I've just moved with Bishop's Move - A cowboy moving company (Allied Pickfords)

Member Name: mauricev

Product:	Allied Pickfords
Date:	03/08/08 (262 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: They pick up the phone

Disadvantages: They are totally reckless and break stuff and get things lost...

I recently relocated and decided to use Bishop's Move as they came to evaluate the move and told me about their years of experiece, great service and competitive rates etc...

I hesitated to use Interdean, who I had used previously. Now I really wish I had... If you're considering Bishop's Move's services. Don't.

Here is the letter I wrote to them right after the move took place:

Dear Tony,

This is a letter to complain about the poor quality of service we received from your company during our move.

Here are the details of our complaints:

1. Bad planning: we agreed a team from Bishop's Move would come on Thursday the 26th at 9am to pack everything and on Friday the 27th at 9am the move would take place. On Thursday morning, nobody came. We had to call you to find out that you hadn't planned for anyone to pack. This resulted in my wife and myself taking a whole day off for nothing, as the packing didn't happen as scheduled. During my conversation with you on Thursday the 26th, we agreed that the team would come on Friday the 27th at 8am to pack and then move everything into the new property. You assured me that the move would be "comfortably managed in one day".
On Friday 27th, nobody came. I had to call you again to find out that the team would arrive around 9am, which was not in accordance with our agreed planning.
The actual move started at 10.45am as your team failed to arrive at 8am as previously agreed.
During the whole Friday, I had to keep calling you and other members of your team, as the agreed schedule wasn't kept. This is unacceptable, as your team should pro-actively keep me updated on their progress, not the other way around.

2. Manpower: when we discussed the move, we agreed that a team of 7-people would carry out the whole move. This was not provided as we only had 5 people including the driver who couldn't leave the vehicle and therefore not help with carrying items.

3. Damaged goods: due to the reckless behaviour of your staff, several important items were damaged and will have to be replaced by your company.
A) A Knoll Arco lamp was recklessly bended and is now out of shape. This is a key design piece, which will have to be replaced. This item costs GBP 1100 (Reference of value attached)
B) A mirrored chest drawer was broken. A whole panel on the side and the front are in pieces and will have to be repaired or replaced. This item is valued at GBP 945 (Reference attached).
C) A picture frame with sentimental value was broken. The picture cannot be taken out of the frame anymore. This will have to be repaired or replaced.
D) Several art books were torn and will have to be replaced.
Additionally, there was blood on several of our pieces including the mirrored chest drawer, the lamp that was broken and a large picture frame.

4. Inattention: in addition to your team's reckless behaviour, they also inadvertently left a pair of shoes in our old apartment which we luckily found the next day and which otherwise would have been lost. Your team also agreed to take some unwanted bookcases to the skip on the day of the move. The building's management found parts of the cases in the lift and in the hallways of the new premises. This had to additionally be removed.

In light of all these reasons, we require that you contact us immediately to repair or replace the items that have been damaged.

We also require you to refund the amount of GBP 1209.12 as the schedule, the manpower and the overall reckless behaviour of your team is not in-line with our previously agreed contract and has caused us considerable damage and wasted time.

Even worse is that they replied a month after I had sent the letter (because I started having conversations with the BAR (British Association of Removers) and faxed a letter to Nigel Bishop, who is the MD of this place). They finally replied, that they prefer not breaking stuff, but, hey, it does happen.. In response to breaking my items, they said that they might put a cheque of £80 in the post (which I've not received yet B.T.W.). This amount doesn't even over half of 1 of the artbooks they damaged.

Charming eh..... ?

Do yourself a favour and consider this review as a warning. There are plenty of perfectly fine removal companies outthere. Don't resort to the cowboys like I did, but take your time and look for a decent moving company. It's really worth it.

Summary: Unless you want service that includes breaking your personal belongings, go elsewhere