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Boxes lost in move

(25 Posts)
Whiff Thu 13-May-21 06:11:32

Jenny04 I used Pickford's one of the biggest company there is. They were rubbish. Packing my belonging brilliant . Had my things in storage for 2 weeks. I was lead to believe it would be in a clean environment. Everything was covered in thin film of black dirt. Mattress should have been in mattress bag. But was wrapped in thin plastic which they dragged along the floor ripping part of the plastic . Dirty mark on my mattress. Lost the support bar to my king size bed I could go on but have posted further up.

We tried to get compensation it took months and in the end gave up. My health was declining . I had paid all the extras. All boxes marked and number with what was in them.

My advice is to go with a local family firm that way they will care if they get a bad revive. Pickford's didn't care.

jenny04 Thu 13-May-21 05:39:27

Message deleted by Gransnet for breaking our forum guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

Fennel Tue 02-Mar-21 16:40:56

We've moved many times but the last was the worst - France to England then homeless for 4 months.
The removals people were good - so they should be we paid for storage.
Eventually settled, still a few boxes missing but after all that time couldn't be bothered.
Then 2 years later they turned up in our understairs cupboard. smile.

Newatthis Tue 02-Mar-21 13:13:16

16 house moves and lost boxes each time!

Howjado Tue 02-Mar-21 13:10:50

Loopyloo, yes I am afraid I labelled the boxes very well. I have a photograph of the box, labelled echo dot and stereo headphones, sitting in their van. I wish I had checked the van before I let them drive off but you know how it is on moving day, exhausting and I just wanted it to be over. What really annoys me is that I tipped them very well! Ps. This was not a man with a van but a reputable local removal firm. I will not be using them again when I leave this rental property, that’s for sure.

MerylStreep Tue 02-Mar-21 09:15:53

A removal lorry with most of our worldly goods was left in a lorry park in Hungary. The Turkish driver had discovered that he wasn't going to be paid as much as he was expecting so just buggered off home. We were in Bulgaria waiting for the arrival.
Not my best day.

loopyloo Tue 02-Mar-21 08:52:02

Was the box labelled as having a stereo system and an echo dot?because that would make it very tempting I think you should report it to your movers. You might never get it back but it might alert the boss to someone light fingered on the team.

Whiff Tue 02-Mar-21 06:29:47

I had Pickford's move me. Over 100 miles. My things where in storage for a couple of weeks while I had some things done in my bungalow. My stuff was covered in fine black dust. They lost my mirror which matched my bedroom suite and the main bar which ran down the length of my king size bed. Hid broken boxes amongst other boxes. Dragged my mattress along the floor. Leaving a dirty mark along the one edge. Won't put my bed back together when my daughter and son in law did that's when we found the piece missing do they knew. Won't put my table back together. Even though I showed them a plan for my furniture ignored me. Marked my new carpet.

After complaining for months finely some one came. My daughter had sent pictures of damage. So I could use my bed the middle was supported by piles of books. They had a carpenter come and make a new bar . He did a brilliant job. After months of complaining offered me £250 in compensation. Which I refused . My daughter completed all the forms for the ombudsman they lost them so gave up in the end. I moved August 2019. NEVER use PICKFORDS . Supposed to be one of the best. The men who packed my old house up where great. Pity it wasn't the same team who delivered.
Luckily never moving again.

Gelisajams Mon 01-Mar-21 22:39:07

A box containing my wedding album and a number of boxed games from our childhood disappeared when we moved. I checked the empty house before we left it and I checked the removal van before it drove off. The only thing I can think of is it somehow found it’s way to a charity shop or even the tip!

Shandy57 Mon 01-Mar-21 21:05:56

It is a worry. I'm just hoping the company will have appreciated the recent business I've sent their way (my seller is using them) and will treat all of my precious possessions with care!

Nannagarra Mon 01-Mar-21 20:51:33

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Nonogran Mon 01-Mar-21 20:21:59

We "lost" some silver in a house move in the 1980's. Didn't realise until months later as the move was from a large house to something much smaller & boxes had to be decanted slowly from the garage. We also "lost" Persian rugs in another move. We latterly visited the storage facility but nowhere to be found. My late husband's Dad & Grandad were coal miners. Husband had their beautiful brass lamps until we moved and they were lost or stolen. He was devastated.
Sadly I think it's what happens. In my childhood I did hear my Dad say more than once about this or that "was lost in a move somewhere.'" We did move a fair bit when I was a kid as my Dad "got on his bike" to feed his family.

Oopsadaisy1 Mon 01-Mar-21 19:58:03

It might make sense just to number the boxes, rather than list the contents on the outside. With maybe just the room name on it?
The problem is when you have packers in to pack before you move,
It’s odd really that people trust absolute strangers to go through cupboards and drawers and handle things that are precious to them, who knows if all of it actually ends up in a packing box and on the truck?

Grammaretto Mon 01-Mar-21 19:45:24

Shandy I see you are moving soon. I was following your journey from the Station. Good luck with the move.
The finishing post is finally in sight. How wonderful. smile

Grammaretto Mon 01-Mar-21 19:42:48

I hope they turn up. I am sure the missing things will be inside some of the boxes. Did you pack yourself or did the removers?
Try not to worry, at least not yet. Most people are honest and I think a Removals company have a reputation to keep.

Meanwhile, make a list of the things you can't find so that you can look out for them in the move.
Good luck with the move. How exciting!

Shandy57 Mon 01-Mar-21 19:17:37

So very sorry to read this. I think we have to hope that the removal people are honest - I hope they have put some of your items inside other furniture.

I'm moving on the 12 March and just in the process of making of inventory list of my boxes, plastic boxes, black sacks etc, everything I'm moving. I'm not sure how I'll check it's all made it into my new home as I doubt they'll stack it in the same order in the house. I'll make a point of checking the van before they leave.

GagaJo Mon 01-Mar-21 19:07:48

Yep. 10 years ago, some of my furniture didn't make it out of storage. I list all of my photograph albums and children's books I'd saved from my daughter.

I'm still devastated.

tanith Mon 01-Mar-21 18:52:57

Makes sense to take pictures of every numbered box as it’s loaded on the van. Not easy but it could be useful.

eazybee Mon 01-Mar-21 18:13:01

Could you have stored them in a wrongly labelled box?
Are you able to open all your boxes and check; likewise furniture?
Could they have been put in different rooms?
Have you contacted the removal firm?
Another possibility: who has keys to your rental property?

Lillie Mon 01-Mar-21 18:12:01

It sometimes happens when they load and unload vans to swap at the depot before they deliver to the new house. We had an interval of 3 days during our move and stuff that went safely on the lorry on the Friday was damaged by the Monday due to re shuffling. So more than likely boxes could go astray too.

ElaineI Mon 01-Mar-21 18:11:20

My son's future MiL moved 400 miles just before Christmas and much of her stuff was damaged and some lost. She is still in dispute with the firm.
When we moved many years ago the van also broke down diygran but before they had arrived. New people were kicking up a fuss and the company had to sub contract to a large well known firm at cost to them. The well known firm were brilliant!

M0nica Mon 01-Mar-21 18:07:32

In my mid teens my parents (and my) possessions went into storage when my DF was posted overseas. It included a cardboard box with all my 'treasures'. Mainly things I had chosen from a much-loved grandmothers house when she died.

When my parents returned home, everything was deliered to our new home, but it took about a month to unpack everything and realise that my box was missing - and of course the removal firm would take responsibility, as by the time we contacted them the period given for logging missing items had gone.

diygran Mon 01-Mar-21 18:01:31

My mother moved house and the removal firm eventually turned up late saying their van had broken. They had to move all her house contents into the new van. I had numbered all the boxes but months later she realised a Japanese box and collection of wooden animals had 'gone astray'. They were some of her favourites. hmm

Peasblossom Mon 01-Mar-21 17:49:12

No, in the last move I lost a frying pan, a large saucepan, several sheets, and a table lamp. I did my own packing and can only assume I put these in one box with the sheets for padding.

The trouble is it all went from house, to store, to temporary accommodation (unpacked), back to store and finally to house do it could have got lost anywhere along the line.

OH insists the stores were empty. I checked both houses. It can only be one of the vans ?

Howjado Mon 01-Mar-21 17:41:51

Has any body else had this problem? Last November I sold my house and moved for the first time in my life. As my new bungalow is not ready yet, I am temporarily living in a large furnished house and my stuff is stored in the empty rooms. As the months have past I have looked in vane for some of my belongings. For example, my sewing box, my stereo system, the box containing my echo dot, a box of books. All my storage boxes were well labelled on three sides of each box. They are just not here. Would the removal men have stored the boxes inside the furniture? Could they have left them on their van? Am I going mad?