Mountain Moving and Storage

This has been 3 1/2 months of total stress. After getting through the arrival of our belongings from storage in Washington (not told in advance the shipping would be subcontracted to Stevens Worldwide), with a driver taking a nap throughout most of the unloading process and given bad advice (we should have written down some things); we are now dealing with missing items from boxes. We paid for the replacement/repair insurance, but are getting no compensation for things that are missing. We initially gave the company the benefit of the doubt thinking a box may have gone on to Tucson (next delivery) or was left in storage, but it is very apparent that our boxes were tampered with either between our house and the two trucks, in storage, between storage and the Stevens truck, or between the truck and our garage.
I personally talked to and saw the employee packing our flatware (stainless steel 12 place settings plus serving pieces from our wedding almost 38 years ago) in Washington. I found our two piece flatware trays in the drawer and took them out to be stored. The second day when they arrived to finish packing and moving our belongings I even told him I could have saved him time by having him wrap the two piece flatware trays with the flatware inside instead of packing them in a few bundles. I wanted to take the trays with me, too. I saw him put the flatware into a large packing box. We had over 240 boxes and items of furniture arrive in July so there was no way we would have known things were missing from boxes. Now, since every other item from our kitchen (with the exception of an expensive non-stick fry pan) arrived we realize a box was opened and things removed before getting here. We mistakenly thought with 9 months to file claims that we could be reimbursed for missing items inside the boxes. WRONG! We are being told that we signed for all the boxes so we can't have anything missing and we are being denied our claim.
I also had an inexpensive plastic tote with hand held gardening tools and two pairs of gardening gloves that is missing. The tote would be insignificant, except it was given to me by my best friend from college when my dad died. They also gave us a hydrangea plant, but we could not move the plant from our yard, so I made a point of telling my husband I wanted to keep the tote with my gardening tools. Because we told people (including Mountain Moving owners) we gave away a lot of our belongings, I was made to feel like I was mistaken or lying about the gardening items.
A couple of other things I do not have a personal account of, but that doesn't seem to matter anyway. We know they are missing, and we are being denied any compensation. They keep telling us that we signed a legal document that all the boxes arrived. How were we supposed to know the day 240+ boxes arrived that individual items were missing?
The company manager told me to recheck boxes for items and ask our kids if we gave them things that were missing. We did not report broken plates that were packed by ourselves or a broken bed frame that was broken before we moved or a saddle that was listed on the inventory, but I said we gave to an employee in Washington. Why would we make a false report?
We also don't understand why the replacement insurance does not cover items missing inside boxes. Surely, we are not the first people to have items misplaced, lost, stolen etc. before delivery. Why did they cover some damage to wooden furniture, but not missing things? Stevens is saying they didn't initially pack the items so they are not responsible and Mountain Moving is just telling us, "No," on everything missing.
We were very naive (we know the owners of Mountain Moving) and way too trusting. For instance, we now know something was amiss with at least one box (besides the missing flatware and a few other items). The handlers brought several items to us (planter, cleaning supplies in a bag, floor steamer, one piece of our two piece flatware tray) in no box and told us, "These were last minute items and they weren't in a box and didn't have any numbers, so they weren't on the inventory list." Wow! How were they stored for 7+ months?? Also, weird that the flatware tray had another piece that was later found in a packed box. Why wouldn't those two pieces have been packed together? I also recently noticed on their legal paperwork that our lawn mower was listed with a grass catcher. We didn't have a yard when our items arrived in July so didn't check it closely and now realize the grass catcher never arrived. We know their answer is that we checked it on the inventory sheet, so we will not even waste our time on that one. (We should have been more diligent.)
The driver assured us any damage and missing things would be taken care of but both Mountain Moving and Stevens won't pay anything because we didn't write it down the day of delivery.
In addition, the driver told Stevens that a bed saw completely put together with no damage when he was the one who came to us to tell us screws were missing for the support slats and a broken foot for the leg of a slat would be placed at the end of the bed for less weight to be on it. And, and by the way we could just put a piece of wood under it. Stevens eventually paid for the hardware, but this illustrates the need to not trust the company and what their employees report. Because two companies were used, they are working together and neither paying us for replacement costs even though we purchased the insurance.
Unfortunately, it is too late. Bottom line we strongly suggest you not use Mountain Moving and Storage or Stevens Worldwide Van Lines. We do not recommend. Find another mover. Don't use this company.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $9400

Don't do it!
It was a nightmare that we will be living in for months to come.
Movers were late both days to load..  2-3 hrs late both days.
They did lots of damage to the house on the way out.
After they were loaded they sent me a $3000 bill because they said we were overweight, even though they expressly say they will not bill us anything more if they are overweight.
When we unpacked, there was a lot of poorly packed stuff that has lead to damage.  Lots of small things, like photos, damaged, wall pictures, computer printers damaged, suites and pressed clothes piled into the bottom of a box, new bicycles thrown on top of one another with other items on top, vases broken, plates and glasses broken, and the list goes on.
Oh, we also have 10 boxes missing..
I strongly suggest you to not use Mountain Moving and Storage, or any of the Stevens Worldwide Van Lines.

Service cost: $13000