Missing items

We recently moved to Dubai and employed who we thought to be a reputable moving company, Biddulph’s International to move your most cherished belongings. Like so many, we approached a few companies and did the ground work by checking customer reviews etc. and although they have 90 years of business experience and “stellar reviews” I would like to warn potential clients to be more vigilant during the packing process. Prior to the Biddulph’s packing team arriving on the 12 November 2020, we pre-packed all our household items (like items with like items), ensuring that only items that were allowed and that we were definitely taking were in the house. The rest was donated or sold. When the packers left, the shelves were empty and we were under the impression that “ALL” our items were packed in boxes ready for shipment. All done on the second day with a day to spare, lucky for us, one would think. After delays and inaccurate invoicing due to staff rotation during the festive period, we finally received our consignment on the 25 February 2021. Part of the paid for service was for the shipping company in Dubai to unpack the boxes and remove all packaging material however we had to forfeit this as upon opening a few boxes we noted that the packing was done so haphazardly or should I now say strategically that the Dubai agents were at a loss. To mention a few examples, a box labelled hangers had hangers, folded clothes, a vanity case but worst of all, all of the above were dumped in the same box as toilet mats. A box that had clothes was mixed with shoes. A vacuum cleaner and outdoor equipment lumped together with our towels and linen! Unprofessional and unacceptable! This was reported to the whole Biddulph’s team and I received a generic response from the Branch Manager that they will investigate and revert back. During this period we endeavored to unpack ourselves, we noted a very obvious item that was "missing", a pair of brand new athletic takkies that was still in its box. This was one of the items in the smallest room of the house and one would have to breach COVID safety protocols to be present at all times to monitor and it was also the only room in the house with no camera surveillance. Ironically, the room and cupboard the Supervisor was personally packing. This was again communicated to the Biddulph’s team and weeks had passed with no response so I had to follow up with them. I was the given a slurry of excuses for the delays, the Branch Manager was off sick, etc. but surprisingly I received responses only when the tone of my messages changed from patient and accommodating to irate when I informed them that I will be reviewing them as such. The response from the Operations Manager was that the disciplinary hearing yielded the dismissal of one of the packers and the others were still being investigated. He then requested the cost of the takkie. Feeling violated we tried to go through the tedious task to verify if each item in that room was packed and made it to Dubai. We noted expensive, unopened lotions, oils and perfumes, as well as expensive bathroom accessories that were also "missing". With just these few items mentioned and their cost exceeding R2000, we had to stop ourselves from continuing the verification process so as to not make ourselves feel even more violated and exposed. We will NEVER be able to FULLY grasp the extent of what never arrived, for the sake of our own sanity. This too was communicated with the Biddulph’s team, whereby the Operations Manager proceeded to discard the information I provided him with and responding with insurance clauses instead. He added further insult to the wound by making it seem as if he was being so gracious and doing me a favour by offering me an amount of R1000 using the term "EX GRATIA" which by definition means "as a FAVOUR or from a sense of moral obligation rather than because of any legal requirement.". Wow, I am supposed to be so grateful Biddulphs!

His final response to me on 31 March 2021 was that he will see what he can do. I forwarded my banking details as requested. To date all he did was NOTHING!

So to all the South African families moving abroad, please take heed, don’t let COVID protocols of social distancing cause you to be distracted during the packing process. Be on the lookout for the small, expensive items that may not make it to their destination. Leaving one’s country and having worked extremely hard to be able to make such a move and a stressful one at that, in the first place does not entitle service providers to class me an easy target that does not sweat the “small stuff” and the impression that the fact that we CAN make such a huge move means we have surplus and it will go unnoticed! Very hurtful.