what moving company did you use?

hi everyone,

fh and i are moving from nyc to north carolina at the end of this month, and we are looking for moving companies who do interstate jobs. we're new to the whole moving thing, but we've heard that there are a lot of less than reputable moving companies out there... so we were hoping we could get some recommendations from people who might have moved recently.

any suggestions?

thanks!!!

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Posted by june262004

Well DO NOT USE APOLLO!!!!

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sorry to be a nag... but would you mind elaborating a bit? only because apollo is coming to our apt tomorrow to give us an estimate!

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Posted by alexlynn7

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Posted by june262004

Well DO NOT USE APOLLO!!!!

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sorry to be a nag... but would you mind elaborating a bit? only because apollo is coming to our apt tomorrow to give us an estimate!

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DONT DO IT!!!!!!!!!!! I think I posted a thread about it. Let me see if I can find it.

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Posted by june262004

http://www.liweddings.com/chat/topic.aspx?ID=142419

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thank you so much! now we know who we won't be using!!!

Ya it was strange cause they showed up like a week later then they said they'd be there. Everytime she call they say they are on their way blah blah. They show up in a different truck it was like a ryder truck. Then they start bringing things in and they are all broking so she asks ummm whats going on and they guy is like call the company.

Now they say that they hit an over pass but THEY moved to Florida which means they should have taken 1-95 down there are no overpasses on 1-95.

shameless bump

anyone else have a good or bad experience with a moving company?

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Posted by alexlynn7

shameless bump

anyone else have a good or bad experience with a moving company?

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I've been doing some research on moving companies. (Haven't moved yet, so I can't make a specific recommendation of a company.) According to some business publications (WSJ, Fortune, Smart Money, and so forth) the best thing to do is to call local agents/affiliates of some of the large moving companies (United is one biggie that comes to mind, but there are tons more that I'm just not recalling right now) and ask them to do an in-home estimate/quote for your move. The companies that do online and phone quotes may be scammers, so be careful of those.

Here is a website that I've found useful. Don't let the site scare you... it scared me at first! There's a lot of useful information to be found, not just ranting and raving from angry customers. The message board part seems unnerving, but the articles are helpful. GOOD LUCK!

Moving Advice Website

We used Allied to move out of state and would recommend them to anyone. They took amazing care of our stuff.

We used them b/c our alumni association had an agreement with them, so we got a 20% discount - Something you might check into if this applies to you or FH.

I can give you some advice. 1) they ALL have problems - it really boils down to WHO the driver is and what movers he brings with him.

Between our move and my family moves here are some things to ask but not necessarily trust and some advice:

1) GET a LOT of quotes. Moving to MI I was under quoted by ALMOST all of the companies by about 1000 lbs. This can make a difference in the price depending on what type of quote you get.

Try to get a binding not to exceed - which mean you pay X amount but if it is less they will give you something back BUT IF it is MORE you don't owe anything. NY didn't want to give us this - but we had no problem getting this in MI.

Things that happened with United - they promised us we would get our furniture in 7-10 days - it came 5 weeks later - We also had to pay more because they under estimated.

- Things to ask:
1) What is the time frame that it should be delivered. (remember they are saleman and not the schedules so this can change.

2) What guarentee will you give me if it is not there in that time frame.

3) IF it does not arrive on time - (this is usually because unless you have a FULL truck you will be placed with other people so they might wait until they have a full truck to move your stuff) where will my furniture be placed (usually a warehouse).

4) Who will be moving my furniture - and you will hire people off the street. My father got a bunch of college kids who knew nothing and scratched or damaged almost every item that they had (allied). United hired the kid next door to help because he was behind.

5) Will you provide boxes - THIS is important some companies will give you free boxes if you go to their warehouse - this will save you a lot of money - I have never paid for boxes for any move.

6)How many boxes can I get (some companies limit others say whatever is at the warehouse).

Also READ the estimate closely and make sure everything you told them is going is actually ON the sheet. A few companies left our bed or entertainment center off the estimate (this could be a problem because you would def be over the estimated weight and they can say it was an added item and NOT on the origial list so you owe more.)

7) ask about long carries or stair charges (if you live in an apt or a winding driveway this could be an issue)

If I think of anything else I will add it. Make sure you take insurance out though - almost everyone eventually has to use it for something even if it is minor.

Etd to add:

Ask what company MIGHT show up. Sounds strange but See united owns mayflower, etc - many of the companies own one another so if you hire one company like atlas you might get allied or mayflower you might get a united truck and movers. So if you have a big aversion to one company this might be an issue for you