I WILL NEVER USE AGARWAL PACKERS AND MOVERS AGAIN!!!
Over the last 20 yrs I have moved/shifted cities some 8-10 times - four of them in the last six years. I have used the services of a variety of packers and movers with mixed results.
This time we were shifting back to Bangalore - and the guy we were happy with had sold his business. Someone recommended Agarwal , and they came home claiming to be the largest and the most organised etc. They were the only ones who left behind a lot of collaterals - good high quality ones - all leading us to believe perhaps they were as good as they claimed to be. I reconfirmed the packing materials they were going to use (like plastic crates etc) and upon confirmation the deal was struck - not one paisa lesser than their original quote. (Dint even negotiate - from past experience it had proven to be counter-productive - the packer will cut corners elsewhere and still make the same amount of margin)
...And then the horror(s) started.
ON the designated day they arrived an hour late - with hardly any material or manpower. They had sent just 3 people. They had no crates (for crockery), no scrap paper, not even the packing machine (the tape thingy/crimping tool - they came with some spool of thin plastic tape - the kinds you bind a bundle of newsprint with! Having faced and dealt with a lot of shifting 'aftermath', it was clear to me that the material sent was woefully inadequate - and even the committed things like the crates etc was not sent. Hell they asked us if we can give them the newspaper they need! I asked them not to begin work till such time they cant come with proper materials. A lot of phone calls ensued - but I stuck to my guns. Finally the crates and some paper arrived - not enough - but they convinced me to let them start work (I had to hand over the house the same eve - so that pushed my hand)
I had to intervene numerous times the way they were packing - and each time I was told "Sir we do this everyday - and we send goods all the way to Delhi and beyond - nothing ever has happened to it - 'aap hame humaara kaam karne deejiye' ! Luckily I never discard packing material - so I still had the original packaging for my HT, Plasma, AC, Desktop etc. They did not even have a proper Packing list - and they were making do with a scrap of paper. The whole thing was so shocking that I actually sent a mail to their help desk on their website (but turns out that is purely cosmetic - none of the so called 24 hr 'helpline' phones were even switched on!! Further enquiries threw up new information that the group had actually spliit up - the enitre empire has been carved up between the four or so brothers.. so maybe the indifference stems from there!) The local bosses that I tried to contact gave me the same - "Sir we do this everyday - and we send goods all the way to Delhi and beyond - nothing ever has happened to it - 'aap hame humaara kaam karne deejiye'"
To cut the long story short they they wind up their packing at 2.00am (as against a promised 6.00pm) .. and get my signature on half a dozen form (rubbishing my queries on insurance - "We sent it to Delhi with less packing that yours sir..." and asked me for an approximate value - I tell them 5 lacs - and they say I cannot give such a high value because.. blah..blah...blah.. It was 2.30am, and we had been on our feet since 6.00am. The kids schedule got shot to pieces as well. All of us were damn hungry and damn tired! So we dint argue - he puts down 1.5 lacs as the value (hell my HT is worth more than that!) gets my signature on a dozen documents, grabs a cheques for 100% payment in advance (that is another thing - their rules 100% in advance) and leaves. I see them loading and tell them it is not being done right - they seemed to be arguing that the truck is too small for the amount of goods ... we get the same "we do this everyday" brush off.
Frustrated and too tired to argue, we finally called it a night.
The next day - we reach Bangalore - the truck arrives the following day with their local unloading people. I go to open the flat and they call me back saying " sir - we have just opened the door - please have a look - we don't want you to say we are responsible!!" I run to the truck... and was aghast! I clicked a few snaps (for record - just in case) and ask them to unload. What did we find? ...
They had broken just about everything!! - Sofa (which they rolled - yes ROLLED down six flights of stairs! - lack of manpower to use the rope that had brought for the purpose) , Dining table, IRON cot (an antique 260 yr old one - with cast iron wheels 'made in Paris' ), children's cot, Bike (decals, the seat sponge and all, indicators) , certificates and trophies, every single piece of terracotta items we possessed, some electronic items.... I could go on....!! The goods were on a direct truck - direct from my old house to the new one. The truck had not met with any accident en route. The damage they caused was undeniably and entirely due to their own incompetence and the callous indifference with which they packed and loaded!
I refused to sign any release document - they tried everything possible - including some threats (mild talk of 'Takleef/trouble" having to go to the 'Police Station' etc - which quickly stopped the second I offered to drive them there!) I stopped their payment over phone! (One of the few reasons why I love a technologically enabled new generation bank!)
A lot of people have come to me since - to photograph the damaged goods etc, trying to broker various deals - but the fight is on! They are proving to be glib and persuasive talkers but nowhere did I see them trying to right the wrong. All they seem to be interested in is their payment.
To conclude - even the WORST LOCAL SHADY packer we have ever had the misfortune of using in the past, were 100 times better than Agarwal packers and movers have proven to be.
Be careful - Be warned!
PS: - The best experience we have had was with LEO Packers and Movers. Unequivocally bloody brilliant!)