Singaporean woman sues moving company when quoted price doubled at the day of the move, movers say it is because of late requests

SINGAPORE: A woman found a moving company online and was given a quote of around S$3,000. However, on the day of the move, she found out that the boxes delivered were half-filled, and it resulted in doubling the quantity. With the doubled amount of boxes, additional trips were needed, and the final cost increased to over S$7,000. 

The 61-year-old woman was planning to move from a two-storey apartment to a three-room flat in Toa Payoh. She contacted the moving company through social media and was issued a cost that was a little over S$3,000, given that it has an insurance premium. 

As the woman explained the inclusions of the quote, it was understood that it included an approximate number of 200 boxes, 20 rolls of tape, half a roll of bubble wrap, newspapers, and three to six movers to help with the moving and basic furniture packing. The quotation also stated that items such as a king-size bed, a storage cabinet, a full-length mirror, two statues, a 65-inch TV, etc., are to be moved as well. 

Furthermore, the estimated moving time was  9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with six full truckloads. The additional half truckloads would cost an estimated amount of more than S$200 per trip, while additional full truckloads would cost an approximate amount of more than S$300 per trip. 

The woman then stated that 50 of the cartons were delivered first, and another 70 were delivered a few weeks later. The remaining cartons are yet to be delivered, and a few days before the move, she communicated with the moving company and was told that they would send some people to help with packing on the day itself, charging her approximately more than S$10 per box. 

“On the day of the move, I was so busy packing myself that I couldn’t check everything. Later, when I unpacked the boxes, I found some were only half full, others were disorganised and not properly packed, which resulted in a significant increase in the number of boxes,” the woman declared. 

In the end, the moving company transported more than 200 boxes in 12 trips, exceeding what was stated in their previous quotation. The transportation fee also soared to more than S$7,000. 

In response to Shin Min Daily News, the moving company explained that because the woman had more requests after they had given the quotation, additional fees were incurred. 

The moving company also stated that it had been verified with the other party prior to the moving day that extra workers and vehicles would be provided, and the other party had fully paid the total amount without raising any complaints.

Common additional charges from moving companies

When hiring a moving service, the quoted price often includes only the truck and loading and unloading usually cost extra. 

If the move involves stairs or requires lift access, an additional fee of S$10 to S$30 per floor is common. Services like dismantling and reassembling furniture, such as beds, cabinets, and tables, are often not included in the base price from the quotation. 

Packing materials like boxes, stretch film, and bubble wrap may also be charged separately, and if there are delays on your part, the company will typically charge for waiting time in 30-minute increments.