Coleman American Moving Services

Our family is preparing for a move to the mid-​west in mid-​July. Since we had never had a company execute a move, we contacted Allied as well as two others for their free estimation service. Coleman/​Allied arrived promptly and provided a guaranteed estimate. I was asked to sign a binding estimate form and hesitated as I was concerned about being caught in a contract or having to absorb cancellation costs. He told me that a cancellation was not an issue, there would be no cost if done promptly. So before he left my address, he knew we had other companies scheduled for estimates as well. We received our two other estimates and after reviewing, went with an estimate that was a couple thousand cheaper than Coleman. We called Coleman to cancel (9 days after his estimate and plenty of time before the move in July). When asked why, we said we found another company that was substantially cheaper (nearly half the cost). The salesman said ‘Good luck with that and hung up’. I was copied on an internal email ‘Cancel Move’ about which I perceived sarcasm in the written comment cancel because we found someone ‘at ½ the cost’. We did not share anyone’s estimate, they were all provided the same information. Is a signed estimate from Coleman a way of binding a customer so they are less likely to cancel? We did not have to sign either of the other estimates. One of the reasons the other company was at least $ 1000 cheaper was because Coleman said they could not get their semi in the complex drive. Both of the other companies, (including my husband a CDL holder) said it was not an issue. So while the sales person was pleasant enough in pursuing the business, that pleasantness left as soon as a decision was made to cancel.