ST. LOUIS- As a single mother who works night shifts and attends school, Carolyn Wilson turned to the Internet to help her move into her new home.
One company's name kept popping up.
"If you want a first class moving experience...
All My Sons St. Louis - The Perfect Solution to Your Moving Concerns"
The five star reviews from customers had Wilson sold.
But on move-in day, the company demanded double the amount she was quoted.
"So I get here and they're like 'we can't unload your stuff until we collect payment,'" Wilson said. "That's when I see the bill, and I'm like 'so why do I owe you $800?'"
According to Wilson, the movers told her if she did not pay up, they would have to drive off with her stuff.
"I felt like they really took advantage of the consumer," she said.
Her chest of drawers was also damaged.
"When we tried to pick it up, it almost broke to pieces," she said. "I guess that's why they set it in the garage."
Even after paying $800, Wilson had to rent a U-Haul to get the rest of her furniture out. She spent close to a grand in total to move.
"They don't always give the whole story," Cliff, the director of operations at All My Sons said. "We have more positive reviews than negative ones."
A quick Google search shows the claim to be untrue. Customers have filed 23 negative reviews and just one positive review on the Better Business Bureau rating system.
The Facebook and Google reviews on their website only link to the four or five starred reviews customers left, leaving out hundreds of other poorly rated reviews.
There has been more than 75 complaints filed with the attorney general's office and the Better Business Bureau.
The reviews according to the Better Business Bureau show that customers have experienced:
- Lost or damaged goods on moves
- Billing issues
- Difficulty in receiving refunds
On top of the complaints, All My Sons in St. Louis has a troubled driving record. Their profile on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website shows that out of six inspections in the past two years, five inspections revealed violations of carrier rules. Some of those violations involve the driver’s ability to drive safely and unsafe brakes on the truck.
Attorneys general across the country responded to the mountain of customer complaints.
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission demanded $118,800 from All My Sons for operating unregistered and performing illegal moves in the state.
In 2016, Florida attorney general Pam Bondi ordered the company to pay $100,000 in refunds to dissatisfied customers.
More than a decade ago, the attorney general for the state of Washington prohibited All My Sons from operating in the state entirely, due to “deceptive business practices and numerous violations of state regulations.”
The I-Team received a statement from All My Sons company president Chris Generale, who said that he wanted to help Wilson with her complaint. The company’s representative wrote the following.
"All My Sons Moving & Storage of St. Louis is committed to serving the needs of our customers with professional moving services at a fair and reasonable price. We make great efforts to ensure that all verbal and written communication to our customers clearly defines all charges during the entire moving process. This includes travel, fuel, packing and additional fees before and after the move. These efforts include pre-move preparation calls, email communication and digital forms that are initialed by customers before the move begins to ensure full transparency. Under Federal regulations, payment is required in full prior to items being delivered into the new space/home and we follow similar guidelines for our local move process.
“Before and after each move is complete our customers are encouraged through pre-move documentation they receive and our automated post move survey's, to contact our Customer Care Department to share any comments or address any needs. We did not hear from Miss Wilson regarding her June 2017 move until last week from NBC5 and since have immediately reached out to Miss Wilson. Though we have not heard back from her, it is our sincere desire to speak with her directly and provide clarity on any feedback she has. We are confident and it is our intention that any miscommunication will be resolved."
*After the story aired on Monday, Feb. 12, the company agreed to refund a travel, supply and fuel fee she was charged- a total of about $250.
For detailed local reviews on moving companies, visit The Better Business Bureau and the U.S. Department of Transportation's Protect Your Move website.
