Charter Van Lines Inc.

This is a review of Charter Van Lines, 21301 Powerline Rd. Suite 106, Boca Raton, FL 33433. They arranged my move from Wisconsin to California, and hired Encore Moving and Storage, 202 Berg St., Algonquin, IL 60102. DO NOT USE THESE COMPANIES.

I will list a few of the worst aspects of my experience and strongly advise you not to hire this company.

1. The movers arrived a whole day after the 48-hour window that had been planned far in advance. They gave no notice at all of when they would arrive until the very last minute, despite my repeated calls.
2. I had arranged the move far in advance with the broker. We had agreed on a detailed inventory, and I asked very specific questions and received specific reassurances, in writing, as to the "binding" cost of the move. I had the dollar amount ready in a Postal Money Order as specifically instructed by the broker. But when these movers arrived, they acted as if there was no prior agreement at all, and proceeded to recalculate everything from scratch, stating that the broker "has nothing to do with this." They came on a Sunday, so there was no recourse to the broker, who was closed for the day.
3. When I tried to hold my position about the price, they repeatedly threatened to cancel the move. At one point, even after they had loaded the truck, they threatened to unpack and leave my property on the sidewalk. This is truly extortion. Like most people who are moving, the stakes were high for me because I needed to be at my destination to start a new job on a certain day. Also, my lease was up and I had to get out of my apartment on a certain day. Any change in this careful plan would come at significant expense to me, which of course they knew very well, but this is how they roll! Their message to me was: "You do it our way, you pay what we tell you, or we're leaving. We don't care about your agreement with a broker, this is what we're charging you now. Pay it, or you're on your own." Of course at this point I really did have no choice, and I had no way to evaluate their charges, though I repeat: I had been quoted a firm price based on an actually inventory, and I had been assured this price would not change. This was in a written contract. The movers simply acted as if this contract was meaningless.
4. In the end, they added almost $1300 in fraudulent charges to the "binding" price I had been given by the broker. They made it crystal clear, with their threatening and bullying tactics, that I had absolutely no choice but to pay it.
5. But that was not all. I missed 2 days of work at my new job and had to reschedule flights several times because they did not arrive when they said they would and did not provide any info about when they would arrive so it was impossible to anticipate what would happen next. And..
6. Even worse, although I had done a careful inventory with the broker -- so I know for certain we had an accurate estimate of the size of the move -- they arrived with their truck already so full that they could could not fit all my property, leaving me with no choice but to take a total loss on several items they left behind (not to mention the serious inconvenience of unexpectedly having to get rid of them when I was already 2 days behind schedule thanks to them). The total loss of property was approximately $2000 -- on top of the fraudulent "up charges."

I wrote a detailed complaint letter to the broker, and they were able to get the mover to reimburse me for one charge of $450 for "crating a grand piano." This was related to a Yamaha electronic keyboard. Besides the fact that an electronic keyboard is in no way shape or form any kind of "piano" at all, as far as moving is concerned (never mind a "grand piano"), I had carefully packed the keyboard myself, and it arrived exactly as I had packed it, with no additional "crating" of any kind. In any case, this one reimbursement took many weeks of back and forth and was only the most obviously ludicrous of the many extra costs. No one at the broker or movers ever responded to my other detailed complaints.

Avoid these two companies like the plague. There should be laws protecting consumers from this kind of fraud and abuse. Until such protection exists, we have to take care to avoid these companies and, no doubt, many others like them in an industry where taking advantage of vulnerable consumers seems to be the order of the day. (I can't tell you the number of friends and family who related similar experiences when I told them what happened to me.) Definitely if I had it to do over I would never again use a broker at all if there was any way around it. That was my mistake. If possible, make sure the company that you are making an agreement with is the same company that is actually doing the work. Otherwise, like me, you will have no way to evaluate in advance the people who are actually doing the move. Unfortunately this broker model is apparently quite common. I was suckered into it when I did an internet search and found a website offering "free moving estimate." Immediately my phone started ringing off the hook. The guy who called me from the broker (Charter Van Lines -- notice the misleading name, since they aren't doing any moving at all themselves) was so nice! But it didn't turn out that way. I hope this review will help keep you from making the same mistake.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3600

I have never felt the need to go online and give a bad rating until I did business with Charter Van Lines. Facts : they are not movers but actually brokers. Their business model is to give you cheapest quote and promise you their best in class moving service based on their so called 5 star rating on multiple sites. They ask you to pay a third of your quote right when you book them - a non reimbursable money !! So you would pay $1000 in advance for a move of $ 3000 BEFORE you know your actual mover. Here comes the scary part - they assign you the cheapest mover with horrible reviews online to do the move for you. And with $1000 deposit, you are left with only two choices - loose that big money or be ready for the ordeal. The attitude on my requests to provide me with a reasonable mover was - phone hung up on me!! I had to collect online reviews to convince them of poor rating of the movers assigned to me but they wouldn't care. I couldn't trust this company any further with their bad attitude when they had $1000 from me. All I could do was to cut my losses and save myself from crying after they would have had more of my money and all of my stuff. Do yourself a favor and DO NOT work with this company. The last thing you want is a bad mover when starting a new chapter in your life.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2850

If I could give zero stars I would. They hooked me by saying the could pick up on Friday and since they had a truck that needed to pick up an hour away from our new house then my belongs could be delivered on Sunday. I went ahead and booked and they said I could cancel until 7 days before my move. Well 5 days before the move they called to say that they’d subcontracted our to a different company who had awful reviews and is infamous for holding your stuff hostage for months and then overcharging. They wanted me to pay the remainder in postal money orders .. too late to cancel of course. Then the “dispatch” called at 4pm the day before they were supposed to show to tell me that now they wouldn’t come until Sunday between 10-12 bc of “delays.” Again, too late to cancel for a refund of my deposit and too late to hire a different company anyway. On Sunday the pickup window came and went with no sign of the movers. By 1:30 I started texting the driver (I had received his number on Saturday) and my husband began calling repeatedly. They kept saying they were coming. Finally three hours after the pickup window they showed. They didn’t come in a company truck but a rented Penske truck. The man promptly told me that my inventory would cost more than quoted but “wouldn’t know how much until it was loaded.” When I refused he threw out a number of $1000 extra. When I asked if my stuff would still be delivered today he said, “I don’t know. I don’t know if they’ll have me drive it up or switch drivers. Probably they’ll have me just drop it st the storage garage.” This was all so sketchy that I promptly cancelled. At this point the “dispatch boss” started to call and harass us and kept asking us “what’s your deal?” Of course charter was closed so I couldn’t call them to complain. All future emails and voicemails were left unanswered. They refused to respond to me but fought my dispute with the credit card company to get my deposit back because “they were willing to offer me a service.” Of course their offer didn’t meet the contract but apparently that didn’t matter.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5500

I can only say never use Charter. Total disaster. They contracted out the mover to another company. Took 42 days to deliver from Maryland to Florida. They used the oldest scam in the moving business, "you under estimated that amount, and it will cost you more than $3200 to have us deliver your goods. If you don't pay, we will place your goods in storage and charge you storage fees." When the goods finally arrived (after I paid the scamming fee which I am now suing to get back) every single carton/box was crushed. Many items did not show up, including chairs, coffee tables, sterling silver pieces, lamps (desk and floor), many more pieces were destroyed ranging from crystal, to glass shelves in a china closet, to a king size mattress, flat screen TV to name a few. Finally, many other items were damaged, some beyond repair but maybe a few may be able to be repaired. Total damage so far is estimated to be over $10,000 dollars. If you use them, you do so at your own risk; don't say you haven't been warned.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $7000

I was hired for a new teaching job in May and would need to make a state move. I’ve hired a moving company for a shirt move, basically 20 minutes away, but it was needed since I was single at the time. This time I was moving as a single mom and needed the help, especially since I was moving from Georgia to Alabama. This would be my first time moving to another state! I was nervous about having to talk to the movers AND keep my daughter out of the way. I just knew it was going to be a disaster! Little did I know, the day would end up being awesome! The movers got there and easily picked up our things and loaded them up. They were cordial to my daughter and I. So cordial in fact, one even gave my daughter a My Little Pony coloring book to color while I helped to direct them what rooms to go to and which boxes were going in my car vs. the moving trucks. It was SO easy for me and my daughter, it made our move to Alabama a piece of cake. If I have to move again, I’ll definitely be using Charter Van Lines because of the attention to detail and the family oriented workers!

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $1986

I spent weeks online looking for a moving company. As many of you know moving across the state is tough, however Charter Van Lines made the experience so much easier! Firstly the guys came in on time. Secondly, they were were very friendly and helped me disassemble my furniture and safely load it onto the moving truck within thirty minutes. Then the movers packed all my other items safely into the moving truck. When my stuff arrived at the new house I was surprised to find them in excellent condition. Nothing was scratched or broken. Choosing the right movers is a big and tough decision. I have to say that the movers from Charter Van Lines were all very efficient and professional. I am very glad I choose them.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5000

We used Charter Van Lines to move our home and business from Florida to Tennessee. Our quote was so easy to request and an answer came back really fast. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that even with a lot to move and do, their price was still really affordable.

On the big day, the movers were prompt, they were thorough, and they were careful with everything they did. They disassembled any furniture that needed it, carefully packed our flat screen TV, hand wrapped my porcelain doll collection, and gave me total confidence everything would arrive in one piece. Everything during the pack up went off without a hitch.

When they arrived at our new home, just as carefully as it went in the truck, it came out. They reassembled anything that was taken apart, and they even hung our TV for us! I recommend this company to anyone who is looking for a stress free move across state lines, and will definitely be calling them the next time we make a big move.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2500

Me and my wife recently moved to California. Spend days searching for the best moving company and I am happy we found Charter Van Lines. They were on time and careful in handling fragile things. They made moving a seamless and stress-free experience. Workers were extremely friendly. I also want to mention the company's website, it is very well made and simple to navigate.

The best part was how cheap the move cost me. I expected it to be more, simply because I don't trust online quotes but it was very accurate and they gave me a great deal for what I needed! They’re a fantastic choice for anyone moving on a tight budget

I will definitely be recommending this company to my friends and relatives if they have a big move! Thank you Charter Van Lines.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2650

I recently hired Charter to handle my move from Tennessee to Indiana. I was warned about using a moving broker versus going directly to a moving company. What started on a good foot quickly turned into a nightmare. After completing a visual through estimate of my using pictures of items to be moved the estimate was off by almost 40%!! I can understand being off by 10 maybe even 15% at most but this was a case of poor estimating. Secondly, the moving company MIdWest Movers that were hired did a poor job packing items. Opening boxes I was shocked at how fragile items were "carefully packed" by the movers. Too much to go into detail for this review but I knew this would not be good when boxes clearly marked fragile were being being used to support other boxes and being tossed around during the unloading process. Needless to say I have damaged items and furniture. Again I could go on about this experience but hopefully this testimony will save you from this nightmare of a move that I encountered. After this experience there is no way I would recommend Charter to anyone. I should have listened and hired a moving company and not rely on a moving broker.

Move size: 4+ Bedroom Home Service cost: $9000