Budget Van Lines

All the things you will read in the reviews here are true:
They are a broker- they do NOT have control over the truck holding your life's possessions.

Everything will go well at first-bc the folks in the Las Vegas office are pretty good- we got great service from Shirleen & help from Dolores.

However- they cannot tell you when the truck will ARRIVE because they have limited contact with the truck. Here in OR, we actually talked to the terminal where they told us, yes, they had our stuff, 10 miles from us, and had drivers but needed the OK from Virginia Virginia told us they needed the OK from NV. Where ever the "delivery rep" was calling us from called us Friday night and said it would be Tues. Which was a bummer bc OUR MOVERS were scheduled for Monday.
And could not reschedule. SO we had to rely on last minute, extra expensive, bad, movers.
Thanks Budget. Never again.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2300

The representative I first dealt with was very personable and friendly. After my things were picked up by the movers they hired, I could not get the same person on the phone again, nor would he answer my email requests. I was promised my furniture would be wrapped and padded. That was not the case. Only two pieces were wrapped and I had to pay an extra $75 for that service. All my other wooden pieces were damaged, scratched and gouged badly. Both of my electric fans were broken. I have yet to receive the certified weight slips, either. I highly doubt the weight for which I was charged and no one at the moving company or Budget Van Lines cares. I feel I was mislead and disrespected once my money was all paid. Next time I move, I'll either sell or burn whatever I can't transport myself. That will save me the aggravation and cost of using a mover.

Move size: Partial Move Service cost: $2138

This company bills itself as a moving company, but in reality they do nothing for their money. It was all left to us. We made arrangements with the carrier when our stuff sat for 14 days. We spoke with the driver to find you where it was. Shampal Lang, the customer service rep. Never initiated a single call to us, not one. Every effort was by us. So do not be fooled into thinking these people are anything other than a scam. If you get a call fro Shampal at 702-472-8931 hang up an call a real moving company, anyone is better, ANYONE.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4000

I used Budget Van Lines to move from the East to the West Coast. At no point was it explained to me in my initial call that they were a broker and would be farming my moving out to a different company. When I tried to get more information I was given a phone number with no details. It was also never explained to me until well after what I thought was the delivery date that this was not the date they would deliver but the first day in a 21 business day delivery. Moving forward, any time I had an issue, they fell back on the same canned response of “we have 21 business days to deliver” instead of ever addressing the other issues I was having a problem with, and there were many: No one would return my calls or emails, I wasn’t told who had my things, the lady they assigned to me was rude and hostile every time she did answer the phone, I was lied to about where my things were (they kept saying I had 21 days and my stuff was in a warehouse in New Jersey swearing they had just got off the phone with the movers to confirm even two days AFTER my things were delivered), when a third party I knew nothing about called me about my things Budget promised to find out who they were as I had no idea but never heard ack from them, and they never gave the movers my address after confirming the information was sent over. Since no one would help me or tell me who I should call (the actual movers and who their contact was) I wound up having to shell out an extra $350 for a shuttle truck because I couldn’t procure a temporary parking pass in under 24 hours. If Budget had actually contacted the movers or given me all of their information, I would have been able to save myself the extra fee by getting the pass.

I lodged a complaint with the Better Business Buereau because I could get nowhere with them and their A+ rating of Budget made me trust them. Their response was I had 21 business days from the delivery date etc. etc. and not once did they acknowledge the other complaints especially the flat out lying about contacting the movers and where my things were but they felt that this canned response was all I needed and no refund of that extra fee was due. I no longer have any trust in the BBB’s rating system or complaint process as nothing comes from it so companies are allowed to continue poor business practices with little to no recourse.

This company encourages their employees to pass along incorrect information instead of saying that they are unsure and helping the customer find the answers they need. There is no accountability, integrity, or care given to their business. They claim to only make $147 on brokering the deal with the moving company and then believe their work is done. They no longer care what happens.

If you plan to make a long move, either go directly to a local moving company where you can talk to a person that will care about your experience or rent a pod. Never use a broker, it will just wind up costing you more in the end with weeks of stress and not knowing where your things are.

Move size: Studio Service cost: $2444

PLEASE READ AND CONSIDER IF YOU'RE THINKING OF USING BUDGET VAN LINES: As I was considering a move a few months back, I read all of the negative and positive reviews and felt as though I could safely take a chance on Budget. I was completely wrong, and don't want any of you to make the same mistake.

From sales, to scheduling, to pickup, all was well. After that, there has been nothing but deceit, misinformation & silence. As I write this review, I've been without my belongings for FORTY DAYS, with zero updates of when my items will reach me in Texas. Budget is the broker, and not the mover- which they will continue to remind you again and again. Basically what this means is that they take your money, but ultimately have no purpose in your move. They won't advocate on your behalf, update you on your possessions, tell you the truth, higher quality movers, etc.

I was dazzled by the price, and did not consider the glaring reality of how incredibly costly it is to live in an empty home for 40+ days. Please, move along and look for another MOVER. Don't get a broker and make the same mistake I did.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2500

Zero Stars why? Less than 24 hours prior to my confirmed, contracted, deposit paid move, I had heard nothing from this company. After emailing, I receive a call that they cannot secure a carrier and are canceling my move from Ohio to Texas. And oh by the way it's a holiday weekend..probably why they couldn't fulfill in in the first place. Less than 24 hours leaves you with absolutely no options to secure another moving company, My lease was terminated so basically my belongings had no where to go. Don't.. I repeat, DON'T trust this company to contract your small move.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2600

If look carefully through the reviews on Twitter, Facebook and the rest, these people aren't just complaining about clumsy movers or about a few damaged items. They are complaining about deceptive and manipulative sales practices resulting in doubled estimates and $700 rescheduling fees. Glassdoor is the most telling, where one person who worked there complained of unethical sales practices amongst co-workers and another described them as "sharks". This is not a matter of damaged furniture. This is systematic theft, holding property hostage to shake down people who just want their things back.

My experience: Someone named "David" gave me a low ball quote that I later found out was based on a move half the square footage I very clearly described to him over three conversations. As a result, the van line brought a van that was too small and told me halfway through the move that it would be double the cost and that they would have to charge me for two runs in the van. They managed to cram it in and were as annoyed as I was about the misinformation, since they would have brought an appropriately sized truck. A 2,100 estimate became $3,500 and mysteriously, no one at Budget Van Lines answered my calls. The next day, they put me with a different sales person "Jasmine" who told me that they had weighed the truck and it was a non-issue, since the price came in close to the estimate at $2,100.

I was told that I would be informed when the van was on the road and be given 2 days notice. I was was told that the van hadn't left, then got a call from the mover at 7 pm that night to let me know that they were coming at 10 am the next morning. They also insisted on a cashiers check and I was informed that my bill was nearly double what I was told the week before. The "non-issue" was clearly still very much an issue. I called Budget and was shuffled to someone named "Chantal". I told her my bank takes 24 hours to make a cashiers check and they refused to acknowledge that I had less than 24 hours notice, accept a card or do anything to help. The movers drove on to Dallas, a city two hours away, and put everything I own in a storage facility, adding $700 more to my bill. The total from the original $2,100 estimate is now over 4,100, my belongings have been put in storage twice without permission and I still haven't gotten anything I own. I was promised redelivery by today at a cost of $700 but all I've been able to find out is that the person who was supposed to deliver them is back in New Jersey. Since I posted this review, no one will return my phone calls or let me know where exactly my belongings are being stored or when they will arrive, despite the fact that I have a right to know under federal law. We will see what new fresh hell they put me through before this is over.

They will lie to your face and put a different thing on paper, then direct you to a new person who will point to the paper when you complain. They ignore anything in writing that provides you with any rights but are absolute sticklers for anything that benefits them. When they aren't lying to bilk more money out of you, they are charging you for their own inept mistakes. They won't allow you any communication with the van line itself, but will relay mistaken information. They will then have someone named "Star" pretend to investigate, documented in other reviews, who somehow always concludes that they are not at fault. A farce. Go directly through a moving service. They might be just as shady, but at least there won't be three layers of removal from the people actually in possession of your things, allowing for a much greater degree of deception and manipulation. I will update when all of this is over and continue to post everywhere I can. Please make your experiences known. You may save someone the same experience.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4100

Before I begin my rant, I would like to give Kudos to Donald Battles at the Las Vegas Office. He did try to go to bat for me. But basically his hands were tied.
DO NOT USE A BROKER FOR YOUR MOVING!! CALL ONE OF THE KNOWN MOVING COMPANIES!! I was lined up with Southwest Van lines for my move from Las Vegas, NV to Palm Desert, CA. I have lost thousands of dollars in personal items and a box also, some of the items were as old as 50 years given to me by my late husband. We were a military family and moved it seemed constantly. But have never been treated so callously, rudely, obnoxiously and uncaring as I was by the company that was selected for me "SOUTHWEST VAN LINES". If I had known at the time I would have not gone with them. I had painted my home 1 month before I moved in. I now need to paint it again and repair the damage that was done with the move. I have thrown away thousand of items that my late husband bought for me from around the world since they were broken or destroyed. The movers did not seem to care about it. They would drop a box that was marked "FRAGILE" and then just shrug their shoulders as if to say "OH WELL". DO NOT USE A BROKER WHO WILL ASIGN A CARRIER THAT USES ANTHEM CLAIME MANAGENT FOR THE INSURANCE CARRIER!!. Check my reviews on Anthem and Southwest Van Lines.
PJ McMillian.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5000

Oh, how I wish I had read all these reviews. The only competent person working for them was the agent who I contracted with. He gave me a very reasonable quote, and he answered all my questions. Except it was all a lie.

However, nothing he said came to pass. The movers they contracted me with were shady and incompetent. My move (from a studio apartment, so not much stuff), quoted at $2200 cost over $4000 when all was said and done. That doesn't take into account my expenses from all the delays. Most of my large items were damaged, so basically, I spent $4000 to move some boxes.

Budget's "customer service" is no help at all. Basically, they enabled the company to take advantage of me.

The whole move was a nightmare.

Learn from my mistake--just use a professional moving company or do it yourself. Or just torch your stuff and start fresh. Any of those are a much better alternative than using this company.

Move size: Studio Service cost: $4000

There quotes are nothing short of lies. My qoute for a one state 320 mile move went from 2400.00 to 3600.00 after all said and done.They contracted my move to Greenox a small moving company out of Texas and not only damaged a few high end items but did not give me a empty weight before my load was loaded. When he got to the destination I knew and saw they had made another pickup. The weight was a big shame. My advise never use Budget van lines they are as crooked as they come. I would never recommend them or use ever again.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3600

I booked budget van lines. 2 months in advance and paid a 900$ deposit for a 3000$ move as were moving literally across the country.

The day of the move. they told me they did not a have a carrier to. do the move and could we wait longer, (original move on the 16th and no-one available till the. 20th or. 27th)! They cancelled everything and said sorry good luck! Left an entire family trying to move across the country with no notice.
Don't ever use them, especially don't use Keith White in Las Vegas, he literally abandoned us.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3000

An absolutely terrible and immoral company. They guaranteed to me a specific pickup date, and on said pickup date, there was no communication from them during the entire day until I reached out to them to inquire.

I then requested full cancellation and refund of my money, of which they are still attempting to charge 1/3 of the total cost to my credit card. I am actively disputing the claim, filing a complaint to the Better Business Bureau, and working to address this immoral behavior from a terrible corporation that does not care about customers in any way.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3000

Avoid at all cost! After a very stressful divorce, I moved my son and our dog from Nashville to NY. Vicki’s gave me the best quote and sold me a bill of goods. She quoted 1900. In the end we paid over 2500. She promised the movers would give me 48 hours notice. They called at 8:30 AM and said they had to come that day. My young son and I packed as much as we could. The movers showed up smelling like pot and took about 3/4 of what we needed moved and charges me an extra $600. HALF of our boxes arrived two weeks later. The other half were delivered tonight at 10;00 PM. This move took over three weeks, cost over $600 more than quoted and of course “ Vicki” was nowhere to be found. Disgraceful.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2600

DO NOT USE THEM!!

My wife and I secured movers two months in advance, went with budget van lines because they were extremely competitive in pricing:

Colorado Springs, CO to Fort Worth, TX

Estimated $1,800.00

Two days before the move, it went up to $3850.00, I called and was outraged so they lowered it to $2400.00. Then Eden's moving showed up and it is now up to 3650.00 with a possibility of even going higher than that (^$700.00) because of conditions that they didn't inform me of prior to this other company having all my property.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4500

Mover beware! This Company will give you a low-ball estimate to secure your business. Then the movers will show up and tell you it is going to cost you thousands of dollars extra. By budget van lines estimate was $1800 and it went up to $3675 and I brought LESS furniture than I intended when we did the virtual walk though. And the relocation expert who provided the quote never returned my phone call when I called to question the price difference on on moving day. And the company they hired to do the job were unprofessional. The driver ran down a neighbor’s mailbox when he was backing up because he was talking on the phone. They only sent one moving man to do the job and the local guy who was supposed to help him walked off the job before they even started. So a neighbor had to help move me in. Do yourself a favor and find a reputable moving company who will give you an honest binding estimate upfront. This is a total moving scam!

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3600

Last August( 2019 I hired Budget Van lines to move a few household items from San Jose, CA to Wallsburg, Utah.

They arrived in a most hap-hazard truck with a driver that could not speak English. There items broken, my valuable 1800 weaving loom did not arrive, and the slats to a twin bed were not there. I know they were all loaded. There was a hand written note of what was to be delivered. Budget referred me to Transunion to settle the case and either get me my items or send me some cash. Transunion was ignorant, rude, unresponsive and never helped at all. When I called budget to get some assistnce with them they were oh so nice up front but did absolutely nothing to help me find my things. I spent $200 dollars to get new slats and a broken side board made for the bed and have never heard about my loom. I get a heart ache everytime I think about it because this loom meant a great deal to me. I haven't done a thing about it ( I worked on it every week for two months ) since late October because my husband went to the hospital for pancreatic cancer and we have been deeply involved in his care. I am going to hire an attorney to get some help. I am 82 years old and I want my loom or at least enough money to purchase a new one. I do not like these people. Never ever use anyone who passes off the job to someone else - and the someone is not even known to them.

Move size: Partial Move Service cost: $1902

Due to covid-19, my dad could not come help me move like we had originally planned. Therefore, I decided to hire a professional moving company for the first time to help me in my move. I contacted a few companies and ended up deciding to use budget van lines because the sales representative (Trevor) contacted me the same day and quoted me a pretty good price. About two weeks prior to my scheduled move, I contacted the alderman’s office of my district to inquire about parking permits/no parking signs for my move. I was told by them that since I had hired a company, that the company/carrier would need to apply for the permit. I contacted budget THAT DAY and told them what the alderman had told me. They said they would look into it. The next day I was involved in a 3-way call between someone from budget, a woman from the carrier, and myself. They said it seemed unusual (that usually it’s the customer’s responsibility to obtain the permit) but they told me they’d look into it and get back to my by Monday. Monday came and no call/follow up. By Thursday, I hadn’t heard anything so I tried calling budget again to make sure everything was ok. I spoke with a woman who again said they’d look into it and get back to me “right away”. No call back. I called over the weekend, no answer, had to leave a voicemail. I called again on Monday (now the week of my move), left a message, no call back. I call again on Tuesday because now it’s 2 days before my move, and I want to make sure everything is ok. Again, the girl says, “she’ll look into it and get back to me”. Next thing I know, a rude woman from Las Vegas calls me back and states she is a manager and is only getting involved at this point because “the customer is responsible for getting the permit and now the carrier has canceled my order due to me not doing what I was suppose to do”. I’m flabbergasted at this point. I explain to her about the alderman and what they’d said and how I’d called 2 weeks ago to bring this up to budget..how I’d had a 3-way call with the carrier..how no one got back to me even though they said they would. She was rude and tried to blame everything on me saying that I should have known I needed to get the permit, that whoever I spoke to (at the alderman’s office) was wrong, I should have called the county clerk’s office, etc. I asked why this wasn’t told to me 2 weeks ago or any of the other times I’d called..she informed me that there was no record of me ever contacting them in my file. WHAT?! I blew up on her because that’s super shady. I told her I’d submit my phone records with proof. I also said how frustrated I was that she was putting this all on me when THEY ARE THE EXPERTS! I’ve never hired movers before, I don’t do this everyday. Why wasn’t I told from the beginning (when I placed my order) that I needed to get a permit? Shouldn’t they know what is needed if they are the professionals? Why didn’t anyone ACTUALLY look into it and get back to me about it? At that point, she wasn’t willing to give me my deposit back (800 dollars) because she was still blaming everything on me and she said, “she was trying to find another carrier to take the order and I’d be liable for any parking tickets/citations they might get because I didn’t get the permit”. She also said she would call me back before she left that day because I needed to know if I needed to make other arrangements. Needless to say, I started scrambling (less than 48 hours before my move) making other arrangements the second I was off the phone anyway. After I secured other arrangements, I attempted to call that same Las Vegas manager back to get my deposit back..was told by a different manager, “Douglas” that she’d already left for the day. Well that’s nice. I thought she’d promised to call me before she left for the day..after all, that is what she said. Douglas did end up giving me my full refund, but this company is completely pathetic. They do not care about their customers. They have no problem leaving you high and dry and scrambling 2 days before your move. They should be ashamed.

Move size: Studio Service cost: $2700

The experience started off well. The person booking my cross country move seemed kind and motivated. They asked for a detailed inventory list to ensure the best quote and accurate delivery window. I provided the EXACT number of boxes, totes, lamps, chairs, etc. and the quote was off by $2,000 ($2k over on an $8k quote)!! From the inventory list I provided, there were LESS items that actually went on the truck. Once I had signed the original quote, customer service started to go down hill. The movers are supposed to call a day or two before the move, they never did. In fact, Budget switched the movers a day or two before the move and never provided the updated contact info. When Budget booked the move, there was a 3 day window for pickup and we noted I had to be out by Noon on the final day (due to selling the house and giving up possession). The movers showed up 15 minutes before Noon and were half staffed. I had to have other help come in to meet the deadline. No refunds or discounts provided by Budget and no real help in negotiation with the movers they booked. Also the original person that helped in Customer Service would not take my calls during the move. Beware with Budget. They are only in it to make their broker fee and don't really care about your experience or the accuracy of their information. If you have the chance to work with Vicki from Las Vegas, run for the hills, don't. Choose ANYONE else.

Move size: 4+ Bedroom Home Service cost: $10000

My phone won't stop ringing since requesting quotes. Have received 28 calls from all over the country (was only supposed to be matched with four moving companies, which would have been fine) as of the time this review was written; most of which have been spam/scams/hang-ups and have no way of stopping them. Just spoke with someone at Budget Van Lines (who claimed not to know anything about distributing my quote/personal information out to everyone even though I'm pretty sure that is how they make their money as a broker) about removing my number from their list; but since it is already out there, not sure it will do any good. Thanks a lot Budget Van Lines ..

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5000

This company is not an actual moving company- they outsource their moves. Their quotes will be much lower than other companies, and it seems great and professional and above board. But I got a call- the DAY before my cross country move- that the movers had cancelled- leaving me no choice but to pay an additional $800 for the replacement movers if I were to stick with Budget. This seems to be their gig. Everyone I spoke to, from the quote specialist to the one calling the day before my move charging me more were kind and professional- seemingly so very helpful- but this company is so very deceiving when taking your money. I did not trust them to move my things and not charge me yet again more to deliver them. I ended up paying more than twice (for a last minute move-since I had tone out of my apartment) with a reputable company. Do not get scammed like I was. Do not pay a deposit. It's not needed with movers I was told by the more reputable companies.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2050

4th Google review in my life. This company is horrible. First they don't tell you that they are a broker not an actual moving company so that means any old mover can be assigned to your move with NO responsibility for anything on their part. They charge a non-refundable $532 booking fee so basically they charge you $532 for a dang phone call. Read the fine print because I got screwed out of $532 with NO recourse. They never mentioned in the phone call that this "booking fee" was non-refundable. This is just completely unacceptable and they take advantage of their customers. In this day and age, no one has $532 to throw away. NEVER use this unprofessional, scamming so called company. I will be disputing this with my cc company. I am sooo glad I cancelled before I went through the move. The customer service supervisor Donald straight up told me... "the booking cost is too much and not fair but there is nothing he can do and I should have read the fine print" This so called company is a scam. Most expensive phone call of my life. In this economy... losing $532 for a phone call is not okay.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4500

Do not. I repeat. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. They lied about the price. Charging us we'll over $1000.00 more than what they quoted us. There is NO communication between them and their drivers. Only some of our stuff was delivered in the first trip. Then they wanted to charge us because their truck couldn't fit through the gate. They switched trucks and our stuff took up less than half of the original truck which would have fit through the gate. There was absolutely no communication on their end dealing with the second trip to deliver our belongings. All around bad experience.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3500