pat
Jun 17, 2003, 8:16 AM
Post #3 of 11
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Re: [jsandrock] Suggestions for moving companies?
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"When my family moved TO Mexico City in the 'fifties, the American company broke stuff, lost stuff, etc. When we moved BACK to the States a few years later, Mudanzas Gou handled it and my mom recalls that the entire experience was trouble-free and the move was as smooth as silk."
I have never moved to Mexico nor used a Mexican company, but as one who has moved many many times in the past 30 years, I can offer a few pointers. The success of the move, I think, revolves around two things. 1. The Packers. and 2. Whether or not your goods have to go into a warehouse before they are delivered to your home.
THE PACKERS. Any moving company (I don't care what it's name) is only as good as the people it hires locally to come to your house and pack your household goods. Watch them closely. Make sure they wrap small items carefully with multiple layers of paper and pack them snugly so they will not move. Many times, the things that were broken in our shipments were the things places near the inside wall of the box where external bumps and bangs are transmitted right through the side of the box. If they are packing delicate china right next to inside wall of the box, watch out. Things packed deep in the boxes usually arrived intact. I know you would think "professional packers" would know how to pack, but I have found from experience that some packers will just dump things in a box with minimum protection, and tape it up. Also monitor how furniture, boxes, and appliances are being loaded on the truck, Make sure they are well padded, and will not move and chafe.
WAREHOUSING. There is a saying that goes, "Three moves are worse than a fire." It's true, unfortunately, because the more your goods are handled, the more likely they are to be damaged. I always dreaded when my goods had to be warehoused, because it meant they they would be handled twice more than if they weren't. Furniture which was very carefully padded and stacked in the truck, is taken off the truck and packed in a warehouse, only to be repacked onto another truck at a later time. Unfortunately, you will not be there to supervise the unloading, warehousing and repacking on the next truck.
I imagine that if you use an American company to ship your goods to the border where they will be picked up by a Mexican company, they will most likely be warehoused temporarily. On the other hand (I'm guessing here) if you use a Mexican company, and if your load is large enough to fill the truck, you would have a good chance of getting a direct shipment.
The driver will annotate on the invoice if furniture and appliances are marred, scratched, dented, etc. Tell him before he starts annotating the invoice, that you want him to be specific about the location of the existing damage. Otherwise, it will be hard for you to prove that any of the damage is new.
Whew, boy, did I get carried away here, or what! You asked for the time, and I built you a watch.
The bottom line, is Watch the packers like a hawk, and avoid warehousing if at all possible.
My comments are made based on the experience gained from moving 15 times in the last 30 years. Your mileage may vary.
Pat
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