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Moving "Professionals"
 

So as some of you may know, I was retrenched at my old job (of 5 years) after being relocated to our Melbourne office for 1 year. I used a proprietary SQL-based API to write software for an engineering firm, allowing our geochemists, environmental scientists and engineers to conduct their fieldwork digitally, instead of ye olde archaic methods of pen & paper. So after losing my job, I decided to move up the ladder and apply for a position directly with the company that created the API. So now my old boss is now my client. Hehe.

Anyway, as a result, I needed to relocate back to Brisbane since that's where our office is located. I needed to undergo 3 months of training before I could fully immerse myself in this role, at our head office in Perth. So the day after I got home from ACL Sydney, I packed up my apartment and within a week, I was gone.

After selectively browsing the market, I settled on a company called "Moving Professionals", who had agreed to relocate the entire contents of my apartment from Melbourne to Brisbane with 48 hours notice for only ~$700. Not bad. (FYI: The going price is typically anywhere between $1500 and $2400)

So here's a timeline of events:
May 2nd: I depart Melbourne, arrive in Brisbane.
May 3rd: The removalists collect all of the furniture and boxes from my apartment.
May 6th: I relocate to Perth.
May 12th: The driver phones me to let me know that my stuff has been successfully delivered to my apartment in Brisbane. 2 hours later, my housemate informs me that 1 box is missing. I just happened to pack all of my most expensive and valuable stuff into one single box. PS3 games. Licensed PC software (Photoshop, Windows, etc) DVD's. PSP games. Valued at $4500+. I can't even remember what else. It was clearly labelled. I call the driver, no response. I leave a voicemail for him to call me. I send a text message. He never got back to me.
May 14th: As soon as their office opens on Monday morning, I call them twice, notifying them of my situation. They said they'll look into it.
May 18th: I call again for an update. Apparently there was no mention of missing equipment on my file, and no ticket had been logged for investigation. I ask them to call me back after the weekend with an update.
May 21st: I don't hear from them, so I call them again in the afternoon. "No idea sorry, still looking."
May 24th: I call again and inform them that I've inherited some equipment that doesn't belong to me. Someone's gym equipment and ladder has been delivered to my apartment, with numbered stickers attached to them which don't match mine. I suggest they call that customer and inform them that someone else has their stuff.
June 1st: I depart Perth early, due to heavy project work in the Brisbane office. (Shall return in September!) I e-mail them before my flight to remind them that it's been nearly an entire month and no-one has attempted to contact me or provide an update. I demand that they contact me on Monday. No response.
June 6th: I phone again. The receptionist says the boss is in "planning meetings" all day and can't answer my call. I send an aggressive e-mail, CC'ing the parent organisation (did some research).
June 8th: Someone named "David" finally contacts me. He says "Nick" is looking for my stuff. Nick will be in touch "next week" with an update.
June 15th: I e-mail them with a reminder that "next week" is only a few hours away from becoming "last week." No reply.
June 25th: Still nothing. I e-mail them again, asking if Nick is still alive. I CC the parent company again, reminding them that this is unacceptable. The parent company responds immediately, agreeing that this is unacceptable, and that they'll chase it up and get back to me ASAP.

Lesson learned?

Steer clear of Moving Professionals.