A Very Frustrating Moving Experience

Kathy Kristof’s advice about moving makes for great reading, but I’m here to tell you it ain’t gonna work! [‘Planning a Move? Take These Steps to Protect Yourself,” Personal Finance, May 10].

I just moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles. I called several major national moving firms for estimates and settled on an agent of one of the companies. So far so good? I not only read the estimate and other documents, since I’m a lawyer I even understood most of them.

On the day of the move, the truck hadn’t arrived at the prearranged hour. When I called the office to inquire, the charming receptionist asked me if I wanted her to go out and run after the truck. Somehow I knew I was in big trouble.

When the crew arrived sans dollies, packing materials or pads, my heart sank. I immediately signed up for $20,000 of additional no-deductible full-replacement-value insurance.

The day was memorable, but not as memorable as move-in day when the thousands of dollars of damage to my furniture was unveiled. Let’s put it this way: The Northridge earthquake couldn’t have accomplished what these guys did.

Did I document? You bet your patooty I did. I wrote to the mover, to the van line and to the California Public Utilities Commission. Their respective responses must have gotten lost in the mail, because I sure haven’t heard from anyone.

The movers have sent some repair people to see if they can fix some of the damage. I don’t know how you repair a golf-ball-size hole in an antique table, but I’ll go along with the gag for now.

One good thing you learn in law school is that you can sue until the statute of limitations kicks in.

So--after you’ve followed Kristof’s advice, I suggest that you consult both your crystal ball and your local astrologer before settling on one of these “expert” movers. Oh--and if you land in moving hell, my advice is that you do not pass Go but run directly to your favorite lawyer. The response to your pleading may be the first written response you will ever see from anyone.

BARBARA H. BERGEN

Marina del Rey