They Tried to Rob Me Before the Move Even Happened

I Just Needed to Move a Desk, But They Tried to Charge Me Thousands

I never imagined that moving a small office would turn into one of the most stressful and disturbing experiences of my life. What should have been a simple relocation from Newark, New Jersey, to Miami, Florida, turned into weeks of anxiety, anger, and financial loss.

I am sharing my experience so others can understand exactly how this company operates and avoid going through the same nightmare.

It started when I contacted Menards Moving and Storage for a quote to move my small office setup. I spoke with a representative named Joe Pirelli. At the beginning, everything seemed professional and straightforward. Joe sounded polite, friendly, and very confident. He walked me through the moving process, explained how their long-distance relocation services worked, and assured me that the company handled moves like mine all the time.

I explained my inventory clearly. I told him, “I have one office desk, one office chair, and about 10 to 15 boxes of business materials.” He responded very casually and told me that I would have space for up to 100 boxes under their cubic footage allocation.

We actually laughed about it. I remember joking, “I do not even own 100 boxes worth of stuff,” and he replied, “You will have plenty of room, do not worry about space at all.”

A few days later, I received my binding estimate and moving agreement. The quote listed space equivalent to about 87 boxes, along with my furniture. The total cost for the move was $1,794. To secure the move date of June 18, 2025, I was required to pay a deposit of $794 upfront. They made it very clear that the deposit was non-refundable. I paid it anyway because everything seemed legitimate at the time.

I received a booking confirmation with Job Number PS6268554. The contract included references to the bill of lading, carrier assignment, and estimated cubic feet allocation. The paperwork looked official and detailed, which gave me confidence that my move was properly arranged.

For several weeks, I believed everything was set.

Then everything changed.

About three weeks later, I received a call from their customer service manager, Daniel Gray. From the moment the conversation started, his tone was aggressive and confrontational. He asked me to confirm my inventory again. I told him exactly what I had told Joe before, “One desk, one chair, and around 10 to 15 boxes.”

His response shocked me.

He immediately said, “You do not have enough space on your order.”

I was confused and said, “What are you talking about? I was quoted space for 87 boxes.”

He kept repeating, “It is an estimate. It is an estimate,” talking over me every time I tried to speak. I asked him how my allocated space could suddenly shrink when my inventory had not changed. He ignored the question and said I would need to pay an additional $650 immediately to secure enough cubic feet. He also warned me that if I refused, the movers on pickup day could charge thousands more based on the actual volume.

That statement terrified me. The idea that movers could show up and demand thousands of dollars or refuse to move my items made me extremely uncomfortable.

I tried to reason with him. I told him, “You quoted me space for 87 boxes. Now I am telling you I only have 15. How is that not enough?”

He continued speaking in a condescending tone and began explaining cubic footage calculations as if I did not understand basic measurements. I told him I understood cubic feet perfectly well. I even said sarcastically, “Should I come down to Florida and explain how to pack a box?”

His response stunned me.

He said, “Was that a threat? Florida is a stand your ground state.”

I could not believe a business representative would speak to a customer that way. I felt shocked, angry, and honestly intimidated. He repeatedly told me the calls were being recorded, and I told him that was good because of how he was treating me.

During the call, he also claimed that Joe Pirelli had made major mistakes in my original quote and would likely be fired. At that moment, I started realizing something was very wrong. It felt like they were blaming their own employee just to justify demanding more money.

The conversation ended with no resolution. I was frustrated, stressed, and deeply concerned about trusting this company with my property.

The next day, I called again to cancel the move. I explained clearly that I did not want to proceed due to the conflicting information and aggressive behavior. Daniel simply told me, "Fine. Deal with the movers when they show up." His response made me feel completely trapped.

I tried contacting Joe repeatedly because he had originally handled my booking. I called several times and sent emails, but never received a response. It was as if he had disappeared.

After many attempts, someone finally answered my call and introduced himself as the owner of the company, Mr. Menard. I explained everything that had happened, including the sudden price increase and Daniel’s behavior.

He sounded understanding and told me, “You will be fine. Your move is secure. There will be no additional charges.”

By that point, I had already lost trust. I was terrified that my items would be held hostage or that I would face unexpected charges on pickup day. The fear was so intense that I unpacked all my prepared boxes and began stuffing everything I could into my personal car. Unfortunately, my large office desk, which cost me $800, could not fit. I was forced to abandon moving it because I no longer trusted the company.

The owner told me that his senior employee, Teddy, would contact me to resolve the situation. Shortly after, Teddy called me and reviewed my file. He assured me repeatedly that I had more than enough space and would not pay anything beyond my original quote. He explained the dimensions, cubic feet calculations, and inventory list in detail.

I was completely confused.

Just days earlier, I had been aggressively told I did not have enough space and must pay hundreds more. Now I was being told the opposite. The inconsistency made it obvious that this was a bait and switch operation designed to pressure customers into paying additional money.

I told Teddy I wanted to cancel the move entirely. I explained that I no longer trusted the company and feared additional charges or my belongings being held until payment was made. He calmly informed me that my $794 deposit was non-refundable.

I asked, “What exactly did I deposit for? No truck was assigned. No moving crew was scheduled. No service was performed.”

I never received a clear answer.

At that point, I realized I had been trapped in a system designed to extract money regardless of whether the move happened or not. I immediately filed a chargeback with my credit card company and submitted a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

To make matters worse, when I later checked my online quote link, the estimate had mysteriously disappeared. Fortunately, I had taken screenshots of all documents, including my moving agreement, estimate, and job number PS6268554.

The entire experience left me angry, violated, and financially cheated. What began as a simple office relocation became weeks of stress, fear, and loss.

Evidence Provided by the User

Note: No photos or videos were shared by the user. The story above is a real experience shared by the person who went through it and is published to warn others.

Warning to Other Customers

Be extremely cautious when dealing with this company. Customers may be given attractive quotes upfront, only to face sudden price changes, aggressive communication, and pressure to pay additional fees. Always verify your binding estimate, cubic footage allocation, and refund policy before paying any deposit. Do not trust verbal assurances, and keep records of all agreements, calls, and documents to protect yourself from potential bait-and-switch tactics.