Goldstar Van Lines - overpromise and underdeliver!

Goldstar Van Lines were hired to move us from Palm Desert, California, to Bismarck, North Dakota. They were paid $200 to set the contract, and we paid them 50% of the balance upon pickup, with the final amount due by cash/postal money order upon delivery. They would pick us up on Friday, and deliver to our new home on Monday. They stated we would receive a call one day prior to pickup, to give a three hour window in which they would arrive at our property. Not until we called them 3 times would they give us a window, and then they gave us a 4 hour window. And then showed up 2 hours after the END of that timeframe. In a rental truck! Fortunately the men moving us were very nice and hardworking, and we finally were able to get on the road at 8.30pm for our drive across the country with our three dogs - the reason we didn't get a U-Haul and move ourselves.

The following day we called to confirm the delivery date of Monday. The girl then told us that it would be the FOLLOWING Monday. Changing the delivery date like that meant we would have packed our car differently - we didn't even have anything to sleep on, or much extra food for our dogs. She was kind enough to work on rearranging the delivery, and we were ultimately told our delivery would arrive on Thursday - so we sucked up our discomfort for a few days and made do.

After speaking with the truck driver a few times on Wednesday and Thursday, we were unable to get a delivery time from him - he was evasive about it. He actually pulled his 18-wheeler into our tiny street at 9pm!!!!!! And then the 2nd person who was contracted to work with him to move our items was not there. The driver stated his colleague was sick and couldn't come. So the driver rearranged all the other family's items (there were a few households in one truck - our items were moved from one truck to another) and WE had to move our furniture etc ourselves... Fortunately we have wonderful new neighbours who not only didn't complain, but they helped us. Again, this driver was very nice, but "nice" isn't in the contract. He was also supposed to have a weighstation log, per contract, but could not produce that. Since we had 2 seperate money orders (you can only put $1000 per order), we tried to with hold the $135 order, but he then refused to release our items to us.

When my boyfriend questioned the driver about the helper, the driver told him that we could move our items in, or wait 2-3 days for them to return... Not really an option, particularly since he had not advised us of this during any of the calls we had with him during that day.

When we called Goldstar to lodge a complaint and request a partial refund since they had not lived up to their contract, their manager stated "the driver gave you the option for him to return later with a helper. you turned that down, so you have no grounds for a complaint"........

While some of our items were damaged during the move, we felt that was part of the cost of moving, and the least of our concerns with this company. I guess now we have no hope of recourse, since they refuse to consider us as having a valid complaint. We have filed a complaint now on the Better Business Bureau site, but I also want to get their name out there as being very poor business operators. I am in customer service myself, and it's not that hard to deliver on your contracts. If it is, then don't make those contracts!

If you are looking at making a move, research your trucking company thoroughly. We didn't even use the cheapest operator, but it would have probably worked out better if we did! We shopped around, and found that they were lovely to work with - UNTIL we signed our contract... It's probably worth paying a bit more for a company who's name you know, or drive yourself. Hire Goldstar Van Lines at your own risk!!

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Two years ago, my daughter & family moved from Washington state to Texas, also. They hired GoldStar Van Lines - big mistake. The company was to store their complete household at the California base. Before entering California, there is a Rest Area where many of her things were located.It seems as though the workmen stayed at the Rest Area long enough to go through the truck.......can't say that as a fact, but they were the only ones who had access. Stolen were her T.V. (42" flat screen) her computer, and anything else they found of value. Her wedding album was found by some wonderful people along the highway, and returned to the photographer in Washington State. Album was damaged but at least she got it back.......cost to replace was $15,000. She got no satisfaction from Goldstar because they told her she should have purchased the additional insurance which was offered at the time of hiring them. Please research your mover before hiring.....she did not. Those people don't realize what emotional damage they do to others who trust their items are in "safe" and "honest" hands.

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I had GoldStar Van Lines, Inc. to ship my Household Goods from Washington State to Texas. If I had known the problem that would incur with GoldStar Van Lines, Inc. and its Claim Adjuster (Compass Management Corporation in the settlement of a claim. This Company shouldn't be allow to ship anything in the United State because the way they do business. This is a California base business without having to settle claim over $ 1000.00 most claim or for $ 500.00 or less and they do not have to report it to their Insurance provider which had be withdrawn in 2008.