Universal Movers AU

This company should be shut down because everything they say on their advertisement is a big lie!!!! I am unable to lift due to spine conditions & spine surgery, my husband was stuck up north & I had no choice but to book a company to help me move to our new house. Biggest mistake was choosing this company because instead of taking the stress out they put the stress in. I was left with my furniture dumped everywhere & my bed frame left in the hallway because they couldn’t get it in, instead of helping me out they told me to dismantle it myself, I ended up paying a lot more than they said over the phone quotation & there were SURPRISE COSTS instead of NO Surprise costs!!!

I had to call on others to help with the disaster I was left in so that myself & 3 kids could sleep in our new home tonight.

Universal movers you should be ashamed of yourself for this disgusting service because you are nothing what you claim to be on your website.

Move size: Partial Move Service cost: $357

Contracted Universal Movers to move my things amidst a highly stressful period of moving out for me. Explained several times in detail the pieces of furniture and things to be moved including my piano. Was quoted $120 per hour for 2 hour minimum and $120 for the piano. Upon arriving I am informed the piano is actually $120 PER PERSON. Considering it is impossible to move a piano with only one person, this is highly misleading and deceptive practice. How hard is it to explain on the phone, while being contracted, the ACTUAL price you will be quoting? No mention at any point it is actually $240 to move the piano. I ring management (or "Karen") to discuss this and say you could have least mentioned this on the phone beforehand before suprising the customer with hidden charges! She tries to evade responsibility with ridiculous excuses like, "this is standard price to move a piano". That's not the point "Karen"! The point is you should clearly inform your customer BEFOREHAND what the actual price is and not spring it on them at the last minute while they are already maximally stressed out of their mind! Telling me piano removal is $120 extra first and then having your removal guys tell me its actually $120 per person is shoddy, terrible, poor quality customer service and you are entirely at fault here. I was eventually able to get "Karen" to admit to her mistake and admit that yes, she probably should have mentioned and clarified this on the phone beforehand. You think?!?!

But the fun didn't stop there! Oh no. This fu**ing sh*tshow just kept going and going! Other suprise last-minute info included: if I'm going to be paying by card, there's a GST + mysterious "extra fee" of 13%(!) extra surcharge to pay. Again, why not let the customer know all this esoteric labyrinthine detail BEFOREHAND. They try to claim in their pathetic defence that I had been informed of all this already. I showed them what I had been sent which only mentioned gst excluded in their price. No mention as to any excess surcharge prices if paying by card. Ok, fine, decided to pay by cash no problem. Just be done with the bloody job I'm paying you for!!

The next lovely part to this experience was demanding payment in full BEFORE even finishing their job!! So they get and move most of the items to the new location and leave the piano and some bookcases and things and now demand full payment before finishing the job. Never heard of anything like this in my life! More arguments erupt and I demand to speak to their manager, the lovely Karen. Doubt she's even in Australia!! Should have gone with my initial bad call-centre scam vibe instincts. She informs me payment upon completion of 70% of the job is standard practice. Again Karen, would be nice if you mentioned and explained all this well beforehand. Is that really so much to expect and ask for?

I was beyond stressed and exasperated at this point, just wanted it all done finally, so I payed them IN FULL so they could move my piano and we could be done with it all. Next thing I know, they are having troubles and problems with their truck and the piano has become stuck and now they're calling for MY help!!! Wtf am I supposed to do?? I've just payed you in full BEFORE you've completed your job and the first thing you do is you're unable to do it. What am I paying you for?? Things couldn't possibly get worse could they? Well I wasn't thinking straight, there was a lot going on and I'm highly stressed. Just wanted it done. Used to having to do everyone's f***ing job for them so I go try to assist them and of course what do you think happened?? Next thing I know my arm is popping and cracking, I'm screaming in pain, and I'm in total shock from being injured. I have experience here because earlier in the year I ruptured my left arm tendon fully requiring surgery. Still recovering from that. And now I'm in hospital as I write this waiting for a scan to know the full extent of the damage. And mark my words, If I require more surgery on my opposite arm, I'll be suing this company into the ground where they belong!! They are dodgy af and shouldn't be allowed to operate in this country. And do you think they took any responsibility or even showed any sympathy to me devastated and writhing in pain? No, they typically blamed it on me, said I should have been pushing instead of pulling bs!! Took my money and fu**ed off outta there. Well I'm the fu**ing customer, I shouldn't have to be assisting you in your job you're being payed for!!! I'm extremely angry obviously and if you can learn anything from my experience it is don't trust this company, stay FAR FAR AWAY and protect yourself and stay safe. They did a terrible job anyway since I had to do half their work for them! FU UNIVERSAL MOVERS

Move size: 1 Bedroom Flat Service cost: $480

These people are an absolute disgrace not an actual business. They have only started out and I’m assuming by so many reviews have let others down just like me. I can be honest that I was happy to the movers were able to get my furniture from A to B and up the stairs to my apartment but many of my items were damaged. When I went to go CONFRONT 4 times !!! They like to ignore you. I will call and they will pretend like I’m not even on the phone and barely respond to me and just say “please wait”. The admin is not a real admin - she doesn’t have any customer service skills and they will not help you when they damage your items. I was told my stair charge wouldn’t be any more than $50. I paid immediately on the day cause I am an understanding person and understand workers need to go straight on to other jobs so I paid straight after the last item brought in so I didn’t have a chance to assess items or confirm charges. It took three weeks from move in date to get a copy of the invoice as to find that I was charged $100 just for stair charges!!! When I said I wouldn’t be charged more than $50 for stair charge. I will be ensuring to let EVERYONE know about this disgusting so called business!!! I rate a zero and a always share my input in all Facebook posts I see about removalists to not go to this scam. Do not waste your time.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $350

They are the worst company, undersized truck arrives, 1/2 the size booked, and kept lying about its size, the manager kept telling me on the phone I was wrong and the truck was not a 4 tonne truck. They started loading and after 1 hour demand cash up front or else they won’t start, and would unload the truck. They know your moving that day and have no other choice. Read their reviews online and look for all the real ones, not the fake 5 star ones. Luckily I have my truck license and some mates. ended up hiring my own truck and pissing them off after a few hours or the job wouldn’t have been finished.

Move size: 4+ Bedroom Home Service cost: $800

BEWARE! Universal Movers Perth are misleading and deceptive. The first quote I had for a 4.5 ton truck with two men was $150 per hour plus a $100 call out fee. Their website says 4 ton truck with 2 men $45 per half hour. When I booked, I was told the call out fee was now $150. I was under pressure to move on a particular day, so accepted the increased call out fee and paid $150 deposit with Sarah over the phone. I was not given a receipt for the deposit.

The move was an easy one. Furniture was already wrapped and packed in a storage shed. Truck was able to pull right up to the shed. The drop off was a ground floor unit and the truck was able to pull up right at the front door.

When all the contents were unloaded the driver asked for payment for 2.5 hours. I agreed with 2.5 hours (although it was 2.3) and said it should be $375 plus $150 call out fee, $525 total. Driver said, no, it’s $577.50. He had to add GST. I was under pressure with the whole move, so paid $577.50. I asked for a tax invoice but only got an eftpos receipt. The driver said he doesn’t give paperwork. Later, when I had a chance to recheck the quote, which was on a text message, the quote of $150 per hour had included GST, plus I then realised the deposit I had paid had not been deducted.

When I contacted the company about being overcharged $202.50 (GST and the deposit) and requested a refund, they refused. I was then told I was being charged for a ‘long walk distance’, which is absolute rubbish. When I said so, the written reply was ‘Long walk was charged by driver, not by the company so you have paid them so we can’t do anything’. Not a very good answer. My business dealing was with the company not the driver. They are now refusing to respond to my texts. I gave them notice I would post my experience on review sites if the situation was not rectified. There was no reply. They had the opportunity. I now see there is no ABN on their website and when I do an ASIC search it appears the business is not registered. I’m going to look further into it but want others to be very wary about dealing with them.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $727