HOUSTON – Linda Gutierrez says she first noticed a big red flag when Diamond Moving and Storage company came to pick up her belongings in a Uhaul truck, but she never thought that months later she still wouldn’t have her stuff.
She says she’s now out thousands of dollars and even worse, priceless items that could never be replaced.
”That is my entire life in that truck,” Gutierrez said.
Everything in Gutierrez’s home is brand new, but it’s not by choice.
She says back on Sept. 1, Diamond Moving and Storage hauled away her belongings for a move from California to Texas, but she hasn’t seen them since.
”Pictures, my deceased brother he bought me a teddy bear the year before I was born, I kept that my entire life because it was special to me,” she said. “No more family gatherings because I don’t have the dishes. I don’t have anything.”
Gutierrez says she paid Diamond Moving half of the cost upfront which was about 2,000 and was told her items would be delivered in eight or nine days, but the time came and went.
”Every time I would call, they would say, ‘Don’t worry you need to be patient, it’s coming, don’t worry,’” Gutierrez said.
On Oct. 18, Gutierrez says they stopped answering the phone altogether, but says she was able to text a dispatcher, who only strung her along further.
”They’re making excuses, telling me to be patient,” Gutierrez said.
When KPRC 2 news reporters tried to call, they couldn’t get through. Now, Gutierrez is warning others.
When you do a google search for the company’s address in California, it comes back to an apartment complex.
Consumer experts say it’s best to ask friends and family for recommendations and research the company thoroughly, paying close attention to reviews.
For more tips visit Mayflower.com.
To file complaints against a moving company, visit FMCSA.dot.gov or OIG.dot.gov.