Grace Removals Group

Agree that company should be re-branded 'dis-Grace'! Moved from NZ to Adelaide. Caught removalists throwing items out my upstairs bedroom window, packing not to international standard (which I paid for) so many items damaged or broken, sticky tape residue on all my furniture items which was difficult/impossible to remove. Then, to add insult to injury, the company accepts no blame for sub-par service & is weasling out of paying my very valid insurance claim. Go with another company would be my strong suggestion.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $11000

I trusted Grace removals group to move our household. Our major asset is booksand I always had bad experiences before. The agent told me not worry, because they were professionals. The day of packing, they were very fast, sometimes making funny faces when Iwanted to pack something extra, a laundry basket, a rack. We were worried about space as the container could have been on the smaller side. The younger of the two packed the books and the older the rest..  The next day the uplifters came and they were really good. Absolutely no complains about them. Time passed, the goods were delivered at the beginning of winter in a snowy day. Although we paid for unpacking, that was completely impractical. How are you going to unpack before the shelves are built? They were also a bit eager to rip original wrappings that I wanted to keep, but that is part of moving experience. After a few weeks, after shelves were built, came the unpacking of the books. What an absolute shock! There was no padding at all, books were FOLDED to fitinto small none existed places and corner, a pile packed in their spines and aheavy book put on top. No, but really, was this person illiterate who could not appreciate a big library? He obviously did not care one iota. The rest of the stuff? Super duper padding everywhere, not one single item in the kitchen gotdamaged. In other words, the agent lied to me. When I complained, which I admit was many months after the delivery, all he could say was, I'm sorry to hear, but it is too late. This should not happen with a world leader.. All this left a bitter taste.

Service cost: $13000

Read the reviews people, time and time again the message is there….”do not use Grace removals”. I wish that I had had the common sense to read this review forum before I paid
$7,885.41 for the worst service I have ever received.

Long story short - we used Grace removals for our relocation from Darwin to Queensland and [the end result for us] was excessive amounts of broken furniture, including antiques and a prized painting that is now deemed worthless because of their untrained and sloppy workmanship; a total insurance bill of more than $9,000 dollars and the inconvenience to our home and lifestyle, that has only just settled down 6 months later. Not to mention the fact that the removal team arrived 6 hours late, ballooned the uplift out to 3 days because they did not want to pay overtime, broke furniture in front of me and hurled some of my furniture into the container as if it was trash.

As for customer service well, that’s another story. If you use Grace removals and the uplift “does not go to plan” they will give you the run around, ignore your requests for action and downplay the fact that they are in breach of multiple consumer laws including work, health and safety laws but, they will sweep that under the carpet and you will be made to feel as if they are doing you a favour by simply entertaining your request for a refund, for the gross mishandling of your private possessions.

Please people, if this company has gone into your home and ruined your belongings, follow the process. For my situation, I have lodged a formal complaint with the Australian Furniture Removals Association [AFRA] and have asked them to mediate the compensation process. I will also lodge a formal complaint with consumer affairs / office of fair trading. I am unsure if I will receive a fair outcome from AFRA however, I will feel more comfortable lodging legal proceedings against Grace removals knowing that I have tried to settle this privately.

I would like Grace removals to return my money. Not 27%, not 50 % but all $ 7,885.41. They did not provide a service and they are in breach of consumer law.

I have been in talks with the Regional General Manager; Grace Removals, Perth office however, I have not heard from him since I lodged a formal complaint with AFRA about this situation in March of this year.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $7885

Our move was from a 2 bedroom apartment and storage unit in Sydney to a 6 bedroom house in Brisbane which also included 3 vehicles. We paid 13000k in total including the valet pack and unpack service. The initial experience was great - the sales rep in Sydney was friendly and responsive. The end result was horrific and nowhere near worth this expense. Beware that once you are past the shiny sales people into the bowels of under performing subcontractors, dismissive service people and insurance scams - you will be on your own and out of pocket.

When the matter of insurance came up it was pressed by the salesman as a necessity. I was quoted for 3000k(!) for my $50,000 worth of valuables. Rather than paying that, I mentioned that I was concerned about particular delicate items and ended up insuring those specifically at a cost of approximately 1000k.

During the move out of the apartment the movers damaged a fixed alarm component and scuffed the walls in one bedroom and didn't tell me. Thankfully, I spotted the damage before they left and had to ensure that pictures were taken and insist it was recorded on their exit report before I signed it. They reluctantly did so. I then had to pay directly for the repairs in order to get my bond back. I was told by the movers I needed to seek reimbursement from the sales team . Again I had to produce my own pictures and copy of the report before they could 'investigate'. The movers refuted the scuffs on the wall and attempted to dodge the breakage to the alarm system until the photos were produced. Eventually payment was made to me.

We had also arranged for a vehicle to be taken early so it would be waiting for us in Queensland on the Friday of our arrival (very important due to my heavily pregnant wife). This was subcontracted out to CEVA who I was assured would contact me and let me know the vehicle was there well before our arrival. We arrived in QLD with no phone call - I called them after waiting at the airport to be told that my vehicle had not arrived. We were then forced to hire a car, again at our own expense. The vehicle finally arrived the following week. When the issue of reimbursement was raised with Grace, we were passed off to CEVA who took weeks to perform an 'investigation' with no action unless I followed up via email. Eventually they paid up.

When the furniture arrived, the movers were friendly enough but were continually pressing to leave before reassembling key bits of furniture. There was still a dressing table and bed that required assembly after they left - by this stage I had had enough and told them to leave and did it myself. Not to mention that they use large Grace stickers to mark everything - they are impossible to remove without a scourer and soap. Be prepared for your valuables to be scratched. They also left their boxes and two moving blankets behind and told me a second team would be by to pick them up. This only occurred after I repeatedly called them and after committing to picking them up and not showing up for three weeks they eventually came and got them.

Finally I realized after attempting to boot my PC that it was not starting properly or staying on. A look inside the case showed why - the video card (PCI) slot had been broken. Closer examination of the case showed a clear impact mark on the top. They had dropped my PC. I immediately sent photos of the mark and the damage to Grace and was handed off to their insurance group Intercept Loss, who told me that I needed to then take my PC into a shop and pay to get it assessed to determine the damage was caused by the move. I told them I was concerned about moving the PC and further damaging it and I was looking after a sick newborn and needed more time. One of the case managers confirmed in writing that it was fine to take the time needed, that I could call an on site provider to perform an assessment and this would be reimbursed. This assessment was performed and it was confirmed that the PC was broken in the move and that the PC would need to be replaced.

After weeks of follow up with Intercept and no response (and no phone number provided), I then escalated to Grace who gave me the phone number for Intercept. The individual who picked the phone dug up my file and told me it had been closed with no notification and needed time to perform the assessment and hung up. He then called me back in 10 minutes stating very rudely that the claim was denied as it was an electrical fault not mechanical damage, that the assessment had taken too long to do and then implied I had broken the PC myself. He also stated that I would not be reimbursed for the assessment, which he later reversed over email when he actually looked at the record and saw what had been committed to over email. This is all finished off with Colin shouting over the top of me whilst I insisted on an escalation pathway. So out by 1000k, called a fraud and with a broken PC.

I am escalating this with other customers I have found to the ACCC and commencing legal action. If you have a similar story, please contact me at l0new0lf187@hotmail.com.

Move size: 4+ Bedroom Home Service cost: $13000

We used Grace because we wanted a reputable moving company. The sale rep told me that I Grace checks all its employees and I could have peace of mind with Grace (unlike other moving companies he said). So, we duly arranged for Grace to do the removal.

2 to 3 days after moving, during the unpacking phase in our new home, we discovered that some very expensive items had gone missing during the move undertaken by Grace. The fact is, during the move, you just cannot watch everything that is going on.

We called Grace immediately. Grace promised a swift investigation and response. But, Grace has so far refused to accept responsibility. For various reasons, it is 100% apparent that the items went missing during the move.

If you are moving and have expensive items in your household, I do not recommend Grace. Indeed, if you have an issue, the resolution of that issue may be a further reason to consider other movers.

Dear Grace, your reviews have a number of similar complaints on the review page, so I ask, is Grace going to do anything about our stolen items?

Grace you have provided a generic response below, as we are already in contact with Grace, but have received no assistance, how would customer services help?

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3400

We used Grace to ship 59 boxes of contents from the south coast of Australia to London, Ontario Canada back in October 2017.
Unbeknownst to us, our shipment was sent to the USA and not direct to Canada as arranged and was held to ransom for release unless we paid an additional $6500 by a certain date or we'd be charged on top of that amount, an additional $325 per day. What should have been a 45 day delivery, ended up being 90 days. Once released though, the road transport delivery to our home went well with the local moving company but although 59 boxes were counted upon arrival, for some reason 3 of the boxes were not there. We believe some boxes were opened at the USA customs that we have not been told about as we are missing items and the 3 boxes that were not marked off, were found inside others. Having contacted Grace Removals twice already, we have still not heard anything from them. Will I use them again?? I don't think so. What should have cost us $11,000 as per quote, ended up being over $17,000. We are not happy.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $11000

We have moved 4 times internationally previously and understand the need to have decent movers. Grace came to quote on our removal, the moving consultant was attentive and knowledgeable.

We received 4 quotes before making a decision. Grace were not the cheapest or the most expensive but seemed to be easy to work with and understanding.

The packing day was by all accounts good and stress free. The 3 packers arrived on time and were efficient. We were advised the removal team would arrive between 8-9am the next day to load the container. When they didn’t arrive at 10am I called the office to be told that initial time was incorrectly advised to me and they would be there between 12:30-13:30. They finally arrived at 14:45. Hence waiting most of the day when moving internationally is extremely inconvenient as you have carpet cleaners etc coming in to finish up on top of numerous tasks. This started to get me nervous that Grace are not ideal movers.

The boat arrived to the port destination on 12 Jan. It took 10 days to process through customs which was normal. Customs found 4 items which needed to be treated or destroyed and this was advised to us by Grace on 22 Jan. We took 2 days (replied to Grace on 24 Jan) to decide what to do and advised 2 items to be treated and 2 destroyed.

From here I followed up each week with Grace to be informed on the process of customs and timing for delivery. Each time Grace would take 2-3 days before responding and only on repeated follow ups from myself. In the end the case manager for our move was so incompetent I had to find and contact their boss to see what was happening. He was quick to respond at the beginning but then fell back to a similar non-responsive manner. 2 months of consistently asking for progress updates (getting replied to about 1/3 of the time) Grace finally advised our goods were ready to deliver – 21 March. Each time saying its not their fault and customs are delaying the process.

The next shock arrived when they charged storage and handling equating to an extra $600 on top of over $13,500 already paid. I asked for an explanation on this charge as it appears to me the delay was purely Grace at fault for delay. I was advised that because of the “back and forth” when deciding if to treat or destroy some items (which took 2 days, 22nd to 24th Jan) it meant they could not advise customs, and therefore the delay was 2 months!

Grace blamed customs for the slow process which I do not believe. Supported by the fact a friend moved from the same Australian Port to the same destination Port 3 weeks earlier than we did and also had to treat items. This took 1 week to occur and process through customs. Overall, this was unacceptable so I asked for communication proof from customs to Grace to prove this was customs delay (as advised by Grace and hence I had to pay the new invoice as they were not at fault). If this was the case I would be happy and move on but they were not forth coming with information so I am more suspicious. After 3 days of chasing this up and no reply I gave in and paid the invoice so we can receive our goods (3 months since pick up now). I still asked for the proof still as Im sure Im being ripped off, this still not arrived and Grace still did not give me a reply or any timing on delivery, despite chasing each day. I hope the goods can be delivered in the next week and I am seeking a refund for the extra charges I believe are not warranted. 3 extra more days now and still no response so Im hopeful it will be sorted imminently. Next step is also complaining to Fairtrading NSW and AFRA etc.

Overall, would not recommend.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $12000

We engaged Grace Removals to move us from a four bedroom home to another four bedroom home which was only a 3klm move to the next suburb.

The experience was very stressful as Grace Removals workers damaged several of our belongings and damaged the home we moved into.

We previously used Grace Removals in 2007 to move and had no issue, however, this time things were very different.

The move started at a brisk pace: they packed the first truck load in just 2 hours.

The issues began when Grace removalists told us our fridge would have to stay in the garage instead of the kitchen. Naturally, we weren't happy with that decision, so I pointed out that the previous owner of the house had precisely the same make and model of fridge in the kitchen, so why couldn't Grace Removals move our fridge into the kitchen? where fridges belong!

The lead removalist asked my partner to sign an "All care, NO responsibility waiver" before he would tell his workers to carry our fridge into the kitchen.

By getting us to sign the waiver, Grace was essentially seeking full exoneration for any and all damage that they did to our house and/or to our belongings as a result of moving our fridge. However, the waiver covered everything, not just our fridge. NSW Consumer Affairs has since advised us that Grace Removals' waiver does NOT circumvent our consumer rights, so why did they ask us to sign such a waiver?

As soon as my partner signed the waiver, Grace Removals' workers took the handles off the fridge (so it could fit through the front door) and started to haul it up the steps. That didn't go very well, because the removalist ended up scuffing the wall and splintered a step on the staircase.

The next issue was when they pushed our fridge through the doorway at the top of the stairs: they scratched the door jamb.

Other things that Grace Removals (GR) did incorrectly was stack heavy boxes onto boxes clearly marked fragile - which resulted in several of our fragile items being broken in transit;

GR also placed boxes clearly marked laundry chemicals in a carpeted bedroom.
GR broke the side attachment off our 4 burner BBQ.
GR chipped our coffee table edge
GR broke the caster/wheel off a 4 drawer cabinet.
GR damaged a wooden artist easel which was found broken and splintered.
Several glass mugs were smashed, even though they were wrapped in several sheets of butcher paper.
GR tore an electrical wire cable of a 2 metre high decorative lampshade.
GR shoved a timber statue into a box that contained our Christmas tree, which caused some of its decorations to be broken and some of its branches to be bent.
GR left boxes clearly marked cosmetics, kitchen pantry and liquor cabinet in the garage.

Several days after Grace Removals moved us, we still couldn't find our "essentials" boxes that contained our toiletries. We eventually found them hidden beneath several other boxes in a carpeted bedroom, so we were without our essentials for 3 days.

As we started unpacking our boxes (over the next few days) we found more issues of damage.

This was a dreadful experience with Grace Removals and we have since lodged a complaint to the Dept of Fair Trading, but to no avail,as we were told by the dept, that Grace Removals did not respond to our lodged complaint within the prescribed 5 business day period.

Our next step now to get this issue resolved will be to submit a formal application to NCAT.

I was hoping this matter would be resolved through mediation and agreement, but Grace Removals refused to respond back to the Dept of Fair Trading within the specified time.

We have attempted to solve this issue via email, but Grace Removals has refused to accept responsibility for the damage and have only offered us a small ex gratia amount to close the case. The sum that Grace offered us is well below the cost of repairing the damage they caused.

We have moved 3 times prior to this move and had no issues with other removalist companies.

However, this time, Grace Removals let us down terribly and we will never use their services again.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2360

Worst removalists ever. Grace Removals completely stuffed up our interstate removal. It started on moving day, where they turned up over 6 hours late and ended up packing until well into the evening. They were sent with incorrect packing materials despite their consultant spending 30 minutes in our home quoting for the removal. No wardrobes for a 2 bedroom house? For a company with 100 years experience, it doesn’t show. Then they arranged for the piano specialists to collect our grand piano – they neglected to inform them we had stairs, so our piano had to stay in our empty house for days until the pickup could be rescheduled. This delayed the cleaning and preparation of our property to be rented and as such resulted in loss of rental income, not to mention the inconvenience of having more time off work to deal with their stuff up. Then came delivery day. Despite being assured that our piano would arrive with our other items, it didn’t. Took an additional 2 weeks, and arrived with over $2000 worth of damage – now with the insurer. Add to that the thousands of dollars of damage to our other property, also now with the insurer, this has been an expensive move. In addition, they caused significant property damage to our outgoing property – scrapes to walls and paintwork – and won’t even dignify it with a response. The kicker was that we paid for their packing and unpacking service – a significant additional cost. On delivery day they simply refused to unpack any more than they already had, and left us with over 50 boxes to unpack ourselves. I note they charged us upfront for this extra service. Their customer service both during and after the move has been non-existent. Do yourself a favour and go elsewhere if you want your items delivered undamaged, on time, and want to deal with people who actually care, as it is clear to me that this organisation doesn’t give a darn about their customers once they have your money – which we now know why they claim upfront before your goods are even picked up. Tip - make sure you have insurance if you have the misfortune to use Grace - and don't buy their insurance, much cheaper and more comprehensive elsewhere.
Some 3 weeks after our move, I am still waiting on a response. Speaks volumes about their customer service ethic - hence this review to save others the misfortune in the future.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $6000