PUBLIC WARNING
If you are about to engage a reputable, reliable furniture removal/storage company in South Africa then MASTER MOVERS should be AVOIDED like the plague.
Engaging MASTER MOVERS in any capacity at all, and committing your personal or business possessions and valuables to this company, will be the saddest mistake you can make.
We are in the process of developing an expose documentary about the RODRIGUES FAMILY & MASTER MOVERS and the early evidence of their activities is extremely troubling.
Anybody who has personal experience of this company and would like to share their tale of woe with the investigation is invited to contact Bangkok Jack Media – or visit the Facebook Page here – Anonymity guaranteed
So poor is the Master Movers experience they have had to remove the ‘review’ feature on their Facebook Page, because all the feedback is shocking. It seems that NO real customer has a positive review to share.
But, not before we saved some of them. So, here are;
TEN reasons not to employ Master Movers of South Africa
1. Terrible experience!! Most furniture damaged and theft of items.
Please do not use these people. They charged us a fortune to move from Bryanston, JHB to move to Herm****, Western Cape.
We only had a few furniture pieces to be moved and mostly packed items and most of my furniture was damaged and some was not even delivered because we were told it got damaged with the move from JHB to Cape Town and they could not deliver it.
Master Movers was so late in collecting and off loading our furniture they had to work into the night until after midnight without any light (purposely??) because after off loading we could not even see into the container if all our furniture and items were offloaded and had to sign a form.
We also had to share the container with other goods which they were delivering to Cape Town and this was never mentioned when they quoted us. I have sent photos and e-mails to David of their Cape Town branch and F**** of the Jhb Branch with absolutely no feed back.
When I insisted on talking to someone to help me I was put through to Carla of the Jhb Branch and after forwarding all the e-mails and pictures her response was ‘there is no claim because you were not insured with us’.
So this means your company can damage and steal peoples stuff on purpose after receiving their money??
I will be reporting this to the police to investigate.
Lynda Oosthuizen
https://www.hellopeter.com/…/terrible-experience-damaged-fu…
2. Shocking
From broken pots and plants
To a truck arriving 5 hours late
To kids pocket money missing
To chaos!
Definitely not recommended
3. THEFT : DONT USE THESE MOVERS
I used Master Movers when moving house (Johannesburg). The movers stole items of mine. Unless you want your stuff stolen you can use these guys.
The movers decided to help themselves to several of my items which fell within the category of “items to be moved”.
On unpacking, I discovered that some of my items were missing (including bottles of alcohol) – I had specifically questioned the movers about the whereabouts of these items and they said these were in the boxes they had packed.
They made me sign some papers and left shortly thereafter because it started to hail.
The frustrating part is that they don’t deny that they helped themselves (as advised by your Operations Manager, Collin) these items were supposed to be packed by them but instead they took it upon themselves to take my items.
I contacted the gentleman who was overseeing the move to request my items back but my emails and telephone calls go unanswered.
https://www.hellopeter.com/…/theft-dont-use-these-movers-24…
4. Disgusting Service from Master Movers
Dealing with a moving company should be easy, convenient and trustful, however this was not the case when I dealt with Master Movers.
I moved my furniture from Durban to Cape Town, for a fee of over R7000, I was promised that my items would be delivered in 7 Days. On the 7th day I had to call the company to find out what was going on with my furniture.
I spoke to the Operations Manager, Rasheeda who told me that the truck had “broken down” and that it is company policy that the client can only be contacted once their items were on the truck to the client – which is nonsense and does not instill any trust- after being told this Rasheeda said she would get back to me to let me know when my items would be delivered.
This was not the case as I had to call the company once again to find out when my items would be delivered, I had to tell her when, Wednesday at 5pm, I was told that she would call back to confirm this. Again she never called me, I had to call her. At 5pm I awaited the delivery of my furniture, which did not arrive.
Again I had to call Rasheeda to ask where the truck was, and I was told that it had once again broken down and given and excuse of how it was a clients fault. I was not given a time as to when my items would arrive but I had to insist on asking for the number of the driver, who I was told is Bongani, whose phone battery happened to “die” on him all of a sudden.
So I was left stranded with no one to call to find out where my stuff was, luckily I had the number of the agent I dealt with in Durban and she helped me get the mobile number of Rasheeda who gave me a long story about how the driver was on his way. I got irate and ended up asking for the contact number of the Managing Director which she said she did not have, luckily Pam for the Durban branch is professional and had the number on hand.
Called the MD and no answer, asked for the number of the person with the driver from Rasheeda, nothing from her. Until I decided to check on Hello Peter for reviews about this company, my heart sank! Found the number of the CEO Jose, not answer when I called and after looking at the responses they have given to their clients, I can safely say that I nor any friend, colleague or family member will ever use this company again.
Low and behold 4 hours (at 21:00) later the truck arrives with a very arrogant driver who does not have the time of day to apologize for the inconvenience caused!
It seems that JOSE and his wife tag team on each bad review and make it out that the client is the one to blame and how being a mover is not an easy job etc etc. Clearly the company has an attitude of not caring and blaming the client for the bad service that they give.
The company Master Movers is definitely not masterful at all at moving, they are masterful at manipulation and lies, and they do not represent a single thing that they claim to represent on their website, disgusting service really.
PS: I expect a reply from Jose saying that all of this is my fault and how I had done this and that wrong and then his wife will comment via Facebook saying the same thing. As they have done in all the bad reviews that they have received *sigh* how pathetic!
https://www.hellopeter.com/…/disgusting-service-from-master…
5. Worst service ever!!!
Booked with my master movers to have my household items moved from Pretoria to Capetown.
Apparently, I was informed that the truck only leaves once a week during the weekend. I don’t remember having this conversation or getting written communication about it.
I looked past this as I was informed I’ll get my stuff this week Monday or Tuesday. This morning I receive a call and now I am only to expect my stuff on Thursday.
The delivery date keeps moving and only God knows if I will ever get my things. It’s pointless speaking to anyone there, all they say is that it’s out of control.
I will make sure I warn people not to use your services. You will just be paying thousands for inconvenience
https://www.hellopeter.com/…/rev…/worst-service-ever-2343106
6. – Complaint to PMA re: misuse of client funds
Master Movers have again failed to repay client funds held on account. Email to Professional Movers Association of South Africa….
Dear Dirk,
Yes, more lies from Master Movers. Last week it was FNB and now it turns out to be ABSA bank.
And to make a paypal payment Master Movers have to have a pay pal account, which their accounts department seem to know nothing about.
It’s incredible, don’t you think, that a company who sells itself as an international removals firm is unable to make international payments of such small amounts.
I can do it. The chap who bought my car could do it. But Master Movers can’t and appear to never have tried before, with any client, in the past.
The link I gave them 3 months ago is MY paypal account address. That link does not expire, it is my account that they should use their paypal account to transfer into. I explained all this at the time.
This is exactly what I have had to put up with for 3 months with this member of yours that you ‘guarantee.’ Isn’t one of your guarantees that members have ‘Fully trained and competent staff at all levels.’
The next thing to expect is that somebody will be off sick again, or on jury service, or any one of their many excuses for not repaying client funds – Graham Willmott
7. Stolen items during longhaul move (Durban to Cape Town)
Master Movers did the move of my household contents from Durban to Cape Town.
The service of the packers and offloaders was good.
But upon unpacking, I found several items had been stolen.
Items had been removed from individual boxes which were then resealed.
This suggests that Master Movers are looking through different boxes looking for items to steal.
Upon contacting Master Movers managers, I received no support.
The response email was:
“After discussing this issue with all relevant parties the following points are to be noted:
1) The goods were delivered in good order and condition as per the person you nominated as your representative to receive on your behalf.
2) The boxes were owner packed and contents unknown
3) Goods were not checked in the presence of our staff on receipt and no discrepancies noted
In the light of the above we cannot assist in this instance and suggest that you claim from you insurers.
We assure you of our best attention and service at all times.”
Please beware of using Master Movers.
They cannot guarantee the safety of your items, and do not investigate theft within their organisation seriously.
Daniel Petrie
https://www.hellopeter.com/…/stolen-items-during-longhaul-m…
8. MOST UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE FOR INTERNATIONAL MOVE -ADDITIONAL COSTS -AVOID USING THIS COMPANY
We had the most unpleasant experience with regards to a door to door international move from South Africa to Australia. I originally had better quotes than MASTER MOVERS but since I had a working relationship with the Manager of the Pinetown I gave them an oppertunity to requote and they beat the quote by about R1000 that I had from Stanely movers , who in hindsight I wish that I had used instead of MASTER MOVERS.
When our container arrived in Australia and after the exchange rate had improved quite significantly from date of quoting to date of shipping ,MASTER MOVERS ignored my emails to calculate the refund owed to me due to improved exchange rate .
Then when I was in contact with the Austalian company that they had contracted with dates of delivery it transpired that MASTER MOVERS had despite my providing them with our Australian address in our email exchanges and despite the manager having confirmed she googled the address and as everyone knows google earth shows much detail of any address , she got the wrong address entirely.
I told MASTER MOVERS in an email that the delivery address was a particular number in Mangles Road Capel western Australia, which I clarified soon after that the area was more accurately described as Mangles Road Stirling estate ,( near Capel ) Western Austalia.
MASTER MOVERS put on the quote Stirling Estate Perth ( door to door ) and thought the address was city of Stirling ( not on the quote ) and even though City of Stirling has no Mangles road , they refused to deliver to Mangles Road Stirling Estate because that is not within a 50 km radius of Perth . We never said that was within a 50 km radius of Perth and it was never agreed that delivery was conditional on the address being within 50km of Perth.
MASTER MOVERS , when I challenged them , recording that I gave them the correct address and they needed to foot the bill for any extra cost to deliver to our door at Mangles Road ,Stirling Estate , W.A and they had had the benefit of an improved exchange rate and should actually be refunding us, refused to take responsibility for their error and had the audacity to say it was our fault for not crossing out Perth on the quote. I explained that I never said the address was in Perth in the first place and the quote does not say City of Stirling which is in Perth , but states Stirling Estate , where we are.
We now have to pay an addition $807 more to our goods delivered to our door. This means that this move cost us far more than the other quotes we obtained .
What is really disapponting is that MASTER MOVERS had every oppertunity simply to take responsibilty and pay the additional $807 , despite it being their error and their having the benefit of an improved exchange rate from time of quote to date of actual shipping to but they refuse to.
Avoid using MASTER MOVERS.
Perth Australia
https://www.hellopeter.com/…/most-unpleasant-experience-for…
9. Master Movers – Bad Move!
Normally, I would let things like this go, but I was so disappointed, I felt the need to share this experience.
I used Master Movers about 2 years ago to move from a Tamboerskloof flat to a Sea Point flat. Everything went as smooth as butter. There was not a hitch, they were done by 1:30pm and that included us giving them lunch. They were very professional and experienced, and although we took out transit insurance, the only broken items were one wine glass and a plastic wheel on my office chair. In the grand scheme of things, it was so minor it wasn’t worth writing about. Also the guys were very nice with great attitude.
I decided to use Master Movers again for our move on Dec 21st 2016, but this was a terrible experience, unfortunately.
Firstly the crew that Master Movers sent us was totally inexperienced, consisting of 1 experienced guy, the rest being high school students looking to earn some extra cash in the holidays. I don’t have a problem with that at all and I totally support that, however these guys were totally inexperienced and unprepared to move a piano, which was indicated in the first email of contents from us. There was no way they would have been able to carry a piano up 3 flights of stairs, as was clearly stated in the first communication between my wife and Master Movers.
Secondly, they didn’t know where to start when they arrived and stood there dazed and confused. They were completely unaware that antiques need to be cardboard/bubble wrapped like the previous crew did. They were carrying everything to the truck without even a blanket wrap. There was an antique bar with glass doors that they just wanted to blanket wrap – I refused to allow this, and this was clearly stated in the first correspondence to Master Movers. I told them to send a proper crew the next day to move the piano and antique bar.
They didn’t have the concept of “moving logic”, i.e. how to turn or twist furniture to make it down a narrow flight of stairs, even though the previous crew who delivered the couch did, so this crew had to take it out of the 2nd floor window which took forever.
There were 2 items damaged while being carried from the flat to the truck, because they didn’t wrap an antique cedar wood chest, and the second damage sustained was a rip in a canvas painting while they were trying to take the sofa out of the front door.
I understand that we declined to take the “in transit insurance”, and the only reason was that we expected to have the same experienced crew as before where every single item was cardboard wrapped before it left the house to the van. And from our understanding, “in transit” insurance is between points of delivery and NOT from house to van.
We had taken off work that day, and I had to be there for the second day when the proper crew came to move the piano and the antique bar which was done properly with cardboard as was done before. In other words, if the proper crew had been sent the first time, I would not be writing this letter and it would have been a one day move. It was 3:30 by the time the first crew were finished, but we still made lunch for them because they really worked hard, were all nice, but totally the wrong crew to have sent for our move.
I could go on and on, but will cut it short here, except to say that while we paid for a top notch crew, we got a second rate inexperienced crew who damaged items by carrying them down to the van unwrapped, and I had to ask them to wrap the furniture because they were not experienced enough to know.
I will not recommend using Master Movers again because of this. Someone else might have a wonderful experience, but it seems like a gamble and not a sure thing.
The customer is under the assumption that when the customer has paid for a top notch crew, the company should not send a second rate crew – this is not the way business should be done.
The right thing for Master Movers to do would be to compensate us financially for damages sustained, as well as a 1 day loss of work. I doubt this will ever happen, but I need to make other people aware of the terrible experience we had.
Thank you for reading!
https://www.hellopeter.com/…/reviews/master-movers-bad-move…
10. Avoid!!!
Worst service ever!!! DO NOT use these people.
https://www.hellopeter.com/master-movers/reviews/avoid-2504326
Please share your experiences/recommendations in respect of Master Movers South Africa here in an effort to prevent anybody else from making the same mistake of trusting them with their valuables or money.
