January second 2018 started off like most days in Elgin, SC with the exception of the three Smith and Dray Lines Atlas girl packers who arrived at our home to start packing what was left to pack after I had packed over fifty percent of it myself into tote containers for a seven month storage stay until we closed on our new home in Murrell’s Inlet, SC.
When these ladies came into our home I was uneasy from the vibes I was getting from them but ignored it and went on with my day of sealing the container I packed as advised by Cherie from Smith Dray Lines Atlas or now known to us as the scouter.
In my opinion these three girls should have had the whole house packed and done on the first day which made me suspicious as to why they weren’t.
On January third the girls showed back up to finish the packing and again I felt the same feeling as the day before. On this day I felt like something didn’t feel right like items from our western bedroom were being stolen. I walked around trying to keep an eye on everything I could. Our home being packed was almost 5000 square feet and I was all by myself.
I had taken every loose item, pictures, etc. to our master bedroom to be packed in one area and even organized it for the packers.
I walked by the western bedroom feeling very uncomfortable with the girl in there going through our hope chest of hidden and cherished family antiques and items. At one point I noticed this girl went missing so I walked around the house to see if I could find her and I couldn’t. They had parked their moving truck in front of our garage this day. I went out to the truck to see if I could find this person but she was no where to be found. I thought that was weird but just moved on.
The girl in our master bedroom called me in to initial on her page that the big picture frame with glass she was getting ready to pack had a crack in it prior to her packing it. She taped it with their packing tape. I did think it was weird that she didn’t have me sign for other items that had cracked glass or broken items but then thought nothing of it wanting to trust that we could trust them. Such a bad mistake!
On this same day they were went on another lunch for more then an hour. Weird. No urgency to get the job done.
January fourth the loaders showed up to start loading and pack up what they were suppose to be doing. The lead driver Mike let me know they were one person down of three that is why he had his wife there to count and tag our tote containers that I packed. I thought this was weird and unprofessional but then maybe that is how this company does business. I was not impressed and suspicious once again.
We were told they couldn’t get their big truck down our road so they had to split the loading into two truck loads. Which I didn’t believe them as we have had semi trucks down our country road before with no problems. But once again I thought whatever and suspicious but didn’t question it further.
Mike’s wife left earlier in the day so it was Mike and what I thought was his son because he kept calling the guy son all day. He was a bigger hefty boy.
It was around five-thirtyish/six pm that first day when they were done and loaded with the first days load. Mike told me they still had to unload our belongings on this day into the vault at Smith Dray Line headquarters which would give them about another two hours they would have to work. I was like wow that is a long day and how exhausted they must have already been to have two more hours of unloading but it would go faster then loading it.
At the end of the first day of loading they closed and locked the loading truck and headed off to Smith Dray Lines facility we thought.
January fifth 2018, Mike the driver and two guys showed up to finish packing the really big items in our home and loading our boxes the girls packed and our bigger items which wasn’t much at all.
On this day Mike the lead driver made sure to point out and show me the number one box that was at the front door marked number one. Mike was putting all pieces and parts from everything he took apart and television remotes into the number one box. Mike kept telling me to make sure I found this box first when the movers arrived to our new home. Mike repeated this many times to me.
A lot of moving was going on this day as there was one king bed with a select comfort mattress and a queen log bed to be taken down, one pinball machine, BowFlex gym, Bowflex Max 5 machine, Bowflex accessories gym parts, Pilates machine, brand new refrigerator, two patio triple person swings, grill, outside glider seat bench, five person elite patio dining set, all my new garage equipment and storage cabinets, etc…..
On this day I remember being asked questions about items I had. I had some styrofoam that still needed packed as I didn’t get to it. I packed all the other bags with super strength Hefty bags and super strength tape. Kenny was gathering up my pieces of styrofoam and asked me what I used it for, I told him I used it for the landscaping to my Department 56 Christmas displays which was quite extensive. Why I bring this up is because every piece was specific and when looking on eBay I saw one of the pieces from my landscape collection.
Mike made sure as he took anything apart that had loose parts and pieces that I watched him put them into the number one box. I thought this was over doing it but okay.
I was concerned about our California Grapevine Furniture and asked Mike if we could crate it like was done by the previous moving company we used in Minnesota when we moved down to South Carolina. Mike said something like no it would be a waist of your money and time and then tried to explain it so I wouldn’t push the matter. In my head I was like okay, I guess, whatever, I’m just the customer! I wasn’t happy about this but I really didn’t know what to do so I left the area.
Mike had me take pictures of our select comfort bed so we would know how to put it back together once we got it back which I thought was weird for two reasons. For one our move from Minnesota to Columbia, SC the movers set the bed up and secondly John and I have been taking down and setting that bed up for over 20 years. I humored him and took pictures.
When Mike started to take our Flash Gordon pinball machine apart he wanted me to watch and record him so when we got it back at our new home we knew how to put it back together which once again was weird because our movers did all that for us when we moved from Minnesota to South Carolina. I said okay, that’s a good idea realizing I guess I would be putting it back together once we received it at our new home. During this recording his crew of to guys was working around us packing up the big items and moving them downstairs. I was concentrating on what Mike was saying so I didn’t pay attention to what was being said around me.
The last items to be packed on this day was our shed in our backyard. It was such a relief to be done and watch them pull away thinking all our belongings would be safe and secure packed at their facility like was sold and told to us.
Literally as Mike and his two guy crew pulled away from our shed I texted my husband John and said they just left which time stamped them as leaving our property at two twenty five pm on January 5, 2018.
July 2, 2018 around ten am in the morning the movers arrive. Our nightmare begins!!!!!!!