Moving company accidentally sells $120,000 worth of family belongings
An elderly couple from Bribie island in Queensland are fighting for compensation after a removalist company sold their belongings during their interstate move to Bega, NSW.
Gary and Lorraine Taylor are in their late 70s and had originally planned to use removal company ‘Wridgways’ before they liquidated in July 2021. This saw ‘Kent Removals and Storage’ taking on 160 new clients.
The Taylors had packed all of their worldly possessions, including furniture and sentimental belongings, into two removal trucks. One truck contained $120,000 worth of furniture - little did they know they would never see these belongings again.
Kent Removals & Storage have since apologised and describe the incident as a result of human error, where the company had been court-appointed to assist liquidator Hall Chadwick. Chadwick was in charge of selling off Wridgways’ assets, which included items like office furniture.
This is where the swap unknowingly took place - and the Taylor’s container was accidentally sent to online auction company ‘Grays Online’.
Of course, everything was auctioned off for a fraction of the price.
Lawyers representing the retiree couple say they would have to take $50,000 from their pension to recover only a few of the items, leaving them in complete limbo. Some of the furniture was unfortunately split between the two moving containers, meaning what did arrive couldn’t be assembled.
“We’ve been married for 60 years, and 60 years of our bloody furniture has just gone down the tube and nobody cares,” Gary told 7NEWS.
Lorraine spoke through tears as she told 7NEWS the incident was “very hard to describe”.
“It’s not believable what we’ve been through,” she said.
“Its been terrible for both of us, and for our family.”
Kent Removals and Storage CEO, Steve Alves has said the matter had been referred to Kent’s insurers but that, “the matter was incorrectly internalised between Kent, Grays Online and Hall Chadwick with a view to establishing liability for this error”.
“As Kent Relocation Group contracted with Mr and Mrs Taylor and, irrespective of where the liability resides, Kent Relocation Group could and should have taken a lead role in this process and did not.”
Alves said the company “apologises for the way in which this matter has been handled”.
“Our team will focus on ensuring we support Mr and Mrs Taylor in any way we can to bring closure to this matter for them.
“In terms of the missing items, given the quantum of the potential claim, the matter has been referred to Kent’s insurers along with an instruction to ensure that the matter is expedited in a prompt, efficient and reasonable manner for Mr and Mrs Taylor”.
So far only 40% of the moving charges have been refunded, but since the matter was escalated Alves said Kent Removals & Storage would work to refund 100% of all moving chargers. As to whether they will see a refund of their $120,000 worth of lost furniture, they must wait for the companies’ insurance process to run its course.
Image: 7News