'My life was taken away': Winnipeg woman says Greyhound lost all her possessions in move
A student says her life was turned upside down after the Greyhound bus company lost all her possessions during her move from Vancouver to Winnipeg, and months later, she's still waiting for some kind of compensation.
Kiara Milla Hernandez-Brown said she took a flight from Vancouver to Winnipeg on Dec. 27, 2016, and decided to send the rest of her belongings through Greyhound's shipment service.
She said she was told it would take another two weeks for her belongings to arrive in Winnipeg, but they never came.
"I called my dad in Vancouver and then he called them, and they pretty much told him that all my stuff was stolen," she said, adding that at first she thought it was a joke.
"He's like, 'No, seriously they took all your stuff.' And then I just started panicking," she said.
Bus broken into
The 20-year-old Red River College student said she was told by Greyhound the bus had been broken into during a stop in Hope, B.C.
"They told us the stuff was stolen in Hope, and that the driver went for a very long coffee break and he parked the trailer where there were no cameras around," she said.
"I was freaking out. I realized that I'm moving back home to Winnipeg with absolutely nothing."
She said she packed nearly everything she owned in a couple of suitcases and three boxes.
"Two of them were filled with Christmas presents and the other box was just my other stuff, things I had bought for myself for my birthday.
"I had a bedding set, I had my record player, I had a bunch of board games … pretty much my life was taken away when all of that stuff was stolen from me," she said.
Hernandez-Brown said she purchased insurance with Greyhound, but getting compensation has been "frustrating" because she was told she needs receipts for every personal item that was stolen.
"I've had my clothes for lots of years," she said. "I was never going to keep those receipts."
She said after recovering some receipts for the Christmas gifts and clothing she had bought in Vancouver, she finally made a claim for $5,000 last March, but was told by Greyhound she would only be reimbursed $200, which is what she paid for insurance coverage.
"Only $200 for me to get some of my stuff back.… It's just hurtful and I get really angry thinking about it."
She said what's more upsetting is that she has yet to receive the $200 promised from Greyhound.
"Nothing, it's been absolutely silent … and I have not received any calls or an apology."
Greyhound promises compensation
A spokesperson from Greyhound said in an email to CBC News that Hernandez-Brown is eligible for compensation and confirmed that the bus had been broken into after experiencing a "road failure" in Hope.
"We took some time to conduct an extensive search for the customer's belongings once we became aware of the missing items, and because her items were not found, we will provide the maximum amount offered when additional insurance is not purchased on shipments. She should receive it within seven to 10 business days," the spokesperson said.
Hernandez-Brown said she has been trying to move on since she moved back to Winnipeg six months ago. She has a new part-time job and she has bought new clothing, but she said she will never be able to replace the gifts and other personal items she lost.
"The money isn't the issue. I just want them to know how it impacted my life."
