150 Military families stranded

Action News Jacksonville ^ | 7/23/2018 | Matt

[mainstreetradical.com]

More than 150 military families say a Jacksonville-based moving company made their move a disaster, complaining of delays and ruined belongings.

Action News Jax first exposed complaints on Thursday about military families spending weeks stranded without their belongings after the military assigned Suddath Relocation Systems to be their mover.

Since then, dozens of military families have personally shared their stories with Action News Jax.

A group of about 150 people have joined a Facebook group within the past month to vent their frustrations about Suddath military moves.

[GnuThere]

Anything like this makes one wonder how they got the contract - which, being the govt, probably includes overpaying for services not rendered.

[Jet Jaguar]

Ping.

[GreyHoundSailor]

I had 14 PCS moves in 25 years, including four overseas. After I took the time to learn what the General/Flag Officers request (that any of the rest of us can), I never had any major damage.

One can actually demand the moving company build wooden crates to protect antiques and family heirlooms. The base will attempt to discourage a member from requesting these services by scaring them - but it’s all a pack of lies. I also demanded overseas shipping containers for INCONUS moves. They didn’t like it, but it’s an option nobody will ever divulge.

[big'ol_freeper]

With twenty years of military service, I can tell you this is not something new. Broken furniture, missing and destroyed items, washers that get rented out while you are deployed (evidenced by leaking water when they deliver them). Cars get shipped and when you pick them up parts are missing. Fact of life.

[I-ambush]

We moved from Ft. Polk , LA, to Fitzsimons Army Medical Center when I started my residency; our household goods were over a month late, and the moving company said they had no clue where they were. After weeks of air mattresses and eating at a card table, our stuff was abruptly delivered. I was not very friendly to the driver until he explained that our original driver, his friend, had been murdered at a truck stop in Oklahoma.

[TADSLOS]

LMAO.

[SkyPilot]

We moved from Ft. Polk , LA, to Fitzsimons Army Medical Center when I started my residency; our household goods were over a month late, and the moving company said they had no clue where they were. After weeks of air mattresses and eating at a card table, our stuff was abruptly delivered. I was not very friendly to the driver until he explained that our original driver, his friend, had been murdered at a truck stop in Oklahoma.

Wow!

[rey]

Good golly. THis has been going on forever.

BREAKING: The Truck Carrying Your Household Goods Just Drove Off A Cliff

https://www.duffelblog.com/2015/01/breaking-truck-carrying-your-household-goods-just-drove-off-a-cliff/

[ronniesgal]

we lived in 17 different homes when My Marine was active duty and only 1 move was tough. I’m sorry for these folks though.

[where's_the_Outrage?]

My mother would tell the story how moving from Germany to the States she prepared my breakfast of eggs and it vanished. Two month later she unpacked the eggs at our new residence.

[Ronniesque]

That can be forgiven of course. Belated prayers to his fanily.

[vette6387]

“Suddath Relocation Systems”

Sounds Muslim to me! Just who are these people?

[SkyPilot]

towing company towed my car out of secure parking , ON THE NAVAL BASE, while I was deployed. When I got back , I was informed that my 72 Roadrunner, was mistaken for another car. After repeated attempts to get the base to help and repeated attempts to get the tow lot to forget the 1300 dollar tow and storage fee, me and a few buddies cut the chain and drove it off. Next day guy was at the gate with the cops. Cop asked what happened. I said that miraculously , I found my car parked on a street side in N. Charleston. Since I had a key and a title I drove it home. Lot guy screamed I “Stole” it off his lot. Cop looks a title and informs guy that I cant steal my own car. No further action taken.

Lol! Good for you.

Gotta love those South Carolina cops.

A lot of people in the public cannot fathom trying to screw over military members and family members - but unfortunately it happens.

Other times, people are great and restore your faith in humanity.

We got back from one overseas assignment, and picked up one of our vehicles (that I paid to ship myself) in North New Jersey. We had a rental van, and we drove it to this massive cargo port outside of NYC. They called and told us the car was in.

I had to pick up the family and leave straight from work, so I was in uniform. We had the kids in tow.

When I got there, a lady informed us they could not find the paperwork. I thought...."Well, here we go...."

But a guy with a massive NJ accent came over and said not to worry. He started barking orders, and men from all over started moving. He got the kids lemon aid and ice cream. A huge Italian guy came over and offered me his massive hand - and told me his cousin was a firefighter and died on 911. Then he thanked me and my family. Soon, they found the car, and the drove it out front. About six guys started washing and cleaning it (it got dusty on the ship).

Before we left, every guy on the lot shook my hand.

Welcome home!

[Ronniesque]

family

[prophetic]

Well of course they’ll hate it, they can’t get their grubby hands on your stuff to steal.

[Mark17]

I was in the USAF for 20 years. My moves were not too bad. Only a few things were missing, but I always wondered, who ended up with my stuff? I heard other horror stories, including an NCO, who came from CONUS to Germany, who lost absolutely everything he owned.
The claim allegedly was, the container ship, had several containers fall overboard, so a number of people lost everything. He was not a happy camper, and got reimbursed pennies on the dollar. Then, after a screwing like that, they still expect one to be highly motivated to do a good job. 👎
This has been going on for MANY decades. It is not new.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

the moving companies label EVERYTHING you own as soiled, stained, and scratched as a hedge against any claim you file.

That might be a bit dicier now than it was back in the days of expensive film. Nowadays it’s not that safe to assume that the owner hasn’t photo documented the condition of all his furniture before you arrived . . .

[prophetic]

So those parasites politicians Nelson & Rubio is gonna get involved in this? WHY? Can & will they force a full reimbursement for everyone pain, suffering & losses or they are doing it just to get some media free coverage in an election year?

[HotHunt]

We moved around a lot when I was a kid. My dad was career Air Force. I remember several times having to rely on our camping gear for weeks on end before getting our household goods. And stuff would be broken and missing.

Then my wife and I moved a lot with the Air Force when we were career military. We experienced the same delays on some moves and lived on our camping gear for weeks. Things were broken and on one move, many small items missing.

I think it's the nature of the beast. Moving contractors feeding off the transfers of military families. What could go wrong?

Except now they're sucking off the government teat and liking it. Quality control is not a concern. Shit happens.

After I got out of the military and my wife was still on active duty, I worked a few months at a moving and storage place. If your shipment goes into storage without going directly to the destination, they are going to steal things from your load when they unpack the truck and repack it into the storage container. Things go missing. These guys looked at it like a perk of the job.

After decades of moving as kids and then as adults, my wife and I learned the steps to the most successful moves. Pack everything yourself. Watch them load it and sign your inventory sheet. Then follow them on the trip to your destination. Watch them unload the truck directly into the house or a storage unit that you rent and control.

We never had any broken or missing items when we followed this process. Moving delays were non-existent.

But crappy military family moving contractors has been a problem for decades.