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CATrends: Terms That Prevent Consumers from Posting Negative Reviews
Lawsuits take aim at so-called non-disparagement clauses.
TINA.org reader says moving company failed to live up to its ads. She’s not the only one.
College HUNKS, which offers local and long-distance moving services, claims on its website that it handles customers’ belongings with the “utmost care.”
And for local moves, the company says it goes above and beyond, carefully wrapping “every item” before loading it onto the truck.
But recently a TINA.org reader who was persuaded by the advertising and hired the company for a local move gave College HUNKS a failing grade.
Not only did the movers not wrap any of her items, they damaged two pieces of furniture including a valuable armoire, she said. The HUNKS also took a chunk out of a doorframe at her old house.
The reader provided photos of the damage:
Adding insult to injury, the reader said College HUNKS is now requiring that she pay her remaining balance (more than $450) before she can file a claim for the damages.
Turns out, her experience with College HUNKS isn’t that unique even if the items that were damaged in the move were.
Consumers have complained to the BBB about College HUNKS movers breaking various pieces of furniture and electronics and then offering no or minimal reimbursement for the damages after a difficult claims process. A sampling of BBB consumer complaints and negative reviews follows.
But wait, there’s more.
College HUNKS also boasts that it has the “most 5-star reviews in the moving industry,” by which it actually means “over 1 million reviews averaging 4.8 stars.”
But where are these glowing customer reviews posted?
None of the customer reviews featured on the company’s website have star ratings. And despite the company’s A- rating with the BBB, its average customer review rating is 2.6 stars. (Fun fact: Customer reviews don’t factor into BBB ratings.) The company doesn’t fare much better on Trustpilot, where the average customer review rating is 3.2 stars. These sites also only combine to total 137 reviews.
TINA.org reached out to College HUNKS for comment. Check back for updates.
Find more of our coverage on moving services here.
Lawsuits take aim at so-called non-disparagement clauses.
Consumer tips worth remembering.
Comparing the amount companies agree to pay to settle deceptive marketing charges with their annual revenue.