Couple loses $150,000 in belongings after moving truck broken into

MURRELLS INLET, S.C. (WMBF/Gray News) - A South Carolina couple is missing thousands of dollars worth of items after their moving truck was broken into.

Eric and Robin Nelson paid Bekins Moving Company $23,000 to pack their belongings in California and move them to Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, in October.

The couple arrived in South Carolina, but their belongings did not. They learned their items had been stolen from the company’s lot at a stop in Las Vegas.

“Shock, speechless. You just don’t even know what to think,” Robin Nelson said. “You just think, how could this happen in a lot that is owned by Bekins. It’s secure, it has cameras, locked up.”

The Nelsons said thieves stole 33 boxes containing valuable items, including clothes, shoes, signed sports memorabilia, golf balls and hand-carved artwork. The loss totals more than $150,000.

“You feel violated, just totally violated, after you trust these people to do a job,” Robin Nelson said.

“It’s the irreplaceable things that hurt the most,” Eric Nelson added.

The couple said they paid Bekins extra, signing up for a $100,000 “full replacement value protection plan,” thinking their losses would be covered.

However, the couple said Bekins told them it was only a partial loss, so they wouldn’t get $100,000. They were offered $60,000.

Eric Nelson said it’s been a frustrating monthslong process.

“I just want them to stand up, do what they should do. Stand up, take care of the customer, pay us for what we paid for, which was the full retail replacement value,” Eric Nelson said.

The Nelsons recommend taking an inventory of everything with video and making a written list. Then, identify items of value in the contract or receipt for the move.

The couple said they hope things will get resolved, or they plan to sue.

WMBF News reached out to Bekins for comment and is waiting to hear back.