Apollo Van Lines, Queens, NY - dissatisfaction with moving experience

Apollo Van Lines, Queens, NY - dissatisfaction with moving experience

Apollo Van Lines

Below please find the body of a letter sent to the Better Business Bureau of New York regarding the apalling business practices of Apollo Van Lines of Queens, NY. I first contacted the BBB in October after a month-long ordeal with Apollo.

Two months later, Edna S responded to my complaint in a letter filled with lies and misinformation. This is my response, detailing my interaction with Apollo. Please feel free to contact me if you need more information. The Better Business Bureau

Attn: Mr. Burton Strumpf

257 Park Avenue South

New York, NY 10010 Re: Case #575100 Dear Mr. Strumpf: I received the letter from Apollo Van Lines, dated December 6, 2003, in late January. I apologize for the delay in my response to you, but the blatant dishonesty in Ms. S’s letter warranted my full attention. Below, please find an accurate record of my relocation with Apollo Van Lines. I began my relocation process by comparing several moving companies in both price, times, and Better Business Bureau rating. I believed I had found the right combination in Apollo Van Lines. In an email dated September 18, John K, as a representative of Apollo, confirmed the price estimate, pickup date, and the average delivery time for my move of three to six days. As scheduled, on the afternoon of September 26, movers from Apollo arrived at my apartment in Forest Hills, New York.

These men were courteous and reasonably efficient. However, I was very disturbed to see two cockroaches crawl out of the blankets being used to wrap my belongings. One of the movers chalked it up to the rental van being used to haul my load, as it was not one of their “usual” trucks. I was not pleased, but at this point it was too late to turn back. After arriving in North Carolina and receiving no information from the company for two days, I called Apollo on the morning of September 29. This was my first encounter with Ms. S. She told me that my shipment would be arriving the next day and I should expect a call from the driver of the truck. I waited for such a call, but received no information from either a driver or Apollo. I left several messages over the next few days. On October 2, I spoke to John K to determine the location of my possessions. For the first time, I was told that the delivery estimate did not include weekends. I asked to speak to the manager, which, surprisingly, was Ms. S. She belittled me throughout this conversation, including both insults and obscenities, after which she terminated the call. I was literally stunned by the lack of professionalism of such behavior. After trying numerous times to reconnect with Ms. S, I was led to believe that my possessions would never reach North Carolina. With Ms. S refusing to take my calls, I needed help; this is when my mother became involved. Ms. S’s claims that she had “limited conversations” with me or that she was “in constant contact” with my mother are falsehoods. My telephone conversations with her were limited by her choice, and our repeated attempts to speak to her failed because she refused to take calls from either my mother or myself. For the next week, Ms. S, as well as other representatives of Apollo, were purposefully deceitful to us. Over a period of several days, either my mother or myself was told that the truck with my belongings was in various locations, or in a state of disrepair – specifically that the truck had broken down in Virginia and was waiting on parts for several days. On October 11, two weeks after my belongings were given to Apollo Van Lines, I received a call from the driver. When they arrived in the afternoon, I was disappointed and irritated to realize their truck did not contain my shipment. The drivers, from an outside company, confirmed that Ms. S had lied to us – they picked up the load that morning in New York and had no problems in Virginia. My mother, the drivers, and myself all tried calling Apollo Van Lines to speak to someone about this mistake. We finally receiving an emergency cell number for Ms. S, but she simply hung up when I tried to explain the situation. The next day, I received an unapologetic message from Ms. S’s assistant that the correct shipment would be delivered as soon as the next truck headed south. It was not until October 17, six days later, that I received another call from Apollo to verify that my shipment would arrive the next day. I asked to speak to Ms. S regarding the balance of payment due on my account, but she simply stated that she felt I did not deserve a discount, and terminated the phone call. Finally, on October 18 – not the “following day,” as claimed by Ms. S – and three weeks after my belongings were packed in New York, I received my shipment in North Carolina. The drivers, again from an outside company, refused to unload until they had full payment in cash. I tried numerous times to reach Ms. S. Her assistant finally agreed to take $100 off the final delivery price to “get me out of their hair.” I was not happy, but at this point nothing could be done to resolve the situation.

The drivers unloaded my belongings in an efficient and friendly manner. However, I was very upset to discover minor damage to some of my possessions, as well as dead bugs in several of the boxes. This was the proverbial last straw, and I decided to contact the Better Business Bureau in hopes of some good coming from this terrible experience. Ms. S stated in her letter that I received a “voluntary discount… in the amount of $250.” I would be more than happy to receive the additional $150, because I firmly believe that the small discount I actually received is no justification of this treatment. Ms. S not only cost me valuable time and employment opportunities, she also hurt my family. My parents were in Raleigh that week to help with my move to a new apartment, which was a complete waste of their time and resources due to the dishonesty of Apollo Van Lines. A company that is profiting from services performed should not be allowed to treat customers in this manner, or to continue to perpetuate lies and misrepresentations. I do not know the complaint process of the Better Business Bureau or what else I can do to warn others about my experience with this company. I cannot emphasize enough the stress and aggravation that Ms. S and others at Apollo Van Lines caused in my life. There are not enough words to convey my dissatisfaction with Apollo Van Lines, but hopefully this will offer a thorough explanation of the situation that occurred last year.

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