Life on Florida’s West Coast

Moving Horrors

I’m not sure why, but today I have been thinking about the move I made prior to the one last month. When we moved to Gainesville from Tampa, I was allowed to get three quotes from moving companies of my choosing and pick the one I wanted. The, corporate approved it and we were all set. I had a great experience with the movers that company sent out to do our packing an moving.

The move back to Tampa from Gainesville, however, was a entirely different story. Corporate told us who we had to use and that company contracted with some guy who owned his own rig and had his own team. As polite as they seemed, they gave us a lot of trouble. The packing went fine, and in the end nothing was broken. But, when we got here to Tampa and they needed to find a place to park the truck overnight they chose a spot, came back in the morning, and found the trailer had been towed. With no cash in hand, the guy who owned the rig could not get it out of impound, and we ended up paying. We wanted our stuff! Promises were made to pay us back, but you might guess that the money never materialized.

I remember thinking I was VERY glad we had not given into the pressure to sign the moving papers BEFORE the actual drive back down here. They truck owner was concerned about getting the papers into he moving company in time for his check to be issued before Christmas. We refused to sign until actual delivery and offered to just help him find an FedEx depot so he could overnight the papers. I’m not saying they would have taken off with our truck, but you never know.

Plus, it turns out they stole my wedding ring set. The moving company made it an issue of he says, she says and I never got compensated. As fate would have it, I did not end up needing my wedding ring much longer. Nonetheless, it would have been a fantastic thing to be able to hand down to my daughter.

How many horrific moving stories could you, my readers, tell? Moving is just plain stressful. I did not involve much outside help in my last move, but I still hired some guys with a truck to move me into storage back in August. They were prompt and clean and polite, but the expense was kind of a shock.

If you have the time and the ability to do so, please go to the trouble of getting at least three quotes before choosing your movers. There are so many moving companies and they differ in reputation and pricing, among other things. If you have no idea where to begin, Home.bulletin.net has a free toll that allows you to get quotes from local and interstate moving companies.

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2 Comments »

Comment by Pfunk
2007-09-22 23:39:01

Gal, I don’t even have enough stuff to think about hiring movers. We’ve always moved Mom by ourselves.
Here’s the thing I want you to picture in your mind’s eye:
My brother and me moving my Mom’s piano.

He’s significantly shorter.
Take a good long look at that one.
Are you wheezing?

Also, picture if you will, an armoire that weighs as much as a Honda Acura.
Again…juuust the two of us…we can make it if we try…juuust the two of us.
Yikes.
Funny stuff. NOW.
Nashville will be easier.

Comment by Angie
2007-09-22 23:44:53

Yes, Nashville would be a mighty nice place to settle down. I’d move considerably less along with me, I think. Books, though, oh sweet Lord the books I have accumulated.

 
 
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