Some companies count on you being too desperate to push back.

What would you do if a moving company waited until your lease was up before tacking on a massive last-minute fee?

Would you give in and just move on with your life?

Or would you make sure they paid for it in the long run?

In today’s story, one man finds himself in a similar situation and chooses the long game.

Here’s what he did.

Recommendations against moving company

In 2006, I was living in Richmond, VA.

Having recently been laid off, I planned a move back to the San Francisco Bay Area.

I contacted Atlas Van Lines, who had moved me from California to the East Coast originally (back when my employer paid for it), to move me back.

Atlas sent an estimator to survey my belongings and the building, to note the scope of the job and any special conditions.

I was living in the downtown area, in a big loft-style apartment building that had been converted from a former tobacco warehouse.

The estimator said it was a pretty standard job, nothing out of the ordinary for the mover.

The estimate went way up on the day of the move.

The day of the move (a Saturday), the local contractor hired by Atlas arrives, and tells me they can’t fit their truck into the area where the building’s loading dock is located; they have to park around the corner, and so there will be an extra charge for them to carry all my stuff from the loading dock to the truck.

This charge will amount to roughly an additional FIFTY PERCENT of the original estimate.

I tell them that’s not my problem, that Atlas agreed to this job; they respond that they are within their rights to walk if I won’t agree to the extra charge, as it’s not specified in the contract.

Atlas’ customer service was, of course, completely useless.

Having no choice in the matter, as my lease ended the next day, I had to agree to the extra charge.

When I complained to Atlas corporate on Monday, they said there was nothing they could do; it was “just an estimate.”

Now, he does the opposite of sending them clients.

Fast forward to now. I have been a real estate agent in the SF Bay Area for over a decade now, and I see a lot of people moving into and out of the area.

Over a dozen times, I’ve seen posts asking for recommendations regarding interstate movers, and I’ve sent all of them my experience above, which details my horrible experience with Atlas.

I know for a fact that a number of them have stated they’ll definitely not be choosing Atlas, and two even made their employer change from Atlas as their moving vendor of choice.

So forget you, Atlas Van Lines, for doing a crappy job in estimating and letting your contractors take advantage of me.

I’ve cost you somewhere between $50,000 and $150,000 in business in the past ten years, at least, and I’ll keep doing it as long as I hear about people hiring moving companies.

Bravo! That’s one way to stick it to the man.

Let’s see what the fine people over at Reddit think about Atlas and what this guy did.

This person feels Atlas was shady with them, too.

Yet another person who was unhappy with Atlas.

Wow! This is good to know.

Yet another Atlas horror story.

That’s just wrong!

If this is how Atlas treats customers, they shouldn’t be in business.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.