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| - In January 2017, my wife and I moved from Los Angeles to MD and unfortunately, we didn't have a great experience with United Moving & Storage. They are deceptive, and their work is sloppy (items damaged and valuable boxes lost!). I've moved across the country multiple times (NYC to Dallas, Dallas to Chicago, Chicago to LA), so I have good context as to how long-haul moves work. I wanted to like these guys, but they are no different than the next moving company and the worse of my movers. Their sales reps will tell you want you want to hear - small, family-owned operations, they own their own trucks and mover are employees, customer-centric, etc. Unfortunately, reality is much different and you get what you pay for. If you take anything away from this review, hire a larger, more reputable moving co. Pay the extra money to have peace of mind that all of your stuff will be returned to you.
Here are the pro and cons:
Pro (somewhat):
- Cost: While United wasn't the cheapest, United came at the lower end of the range. Similar to others, you have 2 options: pay by cubic ft (I paid $3.50 per cu ft) or by weight (determined at a weigh station). If you choose cu ft, you'll have to provide an inventory list. Note that there is NO penalty if you overestimate your volume, but a penalty if you underestimate ($0.50 per cu ft more, so $4 per cu ft). United's cu ft estimate comes in low, so add at least 100 cu ft to your order regardless of what they tell you (another trick for them to charge you more). There are also extra fees they charge: flights of stairs above 1st flight ($75), an elevator fee (why charge $75 to use an elevator?), and if the door-to-door carry is longer than 75 feet ($75 for each 75' thereafter). Also, note that if a 52 ft truck can't get to your location, you'll have to pay for a shuttle. This will almost always be the case, so include this in your cost estimate. United will provide you with a weight if you chose the cu ft option. Cost is $300 for the first 2,000 lbs, $50 per each 1,000 lbs thereafter. United's weight allocation was very high - almost 5,000 lbs for my belongings. There is no way we had this much stuff, but had to pay $450 more regardless.
Cons:
- Poor communication: I worked with a sales rep on the front end and she was fairly easy to talk to and reach (makes sense since United wants your business). However, once your contract is locked in, you're passed to a different department and it's NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE to get them on the phone. Doesn't matter what extension you hit (pick up and deliveries, customer service, etc) or if you leave a voicemail or email. If you have a question or simply want to check status of your belongings, don't count on them calling you back and being left in the dark. Don't trust them if they say otherwise.
- Misleading: Prior to locking in my contract, United's sales staff provided me her pitch - small company, focused on customer satisfaction, transparency, no outsourcing to 3rd party movers, etc. Unfortunately, I saw very little of this, and the foreman/movers confirmed they were contractors. In addition, I was told that if I chose United, they would be able to put my belongings on a truck leaving for the east coast the following week. Unfortunately, after the non-United movers picked up my belongings, United said that I would need to pay an additional $150 to get on the truck they promised me. If I didn't pay their extra fee, I would have to wait at least another week for the next truck (apparently, they were ok sending a ΒΌ empty truck to the East Coast).
- Poor moving: Boxes were damaged (thrown around), my dining room table damaged (dropped on a corner) and most importantly, boxes were lost with important items (pls do not pack anything of value). Furniture was NOT re-assembled at delivery, because the driver was eager to get to his next job. These guys were sloppy/careless.
All-in-all, United Moving & Storage is NOT the company to use. While their price is low, I wish I had paid a national or more reputable carrier a bit more to get peace of mind. You get what you pay for here. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND.
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