Allied Van Lines Agents

This is against Allied Van Movers. They choose the worst partners to use for interstate moves. Don’t use Allied Van Moving for interstate moves!
Let me tell a true story. In late May 2014, I started on a ride that I wished I never started, with my moving process from Sumter, SC to Charleston, SC. I initially contacted Allied Moving, who I found out later could not do an intrastate move, so they sent me to Coleman Moving, who sent me to Covan moving. My advice is to NOT go with this company (aka Covan, Coleman, Allied) for intrastate moves. There were some very nice people, but when things went wrong b/​c of a few bad eggs, these same people were not able to assist. Also, be sure to sign up for 100% MAX amount of insurance with this company! Don’t let them talk you into anything less! Don’t go cheap on this aspect. Also, make sure you have GREAT home insurance (Travelers Insurance saved my year!) that covers any damage done during a move.
They did NOT pack things right. It was a 2 hour drive/​move and little, if any, padding was used. Before they even drove away, we had serious scuffs on our old, but pristine, wood floors with a $ 1,400 price tag that they did reimburse without question. When they moved my stuff into our storage area, one of the guys was using a dolly to drive a wooden nightstand and something else on top. He had one hand on the dolly and one on a phone to his ear. He hit a bump and the wooden nightstand went face first onto the concrete and suffered from road rash! I then decided to figure out that things may not be as they should be. I started looking at all the wooden pieces and all the wooden pieces I could observe had chips and nicks. Mostly, they were from moving them without pads with a wooden dolly — chips on the bottom rims. I had some big guys that were through for the day staring at me, and I felt the desire to unpack the storage unit to see what damage was done. I was told that they would record what they noticed and that in 5 – 6 months later they would assess the damage and make it right. After multiple calls/​contacts, I had my insurance company rep, my new movers (two men and a truck) and the person who would provide an estimate of damage. Covan/​Coleman did not show their face. I did not hear from them until much later — it was deliberate. It was their way of saying that another company would cause this damage as they unpacked it. We ended up seeing worn scuffs on our leather furniture from rubbing during the 2+ hour haul without pads as well as other things. My wife’s jewelry box had knobs missing and the legs were broken off AND never found!
As my movers unpacked the storage room, they stated stuff like «must have been amateur hour» and «I worked for these guys one day and quit b/​c they were so bad» and «I would be embarrassed to work for a company like this». Phrases like «look at this packing tape that was stuck to this wooden table!» and «they put a wooden chair on top of this piano without any padding?» were also heard. You get the point. I was told later that the guy who initially inspected our stuff with a label was the trainer as the other 2 loaded the truck. There was little oversight and it was quite obvious that these guys did not know what they were doing. When someone signs a contract (or in this situation a quote), wouldn’t you expect that the personnel is fully trained and competent?
I started the process on some of the pieces and they pretty much offered pennies on the dollar, b/​c they had a «contract» that stated I did not take insurance on the items moved. This was not a «contract» but a price quote. I had no «contract». I had some lawyer friends who told me I could sue or take it to the state board, but I realized that my actions would not make anything better, but potentially further bring me closer to their destructive nature. I had multiple emails to Allied, who sent me to Coleman, who pretty much ignored my emails despite sending correspondence with signature proof it was received. After $ 8−10k of damage being done, my insurance company (Travelers) was able to provide me with much of it recouped, but not all. At this time, I believe Travelers is suing this company for the money Travelers gave to me.
At one point I was told that they thought I was a government move. I work for the Federal Government, however, they would never move me. However, after thinking about it, they much move a lot of the military personnel in Sumter at the Shaw AFB. I’ve heard many sad situations where friends of mine have had multiple missing or damaged items, meanwhile, their husbands are overseas fighting for our country. Is this how we take care of the military when they are at their weakest? Shame on any company who sees $$$ when «government move» is attached.