Can a mover company charge me for their time and gas if they weren't able to complete

[ayase]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Washington

Mover company was asked to do a pick up and delivery job. They were given contact numbers of both destinations (pick up and delivery), yet when they could not find the location, failed to call either of us to confirm the address. Instead he drove around for an hour and a half, called to say he will no longer do the job., then says he will still bill us for the time and gas he wasted looking around. Is that something I am legally obligated to do?

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Washington

Mover company was asked to do a pick up and delivery job. They were given contact numbers of both destinations (pick up and delivery), yet when they could not find the location, failed to call either of us to confirm the address. Instead he drove around for an hour and a half, called to say he will no longer do the job., then says he will still bill us for the time and gas he wasted looking around. Is that something I am legally obligated to do?

No. Not unless you signed some sort of odd agreement with the moving company saying you will pay all costs, even if the moving company fails to do any moving.

 

[ayase]

No. Not unless you signed some sort of odd agreement with the moving company saying you will pay all costs, even if the moving company fails to do any moving.

I did not sign anything. We were to pay after the job was done, so but we contacted the moving company via phone and communicated via email after. So he says he's going to be sending me an invoice for time and gas; I can simply refuse?

(Thank you for any help and info!)

 

[quincy]

I did not sign anything. We were to pay after the job was done, so but we contacted the moving company via phone and communicated via email after. So he says he's going to be sending me an invoice for time and gas; I can simply refuse?

(Thank you for any help and info!)

Based strictly on what you have posted here, and not knowing all of the facts of your arrangement with this moving company, I think you can safely refuse to pay for the mover's time and gas. He did not perform what he was hired to do.

An example: If I order a pizza for delivery, and the pizza guy drives around looking for my home and never finds it, I do not owe anything for the pizza I did not receive, and I do not owe for the time and gas used by the pizza guy in his failed attempt to deliver the pizza. The agreement was the pizza guy delivers the pizza, I pay for the pizza.

Now, if you provided the mover with an incorrect address, that would change things a bit.

And, none of this is to say that the mover won't try to cause trouble anyway, just that the mover does not appear to have any valid legal grounds for causing it.

 

[ayase]

Based strictly on what you have posted here, and not knowing all of the facts of your arrangement with this moving company, I think you can safely refuse to pay for the mover's time and gas. He did not perform what he was hired to do.

An example: If I order a pizza for delivery, and the pizza guy drives around looking for my home and never finds it, I do not owe anything for the pizza I did not receive, and I do not owe for the time and gas used by the pizza guy in his failed attempt to deliver the pizza. The agreement was the pizza guy delivers the pizza, I pay for the pizza.

Now, if you provided the mover with an incorrect address, that would change things a bit.

And, none of this is to say that the mover won't try to cause trouble anyway, just that the mover does not appear to have any valid legal grounds for causing it.

I forgot to answer your previous question: no there was no agreement signed. It was all over the phone or via email, in which we would be billed at the completion of the delivery.

In terms of address is where I think I would have an issue. The address given to him mistakenly left out the "west" at the end via a copy and paste error. I guess I'm wondering if I'm liable if there were no checks and balances in place to double check addresses prior to his jobs. Or would it fall on me if he didn't do a good job in making sure all information he was given was correct? I know from previous experiences with delivery companies regarkdess of already given information they generally call to say they're on their way and to verify the address, this obviously didn't happen. So legally I guess I'm wondering I'd this still falls on my doorstep with this invoice he will be sending me.

 

[quincy]

I forgot to answer your previous question: no there was no agreement signed. It was all over the phone or via email, in which we would be billed at the completion of the delivery.

In terms of address is where I think I would have an issue. The address given to him mistakenly left out the "west" at the end via a copy and paste error. I guess I'm wondering if I'm liable if there were no checks and balances in place to double check addresses prior to his jobs. Or would it fall on me if he didn't do a good job in making sure all information he was given was correct? I know from previous experiences with delivery companies regarkdess of already given information they generally call to say they're on their way and to verify the address, this obviously didn't happen. So legally I guess I'm wondering I'd this still falls on my doorstep with this invoice he will be sending me.

It has been my experience that, if a delivery person is having difficulty finding a location, they will call to confirm the address. They do not drive around and waste their gas and then give up.

The mover perhaps has more of a legitimate complaint if you provided the wrong address. That said, he still failed to meet his part of the agreement, which was to pick up and deliver whatever it was he was hired to pick up and deliver, so that would (generally) release you from your obligation under the agreement.

 

[Nellibelle]

I sincerely hope you at least got back what they failed to deliver!

 

[quincy]

I sincerely hope you at least got back what they failed to deliver!

You are assuming the mover picked up what was being delivered.

 

[ayase]

It has been my experience that, if a delivery person is having difficulty finding a location, they will call to confirm the address. They do not drive around and waste their gas and then give up.

The mover perhaps has more of a legitimate complaint if you provided the wrong address. That said, he still failed to meet his part of the agreement, which was to pick up and deliver whatever it was he was hired to pick up and deliver, so that would (generally) release you from your obligation under the agreement.

Thank you for your time, help and info. When I receive the invoice I will state the situation as such and see how he reacts. I guess if worse comes to worse I can take it to the Better Business Bureau. I've never used their services before, but was recommended to me by a friend for this situation.

I sincerely hope you at least got back what they failed to deliver!

They didn't even pick it up. Cause of that I had to call a bunch of movers before I found one who was available for tomorrow morning (deadline for pickup), which now I had to pay more cause of the rush. = (

 

[quincy]

Thank you for your time, help and info. When I receive the invoice I will state the situation as such and see how he reacts. I guess if worse comes to worse I can take it to the Better Business Bureau. I've never used their services before, but was recommended to me by a friend for this situation.



They didn't even pick it up. I had to call a bunch of movers before I found one who was available for tomorrow morning (deadline for pickup), which now I had to pay more cause of the rush. = (

Because the first mover put you in a position where you were forced to pay more for a rush service, you could use that fact if you receive an invoice from the first mover and wish to dispute it. If the first mover is faced with the prospect of having to pay YOUR extra costs, due to his failure to verify the addresses and his failure to meet the terms of the agreement, he may decide it is best to drop the matter.

Good luck.

 

[Nellibelle]

You are assuming the mover picked up what was being delivered.

Yes I was, because there was no indication that the moving company didn't pick up the item for delivery. I interpreted that the item was picked up and the moving company couldn't find exactly where it was to be delivered. The OP's post could have been interpreted either way, correct?

 

[quincy]

Yes I was, because there was no indication that the moving company didn't pick up the item for delivery. I interpreted that the item was picked up and the moving company couldn't find exactly where it was to be delivered. The OP's post could have been interpreted either way, correct?

I suggest you don't try to "interpret" posts, Nellibelle. You have not been real successful doing that in the past.

 

[Silverplum]

I forgot to answer your previous question: no there was no agreement signed. It was all over the phone or via email, in which we would be billed at the completion of the delivery.

In terms of address is where I think I would have an issue. The address given to him mistakenly left out the "west" at the end via a copy and paste error. I guess I'm wondering if I'm liable if there were no checks and balances in place to double check addresses prior to his jobs. Or would it fall on me if he didn't do a good job in making sure all information he was given was correct? I know from previous experiences with delivery companies regarkdess of already given information they generally call to say they're on their way and to verify the address, this obviously didn't happen. So legally I guess I'm wondering I'd this still falls on my doorstep with this invoice he will be sending me.

The incorrect address part of the story wasn't worth mentioning in posts 1-3?

 

[Nellibelle]

I suggest you don't try to "interpret" posts, Nellibelle. You have not been real successful doing that in the past.

Why don't you answer my question? Because it COULD have been interpreted either way, that's why!

 

[quincy]

Why don't you answer my question? Because it COULD have been interpreted either way, that's why!

STOP with the "interpreting" of posts, Nellibelle. You guessed. Your guess was wrong.