Movers lose table

[mitchjav]

We recently moved and had to put our stuff in storage for a week and
a half while we stayed in the hotel. The movers didn't bring certain items
when we moved in to the new home - most notably my toolkit and a Table
with a Marble Top my wife had from her childhood home. After some pressing them the toolkit and the marble table top showed up (the top was packed seperately from the table). The table didn't make it.

It was in very poor shape (pic of the table and the marble top below). One leg
was detached from the table (we have that - it was packed in a box). So the table had only 3 legs and was badly in need of repair and refinishing. That was the plan. It probably has little monetary value, but it does have sentimental value to my wife and the odd shape of the marble top fit the table. Now, we'll either need to custom build a table or round the marble top into a circle and get a circular table. Question is - what would you ask of the mover in regards to compensation (as an aside they also scuffed the sideboard in our dining room during the move).

Pic attached

 

[Montecfo]

Would it not be simply based on the insurance you purchased as part of the move? If it is indeed a negotiation I would start high at full cost to replace.

In my experience when they scratch furniture they send a guy to repair/refinish and we have had good results there.

 

[Aerides]

Marble is very popular now, so I'd use the opportunity to fashion a lovely new base for it., and not consider cutting the marble.

Perhaps have a gander at higher end side tables (it looks like that's what it would be?) and compare that against the insurance you contracted for.

 

[RetiredHappy]

Just tell the movers what they did to the table and the scuffing. Your insurance will dictate how much they will compensate. If you did not buy additional insurance from the movers, the reimbursement rate is very low. We bought additional insurance through the movers and I suspect that they were self-insured. We got back about $350 in damaged furniture. The insurance cost us around $150. Not ideal but better than nothing.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

When I had damage the moving insurance company sent an adjuster out to assess the damage.

Last time I moved, over 11 years ago, I had the opposite problem. The delivered an antique chair I had never seen before and kept insisting it was mine. I refused to accept it, and I have no idea what ever happened to it. It never found its rightful owner, I'm sure.

 

[RobbieB]

The basic mover insurance is $60/100 pounds. You'll get sixty bucks if you're lucky.

 

[bolt]

You should have sold or disposed of all valuables before you moved.
Or, done it yourself w/a pal or two, both well compensated!
JMO~
Good luck & Best wishes....

 

[easysurfer]

The cynic is me says maybe the movers went rifling through stuff that was in their "finders / keepers" category. When I moved years ago, I think on the movers so-called break, they probably when through my stuff some kitchen knives ended up missing.

 

[Sunset]

Perhaps when movers break things, they they get less claims if it does not show up , instead of showing up broken.
In the hectic move, people simply forget about a table/lamp/chair , or wonder if they forgot to move it if it doesn't appear.
If it shows up broken, the people want it fixed/replaced.

 

[Koolau]

Just tell the movers what they did to the table and the scuffing. Your insurance will dictate how much they will compensate. If you did not buy additional insurance from the movers, the reimbursement rate is very low. We bought additional insurance through the movers and I suspect that they were self-insured. We got back about $350 in damaged furniture. The insurance cost us around $150. Not ideal but better than nothing.

I really never understood why we should have to purchase crappy insurance for moving goods. If they break it, they should pay for it. End of story. YMMV

 

[street]

I really never understood why we should have to purchase crappy insurance for moving goods. If they break it, they should pay for it. End of story. YMMV

Exactly!!! No one is responsible for any thing any more. You break it you replace it is the man's way to do business.

 

[RetiredHappy]

I really never understood why we should have to purchase crappy insurance for moving goods. If they break it, they should pay for it. End of story. YMMV

While I totally agree with you, that's not how moving companies work.

 

[RobbieB]

I'm amazed that the stuff doesn't get damaged more. When you consider packing, loading, driving the truck hundreds of miles, maybe in and out of storage and then reloading and driving and unloading again?

I mean I'll ding stuff against a wall moving it from room to room -

 

[Aerides]

I really never understood why we should have to purchase crappy insurance for moving goods. If they break it, they should pay for it. End of story. YMMV

Then they'd have to spend an extra hour+ before packing, photographing every item from every angle, and refusing to pack any items that already have the slightest damage, or having you sign off in more places than you do for a medical procedure.

All of which would raise the price of moving for everyone.

Very few of us have a house full of truly perfect pristine furniture.

The best route, is to assess those things that you'd be heartbroken to see damaged, and arrange to transport them yourself. Photos, mementos, that vase from your favorite aunt, and yes, that family marble table, find another way to move it.

 

[MC Rider]

I guess this is why the one time we had movers, they seemed to use a crazy amount of protective stuff, and tape. Miles of tape.


There were also hundreds of loose stray buttons on the floor of their truck box. Not ours.


Keep the marble, fix or replace the wood.
Wood is easier to work than marble.

 

[travelover]

I really never understood why we should have to purchase crappy insurance for moving goods. If they break it, they should pay for it. End of story. YMMV

IMHO, this is one of those businesses that get away with a lot because they are dealing with people with a lot of other things to worry about at the moment. For example, coming up with a sudden up charge because the trailer is suddenly "overweight" and by the way we'll keep your stuff until you pay. In the same category as car tow and storage yards.

 

[Ronstar]

We had a consignment store pick up furniture at our condo and take it to their store for resale. The store had a 3rd party moving company do the move.

One item was a dresser with a marble top. The moving company broke the marble top during the move. The consignment store paid us $300 - the amount we would have received had they been able to sell the piece. I'm not sure what they did with the dresser without the top.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

IMHO, this is one of those businesses that get away with a lot because they are dealing with people with a lot of other things to worry about at the moment. For example, coming up with a sudden up charge because the trailer is suddenly "overweight" and by the way we'll keep your stuff until you pay. In the same category as car tow and storage yards.

We had a mover call our apartment manager to be let in once after a cross country move. He had our hotel number but purposely didn't call us. He pretty clearly wanted to unpack everything without us being there. Luckily the apartment manager called us, and we told them not to let them in until we arrived. So then they started unpacking our stuff and putting it in the parking lot, just to be jerks. Surprisingly, nothing seemed to be missing or damaged, so I am not sure what all the unnecessary drama was about.

 

[RetiredHappy]

We just did yet another move this year. Unlike the prior out of state move that was absolutely professional and nothing got damaged, these local move guys were awful. They were recommended to us by our realtors. While we are really unhappy with these guys, our friends who also did a move at the same time as us, had an even worse experience than us. Their dishes and some other stuff were broken. Besides that, they were held hostage because they were unable to move into their new home on the same day as planned and as a result, they were charged an additional $4,500 for storage charge and additional unloading and reloading of the truck. The operator said they were fully booked the following day and had to store their items for another 5 days before their workers become available again.

 

[travelover]

........... So then they started unpacking our stuff and putting it in the parking lot, just to be jerks. ...........

.......... and as a result, they were charged an additional $4,500 for storage charge and additional unloading and reloading of the truck.........

I rest my case.

 

[1242Vintage]

When my daughter moved out of her apartment after college graduation we hired movers to move, store, then re-move her items to a new state for her first job.

Moving out went OK … sort of … but after moving her items into storage everyone at the moving company for COVID and we didn’t know what happened. Tried contacting them dozens of times and no response.

Finally heard back after two months and the move of her items into her new apartment was fairly smooth. Only the bed frame was broken. $100 on Amazon got her a new one.

 

[CRLLS]

Movers are not the most reputable of businesses. When we moved to our current residence, it was a 25 mile intra-state move. So regulated interstate pricing was not the norm. When they delivered the items they wanted about 50% more than was quoted. Pay now. I told them I wasn't going to do that until I talked to their office about the quote. Since it was Sunday, nobody was in the office. "Pay me now and you can talk to them tomorrow" they said. I said no. We went back and forth as tempers rose. I finally said I would pay them now the 10% over the estimate and no more per state regulations. It they wanted to discuss it more then the office can call me on Monday. I don;t think they liked that. Their office never called.

 

[RobbieB]

The moving of the china cab/hutch went well.

Only 50 miles and cost seven hundred bucks, but estimate was firm even though their truck broke down and they had to rent one. They did however scratch the floor. So I only tipped them $40 instead of $80.

 

[Koolau]

Our last significant move was only across town so we were able to get one of those "2 guys and a truck" type movers. Half way through the move, they realized 2 guys weren't enough due to some items a bit heavier than they thought. The "owner/manager/dispatcher" showed up as the third guy. Amazingly, they did not try to charge extra though the owner did grumble about the situation. I figured he deserved a grumble or two, so we still tipped them well. We were there (at both ends) and insured that nothing was (significantly) damaged. I think they gouged a wall which meant a minor touch up on our part.

When we moved across the pacific, we moved in 4 total suitcases. I highly recommend that! We've known folks who moved all their worldlies and then a few years later, moved them all back. Such a move costs more than the value of most peoples things though YMMV.