Mackie Moving Systems (mis)handled our long distance move from Toronto to Vancouver in the summer of 2016, using their packers, their storage for 3 months in Oshawa, and their Vancouver unpackers.
On the day we were to move into our new home, we discovered that:
1) without our knowledge or permission, our load was split between two companies,
2) we had no beds; they would arrive several days later with a company that we did not hire, Allied Van Lines, along with the rest of our load,
3) we watched in disbelief as we saw our fine furniture being offloaded with significant damage, including gouging of rare inlays on our antique credenza,
4) in total, we had 26 items damaged, four of which were damaged beyond repair. Even the Vancouver unpackers commented on the poor packing job in Toronto.
When the second load arrived, we discovered that:
1) four cartons of valuable family heirlooms are still missing and untraceable, never found (we received only partial compensation for the items that we know to be missing),
2) our mattress bags and box springs were unsealed during the entire three months of storage,
3) we had to pay for the protective mattress bags nonetheless.
Their entire sales pitch was one “myth” after another:
Myth #1: that Mackie's packers are trained and qualified to pack delicate and fragile items
Our experience: Mackie's packers did a 2-day pack job in just one day, cramming in as much as they could, not bothering to pack delicate items individually, and had no experience or knowledge in properly packing delicate items.
Myth #2: that Mackie can track our load
Our experience: when we discovered that our load had been split, we called the Toronto office, only to be told that they had never heard of such a thing happening! It took a few days until they could even tell us when our second load would be delivered.
Myth #3: that Mackie's drivers are reliable
Our experience: Our missing table and two chair child's set were located shortly after we moved in, and we were promised delivery the following week. After eight months(!) of repeated requests for delivery, their claims department paid us compensation, as even they got fed up with Mackie. However, we are still out the money we paid to move, store, and deliver(!) that table set.
Myth #4: that items are properly insured with Mackie's “value protection”
Our experience: this is not a bona fide insurance company. There is no insurance policy and no customer recourse in case of a dispute, as Mackie's “value protection” does not come under the Canada Insurance Act.
Myth #5: that they can trace our lost belongings
Our experience: Mackie lost four of our cartons containing valuable family heirlooms. Their so-called trace did not include checking with the households between Toronto and Vancouver whose belongings were on either of the same trucks as our belongings. Furthermore, they did not use digital UPC bar codes to enable scanning each carton.
Mackie tried to justify their negligence, as they did repair whatever could be repaired, and paid us compensation for items that could not be repaired. However, we received only partial compensation for items that we know to be missing from the four lost cartons. These items were not for sale, and certainly not at distress sale prices, yet we are out the cost we paid to move and store all the contents. We don't even fully know what else was in those cartons, because Mackie's packers didn't label them appropriately.
It took a full eight months to complete this process. They also tried to deflect responsibility onto us by claiming that we were simply “overwhelmed”.
The way this entire move was handled is appalling.
