided?
tiffany: I am getting her file
benpopken: Thanks, we appreciate you reaching out and being open to our questions.
tiffany: Not a problem
tiffany: We picked up 16 items, 5 over her list. She added 2 boxes, The saw was bigger then described, and There was more to the hutch and more to the table
tiffany: Basically the computer gives an estimate based on the average weight for items, so they are estimating. If the table is something Ikea it is probably less and if the wood if heavier, maybe more.
tiffany: So we picked up her items, the truck has an empty weight and then we weigh it with the items and then subtract for the final weight
tiffany: We do not have an additive rate, the price per lb stays the same
tiffany: She also initialed all the spots where this is stated
tiffany: There in nothing hidden
tiffany: Our bill of landings, estimates, and order for services say all this
benpopken: How did it work out after you talked to Colorado Weights and Measures? Did they contact you?
tiffany: Jonathan contacted me, was very nice, we set up a rescale
tiffany: he was very nice and willing to help us with the reweigh
tiffany: we want the reweigh to show this is true
tiffany: So she does not want it until tuesday after memorial day
tiffany: She sent us an email saying either we delivery her with no extra charges, and she had $150 in packing which she signed for and she only wants to pay her weight. Or she continues her chargeback and abandons the items
tiffany: We are happy she is agreeing to the reweigh
benpopken: When are you going to do the rescale?
tiffany: She does not want it until after Tuesday
tiffany: So whenever she wants after Tuesday
benpopken: How does that work, do you send the truck to a CWM facility?
tiffany: They will pick the scale
tiffany: We will send the truck with her items only
tiffany: She will verify they are only her items
tiffany: We will have it weighed with our rep, her rep, and the cwm rep
tiffany: then they will unload her items there
tiffany: and reweigh the truck empty in front of everyone
tiffany: Subtract the empty truck weight from the weight with her items
tiffany: and that is the weight
tiffany: The only real variable might be 50lbs based on fuel said the CWM people
tiffany: But it will be very accurate and certified and the CWM are the neutral party
benpopken: It looks like we’ve got a date then
benpopken: For us to contact CWM after the rescale
tiffany: Definitely
benpopken: Are they pretty open about sharing that info?
tiffany: I would think so, but we will also offer our tickets from them to
tiffany: And will allow them if needed to release the info
tiffany: They will also verify my name
tiffany: Because as silly as it may be
tiffany: It is my birth name and to be told I am a poser and lying, is very unfair
tiffany: The only reason I will not give her my last name is I don’t feel safe for my personal privacy
tiffany: Considering the emails I have received
benpopken: I apologize for that
tiffany: Either way, you can contact us via email or phone after the reweigh
tiffany: Thank you
benpopken: That couldn’t have been enjoyable at all
benpopken: esp. if her claims are groundless or based on a misunderstanding
benpopken: We really appreciate your being so forthright. Other companies could stand to learn from your example
tiffany: Thank you very much for also being willing to allow my story and to work with me
tiffany: This will hopefully all have a good ending for everyone
tiffany: you can reach us at [redacted] or [redacted] if needed and we will stay in touch for the reweigh
benpopken: Awesome, thanks. I will follow up with you by the end of the week if I don’t hear from you
tiffany: Thank you. Have a good night.
benpopken: Cheers, you too
It’s also noteworthy that ASAP Van Lines has a satisfactory record with the Illinois BBB. They are also not on the movingscam.com blacklist. — BEN POPKEN
RELATED: Trouble With Your Movers? Call The Department Of Weights And Measures!
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