Rapid Van Lines
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scammed by RVL
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2021 10:12 am
Rapid Van Lines
Hello I'm looking for others who were scammed by Rapid Van Lines out of 1251 N EDDY ST # 200, SOUTH BEND, IN 46617. They have displayed all of the classic moving company tactics: charging much higher than estimated, lack of communication/transparency, poor customer service, lying about lead times/status updates and now holding my belongings hostage at their alleged warehouse in Southern California. If anyone can share similar information and how it turned out I would greatly appreciate it.
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candacesandiego
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2021 11:09 pm
Re: Rapid Van Lines
Hi, I registered just to reply to you. EXACT SAME SITUATION. Except they have 100% of my payment, which they collected when they dropped off only 1/2 of my load. When I paid them, I didn't know it wasn't a full load, but they did, which is illegal. They can only charge me for the items successfully delivered. So they overcharged me. By taking 100% payment and not releasing my items, is a federal offense, which I reported to the Federal Transportation Board this week. First delivery date was June 12. Its been 30 days, and no contact or formsl or courtesy notice on estimated delivery date, which we are entitled to by law. No force majeure, explanation to explain this delay. You aren't alone. I don't know whether to report my items stolen or what.
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scammed by RVL
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2021 10:12 am
Re: Rapid Van Lines
Thanks for sharing I'm sorry they are holding half of your goods hostage. They have possession of my items since June 3 and I have absolutely no information on when they will be picked up or delivered (if at all). This Friday marks the 30th business day they will have my items and that is the amount of time they are entitled to according to the federal laws I have seen. I asked Rapid Van Lines what the compensation was for every day past the due date and they said $20 dollars per day which is absolutely ridiculous. I have never experienced a bunch of pathological liars quite like these criminals. They don't answer the phone, respond to calls or give any useful/tangible information. If they do respond its via text message days later and every time I did speak to them I got the same responses on how they are working 24/7, have trucks coming in/out constantly and working as hard as they can. The fact they cannot commit to a pick up or delivery date is truly scary and proof of what a scam this alleged moving company is. Worse off the positive reviews this company has online are completely fake. I've even seen negative reviews taken down days after they were posted so that tells me the good ones are fraudulent. If it's been 30 business days there are a variety of resources that you can use:
File a moving fraud complaint with the DOT/FMCSA - https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your- ... -complaint
This complaint will begin the process of having a Department of Transportation agent review not only your situation but also the validity of the carrier/broker’s license. This is effective to get the company shutdown or suspended but this is a slow process that often takes two to three weeks. Note that after filing a complaint with the DOT/FMCSA an automated message will be sent to the company involved with your information letting them know that you have filed a complaint against them.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrations (FMCSA) Field Offices - https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/mission/field-offices
Here you can talk with a DOT agent in a particular region of the United States. These agents can likely provide a more individual approach to moving situations due to familiarity with fraudulent companies in the region.
State-Level Enforcement agencies - https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your- ... nforcement
This is a list of each state level enforcement agency/contact organization. Note you can contact the state level enforcement agency/contact organization of any state where the company is incorporated or where the items were picked up.
Each state’s Attorney General’s office website - https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/
Contacting your state’s Attorney General Office can start the process of having the Attorney General review the carriers state registration that allows them to do business in the state. Note your best bet is to contact the Attorney General of any state where the company is incorporated, though you may also try where the items were picked up.
Federal Trade Commission Consumer Report Center - https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/
This allows you to report any fraudulent and bad business practices used by the company involved in your moving situation.
File a moving fraud complaint with the DOT/FMCSA - https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your- ... -complaint
This complaint will begin the process of having a Department of Transportation agent review not only your situation but also the validity of the carrier/broker’s license. This is effective to get the company shutdown or suspended but this is a slow process that often takes two to three weeks. Note that after filing a complaint with the DOT/FMCSA an automated message will be sent to the company involved with your information letting them know that you have filed a complaint against them.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrations (FMCSA) Field Offices - https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/mission/field-offices
Here you can talk with a DOT agent in a particular region of the United States. These agents can likely provide a more individual approach to moving situations due to familiarity with fraudulent companies in the region.
State-Level Enforcement agencies - https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your- ... nforcement
This is a list of each state level enforcement agency/contact organization. Note you can contact the state level enforcement agency/contact organization of any state where the company is incorporated or where the items were picked up.
Each state’s Attorney General’s office website - https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/
Contacting your state’s Attorney General Office can start the process of having the Attorney General review the carriers state registration that allows them to do business in the state. Note your best bet is to contact the Attorney General of any state where the company is incorporated, though you may also try where the items were picked up.
Federal Trade Commission Consumer Report Center - https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/
This allows you to report any fraudulent and bad business practices used by the company involved in your moving situation.
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RVL_need_legal_adv
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2021 5:19 pm
Re: Rapid Van Lines
I'm also in the same boat. I am still waiting for my stuff to arrive from a couple states over and it's been over 14 business days since the pickup. I didn't know this company had such shady practices since they were listed on the FMCSA site and were verified. They have a nice website and what I thought was helpful people.
Here is my story:
I'm moving 2 states over (>1000mi but less than 2000mi) and have about 400 cubic feet of stuff based on their internal estimator. I listed EVERY item, including dimensions in inches, and even provided the movers with the brand names and things of my stuff so they wouldn't be surprised. I tried everything in my effort of good faith to make the move as smooth as possible. I was assured by their moving specialist, Brian, that my move would be a very easy one and not to worry.
I had a scheduled 2-day pick up for a window in late June. I hoped they would come on the on the first day, but on the second I kept calling as the day went by and the foreman Sam just could not make it to my place on the second day. Thus, I asked if they could come early the next day and they arrived in the afternoon with no notice, just a call from Sam saying the movers are here. Luckily I was in my apartment so I rushed down to help them find parking.
There were two movers (whose names I forgot) who were very friendly and professional. However, the foreman Sam was not present at all and instead relied on photos taken to give his estimate. He claimed that I had more stuff than anticipated which was not the case since EVERY SINGLE ITEM was listed on the binding estimate, which he denied. His excuse was that many of my items were "awkwardly shaped" and thus could not be stacked on the truck, thus I would need to pay for the space above the item as well. After all, Sam wasn't even there and he just saw photos of boxes, so how could he even know what was even present or how it was stacked. Needless to say, he quoted me 525 cubic feet and I reluctantly agreed since I had no other option.
This was somewhat expected though, movers often do the bait-and-switch thing and the inflated amount was about 25%, adding about $500 to my ~$2500 move (total to around $3000). If the bad story ended here, I wouldn't bother posting.
Now comes the interesting part, Sam could not ever reach my place before the movers had to leave to pick up stuff at another residence. So he and I agreed he could send me the bill of lading via email and I could DocuSign it and Zelle the money over. There was some error in my account (they thought I paid double the deposit for some reason) so Sam had to get someone else to handle it. Thus I left my old apartment and started driving to my new home without a bill of lading!
I, of course, called customer service several times every day to obtain this bill of lading and pay the remainder of my bill but it took them almost an entire week before I got it from Tiffany. Finally, after signing the bill of lading for approximate $3000, I sent them the remainder of the money. I had to send them 75% of the remaining amount but since they only accepted cash at delivery, I decided just to pay it all off so that I could be done with it. So now they have my stuff and about $3000 of my money; all my debts are paid in full.
It's been over 21 days (14 business days) since my 1st available delivery date and I still don't have a delivery route (I presume my stuff is still in their warehouse). I tried calling again and again and always get the same people. The main customer service number usually connects me with Trish, who always tells me she's out of the office and that I need to speak with Tiffany for a status update. I have Tiffany's direct line but she's hard to reach (perhaps is always on the phone with someone) and never returns my emails or voice mails; she is a nice person to speak to in terms of compassion but I think the logistic problems are beyond her capacity. Any other people I get via customer service tell me to call Tiffany a few days later.
At this point, I have enlisted my parents to assist me in finding out what is going on with my move. I am usually a patient guy but living in an unfurnished apartment for weeks at a time (air mattress, no cookware, borrowed desk/chair, etc.) is very rough on me.
I wish they would just flat out say "we lost your stuff" and so I could get on with buying all new furniture and things and start the legal process already. But on the off-chance they do eventually deliver my stuff, I would then have too much extra furniture if I bought some now.
What frustrates me the most is that I'm powerless until August (after the 30th business day after 1st available delivery day) at which point I will need to file an enormous amount of paperwork and claiming my stuff has been lost. I will not accept their $20/day inconvenience fee I've been reading about (it's not in the contract and thus I reserve the right to refuse it as suitable compensation). The contract states I have to give them the first right to fix any issues before arbitration, which is usually okay if I have proof of action being taken, but if they refuse to cooperate (or refuse to provide proof of action) I will hire a lawyer.
Thank you for reading my story, I hope that this provides some solace in knowing you're not alone in being treated poorly by Rapid Van Lines!
Here is my story:
I'm moving 2 states over (>1000mi but less than 2000mi) and have about 400 cubic feet of stuff based on their internal estimator. I listed EVERY item, including dimensions in inches, and even provided the movers with the brand names and things of my stuff so they wouldn't be surprised. I tried everything in my effort of good faith to make the move as smooth as possible. I was assured by their moving specialist, Brian, that my move would be a very easy one and not to worry.
I had a scheduled 2-day pick up for a window in late June. I hoped they would come on the on the first day, but on the second I kept calling as the day went by and the foreman Sam just could not make it to my place on the second day. Thus, I asked if they could come early the next day and they arrived in the afternoon with no notice, just a call from Sam saying the movers are here. Luckily I was in my apartment so I rushed down to help them find parking.
There were two movers (whose names I forgot) who were very friendly and professional. However, the foreman Sam was not present at all and instead relied on photos taken to give his estimate. He claimed that I had more stuff than anticipated which was not the case since EVERY SINGLE ITEM was listed on the binding estimate, which he denied. His excuse was that many of my items were "awkwardly shaped" and thus could not be stacked on the truck, thus I would need to pay for the space above the item as well. After all, Sam wasn't even there and he just saw photos of boxes, so how could he even know what was even present or how it was stacked. Needless to say, he quoted me 525 cubic feet and I reluctantly agreed since I had no other option.
This was somewhat expected though, movers often do the bait-and-switch thing and the inflated amount was about 25%, adding about $500 to my ~$2500 move (total to around $3000). If the bad story ended here, I wouldn't bother posting.
Now comes the interesting part, Sam could not ever reach my place before the movers had to leave to pick up stuff at another residence. So he and I agreed he could send me the bill of lading via email and I could DocuSign it and Zelle the money over. There was some error in my account (they thought I paid double the deposit for some reason) so Sam had to get someone else to handle it. Thus I left my old apartment and started driving to my new home without a bill of lading!
I, of course, called customer service several times every day to obtain this bill of lading and pay the remainder of my bill but it took them almost an entire week before I got it from Tiffany. Finally, after signing the bill of lading for approximate $3000, I sent them the remainder of the money. I had to send them 75% of the remaining amount but since they only accepted cash at delivery, I decided just to pay it all off so that I could be done with it. So now they have my stuff and about $3000 of my money; all my debts are paid in full.
It's been over 21 days (14 business days) since my 1st available delivery date and I still don't have a delivery route (I presume my stuff is still in their warehouse). I tried calling again and again and always get the same people. The main customer service number usually connects me with Trish, who always tells me she's out of the office and that I need to speak with Tiffany for a status update. I have Tiffany's direct line but she's hard to reach (perhaps is always on the phone with someone) and never returns my emails or voice mails; she is a nice person to speak to in terms of compassion but I think the logistic problems are beyond her capacity. Any other people I get via customer service tell me to call Tiffany a few days later.
At this point, I have enlisted my parents to assist me in finding out what is going on with my move. I am usually a patient guy but living in an unfurnished apartment for weeks at a time (air mattress, no cookware, borrowed desk/chair, etc.) is very rough on me.
I wish they would just flat out say "we lost your stuff" and so I could get on with buying all new furniture and things and start the legal process already. But on the off-chance they do eventually deliver my stuff, I would then have too much extra furniture if I bought some now.
What frustrates me the most is that I'm powerless until August (after the 30th business day after 1st available delivery day) at which point I will need to file an enormous amount of paperwork and claiming my stuff has been lost. I will not accept their $20/day inconvenience fee I've been reading about (it's not in the contract and thus I reserve the right to refuse it as suitable compensation). The contract states I have to give them the first right to fix any issues before arbitration, which is usually okay if I have proof of action being taken, but if they refuse to cooperate (or refuse to provide proof of action) I will hire a lawyer.
Thank you for reading my story, I hope that this provides some solace in knowing you're not alone in being treated poorly by Rapid Van Lines!
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troyboyroy
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:38 pm
Re: Rapid Van Lines
Hi All who were scammed by Rapid Van Lines. I'm also a fellow victim - had to pay 4X their original quote to have my stuff scheduled to be delivered. Paid for their "white glove" service - where they took apart beds and furniture, packed everything up, then said they would use the same crew to deliver to my new home. Actual delivery date was 6 days later than they said, then the day of the delivery, they pulled their truck into a local WalMart and called a local delivery firm, hiring them to rent a U-Haul truck and offload my stuff from the large truck into a smaller one. They told the local firm to simply put all of my stuff in my garage, and to not re-assemble the furniture and beds. The local firm's crew were nice guys and hard workers, but they would not do anything extra besides pile everything into my garage, as they were getting paid a pittance by RVL. After being told by RVL that as far as they were concerned, they had completed the job, I had to then hire a firm to come put together all the furniture and beds. The next day the local crew foreman who had delivered my stuff called me and said RVL had not paid him - and he had paid for a crew and rental of the UHaul truck. He had e-signed a contract with a Gary White, Jr. (who said he was the owner) of RVL, and he did not get paid by RVL.
After days of going through boxes and many broken and damaged items in my garage, I have found several boxes full of belongings that are not mine - perhaps they are someone's here on this forum. I found a checkbook with the name "Eric and Pamela Smith" with a San Clemente, CA address and phone, which I called (number had been disconnected). I have told RVL multiple times that I have the Smith's belongings and they keep telling me they will be setting up a Fed-Ex pickup and delivery (all BS, as nothing has happened for several days). My delivery was to West Louisiana from Southern California. I guess I'll report them and try to file an insurance claim - has anyone had any luck getting anything reimbursed or a check from them for broken/damaged items?
After days of going through boxes and many broken and damaged items in my garage, I have found several boxes full of belongings that are not mine - perhaps they are someone's here on this forum. I found a checkbook with the name "Eric and Pamela Smith" with a San Clemente, CA address and phone, which I called (number had been disconnected). I have told RVL multiple times that I have the Smith's belongings and they keep telling me they will be setting up a Fed-Ex pickup and delivery (all BS, as nothing has happened for several days). My delivery was to West Louisiana from Southern California. I guess I'll report them and try to file an insurance claim - has anyone had any luck getting anything reimbursed or a check from them for broken/damaged items?
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scammed by RVL
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2021 10:12 am
Re: Rapid Van Lines
Thanks for the additional posts regarding RVL shady business practices. I wanted to provide an update as my items were finally delivered. I received a text message on Sunday evening, 7/18, right before 6pm from "Tim" the truck driver stating that my items would be delivered between 4:30am - 6pm on Monday, 7/19 and that he would call me 1 hour before. They had a few deliveries in the morning and then I would be next. I asked them to provide a more accurate ETA and he said after noon, close to 4pm and that he would let me know beforehand. Well, he then showed up at 2pm on 7/19 and I hadn't gone to the bank to get the $2,518 balance that I owed the driver (in cash). He was early and never gave me a heads up so I asked him to wait so I could rush to the bank and get the cash. He was in a Ryder truck (just like when they picked up my items) and he needed to wait for the 18-wheeler to show up that had my items loaded on it. After my return from the bank a red rig and white trailer with "TM ATLANTIS LOGISTICS INC, MC-1155605, US DOT-3501091" showed up and was parked in front of my house along with the smaller Ryder truck. Note that Rapid Van Lines has different numbers that are: MC-1086442 and DOT-3372814 so that proves my theory that RVL does not own it's own trucks but brokers out all of the contracted work. In my conversations with "Tiffany" I would ask her if RVL actually owned its own trucks because she could never tell me where they were at or what routes they were going. She told me they owned 8 of their own trucks. After checking their profile on FMCSA web site it listed they owned 5 trucks. Then a few days later I checked it again and it was down to 3 trucks. Keep in mind that carriers such as Allied, Atlas, Mayflower own HUNDREDS of trucks with their company logos on them. You will never see a truck with a Rapid Van Lines logo on it! Anyway, there were 4 movers total and I just had them bring my items into the garage then take off.
After taking inventory of the delivered items, I'm amazed to say that everything showed up and no damage that I can tell so far. I over-packed everything myself which is probably the reason. I have not unwrapped some bedroom furniture yet so I cannot say if or how banged up it might be. Keep in mind that I never got a call, text or email from anyone at RVL about this delivery.....until 7/21 at 2:40PM. The text states: "Hi this is Jill from Rapid Van Lines. Great news your stuff is enroute to your destination. The driver will be contacting you 24 hours before they arrive. If you have any questions or concerns please to contact us at (877) 379-3436". Wait....what??? My items were delivered on 7/19 but RVL just texted me on 7/21 that my items would be delivered within the next 24 hours??? And who is "Jill"??? To my knowledge the only people that I've heard about were: "Scott Davis" the salesman that took my credit card deposit, "Jim Kirrin" who coordinated the pick-up and took the second payment via wire transfer, "Tiffany W" who was the customer service rep, "Trisha" who was also somewhat of a service rep, and "Tim" the warehouse manager.
Total cost of my move was: $1,687 deposit + $50.61 surcharge paid up front via credit card + $2,700 paid after pick-up via wire transfer + $2,518 paid upon delivery via cash = $6,955.61 total. My initial estimate was $4,820.01 for 794 cubic feet via weight & volume calculator work sheet. I ended up selling items that reduced the capacity down to 578 cubic feet so my price should have gone down, right? Nope! The pick-up crew loaded the truck and stated that I went 306 cubic feet OVER the initial 794 cubic feet for a total of 1,100 cubic feet. The Ryder trucks they use are 26ft and 1,600 cubic feet capacity. The pick-up vehicle was about 1/3 full of my items when loaded which was right where my estimate should have been - 500 to 600 cubic feet. However, they told me it was 1,100 and that I owed $2,000+ more dollars. In the end I paid double the cost of what my move really should have been. Complete and total scam.
Now for the lack of communication, transparency and time factor. They picked up my items on 6/3/21 (2 hours late and no explanation why). My FADD was 6/6/21 and I was told "2-14 business days for delivery". Well, that turned into 2-14 BUSINESS days which then turned into 30 BUSINESS days. Complete lies regarding the shipping times and delivery dates throughout the entire transaction. 45 days and 30 business days later my items showed up and they never provided any useful information about where my items were located, tracking information, pick-up information or delivery information.
I ended up filing complaints with just about everyone during this process: DOT, FMCSA, BBB, FTC, Indiana Attorney General and California Attorney General. I reached out to moversrescue.com and they provided some guidance and resources on where to file these complaints and get assistance. As of 7/23 I have not heard back from any of the aforementioned entities regarding my issues with Rapid Van Lines. It goes to show how unregulated the moving industry is and how easily these predatory "companies" are able to rip off thousands of people every year.
After taking inventory of the delivered items, I'm amazed to say that everything showed up and no damage that I can tell so far. I over-packed everything myself which is probably the reason. I have not unwrapped some bedroom furniture yet so I cannot say if or how banged up it might be. Keep in mind that I never got a call, text or email from anyone at RVL about this delivery.....until 7/21 at 2:40PM. The text states: "Hi this is Jill from Rapid Van Lines. Great news your stuff is enroute to your destination. The driver will be contacting you 24 hours before they arrive. If you have any questions or concerns please to contact us at (877) 379-3436". Wait....what??? My items were delivered on 7/19 but RVL just texted me on 7/21 that my items would be delivered within the next 24 hours??? And who is "Jill"??? To my knowledge the only people that I've heard about were: "Scott Davis" the salesman that took my credit card deposit, "Jim Kirrin" who coordinated the pick-up and took the second payment via wire transfer, "Tiffany W" who was the customer service rep, "Trisha" who was also somewhat of a service rep, and "Tim" the warehouse manager.
Total cost of my move was: $1,687 deposit + $50.61 surcharge paid up front via credit card + $2,700 paid after pick-up via wire transfer + $2,518 paid upon delivery via cash = $6,955.61 total. My initial estimate was $4,820.01 for 794 cubic feet via weight & volume calculator work sheet. I ended up selling items that reduced the capacity down to 578 cubic feet so my price should have gone down, right? Nope! The pick-up crew loaded the truck and stated that I went 306 cubic feet OVER the initial 794 cubic feet for a total of 1,100 cubic feet. The Ryder trucks they use are 26ft and 1,600 cubic feet capacity. The pick-up vehicle was about 1/3 full of my items when loaded which was right where my estimate should have been - 500 to 600 cubic feet. However, they told me it was 1,100 and that I owed $2,000+ more dollars. In the end I paid double the cost of what my move really should have been. Complete and total scam.
Now for the lack of communication, transparency and time factor. They picked up my items on 6/3/21 (2 hours late and no explanation why). My FADD was 6/6/21 and I was told "2-14 business days for delivery". Well, that turned into 2-14 BUSINESS days which then turned into 30 BUSINESS days. Complete lies regarding the shipping times and delivery dates throughout the entire transaction. 45 days and 30 business days later my items showed up and they never provided any useful information about where my items were located, tracking information, pick-up information or delivery information.
I ended up filing complaints with just about everyone during this process: DOT, FMCSA, BBB, FTC, Indiana Attorney General and California Attorney General. I reached out to moversrescue.com and they provided some guidance and resources on where to file these complaints and get assistance. As of 7/23 I have not heard back from any of the aforementioned entities regarding my issues with Rapid Van Lines. It goes to show how unregulated the moving industry is and how easily these predatory "companies" are able to rip off thousands of people every year.
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RVL_need_legal_adv
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2021 5:19 pm
Re: Rapid Van Lines
I just got my stuff yesterday, minus the bed rails and 3 glass surface panels for my entertainment center. I contacted Tiffany about it and she said she forwarded it to Jill who would contact me directly. I tried to reach Jill and no one responded.
On other notes, this Jill person notify me that my stuff was en route (after I sent them a legal memo). But she did not connect me with the driver. I was fortunately at home when the truck pulled up (a Ryder truck, not RVL) and the driver said he was trying to reach me but didn't have my number! Why didn't Jill provide it to him?
So now I have an unusable Ikea bed and entertainment center. Ikea won't replace the parts since the rails that are missing are large and not numbered like the screws and smaller parts. Also, the customer service rep told me to visit the Ikea store in person; but I live 500 miles from the nearest Ikea now! So I guess I'll need to splurge another $400 or so replacing my own stuff that came with missing parts.
All in all, I paid about $3000 for 525 cubic feet of stuff and $400 worth of stuff didn't make it. I will start a claim on Monday with legal services to get revenge on these incompetent people.
On other notes, this Jill person notify me that my stuff was en route (after I sent them a legal memo). But she did not connect me with the driver. I was fortunately at home when the truck pulled up (a Ryder truck, not RVL) and the driver said he was trying to reach me but didn't have my number! Why didn't Jill provide it to him?
So now I have an unusable Ikea bed and entertainment center. Ikea won't replace the parts since the rails that are missing are large and not numbered like the screws and smaller parts. Also, the customer service rep told me to visit the Ikea store in person; but I live 500 miles from the nearest Ikea now! So I guess I'll need to splurge another $400 or so replacing my own stuff that came with missing parts.
All in all, I paid about $3000 for 525 cubic feet of stuff and $400 worth of stuff didn't make it. I will start a claim on Monday with legal services to get revenge on these incompetent people.
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amandeepgautam5
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2021 5:49 pm
Re: Rapid Van Lines
Hi Folks!
I am also scammed by Rapid Van Lines. We moved from Sunnyvale, CA to Philadelphia, PA. Our stuff was picked up on April 15, 2021, and we gave the first available moving date to be May 31. Our stuff is still not delivered and we have been just contacting them. It has cost us so much in buying things we already have again and again. We got tired of sleeping on the floor and whatnot. It's like they stole life from us. I am not sure what to do next. Any advice?
Some people deserve special mention: Jim, Trisha and Tiffany.
I am also scammed by Rapid Van Lines. We moved from Sunnyvale, CA to Philadelphia, PA. Our stuff was picked up on April 15, 2021, and we gave the first available moving date to be May 31. Our stuff is still not delivered and we have been just contacting them. It has cost us so much in buying things we already have again and again. We got tired of sleeping on the floor and whatnot. It's like they stole life from us. I am not sure what to do next. Any advice?
Some people deserve special mention: Jim, Trisha and Tiffany.
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RVL_need_legal_adv
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2021 5:19 pm
Re: Rapid Van Lines
So it seems RVL lost my bed rails and entertainment center glass panels. I sent them a claim form demanding about $300 (calculated from the $0.60 per pound + $5.00 per cubic foot refund since the items never arrived).
I am waiting on their verdict on the claim as they said it takes up to ANOTHER 30 days. At this point I will file claims and write letters to the Indiana AG. What's more is that I never signed any document upon delivery, so I have the legal upper ground with regards to failed delivery since they have no signature confirming ANY delivery.
I heard more people are suing the company which is nice but I'll probably just stick to filing claims and reports. The ~$300 loss isn't enough for me to warrant starting a lawsuit since court fees could grow to dozens of times that.
My prayer is that the company collapses by the end of the year and that the managers are hit with a some kind of federal crime (e.g. racketeering).
I am waiting on their verdict on the claim as they said it takes up to ANOTHER 30 days. At this point I will file claims and write letters to the Indiana AG. What's more is that I never signed any document upon delivery, so I have the legal upper ground with regards to failed delivery since they have no signature confirming ANY delivery.
I heard more people are suing the company which is nice but I'll probably just stick to filing claims and reports. The ~$300 loss isn't enough for me to warrant starting a lawsuit since court fees could grow to dozens of times that.
My prayer is that the company collapses by the end of the year and that the managers are hit with a some kind of federal crime (e.g. racketeering).
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scammed by RVL
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2021 10:12 am
Re: Rapid Van Lines
So I've read recent Google reviews about Rapid Van Lines and along with the fake 5-star reviews, there are some very honest 1-star reviews with detailed, horrible experiences such as we've had on this thread. One Google reviewer stated that he was starting a class action suit but I (we) cannot contact him directly from his review. If anyone knows of this person (Scott Arthur) or how to join the suit please provide info here. The following is his review from Google:
"This company needs to go down , we are in the process of filing a major lawsuit with at least 10 customers that have been screwed with damaged and missing items, I am sure the positive responses are fake and the negative ones will not be acknowledged, what a sorry outfit, if I could only find out where Jim lives"
"This company needs to go down , we are in the process of filing a major lawsuit with at least 10 customers that have been screwed with damaged and missing items, I am sure the positive responses are fake and the negative ones will not be acknowledged, what a sorry outfit, if I could only find out where Jim lives"
Re: Rapid Van Lines
Just found this site!
My complaint is almost a duplicate of all the others who claimed they were scammed by Rapid Van lines. In June, I was shocked when I saw the stats on the FMCSA website involving complaints against Rapid Van Lines for the first seven months of 2021.
I started my homework in March to find a mover to move my goods from Torrance, Ca. to Rapid City, So. Dakota. I checked Angi, Google, Yelp and like all of you, I thought I lucked out with this company. Unlike many of you, my goods never left California.
I gave Mike Pistano, their estimator, a list of items and promptly received a "Binding Estimate". I requested a split shipment with the understanding the first shipment would be picked up May 19, and the second mid-June. The company agreed to hold my goods at their Ca. warehouse pending the arrival of the second shipment. "Binding Estimate" came back at 524 cubic ft and moving costs under $3200 (included split shipment charge). Sounded great, I accepted. Gave them $700.
May 19, first pickup - Saif foreman. After goods were loaded into van, I asked Saif to take a look at the items I was shipping mid-June and give me an idea of the shipping charge – just wanted to confirm the measurement was within range of the “estimate”. Saif said I had about 800-900 of cubic feet. I was then given a “Bill of Lading” where I saw the original 524 cubic feet listed in the “estimate” but noticed an added 326 cu feet on second line – estimated total charge showed $5345 -$5364. I remembered the “estimate” had $3190 so I asked the foreman why the price increase and he told me not to worry that discounts and corrections will be made after they picked up the second shipment. I ended up trusting him and handed over $2400. Total monies handed over to Rapid thus far totaled $3100.
Looking back, my first mistake was not having a copy of the “Binding Moving Estimate” on hand to question the added charges between the “Binding Moving Estimate” and “Bill of Lading”. Second, I should have asked the foreman to give me the cubic feet measurement of the items the crew just loaded. Had I known then what I know now, trust would have been out the window and hard reality set in.
In the process of packing, I misplaced the “estimate”, so I requested Rapid Van Lines to resend. No response. I searched all emails looking for links back to the “estimate” unfortunately all of them led nowhere – all references back to the “estimate” were deleted. Fortunately, I found my hard copy. I was convinced the foreman was treating the items he viewed on May 19, as “new or added items” which led him to bump up the cubic feet charge on the “Bill of Lading”. I concluded Rapid Van Lines was double billing me for items that were listed in the “Binding Moving Estimate” thereby increasing the moving charge to over $1400. I also found Rapid Van Lines increased the fuel charge by $281 when I compared the Company Invoice vs. the “Binding Moving Estimate”. Bottom line, this company was charging me over $1700 over and above what was initially listed in the “Binding Moving Estimate”.
I sent Rapid Van Lines of a worksheet calculating the approximate cubic feet that was picked up May 19 and what was to be picked up on the second shipment. There was no way my total shipment was 850 cubic feet, but I needed them to verify. I thought they could have easily measured the first shipment because it was in their warehouse, and I (and Rapid) could easily calculate the second shipment because they were still in the house and listed in the “Estimate”. If I made a mistake, case closed but they stood fast in their position. – final price will be determined at second pickup. I threatened again and said I would complain to the next level. Jim called me and said they would refund my deposit. Case closed? No. Gary took over.
Gary told me in the many emails that were exchanged “If you don’t like the final price, we can refund all of your money and give you your stuff back…” I later found out this statement is in violation of the terms of their own “Binding Moving Estimate” under “Cancel of Service”. It states: “The customer is not entitled to a refund if the company (Rapid Van Lines) shows up to the customer’s home and services are not rendered.” Bottom line: I would have lost $3100 immediately.
Up to two weeks before my house closed, I tried desperately to solve the problem of overcharging by this company. Finally on June 11, I sent message that I did not trust their company to give me a “final estimate” based on their outward reluctance to problem solve the pricing and I wanted my goods returned to me on June 15 – no response. Sent another message 3 days later, stating l will hire movers to get my goods and bill them for the charge. In a text message sent to my “Unknown Sender” folder, Rapid Van Lines gave me the address of their warehouse. Finally, 3 days before I was due to move out, I had to pay another mover to get my goods - $530.
All during this time, I felt this company was holding my goods hostage by telling me a final price would be determined at the second pickup knowing it was against their policy and with no mention of the “Binding Moving Estimate” numbers. Despite Rapid Van Lines saying I would get a refund – it did not happen. In fact, I spoke to Trisha and Tiffany who said they would look into it - Tiffany finally told me all documents were in order – no refund!
I have filed a complaint with the State of California, Bureau of Household Goods, FMCSA charging this company with multiple unfair business practices and violating Federal regulations and filing a claim through the Small Claims Court. Don't know if I will ever recoup my losses. It saddens me to see so many similar complaints charged against this company. It seemed like a reputable company last year but they went downhill fast this year.
My complaint is almost a duplicate of all the others who claimed they were scammed by Rapid Van lines. In June, I was shocked when I saw the stats on the FMCSA website involving complaints against Rapid Van Lines for the first seven months of 2021.
I started my homework in March to find a mover to move my goods from Torrance, Ca. to Rapid City, So. Dakota. I checked Angi, Google, Yelp and like all of you, I thought I lucked out with this company. Unlike many of you, my goods never left California.
I gave Mike Pistano, their estimator, a list of items and promptly received a "Binding Estimate". I requested a split shipment with the understanding the first shipment would be picked up May 19, and the second mid-June. The company agreed to hold my goods at their Ca. warehouse pending the arrival of the second shipment. "Binding Estimate" came back at 524 cubic ft and moving costs under $3200 (included split shipment charge). Sounded great, I accepted. Gave them $700.
May 19, first pickup - Saif foreman. After goods were loaded into van, I asked Saif to take a look at the items I was shipping mid-June and give me an idea of the shipping charge – just wanted to confirm the measurement was within range of the “estimate”. Saif said I had about 800-900 of cubic feet. I was then given a “Bill of Lading” where I saw the original 524 cubic feet listed in the “estimate” but noticed an added 326 cu feet on second line – estimated total charge showed $5345 -$5364. I remembered the “estimate” had $3190 so I asked the foreman why the price increase and he told me not to worry that discounts and corrections will be made after they picked up the second shipment. I ended up trusting him and handed over $2400. Total monies handed over to Rapid thus far totaled $3100.
Looking back, my first mistake was not having a copy of the “Binding Moving Estimate” on hand to question the added charges between the “Binding Moving Estimate” and “Bill of Lading”. Second, I should have asked the foreman to give me the cubic feet measurement of the items the crew just loaded. Had I known then what I know now, trust would have been out the window and hard reality set in.
In the process of packing, I misplaced the “estimate”, so I requested Rapid Van Lines to resend. No response. I searched all emails looking for links back to the “estimate” unfortunately all of them led nowhere – all references back to the “estimate” were deleted. Fortunately, I found my hard copy. I was convinced the foreman was treating the items he viewed on May 19, as “new or added items” which led him to bump up the cubic feet charge on the “Bill of Lading”. I concluded Rapid Van Lines was double billing me for items that were listed in the “Binding Moving Estimate” thereby increasing the moving charge to over $1400. I also found Rapid Van Lines increased the fuel charge by $281 when I compared the Company Invoice vs. the “Binding Moving Estimate”. Bottom line, this company was charging me over $1700 over and above what was initially listed in the “Binding Moving Estimate”.
I sent Rapid Van Lines of a worksheet calculating the approximate cubic feet that was picked up May 19 and what was to be picked up on the second shipment. There was no way my total shipment was 850 cubic feet, but I needed them to verify. I thought they could have easily measured the first shipment because it was in their warehouse, and I (and Rapid) could easily calculate the second shipment because they were still in the house and listed in the “Estimate”. If I made a mistake, case closed but they stood fast in their position. – final price will be determined at second pickup. I threatened again and said I would complain to the next level. Jim called me and said they would refund my deposit. Case closed? No. Gary took over.
Gary told me in the many emails that were exchanged “If you don’t like the final price, we can refund all of your money and give you your stuff back…” I later found out this statement is in violation of the terms of their own “Binding Moving Estimate” under “Cancel of Service”. It states: “The customer is not entitled to a refund if the company (Rapid Van Lines) shows up to the customer’s home and services are not rendered.” Bottom line: I would have lost $3100 immediately.
Up to two weeks before my house closed, I tried desperately to solve the problem of overcharging by this company. Finally on June 11, I sent message that I did not trust their company to give me a “final estimate” based on their outward reluctance to problem solve the pricing and I wanted my goods returned to me on June 15 – no response. Sent another message 3 days later, stating l will hire movers to get my goods and bill them for the charge. In a text message sent to my “Unknown Sender” folder, Rapid Van Lines gave me the address of their warehouse. Finally, 3 days before I was due to move out, I had to pay another mover to get my goods - $530.
All during this time, I felt this company was holding my goods hostage by telling me a final price would be determined at the second pickup knowing it was against their policy and with no mention of the “Binding Moving Estimate” numbers. Despite Rapid Van Lines saying I would get a refund – it did not happen. In fact, I spoke to Trisha and Tiffany who said they would look into it - Tiffany finally told me all documents were in order – no refund!
I have filed a complaint with the State of California, Bureau of Household Goods, FMCSA charging this company with multiple unfair business practices and violating Federal regulations and filing a claim through the Small Claims Court. Don't know if I will ever recoup my losses. It saddens me to see so many similar complaints charged against this company. It seemed like a reputable company last year but they went downhill fast this year.
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