On my transfer from Kolkata to Bangalore, I searched for Packers and movers in the internet and hired "M/s Transrelocation Packers & Movers" to transport my household items and car from Kolkata to Bangalore on May 26th, 2008. Company promised to deliver everything within 6-7 days and asked for Rs. 41000/- for the entire deal. They were supposed to pack, transport, unpack and reassemble the entire stuff in good condition. For any damage they assured of giving proper compensation as the entire items were insured (they even charged 3% of the goods value as insurance charge). After taking Rs.32000/- in advance they claimed that the goods started moving to Bangalore on 26th night and it will reach Bangalore by 31st May.
Accordingly I moved to Bangalore, and started waiting for the truck to come, but after 31st, the proprietor of the firm (M/s Transrelocation Packers & Movers), Mr. Sharma, stopped receiving my calls or SMS, his Bangalore representative sometime (once in ten efforts) was receiving the phone and giving the standard reply, "your truck has reached bangalore and you will receive the material today". It continued till 5th June (till then we were staying in hotel and paying the bills), when evening around 5:00 PM, one truck came and unloaded my household stuffs at my doorstep (new house at Bangalore, where everyday I was coming and waiting for the truck). Four laborers were unloading the stuffs. When we asked them to unpack and reassemble those, they simply said they belong to a local transporter named "City Local Packers and Movers" and they have been told just to drop the stuffs at our doorstep and come, interestingly my car was not there in that lot. When I started opening the stuffs, I was shocked to see my Dining chair was completely broken, all four legs and door of the refrigerator were badly damaged, Mattress was soaking with dirt, center table glass was broken, many art pieces were completely damaged!
It was quite strange because we had not hired this transporter for the job, when I tried to contact Mr. Sharma, as usual he did not received my call and somebody else responded on his behalf just to tell me to contact his local representative.
When I called up the local representative, he responded like a gunda telling me to immediately pay Rs. 9000/- and take my car otherwise neither me nor my car will remain in one piece. When I told hime, that I'll take police help to thwart his goondiasm, he simply said he is highly politically connected and started naming various political leaders as his mentor. He even said, since I have threatened him, now he will not release my car at any cost.
After lots of request from a third party to the proprietor (Mr. Sharma), the car was finally released on June 9th in a very shabby condition and I had to spend almost Rs.4000/- for its repair. I just want to know, is there any agency in India to take care of these type of goonda elements who are harassing innocent people in the name of business.