2½ month wait for moving company to deliver furniture frustrates Bedford woman

A woman who just moved to Bedford, N.S., from Edmonton is upset it took a Toronto-based company two and a half months to deliver her furniture.

Wanda Clarke and her boyfriend hired Green Moving to move their belongings across the country.

Clarke says the truck arrived at her Edmonton home on June 28 — one day later than the agreed date. She didn't see her furniture again until Sept. 11.

During that time the pair bought a home in Bedford and waited.

'Not returning calls'

"You're living in a house on an air mattress for months and it's just like you're camping out," Clarke said.

She says every time she called Green Moving, she'd talk to a different person.

"Not returning calls. Never once did they ever phone us and let us know where our furniture was, when we're going to receive it, nothing."

Clarke says she was told by the movers their furniture was in a container in Edmonton, but that it couldn't leave the city until it was full.

Eventually, she said, the container arrived in Toronto.

2½ months

Clarke says she asked the company to move the furniture from the container onto a moving truck, but movers failed to get her furniture onto four available trucks that were contracted by Green Moving.

"They never ever gave me a reason," she said

"I gave all of our furniture to somebody with good intentions to come and deliver it. Two and a half months later, you don't get your furniture."   

Clarke says she gave Green Moving a $100 down payment when the deal was struck in Edmonton. She sent Green Moving $3,000 on Aug. 23 and another $1,950 on Aug. 29 for a total of $5,050.

"But I told them I'm not sending them another cent until I got my furniture."

Cost higher than estimate

Clarke says there is still $500 outstanding on her bill. Based on Green Moving's original estimate, Clarke was told the move would cost her up to $3,000.

"I was expecting between $2,500 and $3,000. That's what I quoted out, that's what they told me."   

Green Moving has yet to respond to CBC News about Clarke's complaint.

But an official with the Canadian Association of Movers (CAM) says Green Moving is not a member and therefore does not subscribe to that body's code of ethics.

Grade F from BBB

Paul Leader, CAM's president, says this kind of delivery shouldn't take so long.

"Two and a half months is certainly not acceptable in Canada," he said.  

"And I can assure you none of our CAM members would ever ever do that as far as I'm concerned."

Leader says it's up to consumers to find out whether movers are members of the Canadian Association of Movers. If they're not, he says, it's difficult to hold them accountable.

Green Moving has a grade of F from the Better Business Bureau — all based on similar complaints.