May 02, 2013 03:25 PM
9659 Views
I selected Transworld International (TWI) movers after reading reviews on Mouthshut.com. even though their quote was significantly higher that others. They moved my goods from Gurgaon to Pune safely and on time. But I would like to report that the insurance part was handled without transparency and has resulted in a dispute.
I would like to report my experience and invite others to please respond- how has your experience been with insurance handling by TWI ?
I paid about 50% of the quoted amount in advance when the goods were loaded from Gurgaon. I did the valuation of the inventory and a TWI representative recorded it in a TWI form. When I asked about the insurance receipt they said that their office handles it and gave me no insurance receipt before taking packed goods away. Thereafter an e-mail from the TWI manager in Delhi clarified Rs. X amount as the "complete balance including service tax and insurance, to be paid to the packers' team in Pune when they deliver the goods". I paid this amount to the Pune team of packers who unloaded and unpacked...as advised.
A week after the goods were delivered and transactions completed later, he wrote to me again saying that they had made a mistake and another 20, 000 rupees was due as service tax 6000 and insurance around Rs.14, 000 !! I still have no proof that they have paid any insurance premium to any insurance company.
Fortunately there were only minor breakages and we did not claim. But in my past moves I had always received an inventory list made on an insurance company's form and the valued inventory list was signed off by me and the insurance company before the goods moved from the point of departure. TWI's 1) failure to give me proof of insurance before moving, 2) failure to provide a valued inventory list agreed to by an insurance company, 3) stating the final balance to me and then after full payment coming back to ask for Rs.20, 000 more --- are all unprofessional and legally untenable practices. I may have chosen another packer if I had known it would cost this much more..
What if there had been major damages? I was left completely at the mercy of the packer, with no proof of insurance and no proof of insurance-accepted valuation. How do we even know whether TWI at all insured my goods with any agency? Now that I have signed off saying goods have been received in good condition, they are asking me to pay insurance charges - saying that if necessary they will make out an insurance bill now.
What do other consumers think of this practice? Have you all been given proper insurance company receipts before shipping?
