Stevens Van Lines (Saginaw, MI) was hired and contracted by me via SafeWay Moving & Storage (Lake Forest, CA) to move our household goods from Southern California to Chicagoland. The "white glove" packing was completed on 8/27/18, goods were loaded on 8/28/18 and delivered on 9/4/18. As there was evidence of damage to some household goods, we had swiftly alerted the broker (SafeWay Moving & Storage) the same day of delivery, asking them to address the issue for us. After the broker confirmed they were getting nowhere w/ Stevens related to any damages, I was informed on 10/18/19 to file an official claim myself, which I did on 10/19/18. Relating to one of our most prized pieces of furniture, our buffet was rebuilt by the driver/team upon delivery. However, when the legs put back on underneath, either the wrong screws were used or they were tightened too much, puncturing the inside of the cabinet from the bottom up, which was completely unnoticeable until we had began loading the cabinet well after the team had gone.
Without sending anyone to my property to physically inspect the damage, Stevens had swiftly denied my claim on 10/25, with the following rebuttal, which they continue using today. "As this item is one that would be used on a daily basis it is reasonable to conclude that if the loss occurred while the item was in our custody, it would have been noticed either at delivery or shortly thereafter. The damage/loss for this item was not reported until 46 days after delivery. We find that the 2nd element of Carmack has not been proven. When this shipment delivered you signed the inventories acknowledging that the shipment was received in apparent good condition unless otherwise noted. You did not note any damage to this item at the time of delivery. There is no evidence that the damage that is now being claimed is a result of our handling or that this item changed condition while under our care, custody, and control. Therefore, we must respectfully deny liability."
Unfortunately, they continue holding their line on this excuse. And their contracts are written so vaguely that any wrongdoing will always be pointed back at the consumer while protecting their corporation. read more