I needed to empty my entire flat before my renovation, so I figured I would try out Lalamove. It is a company that facilitates the moving of parcels and packages for individuals and businesses alike.

So, I bit the bullet and downloaded the app. I wanted to save some money, so I chose the pooling options. I thought that if I waited long enough, someone would pick up my offer to send stuff to my dad’s place. I didn’t have much actually. Just these six items.

I was naive.

Frustrated at looking at the app intermittently, I decided that now was not the time to be frugal and chose the premium option. Thankfully, since it was my first time using the app, I had a $6 discount. The fee amounted to $29.50.

I thought that there was the end of the story. However, because I had earlier posted on Seedly soliciting for moving company recommendations, some people shared horror stories of Lalamove drivers asking for additional charges to move their possessions. It became apparent that the luck of the draw is in effect because other people had nothing but praises for them.

No one wants to be taken for a ride, me included. Obviously, I could retract my offer and engage a proper moving company. But I was more important to start the ball rolling and generate some momentum. I anticipated that seeing an emptier flat would reduce a lot of my stress. So, I stayed put.

On the day of the move, I received a call from my mover. Acted all shocked and fierce and managed to secure a top-up charge of $20. In total, I was expected to pay $50.

Which I thought was a fair deal for the above items and an hour’s worth of work.

So, I cheerfully bade them goodbye with two packets of Oolong tea and went about my day. I just feel grateful that I was mentally prepared to fork out extra money. Otherwise, my virgin experience with Lalamove would leave a bitter taste in my mouth. On the contrary, I was feeling relived and grateful that I didn’t have to accompany my movers - because I had a site visit by Shalom later that day!