Very angry at removal service from Burke and Wills Post Reply

[gymgoer]

In the past I have used this company for pretty straight forward removals and found them expensive but good. A few weeks ago I had a rather more complicated move from a large house to a house in the country and also long and short term storage. There were a few mistakes but on the whole I was happy with the job but I also paid handsomely (£8000) for their service and will pay another £500 per month storage and £1200 to move the items out of short term in a few months back to London.
A few days ago we realised we needed a few things that were packed in long term storage so when they came to collect all the boxes we asked if it was possible to bring the 4 items . Despite sending pictures of what was required and a long conversation detailing the items required, they delivered mostly the wrong things and not what was described. Whilst this is irritating, the real problem arose when they lost the drawer knob on an antique chest . The removal man is adamant that he put the knob in the next room on the floor ( err why put it there and not in the drawer of the chest or at least in the room you moved it to ?) .
Anyhow my gripe is the after care service is appalling : e mails go unanswered as do phone calls . When I finally got through I was told they were very busy . They clearly were not too busy to take my money but have absolutely no interest in helping solve their error. When I finally got through today I was told “ oh we spoke to so and so and he put the knob on the floor of the room next to where he put the nightstand” . Did they expect me to find that through mind reading since they didn’t feel the need to call or e mail me ? It wasn’t there by the way .
I as a result have an antique chest which has lost value due to their carlessness, the problem of trying to find a replacement which isn’t easy ,a guest room bed with no sheets , pillows or bedspread that I will have to go out and replace because we have guests this weekend but no bedding and still absolutely no follow up or interest from the company .

I really can’t recommend Burke and Wills if you move valuable items and if you don’t there is no need to pay their premium prices.

[Denwand]

Sorry to hear of your experiences with Burke and Wills Gymgoer.

I was interested in your post because I was so impressed with them when they moved us and always recommend them to others,

Mind you we used them a long, long time ago..... nearly 19 years ago to be precise! 

I suppose 19 years is a long time in the removal business!

[Goldhawk]

Did they break the chest or was the knob loose?

I don't think you can complain too much about not getting your items back from long term storage - that was your packing mistake surely?

[gymgoer]

The knob was not broken and was in fine condition . We actually found it eventually - they put it in the room next to the room the nightstand was in ,on the floor and under a frisbee. Why would they do that instead of just putting it back in the drawer of the nightstand or in the same room .
Don’t understand why the long term storage could be my mistake as they did all the packing . I also if you had read the above sent pictures of what I wanted . I fail to see how not sending bed clothes , quilts and duvets that were in a box so labelled and instead sending curtains that I didn’t ask for in a box labelled curtains that they packed and labelled was my fault .

[gymgoer]

Also Goldhawk as I clearly stated I was unhappy with the after service that I received . The test of a good company in my mind is how they handle things when something goes wrong . They didn’t do anything which is pretty poor in my view .

[balhambloke]

I had a bad experience with them a few years ago and vowed never to use them again. Visited to quote me and miscalculated how difficult it would be to move a drinks cabinet which took two guys most of the day - they charged me more for this. I complained and it fell on deaf ears. We’re very unreasonable from memory.

[dudette]

I’m not sure you can complain about either of these things. If you put something in long term storage then surely that’s what it is - you don’t expect them to go through all your boxes trying to find it. Why on earth did you put bed linen in storage if you might have needed it? Also they didn’t lose the knob - you found it in your house. Maybe the guy misremembered where he’d put it but that hardly warrants a rant about the company on Nappy Valley. I’ve used B and W several times and always been happy with their service.