Sy Jerry <SYJE...@duq3.cc.duq.edu> wrote: >I am going to relocate from PA to CA next month.
Someone else tried to start this thread a few weeks ago but I never saw any response. If that person could post any info he got, I would appreciate it. I have the same question but its dumb for everyone to keep repeating themselves.
Bruce
-- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bruce Thomas Phoenix, Arizona btho...@netcom.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -
SYJE...@duq3.cc.duq.edu (Sy Jerry) writes: > I am going to relocate from PA to CA next month. > can anybody recommend any moving company they have used and liked ? > also, any moving companies to avoid ? > currently, I have estimates from North American, Allied, United, > Stevens, and Benkins.
I would recommend *against* United. I moved from PA to CA using their service, and was extremely dissatisfied with the results. Their process for filing a claim is long and tedious so I never filed, but they basically broke a lot of things - knobs off of bed furniture that I had offered to take off, lamps bent or twisted, scrapes on furniture. Their method of packing stuff in drawers was to just try to tape things in, which of course made a mess and got many lost. They moved a 4-drawer filing cabinet with the folders inside of it, so of course it got bent up being so heavy and hard to move.
I can offer some general advice toward moving: 1) dismantle the obvious things yourself - for me this would have meant breaking down lamps and putting them in boxes (not taped up, because the movers in a legitimate moving company have to be able to inventory everything), taking off handles etc. off of furniture and putting them into carefully organized Ziplocs, and packing these in a safe place. If you have desk drawers full of office supplies, pack them yourself. 2) Leave books for them, but get the smallest size moving boxes (UHaul sells them, probably many other places) and pack up contents of filing cabinets. Keeping them in order is highly recommended if possible. 3) Unplug your stereo/vcr equipment for 24 hours before it is packed and let it sit unpacked 24 hours in the new place to protect against humidity problems (at least this is what the movers told me, I did it and it was fine but I can't prove whether it's necessary). 4) I took jewelry, best of prized vhs collection, and computer disks by hand in my own suitcases with me. 5) Probably most important of all: if you know either the exact place you are moving to or know the size (e.g. one-bedroom etc), plan loosely where you want everything (which room), and tell the movers so they can label it (obviously this can't be too complicated, but they pack by room so you could just make sure to put everything going in the new den, into your current second bedroom to be packed, all the new-bedroom-stuff into your main bedroom etc.). One thing I liked about the guys who packed up in PA was that they asked me this - I would never have thought of it, but it is an excellent idea and if done right helps out you, the "packers" and the "unpackers" (not that our guys did any unpacking, just shoved it in the apt). 6) Ask around just like you're doing - I had a friend who got a "poor student movers" type number out of the phone book, and the guy not only didn't inventory *anything* [my friend hadn't had access to a legit company yet] but the guy simply stole most of his stuff, even his wrestling medals and personal photographs. There were umpteen lawsuits against him but no one ever got anything back.
sa...@netcom.com (Ellen Sasse) wrote: >SYJE...@duq3.cc.duq.edu (Sy Jerry) writes: >> I am going to relocate from PA to CA next month. >> can anybody recommend any moving company they have used and liked ? >> also, any moving companies to avoid ? >> currently, I have estimates from North American, Allied, United, >> Stevens, and Benkins.
>I would recommend *against* United.
I recently moved (within Canada) with North American - and would NOT recommend them AT ALL. The packers and movers didn't look anything like they did in the brochures. Also, they drastically underestimated my load, thankfully my company was paying for it! The packers were 5 hours late, and the movers arrived at the new place 9 hours late (it was an 8 hour drive to where I moved). Also, they damaged NEW furniture and the moving guys promised that NA would replace it, but they only replace the cost of the item, not the item itself (which is a hassle since I now live in a very small town). I have heard similar complaints from two other couples who have also moved with NA.
However, I have heard WONDERFUL things about Williams. They may be slightly more expensive, but they seem to be WELL worth the money!
-- ===================================== Julie M. Thomson jthom...@awinc.com capg6...@ibmmail.com (work address) =====================================
<I recently moved (within Canada) with North American - and would NOT <recommend them AT ALL. The packers and movers didn't look anything like <they did in the brochures. Also, they drastically underestimated my load, <thankfully my company was paying for it! The packers were 5 hours late, and <the movers arrived at the new place 9 hours late (it was an 8 hour drive to <where I moved). Also, they damaged NEW furniture and the moving guys <promised that NA would replace it, but they only replace the cost of the <item, not the item itself (which is a hassle since I now live in a very <small town). I have heard similar complaints from two other couples who <have also moved with NA.
<However, I have heard WONDERFUL things about Williams. They may be slightly <more expensive, but they seem to be WELL worth the money!
Not withstanding all of the pictures in the brochures or kids on TV saddly looking on as their favorite toy is packed away to be moved to their new home - the thing to check out is the OPERATOR in your area who will be the one that packs and moves your furnishings! The person(s) you are dealing with only are working under the banner of teh Moving Company usually as a franchisee or even an independent contractor - you are not dealing with Berkins, National, North American, etc.
We were moved from New Jersey to North Carolina (with a three month period n storage) and couldn't be happier about the way we and our furnishing were handled. North American where we were located had ben owned and operated by the same family for more than 40 years and the principals as well as most of the workers were family members. The estimate was on the head and unlike too many stories we have heard here they came from New Jersey with the SAME crew that packed and loaded our stuff 3 months earlier to unload and deliver it to us - other movers send a driver (most of the time a truck driver who responded to one of those news paper ads looking for a driver with a tractor) who goes to their facility and hoks his tractor to the loaded van. When he gets to the destination he has to hire acrew of laborers to unload and deliver your furniture! (Here this help congregates close to the homeless shelters and/Salvation Army and may or may not be high or in some cases sober.)
We interviewed and checked out about 6 different movers before we decided to use NA!
I used North American Van Lines to move from DC to FL in 1990. Unlike another posting, the local operators seemed to be good, showed up when promised, packed carefully. However, once my furniture was out of their hands and in transit, it went missing in action for five days, their heavily advertised 800 number for tracking was a bad joke (every time I called, my furniture was going to be delivered "the very next day" . In fact, they had no clue where my stuff was, and consistently lied about this lack of knowledge. It finally showed up eight days after promised (yes, in writing!). When I complained, their reaction was that I should file a claim for anything damaged, but that guaranteed delivery date didn't mean anything . I haven't heard anything good about any moving company, so I don't know how much help this info is, but, I would avoid North American. Good Luck Keith former physicist, sometimes engineer, frequent diver 200 yards from the Gulf of Mexico
I've moved quite a few times with the military... Statistically, I remember hearing that Mayflower has the fewest claims. they moved me two times ago and were alright but the bottom line comes down to how well the packers do their job..That is more a function of how good the local work force is than how good the national company is...Good luck!
