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18 October 2011

The Sad Story of our Move to PA

I'll bet you already know that moving is a real pain in the butt!
Packing everything you have accumulated over the years into cardboard boxes and trying to protect all your precious memories in bubble wrap and packing tape!
So, we loaded the piano first, and DH's gun safe... they're REALLY heavy and REALLY big!
Then the appliances!
The boxes were next!
The mattresses and coffee maker were the last things on the truck, so as soon as we got to PA, we would have someplace to sleep and have a fresh cuppa Joe in the morning!
YAY!
We're on the road!!
Whoopee! We're making great time thru Virginia and heading North into Maryland.
THEN... the truck just decided it didn't want to "GO"...
It wouldn't shift out of third gear and wouldn't go faster than 45 miles an hour (on I-95, where traffic typically travels around, oh, 70 miles an hour or faster!)
We pulled over outside Hagerstown, MD and called Penske for Road Side Assistance.
The guy showed up in about 15 minutes... ran a "code checker"...
"Hmmm. I don't know what all these codes mean, they're not in my book!"
The main Penske shop is 10 miles away... we baby the truck to the shop...
They run another "Code checker"... "Hmmm... that's really odd, there are only 12,000 miles on this truck, it shouldn't be having a transmission problem!"
They weigh the truck to make sure we didn't "overload"... nope, that's not the problem.
"We'll have to get a new truck for you and will have our 'Professional movers' transfer your stuff to the new truck, because the transmission in the truck you have is having "emission problems"... (?????)
It's 8 pm... still no dinner...
We're travelling with 2 kids, 2 dogs, 2 cats and have a trailer on the back of our Chevy Pickup with all our cleaning equipment in it...
Last week, the kitty got VERY sick (something is wrong with her liver)... she is on medication (which is packed in the Penske)...

So, they put us in a hotel and at 9:30, we ate Burger King for dinner...

Fast forward to morning... 9 am, the 'professional' movers are at Penske to transfer our stuff to the new truck.
at 9:15, one of them falls off the truck... "We have to go get coffee and pick up another helper because he thinks he hurt his back"...

10am... movers back old truck up to new truck and start THROWING my things into the new truck...

My precious coffee maker is now buried at the very back and bottom of the load, under my mattress (which I wanted to get off the truck FIRST!!)

12 noon... movers say "It's not all going to fit in the new truck... your washer and dryer won't fit and we can't move the piano!"

1pm... ok... it's all loaded, you're ready to roll... we moved some things around and got everything to fit!

7 pm... arrive in Bradford PA and open truck to start unloading...

as I opened the back door, my oak headboard fell out and hit me... and everything that was leaning against it fell out!

Here's an example of their 'Professional' movers' work:

yes, this is my OAK dining room table and this picture was taken straight-on!
This is just one example of the things they DESTROYED when it was transferred!!
Notice, there is no moving blanket between the STEEL tool chest and the OAK dining room table...
and isn't it lovely how the bunk bed frame is thrown on top of my upside-down table!??!

Called to file a damages claim... we'll see how that goes...

Maybe tomorrow, I'll show you the picture of what USED TO BE my dresser!!


12 comments:

Stephanie said...

OH, what a nightmare! I'm so sorry. When we moved from UT my husband left several hours ahead of us in the moving truck. I was driving with my 3 kids and my mom...we got 30 minutes out and the car died! We got towed and waited over 3 hours to get a new battery put in (the one they ordered got driven to the wrong place and they had to track it down) We wanted to get to our "halfway-point" hotel at 4 that night and we got there after 8. Such a pain (though at least all of our stuff was still fine) Good luck with your claims!

JLJ Designs said...

Stacie - I'm so sorry to hear of your mis-adventures. I'm glad your safe in your new place, but this is going to be no fun! Good luck battling the truck company.

Jen

Carolina Girl (Cely) said...

Terrible terrible story....I'm so so so sorry! Keep us posted!

Heather D. ~ Fresh Brewed Designs said...

oh Stacie! This truly breaks my heart! :( I will be praying for you all and that you get things worked out with the insurance. This is something that is so easily preventable. People just do not care anymore. :( Oh how terrible. I do hope you are ok after being hit like that. Sending you hugs and love and prayers. Let us know what happens.

Rhonda Miller said...

Oh my goodness Stacie. I can't believe that. I hope they're cooperative with you to get it taken care of. That's just rediculous.

Cheryl First said...

Oh gosh, Stacie! I am so sorry that it went so WRONG! Be the "squeaky wheel"!!

Melissa Czapor said...

Stacie - I am so sorry this was so difficult!!! I know how hard this was to begin with!! Big giant hugs!!

Marlene said...

What a freaking nightmare!! I'd be livid if they did that to my table! Oh boy, I hope you get restitution for that. :(

Not sure I know what part of PA that's in - but hey - I live in PA!

Sheryl said...

Oh Stacie.......I'm so sorry that you have had such a horrible move. Many years ago, I had lots of my furniture scratched, nicked and broken during a move. Fortunately, the moving company made good for it. In my case, the worst damage was to my beautiful cherry wood dining room hutch.
I remember how sick I was over it. I am keeping you in my prayers and I hope that everything works out ok.
Big Hugs, Sheryl

Unknown said...

Oh no! So many casualties! Brings back bad memories from one of our moves. So sorry. You deserve lots of crating time when the move is over :)

Jani
papercompulsions.blogspot.com

Arielle said...

Oh HECK NO! I can't believe how crappy they were! I have had moving nightmares like that too and we learned that its cheaper and gets done better if we rent the UHAUL and do it ourselves. We pay the men in our family with steak to help. Hope they make it up to you!

Cindy :) said...

OMG that is terrible, I hope you win your case, my god professional movers my a$$ that is disgusting. If I open the door and saw that I would be crying, that beautiful oak table detroyed like that....unreal
I would have unpacked and repacked myself, I don't trust others with my stuff. When we move I am the only one moving my CR for sure, well I hope anyway, with my back I prob won't be able to, but I will be on whoever is like flies on rice
ss you had to go through this ordeal bug hugs I know they are kinda late but hey I just found your blog today, lol

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