Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi..we are moving out of state (SC)..can anyone recommend a mover based on experience? Also, has anyone stored their possessions with movers..we have a 3 month wait after we move until we can move into our home in SC and are trying to figure out whether to store with the movers or one of those self store places. Going with a self storage would involve moving our things a second time and that may be costly...sigh...moving is such fun!!
Thanks for you input!
Hi..we are moving out of state (SC)..can anyone recommend a mover based on experience? Also, has anyone stored their possessions with movers..we have a 3 month wait after we move until we can move into our home in SC and are trying to figure out whether to store with the movers or one of those self store places. Going with a self storage would involve moving our things a second time and that may be costly...sigh...moving is such fun!!
Thanks for you input!
Oh boy! My SIL just went through this. Moved to halfway across the country. She used a broker who hires any flunky moving company to show up, pack up and move out. The first team the broker sent got pulled over by the cops for a tail light being out and was found to have been on the road for too many hours so they got "grounded"...the second company the broker sent refused to move them b/c "there was more to do than they were told" (noone from the broker's company came to her house to estimate) so the third company showed up and moved their stuff out and took about 4 days longer to get them their "house" than originally promised. And they have three little kids who were sleeping on sheets on a carpet in a rental home b/c the house they intended to move into...the deal fell through.
Go with a reputable company...one you can sue if they screw everything up...and there's still a phone that will be answered on their end should you have a complaint!
It stinks to have to move so many times in such a short time span but I would suggest (I've moved a lot too) bringing only what you really need and can get by with for 3 months and storing the rest. After you move so many times the joy of setting up your kitchen or your anything wears off. And quickly.
Good Luck and sorry I can't help with recommending anyone.
We moved out of state and used Able Metro Movers in Edison. They were fantastic! They were very careful, padding wall corners, covering carpets so nothing was damaged or dirty. They were very polite and extra helpful. Delivered our belongings exactly at the time they stated in our new home. Final cost was less than estimate. Highly recommend them.
We were just moved by McCollister's (United Van Lines, based out of Burlington, NJ.) The move went smoothly on both ends. Their website is www.Mccollisters.com . Good luck with the move.
I can tell you a couple of companies to avoid -- Moving on Time and First Choice Moving. If you want the details, read on.
I had a similar dilemma recently, when moving from Phoenix to Louisiana. I wound up getting quotes from about 15 different companies -- some of them offering POD-like services and others full-on moving companies. In the end, it was most affordable for me to hire a moving company. I'd heard negative things about hiring movers before, but I wasn't moving a lot of expensive items and I didn't need my things by a certain date, so I figured I'd be okay. BIG MISTAKE!!! Apparently, the company I hired (Moving on Time) sub-contracted my move to another company (First Choice Moving), so when things went wrong, no one would take responsibility. Below is a series of e-mails detailing my ordeal (I hope it can be used as a cautionary tale against, at least, Moving On Time and First Choice Moving):
MY FIRST COMPLAINT:
I'm sorry to bother you, but I've been having some serious problems with the moving company, and I was hoping you could help. I don't know if you remember me -- I made a move from Phoenix to Covington, LA, and you were very helpful when you called to give me a quote, as well as to schedule the pick-up in Phoenix a couple weeks ago.
The problems began when the movers, with First Choice Moving, first arrived in Phoenix. The foreman raised the cost of my move by $101 when they picked up my things, saying that they charged by cubic space and not by weight. In our conversations, you specifically told me the opposite and said I could include 400 pounds over my inventory list and be fine. Anyway, the foreman said my extra items (that were not on the inventory list) took up more space than my quote provided for. That was frustrating, but I accepted it.
Then, this past weekend, they called and told me my items would arrive at my new place between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. yesterday (June 8). I waited all five hours, but they didn't show up. I had an appointment at 3 p.m., so I called at 1 p.m. and talked to a man who (I believe) was named xxxxx. He told me the driver would call me immediately. No one called. I wound up calling the company another 4 times between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., each time with xxxxx or another woman (I, unfortunately, didn't get her name) promising to call back within five or ten minutes. No one ever called back. By 4 p.m., after sitting in this empty house for 8 hours, I was calling simply to tell them that I needed to leave and I wanted a guarantee that I wouldn't get charged if the movers arrived. It took me two calls and another hour before I could even get this guarantee. Apparently, the dispatchers couldn't get in touch with the driver.
This morning, the driver finally called me. He said he would be at the house at 7 tonight. He then said I had to pay the $560 balance in cash only. I told him I had a cashier's check and a money order. He told me that I needed cash. I told him that he wouldn't get cash; he would get a cashier's check and a money order.
I have to say that I'm extremely disappointed with all the interactions I've had with everyone except you at this company, beginning when my original foreman said he wouldn't move the things of mine that weren't on the inventory. Yesterday was a complete fiasco and, at this point, I have little hope that tonight will be much better.
My question to you is, can you guarantee that the cashier's check and money order I provide will be accepted tonight? Also, if I were to be late for your movers when they arrived, I would be charged $350 per hour (according to the First Choice Moving contract I signed). Will I get any sort of compensation for the 4.5 hours I had to wait, past the 5-hour delivery window I was given?
I understand that my items could have arrived anywhere within 21 days, but when your company calls me and tells me to expect a delivery within a certain time frame, I have to re-arrange my schedule to meet it. It's disappointing when the movers don't arrive, and it's infuriating when no one seems to be able to tell me why they haven't arrived and how much longer I will have to wait. If I had been more passive, I would still be in that empty house, waiting a total of 35 hours for my items to arrive.
As you can see, I am extremely upset, and I also have a wealth of meetings to get to (since I postponed them from yesterday), so I will say good-bye now.
THE FIRST RESPONSE:
Ma’am we’ve received your e-mail. I’ve spoken to the dispatcher and he’s aware that you will have a money order or cashier’s check available. The dispatcher is calling the driver to confirm this with him. If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail in or call. I apologize for the delay I had to wait until the dispatcher was awake to get him on the phone since he is in Arizona. Thank you.
THE NEXT COMPLAINT:
Thank you for the response. The driver did get in touch with me this morning and said he would arrive at 7 p.m. (he didn't give a time window). At 3:30 this afternoon, he called again to say he would arrive at 9 p.m., but would call 30 minutes prior to arriving. I waited at the empty home, and he called again just after 9 to say it would be more like 10 p.m. At this point, I told him that was too late, and he promised to arrive tomorrow morning at 7 a.m.
The driver has been very polite in all our dealings, and I don't blame him for the issues. However, I am extremely frustrated with your company as a whole for its lack of professionalism. As my earlier e-mail detailed, this entire situation has been a total snafu on your part, from absent movers to five unreturned calls. When I accepted your quote, I understood that my items could arrive anytime within 21 days. I made arrangements to stay with family until the movers came. However, when you call and tell me to expect the movers at a certain time, it seems that you should be completely sure they will arrive within that (very large) 5-hour window.
I know little hang-ups can occur, but the movers are now arriving a full 42 hours after the end of the window your company provided to me (if the movers arrive as promised). This is ridiculous. And, since my new place is currently empty, I have been staying with family 30 minutes away. That means that each time your company has promised to arrive, I have to drive an hour, round-trip, and wait in an empty house to hear that there will be yet another delay.
According to my contract, your company requires monetary compensation when your movers have to wait ($350 an hour). At this point, I have scheduled three of my days around your company's promises. I now expect some sort of discount or monetary compensation for my tremendous trouble.
THE FINAL RESPONSE:
I’ve received your e-mail. First apologize because I am not sure on 2 points in your e-mail because that’s not written on your contract with Moving On Time. If there are additional points added by First Choice Moving and Storage then I would suggest you speak to the office in AZ about the additional points. Just to clear up a few things your quote with Moving On Time specifies that the delivery window is 5-14 business days. With your pick-up being shown as the 25th this would put your final delivery date as the 16th of July (The 4th of July added another day) As for your statement “According to my contract, your company requires monetary compensation when your movers have to wait ($350 an hour)” We have no such clause. Unless your delivery occurs after the 16th there is no contractual basis for compensation. Thank you and I hope this has cleared up your misconceptions.
NOTE: The movers did arrive at 7 a.m. the following morning. However, they then demanded extra pay for carrying my items up the driveway and into the house, saying this was more than the contracted 75 feet because they parked on the street. I refused to pay anything and told them to move their truck into the driveway if they wanted to reduce the length of their walk. They didn't move the truck, but they did move all my items without me paying any extra.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
and that may be costly...sigh...moving is such fun!! 
