What was supposed to be a straightforward house move turned into a shock for a 61-year-old woman when her moving bill more than doubled on the actual day.
Minzi, a real estate agent, engaged the moving company 12Move after finding them online. Following a site visit, she was given a quotation of $2,458, plus $600 for insurance, bringing the total agreed fee to $3,058.
The quotation included 200 cartons, 20 rolls of tape, half a roll of bubble wrap, a bundle of newspapers, and three to six workers to help with moving and basic packing. The move was expected to take place between 9am and 6pm, with six full truck trips. Any additional half truck would cost $218, while each extra full truck would cost $308. Items listed included a king-sized bed, a storage cabinet, a full-length mirror, two statues, and a 65-inch television.
But Minzi said things did not go smoothly. On August 21, staff sent her 50 boxes, followed by another 70 two weeks later. The remaining 80 boxes never arrived, leaving her unable to finish packing early. Four days before moving day, she was told that workers would assist with packing at a cost of $12 per box.
“Initially, I only needed help with some packing, but because of this, the number of boxes packed by workers increased,” she explained.
On moving day, she was busy packing her own items and did not have time to check. Later, when she unpacked, she found some boxes half-filled and others packed haphazardly, which led to the number of boxes increasing sharply.
In the end, more than 200 boxes and her furniture had to be moved in 12 trips, double the original estimate of six trips. The final bill climbed to more than $7,400. “They used a 14-foot lorry, so why was there a need for so many trips?” she questioned.
She also pointed out that workers insisted her full-length mirror had to be transported alone to prevent damage, costing $308 just for that one trip, on top of the $600 insurance.
Moving company explains
Responding to Shin Min Daily News, 12Move said the initial $2,458 estimate was based on the information given during inspection. Additional requests by Minzi later added to the cost.
“These included insuring a $9,000 mirror and packing 154 boxes, which brought the bill to $5,000. With more boxes came more trips. The whole moving process was done under her instructions and supervision,” the company said.
It added that they did not force her to take packing services.
“She only requested packing service two days before moving. As for the boxes, since space in her unit was limited, we agreed to deliver them in batches.”
The company also said it had confirmed with her before moving day that extra manpower and vehicles would be arranged, and she had already paid the total bill of $7,437 without objections.
“Our team packed over 150 boxes under very challenging conditions, and we always provide a detailed bill after completing the job,” the company stated.
