OnceScratchedTwiceShy

When hiring a new contractor for a big job, if you do enough due diligence, things will usually work out for the best. However, there is always the possibility that something outside the contractor’s control could go very, very wrong. This is the REAL test of picking the right company, and I wanted to share with you our amazing experience with Canadian Property Care (CPC). This spring, we desperately needed to build two walls of property fence between our two neighbors. We were wary of contractors that refused to tell us where they sourced their wood from or would refuse to commit to their pricing for a reasonable stretch of time. In our first dealings with Canadian Property Care, they were quick to volunteer the brand of materials from the start, they outlined the process they follow when working with a customer, and they gave assurances that once we sign and honor a quote, securing that price is their responsibility. They were also able to provide a start-date and anticipated end-date in the contract. CPC did have a standard deposit requirement with the contract, but our neighbors shared our confidence, and we moved ahead. After the quote was written, we had a week to sign off on it so we could get a contract taken care of. There was no unusual pressure to get the quote signed faster than indicated. Through this time, I occasionally called and emailed CPC with questions as they came up about our fence and the deck we have plans for. I was very impressed that if they didn’t answer their phone, they would always call me back. They also responded to emails during the evening. As part of my due diligence, I also checked out CPC’s Facebook and Instagram posts, and it was very reassuring to see their projects being posted as they were being completed. Our build happened in April, lumber prices have been on the rise, and demand for construction services are very high. We were pleasantly surprised that CPC could get started on our fence within a matter of weeks after the quote. With everything going on with lock-downs and so on, we expected the date to move. In our case, Canadian Property Care was able to send a crew to get started a day earlier than expected. Our fence is 6’ tall, and each post was dug to 38” by hand as they planned. I checked the work, and everything was honored. I also checked the wood labeling and was able to confirm all the materials were exactly as promised. Their crews have been extremely reliable. They arrived between 8AM and 9AM each morning and worked right through to the end of the day. This was not a case of them doing bits and pieces and moving between properties before the job was complete. April has been a strange month in Ontario, and we had some snow flurries. We thought their schedule would slip, but the weather did not slow them down at all. Their whole team was a well-oiled fence building machine, and they all looked as though they enjoy the work. After construction, the neighbors were happy with the quality of the fence construction. However, there was something about the wood that did not look right. The pressure treatment was uneven, and it left everyone feeling a bit uncomfortable. We were also missing a middle rail for the fence’s framing. I emailed CPC that night with pictures of the fences. I didn’t criticize the wood; I just asked if this is normal and if it would look more balanced once the pressure treated wood had the opportunity to dry more. Canadian Property Care called me the next morning. First, the rail was getting added to all the fences at no extra cost to us. Next, they told me that they were at the lumber yard complaining about the wood and that it really didn’t look the way it should. Our first conclusion was that the wood was saturated in treatment and it would balance out after some time. CPC offered to stain the wood at no extra cost to us later in the summer. We would have been OK with the staining option, and I sent them more fence pictures for stain color matching. The next morning, Canadian Property Care called me to tell me they were taking the fences down. CPC was so dissatisfied with the way the fences looked with the saturated wood, that they arranged to have it all replaced under warranty with new wood so that it looks great from the start. Our second new fence looks amazing, and all my neighbors are happy that we chose Canadian Property Care over the other options available to us. We researched several contractors before finalizing on Canadian Property Care. Their pricing was competitive, they answered questions the way we expected a qualified contractor to answer them, and most importantly, they took great pride in their work through the whole process. They were their customer’s champion. Our next project is going to be a deck. That is also going to be an adventure during these pandemic times, and I’m looking forward to sharing our results once it’s complete. I’ve shared pictures of our old fence, our first new fence with the defective wood, and the final fence that Canadian Property Care built for us. We are very pleased all around!

I hired movers4you to move a 115 gallon aquarium and stand. While it is a heavy item, it is still something that needs to be handled with care. I arranged for pictures of the item to be taken in advance of the move just in case something goes bad on the way over. The movers4you website and advertisements promote this to be a fully insured mover: "We have a Public Liability and Goods in Transit insurance." Sam, my main contact for the company, told me they are fully insured on the phone before the move. This is one of the reasons I agreed to use them as my moving company. On the day of the move, their movers got the aquarium to my basement. However, I found it suspicious that they were repeatedly asking me how much the tank is worth, what I paid for it, and were looking around my household asking what I do for a living. This made me feel uncomfortable. The night of the move (a Thursday), I found a long deep scratch on the side of the aquarium (outside) - deep enough that you could feel your nail dig into the glass. I immediately emailed Sam inquiring about the insurance program, and got no response. When I went on their website and Sam's text box came up (he is a live agent taking inquiries on the website), I asked if he was "Sam", and the chat ended. Silence. I know the damage was caused by the mover because I took the precaution of having pictures of the aquarium taken right before the move on the same day. According to the shipper, their movers did not seem to know what they were doing - they even had to be told to not carry the aquarium upside down by the shipper. Days later, I emailed movers4you again to request their terms & conditions and insurance info, and this is what Sam emailed me: ----- I am sorry to hear about the scratch. But we do not cover any damages that are reported after the workers leave the premises. Also, our insurance policy only covers broken items, not the scratched items. Really sorry about that. ----- This is a very long, deep scratch in glass on an aquarium (your nail could get caught in it) on the outside of the tank. That's not a small thing for a structure that has to hold over a thousand pounds of water. I again emailed a request for their terms & conditions, and this is what I was sent in its entirety: ----- Insurance And Damages: Although our moving staff will be as careful as possible, from time to time damages may occur. If a damage is caused by our staff, at our discretion, we will: repair the item or compensate for its depreciated value. China, glass, clocks, glassware, lamps, mirrors, pictures, artwork, Flat Panel Televisions, or any other fragile articles that are not packed & un-packed by Movers4You Inc. will only be moved at the owner’s risk. Because the mechanical condition of electronics and appliances is unknown; we only assume responsibility for items which are mishandled or receive visible damage by our staff. We are not responsible for unprotected flooring. If due to an inherent weakness in a piece of furniture (I.E. defect, prior repair, and unstable construction) a damage occurs, you understand that we will not be liable for any damage (s) to that piece. Movers4You Inc. is only responsible for items in our immediate care. Movers4You Inc. assumes no responsibility for money, jewellery, or other valuables, please make sure these items are safely put away before our moving crew arrives. Movers4You Inc.’s policy in regards to particle board/ready-to-assemble furniture: These items are not structurally created to be moved once assembled; we will not repair or replace these items in the event they are damaged during the move. Movers4You Inc. will not be responsible for claims not specified on this contract. Please inspect all goods before the staff leave the premises, Movers4You Inc. is not responsible for after move damages reported. ----- When I hired move4you, they asked me for details about the move. However, I at no time received any terms & conditions or a pre-invoice that would include this information. As of this writing, their website makes no mention of terms and conditions anywhere, and when I spoke to Sam on the phone prior to the move, I was told they are insured. Had movers4you sent these terms and conditions in advance, they could have made more money from me by hiring them to pack the aquarium. Or at least I would have known what I was risking with them. I don't know why they didn't volunteer this information when I hired them and told me they were insured. It was an error to accept movers4you's word, website, and services at face value. Movers4you is a classic example of why you need to take extra precautions when hiring a mover no matter how much insurance they claim to have. Make sure you get their terms & conditions in advance, find out who is providing their insurance services, and inspect every inch of your property before the mover leaves and payment is made. Also, insist on seeing a contract in writing before scheduling your move. Take pictures of your property before the move too - though that didn't necessarily help in my case. Still, even with all the above satisfied, I feel highly doubtful that movers4you would have honoured their program based on the experience I've had with them so far. If the situation changes in a positive way, I will gladly update this review. As of now, it has been a very negative customer experience. ------- In answer to Sam's response, it would have been better if Movers4you tried to rectify this and exemplified their promoted business practices and positive customer service. I have since added photographs to my review. Thanks for your time.