13 Jul 2012 · MoveAdvisor
1.0 out of 51.0
Benny's Moving destroyed our $900 TV, and offered $30 for it, even though our contract entitled us to $1.25 per pound of the entire shipment (easily covering this amount). They raised their offer to $300 only after legal threats. The long version: We asked the movers to be careful with our TV, since it was the most fragile and expensive item that they were moving. When they were done, noticed that the TV had been left behind several boxes and was the only item still wrapped in their moving blankets when they left. This didn't seem suspicious at first, but in retrospect should have been a red flag.After several days of unpacking, we finally got to the TV, to discover that the screen was smashed, and the corner dented in. It seems extremely unlikely that the movers didn't notice the fall or hit that would have caused this much damage, yet they didn't say anything, and still happily accepted our cold drinks all day, as well as my tip at the end of the day. I looked over the contract, and noticed that, due to their negligence, the contract was filled out in such a way to make them liable for $1.25 per pound of the entire shipment, rather than the $0.60 per pound of the item that they'd later claim. They also never had us sign the section acknowledging that the job had been completed. I contacted them on Friday, and was asked to contact their person in charge of claims, with pictures, and that she'd be contacting me the next morning. This email address continuously bounced, and I wasn't contacted. When I called them the following afternoon, I was asked to fill out a claim form, and told that they pay $0.60 per pound of the broken item. I quickly filled out the form and then emailed and faxed it to the number supplied, along with pictures and links to the TV and its current price. They claimed several times not to have received the fax, so I kept sending it. They said that they had gotten it, and would contact me on Monday.On Monday, I was unable to reach anyone willing to talk to me after repeated calls. On Tuesday, I reached an employee who was willing to talk. At first, he offered me $0.60 cents per pound of the item (about $30) and we went over the signed contract. He agreed that:1. I had not filled out the section selecting a liability coverage, and was thus entitled to $1.25 per pound.2. This applied to the weight of the entire shipment, not to the individual item.I pointed out that, assuming that the contents of my entire apartment exceeded 720lbs (they do), they were liable for at least $900. He spoke to someone while I waited, and came back, offering $120. It took a week and legal threats to get them to raise the offer to $450.Don't use this company.
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