Avoid This Company at All Costs
Update: Since posting my review, this company has continued to act unethically. They recently attempted to pressure us into signing a retroactive storage contract that was never part of our original agreement after already taking possession of our belongings. When we refused, they began making new demands and still will not disclose where our items are being stored. This conduct will be part of our formal complaint to the FMCSA, FTC, and the Texas and Illinois Attorneys General. It’s deeply concerning how they continue to take advantage of customers instead of resolving matters in good faith. I strongly advise anyone considering them to avoid this company altogether.
Avoid This Company at All Costs — A Nightmare Experience from Start to Finish
Our family recently relocated from Dallas to Chicago, and this moving company turned what should have been a smooth transition into one of the most stressful experiences we’ve ever endured.
This company operates under two names — Community Moving and Storage and AM Moving Company. They send emails as Community Moving and Storage, but leave flyers and paperwork labeled as AM Moving Company, which is also how they are listed on the BBB. This dual identity seems to be used to confuse and mislead customers.
It started with the initial walkthrough. We drove all the way from Chicago back to Dallas just to meet them for it. Despite confirming the appointment, they marked us as a no-show. We received a text at 7:00 AM asking if we were “ready for the 9:30 AM walkthrough.” We replied that we were ready at 8:00 AM, but no one ever came. We have a Blink doorbell, multiple Echo devices, and phones that would have alerted us if anyone had shown up. They didn’t. We even stayed an extra day, called repeatedly, and emailed with no response. Later, they claimed they had turned their phones off.
To move things forward, we recorded and sent a full video walkthrough to ensure an accurate quote. Someone finally responded, thanked us for the video, and then raised the estimate by $150 without explanation. We were originally quoted $2,500, with payment due upon delivery, and returned to Chicago expecting things to be handled professionally.
On moving day, our Spanish-speaking neighbor let the movers in and quickly called us, concerned. He overheard the crew talking about how they were “going to overcharge” us. Moments later, the on-site crew leader called my husband and me — yelling, dismissive, and completely unprofessional — claiming we had “intentionally left things off” the list and tripled the price on the spot.
After numerous calls, we finally reached a manager who was only slightly calmer but doubled the price and threatened to keep our deposit and leave if we didn’t agree immediately. Our lease was ending that day, and we had no choice but to comply under pressure.
We were also promised 30 days of free storage in Chicago while waiting for our new home to be ready in October. We confirmed this multiple times. Yet, weeks later, we received a call saying our belongings had already arrived in Chicago and they would “leave everything outside the construction site” unless we accepted early delivery or paid thousands more. Their new demand? An additional $4,000. And they refused to send paperwork outlining this change.
We have now been forced to pay $5,250 for pickup and storage, even though our contract states the $2,500 balance was due upon delivery. Despite paying, our items have not been delivered, and we are being charged more to release them. We also discovered we are not allowed to know where our storage unit is located until we pay an additional $350 “storage fee.”
At this point, we realized the entire process had been built on lies, intimidation, and manipulation. This company preys on families during vulnerable times. Their business practices are unethical, deceptive, and predatory.
We’ve moved professionally before and have never experienced anything close to this level of dishonesty, disorganization, and exploitation. Do not use this company under any circumstances. Save yourself the stress, the money, and the heartache.
