Jeff MacArthur the estimator from Perfect Packers (North American, Burlington, ON) came out to my house on Dec 29th, 2015 to do an estimate for my move from Fonthill, ON to St. Thomas, ON (216 km). I had a previous estimate from another company so I knew what questions I needed to address to hire this company. The main question was whether their guys unhooked and hooked up the appliances. Jeff said they did as long as there was no gas involved which there wasn’t.
When we went downstairs to my laundry room, Jeff asked whether I had the shipping bolts for my front load washer as they couldn’t move it without them. I had no idea if I had them as they were installed by Goemann’s Appliances and I didn’t know anything about them. I ended up ordering them from PartsEngine.ca after I signed the contract with Perfect Packers.
I also wanted the movers to pack my dishes, small appliances, artwork and 4 lamps. On their website, they stated that if they do the packing, they also unpack these items. Anything they pack is insured for breakage. Since I’m disabled, I was happy to pay for this.
I went with this company and paid an extra $350.00 for their replacement insurance which they said would protect me against everything during the move. The only paperwork I received was the estimate contract with a small paragraph about the insurance on the bottom (back was blank) and an emailed contract which I initialed and sent back that also had one paragraph about the insurance. I also received my signed copy of the final invoice from the movers when they were done. It was also blank on the back.
The move took place in Fonthill on Jan 20th, 2016 and the delivery was on Friday, Jan. 22nd, 2016 in St Thomas. There was nothing out of the norm (or so I thought) on the move out of the house in Fonthill except to note that I walked the head guy through the house including the laundry where I showed him the shipping bolts on the counter next to the washer. His only remark was something like great (I can’t remember his exact words but there was no negative about them).
I also mentioned that all the boxes I had packed had the room names on them where they were to be placed in my new home. I showed them what had to be packed and the moved began.
At the new place, everything appeared to be going smoothly until I received a call from the new owners of my Fonthill house. Apparently, they left two full kitchen cupboards of dishes and small appliances. I put my phone on speaker so the movers could listen to the call. The only comment from them was sorry. I am 2 1/2 hours drive from my old house and the dishes included a set of cristal d’arques wine glasses and my corelle cookware set!
The next problem was my washer & dryer. The head guy decided now they didn’t do hook ups. I quoted him what Jeff MacArthur told me and after getting my phone ready to call Jeff, the guy reluctantly decided to hook up my machines. I left him to do the machines while I went to direct the other guys where to put some furniture pieces. When I came back, the machines were in place in the laundry.
At the end of the move, I tipped the guys $150.00 to split however they felt was fair and they left. I walked back into the house and realized that they didn’t unpack the nine huge china boxes that were sitting in my dining/living room!
The next day, I decided to wash a quilt that I wanted to put back on my bed and started the washer. It was louder than usual and I knew something was wrong when the spin cycle started. It was bouncing and very loud. I thought the appliances might need balancing so I called Mudge’s Appliances in St Thomas and they came out on Monday morning (Jan 25th). The repairman told me the shipping bolts had been left in the machine and that’s what the problem was. He said it would be very costly to repair (more than the machine was worth) and he said they wouldn’t guarantee that the problem would be fixed. He said I could still use it but if it got worse, or if water started running on the floor to stop using it and to call them.
I immediately left voicemail for Jeff MacArthur at his number and at the Perfect Packers office. He returned my call that afternoon and I told him all of the above. His main comments were that he sent me his best team (which the owner Jeff Spence also mentioned in a couple of emails). I told him that I mainly wanted to pursue the washer as it looked like it would have to be replaced. Later that week, I got Mudge’s to come out again to do an estimate on the cost of repairing the washer. Jeff put me in touch with Kate Roberts from their claims department.
I spoke to Kate on the phone on Feb 1st and told her everything and she sent me an email after our conversation with a claims form attached to fill out and send back as well as requests for the original sales invoice for the washer and the estimate from Mudge’s. There was nothing else done on this until Feb 18th, when I received a call from Stew from Stew’s Appliances who was to do a second estimate. He asked me some questions on the phone and decided not to come out when he found out Mudge’s had looked at the machine. He said he would call Kate and let her know. I did not tell him not to come! I wanted this over with! He called again on Feb 29th to say he was coming to see the machine on March 1st which he did with the same results as with Mudge’s.
Kate emailed me to let me know she was going to call me on March 4th in the morning. It was a long call (25 mins). She said the washer couldn’t be fixed and she would be looking for another washer. If she couldn’t find one, she would be replacing the set (green appliances on pedestals). She also went as far to ask if they could have the old appliances stored in my garage for a couple of days when the new ones were delivered as they would want to realize some cash from them.
I heard nothing from Kate until March 14th when she asked if she could call me on March 16th. When we talked, Kate said she couldn’t find a comparable washer and that they were offering me the price of the washer ($1471.00) which would leave me about $3000.00 out of pocket if I wanted matching appliances, which is what I had before I contracted this company for my move! I told her to stop right there and I would be contacting my lawyer. She basically hung up on me when I said that. (I should mention that my washer and dryer are green and were discontinued the year I bought them which was 2009.)
Immediately afterwards, I received an email from Jeff Spence the owner of the company with an attached release for the $1471.00 and, bottom line, a non disclosure clause. I refused to sign it and he proceed to tell me (by email) that a) I was just as much at fault about the shipping bolts as I neglected to make sure they had been removed and b) His guy Mike refused to put in the shipping bolts in the first place as they don’t normally require them on a local move (which didn’t happen!). I’m also told now that there was a clause on the back of my contract (my back page of the original contract is blank) that they don’t replace sets if part of a set can’t be repaired. Here is a quote from Mr. Spence that he sent by email: “We do not use shipping bolts during local moves, nor does our crews carry these bolts. We do not even service the machines, not even discount water. I understand you had your own shipping bolts and directed our crew to put them in. They refused, but with continual requests, they put them in for you.” Not sure what the discounted water meant but I didn’t even order the shipping bolts until his guy told me they wouldn’t move the washer unless I had shipping bolts!
I have since done some research on moving front load washers and shipping bolts are required when the machine is transported no matter what the distance. My move was 216 kms.
If sets aren’t covered in the insurance they ask you to pay for, that means you take a chance if they break a piece of your dining room set, your living room set or any other set you own! I spoke with my insurance company and they agree that if part of a set is broken and the part can’t be replaced, then the whole set should be replaced. My washer is sitting on a green pedestal that would also have to be replaced but Mr Spence said, ” The damage to the clients item was the washer and only the washer, we have accepted blame for the damage. The client supported the claim with a receipt from 2009 (7 years ago) and for a purchase price of $1471.12…We have agreed to pay full settlement in this amount.” Mr. Spence actually sounds like he thinks he’s doing me a favour!!!!!
I have taken this to the Better Business Bureau and do not know what the outcome will be. I do know I WILL NOT be signing Mr Spence’s release for with the non-disclosure clause. I feel people need to know what they’re getting into before they sign up with these people. I’ve moved several times and I’ve always had good results until now.