Kathryn P.'s Report

I am submitting this complaint concerning serious problems with my household goods move within California involving Coastal Moving Services, Loadrans Transportation, KF Moving, and potentially other individuals or entities whose roles have never been adequately disclosed to me. My concerns include the attempted substantial increase of my estimate at pickup, attempted additional packing/material charges, uncertainty regarding the identity of the actual carrier, lack of transparency regarding custody of my property, repeated and changing delivery representations, difficulty obtaining information regarding the location of my belongings, the use of apparently different companies and personnel during different stages of the move, payment practices, a disputed shuttle charge, and inadequate documentation. Estimate and Arrangements Before Pickup Before pickup, I received an estimate through Coastal Moving Services. The estimate was prepared without a visual inspection of my household goods. The carrier nevertheless had information regarding the items to be transported before pickup, including large or unusually shaped items such as my piano. Attempt to Increase the Estimate at Pickup My household goods were picked up on July 26, 2026. At pickup, Loadrans the loadrans movers suggested loading the items in an they would determine what an updated estimate would be. I explained that I was taking fewer things than in the original estimate. They stated that a new estimate would likely be for more than double the amount of the original estimate, despite the fact that I was actually bringing fewer items than were included in the original estimate. One of the explanations given for increasing the estimate was that certain items, including the piano, could not be stacked all the way to the top of the truck. In other words, the proposed increase appeared to be based at least partly on unused vertical space above items that could not safely be stacked upon, rather than simply on an unexpected increase in the amount of property being transported. I objected to the substantial increase. There was also an attempt to collect additional money for packing and packing materials. The movers did pack the items carefully. Because I appreciated the care the workers themselves took with my belongings, I chose to give the movers a generous tip. The tip was voluntary compensation to the individual workers for their efforts and was not payment of, or agreement to, any disputed additional transportation, packing, material, or other charges. Identity of the Actual Carrier Throughout this transaction, it has been extremely difficult to determine which company actually transported and maintained custody of my household goods. The lead individual at pickup identified the operation as Loadrans. The truck displayed other identifying information, and the individuals involved did not provide me with a clear explanation of which company employed them or which licensed household goods carrier was actually taking possession of my property. At delivery, the truck was labeled "KF Moving." The use of different company names at different stages of the move, without documentation explaining their relationships or respective responsibilities, has made it extremely difficult for me to determine which entity had legal and physical custody of my household goods at each stage. Lack of Information Regarding Location and Delivery After pickup, I experienced substantial difficulty obtaining reliable information about the location and anticipated delivery of my household goods. I repeatedly attempted to obtain information from Loadrans but received little or no meaningful response. At various times I was given changing representations regarding when my belongings would be loaded and delivered. I was initially told that the items would be loaded over a weekend and delivered approximately one to two days later. I was subsequently told that they would instead be loaded on Wednesday and delivered one to two days after that. When I called again on August 4, I was told that the items would be loaded the following day and delivered approximately one to two days later. During this period, I was unable to obtain clear confirmation of where my belongings were physically located or which company actually had possession of them. This was particularly concerning because I did not have a warehouse address or reliable direct contact information for the entity physically holding my household goods. Delivery Personnel and KF Moving The circumstances of the eventual delivery created additional questions regarding the identity of the carrier and the individuals handling my property. Only two individuals unloaded my household goods at delivery. One was the driver, whose name was not provided to me. The second individual was a man named Keith. Keith told me that he was a friend of the individual who had originally been expected to unload my belongings and that he was assisting with the unloading in that person's place. Based on what I was told, Keith therefore did not appear to be part of a regularly assigned delivery crew. The delivery truck itself was labeled "KF Moving." I was not provided documentation identifying the employer of either person unloading my belongings or explaining the relationship between KF Moving, Loadrans, Coastal Moving Services, and the other individuals or entities involved in the transportation and delivery of my household goods. I requested that authorities determine which licensed carrier actually transported my property, which entity maintained custody of it between pickup and delivery, whether any subcontracting or transfer of the shipment occurred, and whether all entities and individuals performing regulated household goods transportation were properly authorized. Shuttle Charge A shuttle charge was also imposed in connection with delivery. The delivery address had been provided in advance. Despite having the delivery location beforehand, a large truck was used and a shuttle charge was subsequently assessed. The company would not provide me with the DOT number for the semi truck that supossedly hauled the items. The final invoice did not originally contain the shuttle amount and resulting total in completed form. I personally wrote the shuttle amount and resulting total onto the final invoice by hand. This is important because I do not want my handwritten entries to be mistaken for figures originally entered by the carrier. The authorities should review the original invoice and other carrier records to determine how and when the shuttle charge was calculated and communicated. Payment Practices There were also unusual circumstances surrounding payment. At pickup, I was asked to pay using cash or Zelle. I declined. I was then required to complete paperwork authorizing payment by credit card. For the remaining balance, I was informed that payment at delivery was required by cash or money order. I request that the authorities review these payment practices together with the carrier's invoices, receipts, credit-card documentation, accounting records, and tariff requirements. Piano and Other Unresolved Issues I also attempted to obtain information regarding the handling of my piano and other aspects of the move and did not receive adequate responses to my communications. The continuing failure to respond to reasonable requests for documentation and explanations has made it difficult to determine precisely what occurred during the transportation of my property and which entity was responsible at various stages. Documentation Concerns I did not receive complete and consistent documentation identifying all parties involved in the move. The documentation and representations made to me have referenced different companies, while the vehicle appearing at delivery was labeled KF Moving. Stolen Jewelery Near the end of the delivery, one of the movers, a Russian-speaking male whose name I do not know, asked to use my bathroom. He remained alone in the bathroom for approximately 10 minutes. My friend was present at my home during the delivery and can corroborate that the mover used the bathroom and remained there for an unusually long period of time. I subsequently became concerned about the length of time he had spent in the bathroom and checked jewelry that I had stored in the bottom drawer of that bathroom. A half-moon diamond necklace was missing. I also discovered that the appraisal document for the necklace was missing. Other jewelry stored in the same location, including costume jewelry and another pair of valuable earrings, remained in the drawer. I have searched for the necklace and appraisal document and have been unable to locate either. To my knowledge, the necklace was in my possession prior to the move, and I am not aware of any other explanation for its disappearance. Because the mover had been alone in the bathroom where the jewelry was stored for approximately 10 minutes shortly before I discovered the loss, I suspect that the necklace and appraisal document may have been taken during the delivery. I request that the authorities obtain and compare the records of Coastal Moving Services, Loadrans Transportation, KF Moving, and any other involved carrier, broker, subcontractor, warehouse operator, or transportation provider, including: Estimates and revised estimates; Bills of lading and final invoices; Payment and credit-card records; Packing and material charges; Shuttle documentation and calculations; Dispatch records; Driver and vehicle records; Pickup and delivery logs; Warehouse or storage records; Records showing transfers of custody of my shipment; Communications among the companies concerning my shipment; and Records identifying the individuals and companies that physically transported and delivered my household goods. Screening and background check procedures for contracted movers.

Reported Movers