A First Coast family wants to know how a quote to move a dining room set jumped $2,000 on the spot.
Gaye Marconi says it seemed to be a basic move for her 96-year-old mother in law’s heirloom items…or so they thought.
“They had in red...we beat everyone's price guaranteed,” Marconi said.
She said they found Trans Vanlines LLC moving company online and were attracted to the low price quote to move one table, six chairs, hutch and cupboard.
On the day of the move, however, everything changed.
“By the time they showed up and started loading, they changed their quote,” Marconi said.
The initial quote of $1,049 hiked to $2,832.
A Trans Vanlines supervisor, Eli Ash, told First Coast News they increased the price because the items were more bulky than they expected. Ash said they always get consent from the customer on a recorded line before going forward with the pricier move.
"We were under a timeline because the house was closing, we had to clear it out," Marconi said. "My sister-in-law [who was there for the move] was totally caught off guard that they more than doubled the price. She was a mess crying."
The Maconi family isn't alone. Forty-six complaints to the Better Business Bureau earned the company an F rating. Dozens of other complaints were made on Yelp and Google with many claiming their quote was changed after their items were loaded on a truck.
Federal regulations prohibit price hikes by moving companies after items are loaded. Any rates above the estimate agreed to have to be agreed to in writing, according to DOT regulations.
Trans Vanlines owner Avi Lankri said they do 350 moves a month and strive to resolve customer complaints. Lankri told First Coast News they would work with Marconi to give her the appropriate bill adjustment.
The company is also working to locate the hutch of the dining set, apparently lost in transit.
"This piece, which to me is the most beautiful, did not even arrive," said Marconia. “It just vanished. It’s very frustrating.”