Just in case any of you are watching this thread and not the main board, thought I'd re-post my moving experience here:
Just don't want to let what's happened to me happen to you! My mom chose my moving company so I wasn't really involved (she was paying for it as a gift). Man, do I regret that now.
My mom was promised verbally that my stuff would be in Kansas on August 2. "Don't worry about the fine print," she was told. "Your daughter's going to vet school--that's fantastic--I'll make sure it gets there on August 2." The whole reason for being delivered so early was, of course, so that I could unpack and get completely settled at KSU by the time orientation starts on August 13.
To make a long story short, I still don't have my belongings. They are telling me it'll be at least another week. As an example of their lack of professionalism, I was told to "come down here and make me give you his name" when insisting on the name of someone's supervisor. However, it doesn't end there.
Doing a simple Google search on the company--Capital Moving Group--reveals that they have changed names several times and are in the habit of illegal practices, including trying to extort hundreds to thousands of dollars more at the time of delivery, threatening to hold goods hostage, failing to deliver goods, etc. I am terrified of what is going to happen if/when they finally get here, but have done my research and have printouts of the appropriate laws to show them. Also, I will have a police officer present during the unloading of my belongings.
I have been sleeping on an air mattress for a week. I have none of my familiar belongings and am feeling utterly displaced. This company is registered with the BBB with a "good" reputation simply because, like many moving companies, they repeatedly close their doors and re-open under a different name with a different DOT number before complaints can be processed and traced. This clears their record.
Please please please--DO NOT let what happened to me happen to you. Verify that the company is in good standing with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Go to protectyourmove.gov and read all the appropriate information. A website I've found to be very helpful is movingscam.com.
Orientation starts Monday, August 13 and classes start Monday, August 20. If and when they do eventually arrive, I'll either be missing a day of orientation or one of my first days of class of veterinary school. Our first exam is August 31.
I have been trying to get into vet school for six years and I feel like the beginnings of my professional career are being jeopardized by this scammy moving company.
PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!!!!!
Needless to say, I'm a ball of stress at the moment. My boyfriend flew home last Sunday--he was here for a few days to help me get moved in (what a joke that turned out to be, and our last few nights together were on an air mattress). I miss him terribly and all of my friends--I feel very alone right now and, for the past several days, want to burst into tears at any given moment.
However, I've been running almost every day (thank god for endorphins) and my roommate and I had a good time out for drinks last night. Also, bought my first plane ticket home for a visit, so there's a light at the end of the tunnel! Sending cards to my boyfriend and my friends has also helped--for some reason, just the act of putting something in the mail makes me feel better. I highly recommend it!
I'd like to say that if I were able to feel settled/prepared for vet school, I would be feeling SO MUCH BETTER right now. However, with the absence of anything familiar around me, it's really taking its toll!!!
