Putters International NV - Berchem, Belgium

For the most part our move with Putters was uneventful and our shipments arrived with the normal amount of damage and destruction. However, it is our firm belief that a Putters employee stole an item destined for our air freight shipment. Unfortunately, we cannot provide irrefutable evidence that anyone at Putters was responsible for the theft, but it is the only reasonable explanation for the item missing, especially given Putters unprecedented and unorthodox policy of NOT packing/sealing air freight items into freight boxes at the residence of the client.

Putters response to our queries was predictable, but insulting. Putters put complete stock in the possibility that someone surreptitiously entered the air freight box, in the most expert manner possible - leaving absolutely no trace of entry, possibly during an air flight, only to take some used tools. They outrightly dismissed the most likely scenario that a rogue employee simply put the relatively small package in a personal bag and walked away.

I strongly believe that Putters' unique policy of not sealing air freight boxes at the residence - in front of the client - and then placing any items to the side (especially smaller, easily portable items) for future packaging at an offsite, acts as an unwarranted enticement for possible theft.

I had hoped that Putters would have reimbursed us for the items lost while under Putters care, but their repeated response was simply to take it up with our insurance company. We don't necessarily care about the money, this was a matter of principle.

Given Putters complete unwillingness to accept responsibility for what appears to be negligence/wrongdoing on its part, I believe it is most prudent to document the incident in order to protect others from hearing the same type of dismissive, lame excuses I have heard from Putters. Putters claims that it has no proof that a crime has been committed, but I equally have no proof that the company actually placed the item in a box. The difference is that the latter does prove the existence of a substandard business practice. The fact that the item went missing while under their care means nothing to Putters.

A company that cannot provide proof that a numbered (listed on a broader inventory) item was actually placed in a shipping box should not be trusted. This is the most simple and basic industry-wide standard, which Putters doesn't appear to follow as stringently as the dozens of companies I have used in the past. The "guarantee" they provide on their website is completely hollow. They have no intention of reimbursing the client for damages/loss as a result of negligence on their part, regardless of the amount.