Pickfords - Read this before you select your removal company
 

This is a warning when selecting a removal company.

After extensive research I decided to use Pickfords in Manchester to wrap, pack and deliver my house contents to Auckland, NZ.

The alarm bells started fairly early on. Prior to leaving the UK responses to emails took a long time and phone calls were unanswered.

Once I decided to use Pickfords (I curse that day) I duly made payment. Two weeks later I discovered upon checking my visa bill that I had been charged twice. Numerous phone calls later my money was refunded. No letter of apology, nothing.

Once my goods were packed on the 14th August 09 I was told that all my boxes were shipped out a week later.

I arrived in NZ 5 weeks ago and was told by the Auckland office that my container had arrived.

I then spent a few weeks looking for a house, which i duly found. Last week Pickfords Allied (a separate company from Pickfords UK) informed me that 17 boxes were missing. Yes, 17 boxes!

I was promised a phone call from Pickfords Manchester but never received one. I ended up calling Pickfords Manchester and was told, 'oh yes, we've still got some of your boxes in our warehouse. We will let you know the cost to ship out the remaining boxes.' So even though I had already paid for a full container, they expected me to fork out more cash to get my remaining possessions sent to me.

In disgust I fired off an email insisting that my boxes are air freighted to me. Todate, i have had no response from Pickfords in Manchester. I dont know where my boxes are and feel that Pickfords attitude to customer service is pretty well non existent.

My advice is to think very carefully about using their services. And if you do, be prepared for poor customer service, being over charged and your stuff going missing!:thumbdown:

Re: Pickfords - Read this before you select your removal company
 

Argh- hope to goodness you get some resolution soon!!

Re: Pickfords - Read this before you select your removal company
 

Unfortunately, in the grand scheme of Removalists transporting the thousands and thousands of containers around the world on a yearly basis, however excellent a company is, someone, somewhere will have a crap service from them. It doesn't mean they are no good, it simply means you, sadly, pulled the short straw this time. No excuse for bad customer service but we are all human and we do all make mistakes.

Hope you find you boxes.

Re: Pickfords - Read this before you select your removal company
 

We gone pickfords too....we sent email to UK branch and heard nothing....sent email this end and got reply next day with date our stuff is arriving. Hopefully all the boxes....we've only got part of a container. Packing, etc was wonderful the UK end, they were in and out quick and I felt comfortable watching all our stuff being packed up. Paper work was ok..and payment went through fine.

We had thought about crown, but they were significantly more and kept calling after we had a quote....but hubby was at work so couldn't answer his mobile....17 calls over 3 days I think? LEAVE AN ANSWER MESSAGE AND WAIT FOR A CALL BACK!!!!!!!!

Re: Pickfords - Read this before you select your removal company
 

Hope everything gets sorted soon. :fingerscrossed:

Re: Pickfords - Read this before you select your removal company
 

:fingerscrossed: hope your 17 boxes turn up soon!!
B x

Re: Pickfords - Read this before you select your removal company
 

I don't get how 17 of your boxes could not be in the container :confused: Did you have your boxes packed and then stored by Pickfords before shipping?

When we had our stuff packed up the container came to the house and everything was put in and the doors locked and sealed with a customs/security tag and off it went ready to be shipped. All boxes were numbered and itemised and a copy list given.

Re: Pickfords - Read this before you select your removal company
 

We used Pickfords (Milton Keynes office) and received a great service.

We had a part share of a 40ft container (too much stuff for a 20ft) so our stuff was packed in their depot as they don't pack 40ft containers outside houses.

Our stuff arrived 7 weeks later into Wellington and delivered to us a week later after MAF inspection. Nothing was missing or broken.

I appreciate we were lucky. Unfortunately things do go wrong with every removal company and I sincerely hope you get your stuff sorted out.

Re: Pickfords - Read this before you select your removal company
 

Can I recomend GB Liners.
Great price, really prompt communication throughout and really efficient yet friendly. We had to put our gear in storgae with them before it could be shipped for two months, They let us add some boxes just before it was shipped too so we were not too short of gear for the inbetween months. They were very accomodating and understanding.
Really hope your boxes turn up soon...a complete nightmare for you
Viv

Re: Pickfords - Read this before you select your removal company
 

Ditto the above. :confused:

Re: Pickfords - Read this before you select your removal company
 

Ditto the above also.

I would just say that if the OP is considering a case which may end up with some sort of legal action they perhaps they need to think to be very very careful what information is put on a public website.

Re: Pickfords - Read this before you select your removal company - part 2
 

Pickfords saga- part two....update.

It was move day today and guess what! I was yet again let down!!!

Not only have Pickfords delayed delivery of 17 boxes as previously reported, but we sadly had numerous items damaged. It became apparent that items that were marked 'delicate' such as an art deco mirror had been dropped. Not only had glass items been broken but we found shelves that had been marked and other furniture chipped and dented. Several lamp shades were found to be creased.

We can only conclude that certain items had not been correctly packed.

On a more positive note, the guys who delivered the boxes were efficient and on time.

Its yet another night dossing down on a sofa!

I finally received a phone call today from an area manager apologizing for the complete let down in customer service.

My brother used Crown when he relocated to NZ, I only wished that i took his advice.

Re: Pickfords - Read this before you select your removal company - part 2
 

Nothing to say that the same problems wouldn't have happened. Crown have their share of unhappy customers.

Pickfords saga - part two - update
 

That sounds a bloody awful experience. Hope you get it all sorted soon. :fingerscrossed: Our stuff is due in Auckland Friday, I hope they are more gentle with our stuff than yours were. Bevissa

Re: Pickfords - Read this before you select your removal company
 

Gosh!
For a moment I thought you were a rep of Pickfords!
You're not are you???!:blink:

In my experience - their all shysters!

Crown just charges more for a lousy service!:sneaky: