Have you ever been so excited to move and start over thinking that everything was going to be better and your life was about to change...and then felt as if the bottom just fell out? Welcome to my world, and from the reactions of many others that filed complaints, their worlds were a little bit jolted too. This was the day I had been waiting for most of my adult life. I divorced 13 years ago, raised my two children almost single handily, sent them away to colleges and to study abroad...I worked two jobs and tried to start up a new business all the while knowing that the end of my road was near and my journey to live my own life was about to begin, a new adventure...solo.
I relocated to Texas after years of living in Michigan with my kids because my son wanted to go back to school, (again.) His sister (my youngest) was already living there after graduating from MSU and obtaining a great job with an oil company, so it was quite easy for him to decide that he wanted to be near his sister. Our family, the three of us are quite close. I don't like to use the phrase the "3 Musketeer's" because I think;
1) too many other people use it, and 2) it's soooo over rated. We're just a close family. I moved to Houston to run a business and be near the kids,...that was my bottom line. I had no hidden agenda, I just wanted to spend quality time with my kids who were now young adults and enjoy life. My desires unlike most, were to get the heck out of dodge and the subzero temps and 200+ inches of snow fall per year. Ahhh I was moving to sunny days, high humidity and palm trees everywhere.
Yes, I enjoyed every minute of it.
In June my son graduated and my vision of that path that I was traveling was narrowing. I wanted to move back home while still carrying residency in states where my children lived. I was ready to head back home to where my life and childhood all began. New Beginnings....that's is what sometimes life is all about! I was raised in a small town called Youngstown, Ohio and our family was in and around Akron/Canton/Cleveland Ohio. I missed my parents and felt I had some catching up to do.The day my movers arrived I was so happy! I was quote $1300 for my move, to me that seemed like a lot because I sold over half of my 5 bedroom house before I left Houston. When the movers had all of my belongings on the truck and ready to haul it away they came in for my signature and a bill that was no longer an estimate rather a $1200 increase. What was I to do? They had my furniture and I needed it. I signed and away they went. I've learned now after making this awful mistake twice, (I know shame on me, right?) to never ever ever allow someone to give you a quote based on what you tell them you have rather make them come to your home and view it themselves and ask for a fixed rate. Without this my friends, you are SCREWED!! Advice # 1- ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE COME TO YOUR HOME AND GIVE YOU A FIXED RATE!
Ahhhhhh, but it gets worse....Advice #2- For this move, get them to give you a written agreement as to when your things will arrive, otherwise your entire house of memories will be dumped in a warehouse until they decide where they can add it to a truck that might just so happen to be coming your way!
My things arrived in Ohio within 6 days, unlike my move from Michigan to Houston where it took 25 days...but when it arrived and they wanted me to sign off I said "Oh hold up boys....NOT SO FAST!" I made them take my items off the truck one by one and piece by piece. It was hot as hell outside and they were delivering it to a storage facility so 1) they had no right to bitch because they literally walked off the ramp of the truck and into a garage so to speak, and 2) they could sweat until the cows came home because they just took me for an extra $1200 and they were damn well going to work for some of that. As they started pulling things off the truck I noticed all the damages, and broken items, as if they just threw things around...things that I worked so hard for so many years to keep in good shape, were now ruined. Most things can be replaced, but my father made most of my furniture and those pieces that were hand crafted, by dad with love, were not items that one could ever replace....now I am left with the "how do I fix them" mess?
My appliances are dented, keep in mind all new appliances because my original movers from 2009 lost half the truck. My second piece of advice is never sign for ANYTHING until you view each and every piece individually after they get it off the truck. Write at the bottom of the page what was damaged so that you have record of it and Good God...Keep a copy for yourself! It is all that you have to prove yourself. Take photos!!! Lots of them of the damaged pieces.
Advice #3...Pay for the$$ extra insurance. Yes it seems quite high BUT there is no way you can replace it all on your own if you don't have it...I could have never replaced all that I had that they damaged without it. Did I have it? Nope....that was my second shame on me as stated above. I figured, "Why pay all that for insurance? What are the odds really that it could happen? I sold so many things, how could they damage what was left?" Ohhhhhh but they did. 2 months later and I am still filling out claims paperwork. What will I get, besides screwed? Well, pay close attention here,....did you know that they tell you your items are covered but what they don't tell you is that for damaged items they pay you $0.60 per pound only? With all that is damaged I won't get enough to buy a new refrigerator. I'll be lucky to get $500. Where is the justice here?
The moral of the story, and I am quite sure that there are a lot of you whose experience has been far worse than mine...is pay attention, and remember that just because it is the lowest quote you received does not mean that they'll be the best. I was quite disappointed...Peace of Mind Relocation was the company that I hired to move my things. Mayflower Movers was the truck that delivered them broken, scratched, and damaged, some things beyond repair. A grand father clock, beautiful piece of furniture now ruined...why? They lost all the inside components. I have a the casing...just no guts more less. Weights, chains, and all the mechanism gone! I have the shell of the clock...seriously, what good is that?
My advice.....research your movers...but NEVER assume that just because they are well known you'll get top of the line service! You won't.
I relocated to Texas after years of living in Michigan with my kids because my son wanted to go back to school, (again.) His sister (my youngest) was already living there after graduating from MSU and obtaining a great job with an oil company, so it was quite easy for him to decide that he wanted to be near his sister. Our family, the three of us are quite close. I don't like to use the phrase the "3 Musketeer's" because I think;
1) too many other people use it, and 2) it's soooo over rated. We're just a close family. I moved to Houston to run a business and be near the kids,...that was my bottom line. I had no hidden agenda, I just wanted to spend quality time with my kids who were now young adults and enjoy life. My desires unlike most, were to get the heck out of dodge and the subzero temps and 200+ inches of snow fall per year. Ahhh I was moving to sunny days, high humidity and palm trees everywhere.
Yes, I enjoyed every minute of it.
In June my son graduated and my vision of that path that I was traveling was narrowing. I wanted to move back home while still carrying residency in states where my children lived. I was ready to head back home to where my life and childhood all began. New Beginnings....that's is what sometimes life is all about! I was raised in a small town called Youngstown, Ohio and our family was in and around Akron/Canton/Cleveland Ohio. I missed my parents and felt I had some catching up to do.The day my movers arrived I was so happy! I was quote $1300 for my move, to me that seemed like a lot because I sold over half of my 5 bedroom house before I left Houston. When the movers had all of my belongings on the truck and ready to haul it away they came in for my signature and a bill that was no longer an estimate rather a $1200 increase. What was I to do? They had my furniture and I needed it. I signed and away they went. I've learned now after making this awful mistake twice, (I know shame on me, right?) to never ever ever allow someone to give you a quote based on what you tell them you have rather make them come to your home and view it themselves and ask for a fixed rate. Without this my friends, you are SCREWED!! Advice # 1- ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE COME TO YOUR HOME AND GIVE YOU A FIXED RATE!
Ahhhhhh, but it gets worse....Advice #2- For this move, get them to give you a written agreement as to when your things will arrive, otherwise your entire house of memories will be dumped in a warehouse until they decide where they can add it to a truck that might just so happen to be coming your way!
My things arrived in Ohio within 6 days, unlike my move from Michigan to Houston where it took 25 days...but when it arrived and they wanted me to sign off I said "Oh hold up boys....NOT SO FAST!" I made them take my items off the truck one by one and piece by piece. It was hot as hell outside and they were delivering it to a storage facility so 1) they had no right to bitch because they literally walked off the ramp of the truck and into a garage so to speak, and 2) they could sweat until the cows came home because they just took me for an extra $1200 and they were damn well going to work for some of that. As they started pulling things off the truck I noticed all the damages, and broken items, as if they just threw things around...things that I worked so hard for so many years to keep in good shape, were now ruined. Most things can be replaced, but my father made most of my furniture and those pieces that were hand crafted, by dad with love, were not items that one could ever replace....now I am left with the "how do I fix them" mess?
My appliances are dented, keep in mind all new appliances because my original movers from 2009 lost half the truck. My second piece of advice is never sign for ANYTHING until you view each and every piece individually after they get it off the truck. Write at the bottom of the page what was damaged so that you have record of it and Good God...Keep a copy for yourself! It is all that you have to prove yourself. Take photos!!! Lots of them of the damaged pieces.
Advice #3...Pay for the$$ extra insurance. Yes it seems quite high BUT there is no way you can replace it all on your own if you don't have it...I could have never replaced all that I had that they damaged without it. Did I have it? Nope....that was my second shame on me as stated above. I figured, "Why pay all that for insurance? What are the odds really that it could happen? I sold so many things, how could they damage what was left?" Ohhhhhh but they did. 2 months later and I am still filling out claims paperwork. What will I get, besides screwed? Well, pay close attention here,....did you know that they tell you your items are covered but what they don't tell you is that for damaged items they pay you $0.60 per pound only? With all that is damaged I won't get enough to buy a new refrigerator. I'll be lucky to get $500. Where is the justice here?
The moral of the story, and I am quite sure that there are a lot of you whose experience has been far worse than mine...is pay attention, and remember that just because it is the lowest quote you received does not mean that they'll be the best. I was quite disappointed...Peace of Mind Relocation was the company that I hired to move my things. Mayflower Movers was the truck that delivered them broken, scratched, and damaged, some things beyond repair. A grand father clock, beautiful piece of furniture now ruined...why? They lost all the inside components. I have a the casing...just no guts more less. Weights, chains, and all the mechanism gone! I have the shell of the clock...seriously, what good is that?
My advice.....research your movers...but NEVER assume that just because they are well known you'll get top of the line service! You won't.
 |
| http://www.simplydeliciouslingerie.com/ |
I can sooooo relate to this article MssDelicious! I had a terrible move from Queens, NY to San Fran Cali and I am still recovering. I feel your pain, and I agree with you. Get a written quote with a fixed itemized amount. Make your moving company come to your home...otherwise you'll be over charged! Trust NO ONE! (unless it is in writing!)
ReplyDeleteLarry Chiles
Queens, NY