Delivery never made, all possessions lost
Emretta Torok
Submitted this review about
Finest Movers
Review made Live: 9/1/2012 1:41:00 PM
My recent experience with Finest movers was most devastating.
They showed up for the move 12 ½ hours late. They refused to take their truck into my driveway because it was 'to narrow'. It was not to narrow for my pre-built solid wood construct house to be brought up and placed there (25x35), or for wood to be delivered each winter by a truck larger than theirs, or for a delivery of hospice furniture two months ago by a truck of equal size. I guess it is only too narrow when you get to charge your customer an extra 140 in a cash only transaction and an additional 20 per person under the table.
They finished up at 11:30 at night in the dark. I took a plane at 4:00 am the next morning. I was back a week later at 2:00 am. I found after returning from shopping later that morning, the movers had left 4 items in the bush (brush pile) next to the gate and my 80 year old bronze Tiffany floor torch was in the wood pile next to my porch. (the glass shade is now missing).
Two boxes contained clothes and were packaged in 66 qt sterilite containers. The bottom had been smashed out of one. (dropped?). The other container the lid was jarred loose and was laying on its side. An animal had housed in the boxes and the clothes were stained and reeked of urine. Two boxes were cardboard file boxes, one contained personal medical information for both my father and myself. The box was ruined, but the files were all in binders and the papers in plastic covers and undamaged. The other box contained crochet books circa 1890 many first editions, a collection started many years ago and how I make a living comes from those books. I transpose old crochet patterns into viable ones as the original patterns had a different language than modern crochet, crochet hook sizes have changed, and UK patterns are a different crochet language than US. I then make them low vision friendly. ½ of the proceeds go to different schools for the blind across the country and all patterns are made free to anyone of low vision, any school, any public library, or any employee in any school who makes the request. Those books were all ruined and effectively eviscerated my 2nd job which paid half of my income.
The rest of my belongings are in storage.
I demanded that after finding the damaged goods (about 1000 in damage) I wanted all my things returned to my home and a full refund. 'I cannot trust you to take care of my things I want them back I want to hire someone competent.'
I was told that I could 'drive' to Dallas (3 hours away) and pick them up FOR an additional fee of 1,500 on top of the 2711.03 I am charged to deliver my items up north.
I am low vision, I do not have a drivers license, I only have partial hearing in one ear, diabetic, and my right foot is broken in three places. This was known to them when they made the statement which I found to be most cruel. They also told me to 'get my guide to take me'. Not sure what that means, but my dog is not my guide and she cannot drive either.
They told me to take pictures with my 'camera phone', (why would a person with low vision have a camera app on their phone?) I understand the request for visual confirmation. I told them to come see for themselves? My computer is in storage in Dallas and so is my digital camera. They told me to walk to walmart and get a camera. They asked a person with low vision and a broken foot to walk 7 miles on a four lane highway that is not pedestrian friendly. I felt the request was unreasonable and asked them to just come out and look at it themselves.
In their defense, only the lamp had a red tag on it, it was close to the house but they finished after dark and perhaps did not see it? It is my guess the items at the bottom of the hill were supposed to be red tagged, they noticed that they were not and put them aside (threw them aside from the look of it) to get later, but in the dark were forgotten.
I have not been in TX long enough to make close friends and my husband who took care of things for me is no longer with us. I am close to my hospice care, but when my father had a stroke, and then a heart attack, he was placed in my care. I am finding it too difficult without family support. This move was hard enough without all of this.
I requested that they send everything to my son in CT who is my next of kin, they put me on hold and hung up.
They want to NOW charge me 4211.03 for items originally worth 10,000 (of which they destroyed 1,000 of already) to deliver back to my home in Texas, on a contract that originally stated 2511.03 to deliver to CT. It my opinion they never had any intention of delivering my items up north that this was a scam to bilk two disabled people out of everything they own.
I should add that I am gainfully employed by AISD in Texas working with PPCD children and I have a job in CT as a private one on one for a 17 year old autistic boy. My dad is an 88 year old war vet, Soc Sec and Pensioned. Neither of us are living off the tax payers money or recieving govt funds beyond Soc Sec. The increase that they have asked for is roughly one months income between the two of us.
I contacted a lawyer who said that it could take up to 5 years in litigation then court and they could charge me storage fees while waiting. He would represent me, but I do not have five mroe years left.
I cannot recover from this loss. I now have lost my livelihood, all of my possessions, and I have already given up this house and need to be out by Friday. I might as well move directly to my hospice facility and give up.
