**DO NOT USE Monster Movers or Monsters Near Me. BEWARE of Bill Antonelli and his wife (or ex) Sarah Christie. Not professional and totally untrustworthy. Charged me an additional $200 on day of recent move and HELD FURNITURE HOSTAGE until I agreed to pay. More on this later.

In July 2019 I contacted B. Antonelli at Monster Movers for quote, once received I gave a $100 credit card deposit. Move was for September 1, 2019 from Worcester, MA to East Boston. I completed the inventory list on-line to move a small one bedroom as follows: mattress, box-spring, unassembled bed frame, chest, 6 moving boxes, small lap top desk&chair, small kitchen table & 4 chairs and small rug.

Quote received:"Estimated job time" 4 hours-4 hours 45 minutes
"Estimated quote: $796-$946.25 (this is 2 movers at $199 per hr)
"Estimated travel time" 1 hour-1 hour 45 minutes - which is included in the above estimated job time.

Move date 9/1/19, scheduled pickup 10 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.. Moving from Worcester, MA single family residence (all inventory on 1st floor of house) to E.Boston ground floor apartment. Prior to move couple text messages sent to me showed discrepancy with pickup time on moving day. Numerous attempts to resolve (via texts, e-mails, voice mail messages) - no response from S. Christie or anyone, totally unprofessional. The day of the move at 6:40 am. I heard back, pickup 9-10:30 range.

Movers arrive in a Penske truck (not Monster Movers) at 9:15 a.m. Driver stated to me per Sarah's instruction cash payment only. At no point was I ever informed of this. Ms. Christie eventually agreed to personal check. And oddly enough driver said he did not have the actual $$ amount of estimated quote on paperwork. Payment cash request should have been first RED FLAG!

Left Worcester @10.00 a.m., would have been sooner if driver spent sless time chatting with me, which I now realize to be STALL & DELAY tactic, to extend the hours of the job on the clock.

Generally Labor Day weekend busiest time to move to Boston. However I arrived at the E.Boston apartment shortly after 11:00 a.m. Have no idea when the truck arrived because they did not call me upon arrival (note, I was the first drop off of their truck load for the day). Around noon I went outside to look for truck and it was parked in front of apartment on street - but no movers. I then see then walking down the street towards the truck.

At this point it is @12:15 p.m., so about 3 hours on record since they 1st arrived at my Worcester house (and clearly well within the estimated job time). This is when the "FURNITURE was HELD HOSTAGE" until I agreed to pay an additional $200 above the highest end of the initial quote. The new amount was now going to be $1,144 (rather than the $945). WHY??

Let me emphasize: truck encountered no travel issues, no parking issues (double-parked on street), no traffic congestion on street and no other moving trucks on street. There were 3 steps into the unit (so no 2nd or 3rd floor narrow stairs), actually it was an easy access. There was absolutely no reason to inflate the amount of the job. Once again STALL and DELAY tactic, after about 30 minutes I reluctantly agreed to the new price, so I could get my furniture. BTW check payable to Monsters Near Me.

To be very clear: TOTAL JOB START TO FINISH (once I agreed to new price) was @9:15a.m. - @1:00 p.m. Travel time was already accounted for. Why bother getting a quote if Ms. Christie can change the estimated quote without any reasonable explanation.

Days later I repeatedly attempted to contact Ms. Sarah Christie - she did not reply. Ms. Christie lacks professionalism and is not trustworthy. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!