Affiliated Van Lines Of Lawton Oklahoma — Local services in Lawton

Pack date 25 August 2016 Unfortunately being that I am military I didn't choose my movers. This is the second time I have been moved by the military and the first time was phenomenal and I was moving a 3 bed 2 bath apartment and they were so amazing!! This time I am only moving a barracks room. Which is basically a master bedroom and I already have two boxes that are already packed because I didn't unpack them myself. First of all, they were supposed to contact me the day or two prior to the pack date, Thursday. I was unable to get in contact with anyone and I had to go to my transportation office to actually get in touch with someone the Wednesday before. They told me they had not gotten to scheduling and to call back around 4:30 or 5 that same day. Mind you this was scheduled the week prior. Anyways, when I called, Raymond (who I spoke with), told me he still hadn't looked at the scheduling but looked and proceeded to tell me they would be there around 1. He then asked me if I would like a call if something changes. I said yes. So Thursday, they did not show up at 1 so, around 2 I called and Raymond told me that they should be on there way at that he would call them( so much for calling if something changed). He didn't ask to call me back nor did he even try to call back and let me know anything. So another hour goes by and I was about to call and ask where they were and the finally showed up. Now no one said sorry we were late or anything. Instead I showed them what was needing to be packed and they huffed and puffed because they didn't bring enough supplies or boxes. As I was watching them pack I slowly grabbed things that I did not ruined and decided to take them with me.They were very rough with my breakables and packed my stuff in a very rough manner. I feel like they wouldn't want their valuables packed in that same manner! As I was watching them I was getting more and more upset. I grabbed somethings that I refused to let them pack and continued to watch. Now, in the middle of this they had to call someone to bring more boxes. So they told me they would wait outside until the other people showed up. Which is fine. But I did tell them everything that was being packed the day before but I guess they didn't put that into consideration?? They left everything in a whirlwind and walked out. So since they didn't want to clean up their mess I did it for them. I would think that being that they are working with military they would be a little more respectful... Never mind I would think being that they are a professional company they would be a little more respectful! I'm very disappointed in this company and hope the army drops their contract with his company and finds people who have a little...

Up front: this is a long post, sorry.

Don't ever use Affiliated Van Lines (sub to United) to move you (if you have an option). I am in the military, and this has been the worst pack and load experience in the 30+ years I've experienced it. I'm on my FIFTH day of pack and load, and only got done before 2200 one time. The company is so mismanaged the packers and loaders can't keep up.

Here is my timeline for those curious:

26 June, 0700: at house, waiting

26 June, 1930: first Packers show up, work until 2200 when I tell them to go home. They had been working since 0700, and were noticeably tired. I never received a call to tell me where the crew was at any point during the day.

27 June, 0700: at house, waiting

27 June, 0830: Packers show up and pseudo finish my household goods packing at 1530.

28 June, 0700: at house, waiting

28 June, 0830: Packers show up for non temp storage before household goods have packed or loaded. This element was scheduled for 1 July. I call dispatch to notify them of the mix up and ask them to return Monday. My home is not prepared for non temp storage.

28 June, 1630: truck shows up to begin loading and finish packing big items, again without notification of where my crew was. Two of the six crates to ship my stuff to Germany are literally falling apart. Truck driver has to leave to get two new crates, returns two hours later. Call it a night, albeit incomplete, at 2315.

29 June, 0700: at house, waiting. This is Saturday, and the day AFTER my household goods shipment should have been complete. At 1430, finally lose my cool and call the dispatcher to find out where my crew was.

29 June, 1600: crew shows up to finish packing and loading. Day is finished at 2230. I had to personally repair crates that arrived, as the sides were completely off.

1 July, 0700: at house waiting for non temp storage packers to arrive. At 1030, loading crew shows up to load what they presumed was already packed. Loaders do not know how to pack, but spent the day doing it anyways because packers are unavailable. So here I sit in my home again at 2100 with an incomplete job and AT LEAST an hour of work remaining.

I will say that the crew that has shown up has been polite and professional with me. They have been careful with my belongings and I appreciate that.

Fort Sill inspectors have been notified, and I intend to take this further so it doesn't happen to anyone else, at least in the military. Please pray for my property. I am not confident in the capabilities of...

In a word.... Nightmare (a terrifying or very unpleasant experience or prospect).

Affiliated Van Lines of Lawton, OK was contracted for the final segment of my military retirement move which involved picking up my household goods from non-temporary storage and delivering them to my new residence.

Sounds simple enough for a trucking company. This is what should have happened.

Dates are confirmed. Bill of Lading all set.

Trucking company has truck, trucking company picks up boxes, trucking company drives to new residence, trucking company unloads boxes.

Didn't quite go like that. This is what really happened.

Dates are confirmed (I have the emails). Bill of Lading all set (again, I have the emails)

Trucking company doesn't pick up boxes, trucking company doesn't drive to new residence, trucking company doesn't unload boxes, trucking company doesn't contact customer, customer contacts trucking company from empty house on scheduled delivery day, trucking company gives excuses excuses excuses and can't understand why I'm less than happy, boxes still in storage, no resolution in sight. THE END.

Now of course I'm back to navigate the night-terror government bureaucracy that took 2 months of the type of devotion that only mothers and combat veterans understand to get the shipment scheduled in the first place (The government bureaucracy debacle is a whole other story). Hopefully the government will reschedule quickly and with a different carrier. Of this I am not so optimistic as I just retired from a big government bureaucracy and am painfully aware of the ills of big governments.

The good news is when I called Affiliated's claims department she offered to buy me some paper plates to hold me over.

Last night I had visions of Affiliated Van Lines employees resting comfortably watching Matlock on a 70 inch plasma from the comfort of their sofa after a home cooked meal eaten off of fine china and looking forward to a comfortable night's rest on their Sealy Posturepedic while I ate chinese take-out on the floor from paper plates watching youtube on my phone dreading a terrible night's sleep in my sleeping bag on the floor.

Great Job Affiliated.......