Budget Van Lines

We paid for a guaranteed delivery for December 30th or 31st and it was delivered on January 2nd. Also, we received no communication from the company or the contracted company, until Saturday, letting us know that it would be late. Because of the delay we were forced to rent a motel room for 3 nights. When the delivery was made there were no helpers to unload or set up. The driver was very kind and apologetic but we had to make arrangements for people to come and help unload and set up on a Sunday afternoon. I have called and emailed the company numerous times. Every time I have spoken to someone they have assured me that someone would get back to me and they have not. I also completed a review online submitting my complaint. I did receive an email in response to that review. I emailed back the job number and have not received any response since then. I have filed a complain with the BBB but still have not received a response. I would definitely not recommend this company.

Service cost: $4348

If you are planning on moving with Budget Van Lines you have to understand you will get the most for your money, but with no frills. The company found me the lowest rate for my move by far, and the movers did the job just fine, but they weren't part of a big trucking company nor did they wear uniforms. I basically saved 1500 dollars because I went with Budget rather than going with one of the bigger guys. Professionalism was on par with everyone else, thanks for the service.

Service cost: $2300

I had never moved more than 50 miles so I was nervous about a big cross country move going approx 3000 miles. I  decided to do my research and found Budget Van Lines on the web.  I gave them a call and spoke with Debby who was very knowledgable about the moving industry and answered all my questions.  I was most impressed with Budget Van Lines because, unlike other moving companies I spoke with, Budget Van Lines WEIGHS THEIR TRUCKS.  Debby explained this was the safest and smartest way to move because the move was in MY control.  If my items weighed less, I would pay less.  If they weighed more, I'd pay more.  Made sense to me.  I liked knowing Budget Van Lines would weigh the truck before and after my move and there would be no "funny business" or re-negotiation of the price.  I also liked the 4 payment plan that Budget Van Lines offers because it helped me stretch out the cost of my move instead of paying a big fee upfront (other movers wanted a LOT of money upfront, huge red flag.)  I reserved my move with Budget Van Lines and I have to say, everything went very well from beginning to end.  I was contacted by my carrier about 4 days before my moving date.  The mover arrived exactly on-time and had all the correct packing materials for items like my flat screen TV, glass tables, mirrors and lamps.  The driver, Gary, gave me his name and mobile number so I would always know where he was.  The movers wrapped my Italian leather sofa completely in thick moving blankets and took extra care when moving it to the truck.  I told them the sofa was my "prized possession" and they took extra time and care to make sure it was safely wrapped and moved onto the truck.  I was told by Budget Van Lines that I would receive my items in 5 to 20 days, which didn't sound great but was the guideline they had to quote for a move going 3000 miles.  Debby told me I'd probably get my items sooner and I figured that was her best guess, but I have to say, my furniture arrived in 10 DAYS and I was absolutely thrilled.
My furniture arrived intact and there was NO damage at all. Even my boxes looked brand new still!  My TV, lamps, mirrors and all glass items were 100% fine, nothing was damaged or broken.  I was very pleased with my experience with Budget Van Lines and I would use them again.  HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Service cost: $5475

This review is for John Matthews only as a representative of Budget.  John got involved the moment this move turned sour.  Budget contracted my move with LD Moving and Storage.  LD was the worse company I could have gotten for this move.  They are unprofessional with respect to their representation of packing and delivery.  The costs for the move were higher than anticipated and I was called to take a discount as opposed to re-weighing the items. John provided exemplary service in helping me managing the myriad of issues and disappointment.  He spent time daily assessing the situation and trying to identifying ways to make it better.  He reached out to LD on a number of times to seek information and timeframes for the delivery.  His abiltiy to seek insight, to provide service in areas that were outside of his controll speak volumes.  He even shouldered my frustation and emotion over the worse peaks in the service delivery. I'm not certain if I would choose Budget as they have to make a better selection of their vendors.  The social media sites on LD are horrible - something I should have checked well in advance of agreeing to the move and this third party provider.  But knowing that there is an advocate behind the scenes with Budget does suggest - it might be best to go where you know you can get great customer service in the event something doesn't go right. I think it's fair to recognize a truly great employee as sometimes they go unnoticed or not recognized when problems arist.  John delivered great service and went to bat for me in providing some relief for the hassles I had to bear.  He listened and alwasy asked - is there something I can do to make it better - what other options can I look into for you.  That speaks volumes. Thank you John!

Service cost: $3040

First of all, Budget Van Lines is a broker.  The come on is that they can move you for an amount less than other moving companies.  They originally quoted me $1200 to move a one bedroom apartment from San Diego to the Phoenix, Az area.   I contacted name brands who came out to see what the move entailed and was quoted between $1750 to $1900 for their services.  They prepared detailed lists of what was going to be included in the move. I called Budget and updated the list of items and they revised their estimate to $1650.  I decided to use Budget to save the $100 to $250..BIG MISTAKE! The mover showed up early - one day early.  Luckily I had everything packed but my large 51" flat screen as I was having a friend come over that night to help me disassemble it from the base and package it up.  The mover offered to help me if I agreed to let him move my stuff a day early.  I accepted and he broke the base and mount.  He actually did a very good job of packing the large items such as my couches, tables, and large furniture. The other companies I received quotes from told me to pack as much as I could into the drawers in my dressers.  Budget told me to take it all out and pack it in boxes.  BIG MISTAKE!  I ended up having to pay for volume instead of weight and that made the cost skyrocket. The final cost of the move ended up at just above $2500 between brokerage fees and moving fees - $600 above the highest bid I received from NAME movers.  On top of it, it took me over a month to get reimbursed for the part on my TV the mover broke.  I had to fix it myself and finding a getting the part (all me) took a fair amount of time. When I tried to reach my salesperson at Budget several times by phone and email I found her unresponsive. STAY AWAY FROM A BAD MOVE!!  .

Service cost: $2500

Although I had some difficult times with my move with Budget Van Lines, I want to point out that the customer service was exceptional. There are bound to be problems with any move, especially one that includes delivery to a state almost 1,000 miles away (as in my case -- CT to GA). However, it was the constant communication and attention I received from the Budget Van Lines rep assigned to my move (Gwen) that made all the difference for me.
 
The fact that Budget Van Lines was willing to not only listen to my complaints but also follow up on them and even hold the moving company accountable (while following up with them as well) made this experience a lot better for me given the obstacles and complications I encountered.
 
Moving, like life, is messy and sometimes unforeseen things happen. When that occurred in my situation, Budget Van Lines listened to my complaints and took action to make sure I was as satisfied with the results as possible. They delivered on their customer service promises and I would recommend using them for your move.
 
Most moving experiences probably go off without a hitch, but it's good to know that if things do go wrong, you won't just be treated like a number by this company and they will work hard to make sure you are satisfied as a customer.  .

Service cost: $2655

My experience with this company was awful.  I contacted this company to know their rates which was followed by several clalls until confirmation of the inventory list. At the time of e-signature to confirm the inventory list (on Friday, 20Sep2013), I was still packing (selling out my furniture) to relocate to CA from NJ. I gave Damon A. (my agent) the max list of items I could include (estimated to 3100 lbs). I had informed Damon that the list is not final and will be downsizing the list and was willing to sign only if I still had a chance to make some changes. He asked me not to worry and promised that the Quality Assurance team personnel will contact me on Monday to finalize the list. I went ahead e-signed, and sold all of my furniture except mattress. After e-sign, I received billing transaction email but no follow-up calls until the final day of my move (final day of the three days proposed).   After the bill on my credit card, I had to call and confirm the 3 day window for pick-up. In between the bill and pick-up I did speak with customer representative (CR), Greg O., of BV regarding the inventory list. The CR asked me not to worry and confirmed that the moving company would give me a different estimate based on the household items (different from BV) on the day of the move, and that if the weight of my household items to be moved is less than the estimate provided by the moving company then they would give me up to 15% discount on the charges of the estimated weight.   On the final day of my move, CR called to inform that the promised moving would not be able to pick my stuff on that day but the next day. I had to explain about an early flight to CA the next day to convince them. After several conversations they confirmed that a truck from Preferred Relocation (the moving company) would be arriving to pick my stuff. It was a stressful moment (pain in the butt). Although I was promised a different estimate by the moving company, “Preferred Relocation” guy (Eddie) refused to give me a different weight estimate. I could not argue as it was the last minute for me to move out of the apartment and a flight early next day.  The actual weight came out to be 2100 pounds, a difference of thousand pounds between the actual and estimated weights (by professional movers).  I was charged 72 cents for a pound. You can estimate my loss.  .

Service cost: $2800

I had made arrangements with Budget to pick up my daughters furniture and had given them the standard 3 day window.   The move was from FT Leonard Wood, Missouri to Pennsylvania.   After I paid the deposit and signed the contract I never heard from them again.   I started calling a week before the 3 day window and nobody would call me back.   Finally at the end of the first day of my 3 day window I spoke to someone that told me they didn't have anybody to do her move.   So they had to cancel her move.  This left her in a bind because she had to leave on a certain date to be back on the east coast to start a new job and she had also given her notice to her apartment.   She had a broken foot and could not drive or load a truck on her own.   I will never recommend this company and advise you if you are thinking about it,  DON'T use them.   You are better off paying a little more and using someone reputable.  .

Service cost: $1699

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY IT WILL MAKE YOUR MOVE A NIGHTMAREMy move contracted to On Time Moving, by Budget Van Lines. On Time Moving is on record as being out of business, and is not a BBB accredited business. So many things went wrong I'm just going to leave bullet points of the BS I had to deal with.1.The sales specialist was deceptive made & convinced me my delivery would happen in 2-3 days that it is atypical for the delivery to go as far as 7 business days. My things were delivered almost two weeks following my pick up, beyond the 7 business day window. 2. When I complained about it, the customer service reps exchanged words with me, yelled at me, and then proceeded to hang up on me. Budget Van Lines has absolutely no etiquette in customer service. You will be wasting your time calling, because your issue will still be unresolved when you get off the phone with themMoving Experience with Budget Contracted Movers3. I was told one amount that I owed, and when the driver arrived he told me I owed $25 more, and if I didn't give him the $25 he would leave with my things and not come back. All I had was the money order of the full balance, so because he threatened to leave I had to go to the ATM and get the $25. 4. When I got back with the money I asked, "Can we start the move now?" He responded by yelling at me saying he was leaving with my things and not coming back, and at this point he had my money and was intending to leave with my things and my money. 5. When I called the movers boss, the mover said verbatim, "You crossed the line by calling my boss. Don't you know I have your whole life on this truck? I can break all of your [EDIT]!" 6. At the end of the move I noticed the top of my dining table top was missing. Turns out it was left behind in Chicago!! When I asked when I would receive it they said another 5-10 business days!!7. When the move was done he requested I signed the inventory list confirming I had received all of my belongings, to which I refused because I knew I had not received everything. He then refused to give me a copy of my own inventory sheet. 8. As I unpacked I noticed my tv stand was broken, my dryer is dented, my wood furniture is scratched significantly. For all of the issues I had with the move Budget Van Lines/ On Time Moving offered me no compensation, and still have not delivered by table top, almost a month after they picked up my delivery.**Budget Van Lines Contracts your move to people that will deliver late, damage and lose your belongings. Budget will stand by and say they aren't liable for anything, and they aren't because they include that in the contract. My move cost me $2000 . For that cost you are better off finding someone reputable that will not contract your move to hoodlums, or disrespect you when you ask for customer service.DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY IT WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE A NIGHTMARE.

Service cost: $2100

My daughter needed to get out of her apartment in Denver but did not have a new apartment in Atlanta for 6 weeks.  Budget helped us navigate this situation, storing her things for the period in between and then delivering them to Atlanta once she had a place there.  We were very impressed with the sales and customer service staff who were responsive to all our emails and phone calls.  They also pro-actively followed up with us at each step of the move.  At the end of the move out, storage, and move it, the only thing broken or damaged was one glass. We would definitley use this company again.

Service cost: $2000

Do not use these movers!  They subcontract with any local cheap mover of their choice.  Most of my items that they packed were damaged, some beyond repair.  The biggest problem was all the "missing" items as they call it.  Some boxes were missing but the ones that did make it had been opened and anything they wanted taken out of them to the tune of over $1,700.  Nothing I can do about it!  It's your word against their's.  MOVERS BEWARE!  READ THE FINE PRINT AND GO ANYWHERE ELSE FOR A MOVING COMPANY!!  All they reimburse you for your damaged itmes is .60 per pound.  Go see what your big screen TV is worth then!   Julie Boget Pissed from PA.

Service cost: $2596

If it was possible for me give Budget Van Lines a lower rating, I would. We were promised a truck to move out by or on June 1. We were told they were going to call on May 28th. We received no call, so my wife had to call. No truck, so they were going to call the next day. May 29th came and went, with no call taking place. My wife called again on the 30th, to which they told us they still did not have a truck available for our move over the next day or so. They got back to us within a half our to say "HOORAY" we got a truck. Not long after, we got another call stating the truck had "broken down"..I use quotes because a friend of mine in the moving business mentioned that this is what these companies tend to do when they overbook and have no way of getting to you. They say their truck "broke down" to cover the fact that they just wanted to get your money and business in the first place without having to deliver on their side. Anyway, with the truck broken down, they said we would be moved on June 2nd or 3rd. Probably on June 2nd, but possibly June 3rd. We get a call on the 2nd that it will be taking place on June 3rd. They have a truck and will call us in the morning for a pick up time. Low and behold the next day comes and no call. We call around noon, because someone has been waiting at the apartment all day expecting a truck to show up, only to have no truck show up. When I call, they say they were "just about to call me" and that the truck had again "broken down", with no call being made to me, prior to me calling them. This has been an EXTREMELY unprofessional company to deal with. If they somehow find a way to redeem themselves, I will let you know, but that does not seem likely.

Brandon P.

Service cost: $1700

I spoke with Russell who booked my move and gave him a VERY detailed inventory list. I signed the contract and list stating the inventory was accurate. He called again a few weeks later and asked if the inventory had changed. I added one small rug and he said that was fine because he added some extra into the estimate just in case. He was VERY confident that my items would not exceed his estimate and reassured me of this. He sent over an updated inventory and it was completely different than the original I had given him. He apologized and said he had gotten two contracts mixed up. Later he sent me the accurate one that I signed again. Upon pick up, the men were 3 hours late, very rude, and complained about everything. They charged me $100 for tape as well and told me it would be 14 days for delivery. I was initially told 3-7 days from Russell. He also told me he would send me the total due at delivery after he went to the weigh station. I shockingly got a message that my weight was 140% higher than the estimate EVEN THOUGH my inventory list was 100% accurate and I even had a few less boxes. My total originally due at delivery was $490 and he told me I was to pay $1231. I can understand a small margin of error because their estimate may vary slightly. But they were not even close. They failed to do their job at Budget Van Lines. Their responsibility as a company is to provide their customers with a good faith estimate and be the liaison between the customer and the moving van company. They failed to take any ownership in this situation and told me that once they book the moving company, they are void of any responsibility. Basically, I paid them to call a moving company. I could have done that myself with less hassle than using them. They low-balled my estimate to get my business, ripped me off, then wiped their hands clean and failed to take responsibility. We have attempted to speak with them to resolve the issue several times and even spoke to the customer service manager. He was not only hard to get ahold of, but he was VERY rude and YELLED at us. Those actions are not good business practice and if this is how they treat their customers they should be shut down. .

Service cost: $2500

We obtained Budget Van Lines to broker a move from PA to CO. There were issues with the moving company (which Budget has now terminated their contract with that leased company due to the significant issues). During the entire process of the move, Donald Battles- Manager of Customer Service in the CA office of Budget Van Lines- was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! He stayed late, came in early, communicated through both emails and phone, and ALWAYS kept his promise as to when he would have an answer. While the move itself was stressful due to the other company's lack of customer service, Donald Battles and Budget Van Lines did everything they could to resolve the issue and obtain compensation. This is SO appreciated!

Service cost: $3300

BUDGET VAN LINES (aka Twin Movers/Condor) underbid my move to get me signed up. After that the price went up. The company they subcontracted with came with two movers. Both spoke Spanish 98% of the time so I didn't know what was going on during packing. It took them 18 hours (ONE DAY) to complete. I felt sorry for the movers since I believed them to be abused (until many items came up missing after delivery). I'm sure crew rest policies were violated. The movers packed two rifles for me. Never asked me about serial numbers. When I approached them about it they said we don't need the numbers. I'm sure this violates state firearm transportation laws. I am in the process of filling a claim. During delivery their truck broke down (according to them). I'm sure this time they went though my items picking out what they wanted). MANY items are missing as I unpack my boxes. The company they subcontracted with was called "Twin Movers". Since my move they now call themselves "Condor Movers". STAY CLEAR OF THEM! I'm still not sure off all the items missing but the list keeps growing. I would like to file an official complaint with someone who can actually track these criminals down but have no idea where to start. BUDGET Van Lines did not vet "Twin Movers/Condor Movers properly. I would walk away (run) from any deal with these guys. Wish someone had posted a this info before I contacted with them. To their credit Budget Van Lines did discontinue their contract with this contractor. BUYER BEWARE!! If anyone has any idea how to go after these guys I would very much like to hear from you. In the mean time I will hit these jokers on every media outlet I can. I feel totally violated as they took some very personal items. Hope this helps you in your future move. Again, any ideas how legally go after these guys I would appreciate your information.

Service cost: $4000

Budget Van Lines was very quick to take my $$ and make promises..they assigned my move to American Power..he showed up 28 hours after he promised..knocked power lines down leading to my home..arrived with two NON speaking/NON reading helpers..DOUBLED the quote that Budget had given me..said there were TOO MANY boxes..I am 81 years old and I used SMALL boxes so I could lift them..and yes there were a lot BUT it took FOUR of my small boxes to equal ONE average mid-size box.so in reality there was NOT more than discussed with Budget Van Lines.
Because he was SO late he raced thru the house like a maniac shouting about volume and weight (which there was NO WAY of establishing since my load was dumped in with several others)..items that were to be left in Illinois ended up in Florida and other items are missing in action..at the receiving end they arrived at 8PM..a broken lamp..another CRUSHED box marked FRAGILE/DO NOT CRUSH held another SMASHED lamp that I have had for 40 years..of course, if you can't speak English you probably can't read it either..the whole move was a DISASTER..calls to Budget Van Lines asking for claim forms are dumped into VM which is NOT asnswered..calls and texts to American Power are ignored..my advice..DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER USING THESE PEOPLE..

Move size: Partial Move Service cost: $4000

Please do not use this company. Budget Van Lines (BVL). BVL subcontracted the move to PUMA. From the quoted price by BVL it went up $1200.00. I felt violated. I wish I had seen all the many reviews on this company prior. If you haven't already do your self a favor and get out while you can. Take a small lost and bail. they will get you. We were charged $550.00 additional from the est. quote by BVL. at pick-up, after they had our house hold items on the truck. This was for extra items and fuel. (Which they hadn't even left the driveway.) So, if you have a vase, shoe rack or picture these are extra items. Also an additional $550.00 would be due at delivery. BVL did nothing to assist with this subcontractor taking us for a ride.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $1200

Budget is a moving broker. They sent American Power Moving as our carrier. The carrier was horrible. Didn't pick up in time, never answered the phone and had our stuff for a month. We called Budget almost every day. They couldn't do anything to help us. They would call the carrier but he would just lie and tell them couple more days. I asked 4 different times to speak with a supervisor. I always got an excuse and was told someone would call me back. That never happened!! Terrible customer service. Once they get their money they can't help you anymore. They said all their carriers are 5 stars and all are licensed and insured. Well my carrier didn't even have their own trucks they came in rented U Haul! I could have done that!

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2000

I've never had such an awful experience. As a broker, Budget Van Lines used Metro Relocations (formerly Pro Movers) as the carrier. When my things were to be delivered, the driver called me and let me know he would be there on Sunday (the next day.) I waited there on Sunday from 10 until 4:30, when he had arrived in town. He had gotten stuck on a narrow street in town and called me, insisting that I walk over to him (several blocks away). Moving is already a stressful situation, and he was barking at me over the phone, seemingly angry when I did not understand his directions. While I understand being stuck is frustrating, the way that he made me feel like it was my fault was unacceptable. I was moving to a new place where I didn't know anyone and I do not know what I should have done differently to avoid this experience. I thought that a moving company knew how to handle issues like this. I had ran out of the house with nothing hoping I could help him, and ended up standing next to the truck for an hour while he asked me to ask strangers if they had access to a pickup truck. After all this, he told me that if I found someone with a truck, he would only be willing to load the things into the truck but I would be on my own to take them into my apartment. I hired this company because I do not have the ability to move heavy furniture by myself. I was hoping for a smooth, easy experience and this was hellish. I just agreed to pay the 300 extra dollars because I wanted to be done with all of this, but I really wish that there was a way this could have been avoided, because I feel ripped off. I had to miss a day of work on Monday to deal with this and I wish I would have been given more notice to do that.

On Monday, the movers broke through a wall on a stair landing 4 steps below the apartment door. The broken wall crack is over 36" in length and breaks through the sheet rock into the spacing between the studs. I politely pointed it out and asked if it had just happened, and the movers insisted that they had not touched the wall. When my landlord noticed the damage, he politely asked if there was someone he could call to discuss the issue. At this point the driver got very rude and aggressive, insisting they had done nothing, angrily yelling at him to "prove it" and making me very uncomfortable with the way he was treating us. My landlord asked him if he could provide him with the number of his supervisor, which made the driver angrier still and he said "like h*ll I'm giving you that!" and basically said that we'd have no luck blaming this on him. I tried to contact the company to report the damage and I was completely ignored. They stopped picking up my phone calls and I had to give up eventually.

The damage was my main problem with the experience, but there were several other things that made me uncomfortable. The driver purposefully tried to intimidate me. He refused to leave until I had signed the form and wrote that I had "checked and received all my property." I did not want to sign anything at that point and just wanted him to leave as he was sort of scaring me with his behavior and I am a young woman living alone. I felt pressured to do as he asked just so he would leave.

When he asked me to check my belongings, I tried to take the inventory list and the receipt upstairs with me and look them over. He insisted that I leave the receipt with him, which made me uncomfortable - I should be able to look something over by myself before signing it.

After my landlord brought up the damage, he got angry and said that he was done. We weren't sure if they were actually done or if he was just angry and wanted to leave, so my landlord asked to check the truck just to make sure anything wasn't left behind. He was very aggressive and refused, saying "you're not touching my truck" and did not allow us to see it. Later, I asked again, and he allowed me to see and it was empty, but I just did not understand why it had to be like that.

He refused to provide me with a copy of the receipt with the updated charges. He allowed me to take a photo of it, but I really would have preferred to get a copy of the receipt as this was an extremely large cash only payment and I wanted to see if I could get anything reimbursed by my employer.

This experience has left me broke and basically just broken down. I'm so saddened it's had to be like this and I would encourage anyone else to stay as far away as possible from Budget Van Lines and the companies they contracted (Pro Movers, Metro Relocations and Dumbo Moving).

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3000