Charter Van Lines Inc.

If I could click a negative star I would. IF ANY MOVING COMPANY ASKS FOR MONEY BEFORE SERVICE DO NOT USE THEM!!. THAT IS A BIG RED FLAG. Worst company I have ever dealt with. They do not honor their own contract. I canceled months in advance and it took them weeks before I got my money back. I had to file a complaint with the BBB and FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) and also the fraud division at my bank before they finally refunded my money. Thank god they didn't move my belongings. Please read other peoples reviews.
CHECK OUT THE COMPLAINT HISTORY AT WWW.FMCSA.DOT.GOV BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!! VERY DISHONEST!!

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $919982

We selected Charter Van lines bc it had reasonable reviews, but we had an absolutely terrible experience. I should note that the subcontractors they actually sent were ok, but Charter underquoted the job by over $3K and once the subcontractors showed up, they said they wouldn't take our things unless we paid more money. That is 50% over the quote. We had also paid for packing services over two days, however, they only packed on the first day and toldus we'd have to pay even more to get the rest of our things packed--so we ended up paying over $9K and had to spend a half day packing last minute.
Also, many of our things arrived damaged and a lot of our art wasn't packed as promised.
We reached out to Charter multiple times for explanations of the fees (they will NOT release your stuff to you unless you pay them the outstanding amount--so basically extortion), and to request payment for our damaged items (including one box that never arrived), and did not hear back from them. We also filed a claim with BBB to which Charter has not responded. Do not use them. We did a full inventory and then they claimed things like "heavier than anticipated." A terrible experience when you HAVE to move and can't research other options last minute. This was a very expensive lesson to learn.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $9300

People hate moving and so do I. Initially I wanted to do the move myself but the laziness factor was too big (just did a move a year ago).
So I decided to outsource this project. Look for the best quote vs service. I read a bunch of reviews - some really good ones and some really bad ones. No clue what to make out of this volatility and at the end I just give an xxx and went with Charter Van Lines. Everything went smooth, I was billed what they quoted me, no damage (not even a scratch at my mahogany table), which is a good indicator. Based on this moving experience I can only give this company the highest rating - I hate do so since usually there is always potential to improved but to be fair.. it was top service!

Service cost: $1500

As a native Florida resident, I had alot of reservations moving across the state for the first time. When I first called on Charter, I was impressed by the speed and efficiency of their service. I had alot of household items that were very dear to me (including a leather recliner and oak table) and I was extremely pleased when I discovered no damage had been done to my items. Charter really made the moving experience easier for me, and helped me acclimate to my new permanent home in Georgia! Thanks Charter!

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4328

I needed to move for my new job, and I wanted to find a moving company that would respect me and my belongings. I came into contact with Charter Van Lines and was extremely impressed from the beginning. The customer service was excellent, and the movers took great care and made sure that my belongings were transported in an efficient manner. When they unpacked my stuff, I was surprised to find that all of my items were left intact and in pristine condition. The price point for this service was reasonable, and I would recommend this service to anyone who is looking to move long-distance and with little hassle.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $700

Charter Van Lines is an incredibly efficient and professional moving service.

For anyone moving between locations that require professional service, Charter Van Lines is an excellent choice.

Their rates are competitive and they do not include hidden charges or upcharges for issues encountered.

The company makes you feel safe and secure in trusting them with moving your property.

I highly recommend Charter Van Lines to anyone in need of hiring a moving service.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $1600

My fiance and I have worked in Philadelphia for a few years now, so we decided to move there. A friend of ours had a positive experience with Charter, so we went with them based on their recommendation. Needless to say, the experience was all around positive. They arrived about 30 minutes before our scheduled time and were more than willing to help us in every way possible. They made the processes smooth and simple, compared to our previous move, which was much more stressful. I thought it would have been more difficult to move into a city, but as it turned out, Charter made it the most efficient move we've experienced yet. The cost was fair and affordable. The last time we moved with another company, the leg on one of our end tables was scratched, so I was surprised to find that this time, everything of ours was in the exact condition we left it in. The movers even took the time to help my fiance arrange our living room (we have a number of very heavy items). They were very friendly and accommodating, so we tipped extra. Although we don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon, we will definitely use them again when we do.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2237

BE AWARE, ALL THE POSITIVE REVIEWS ARE FAKE.
Moving from Florida to Colorado using Charter Van Lines has been the worst experience of my life.
Charter Van Lines is a BROKER not a moving company which they do not adverstise as.

Short version for the ones that don't have much time:
- The sales person promise things they can't deliver once so ever.
- Customer service associates are arrogant, unhelpful and careless.
- They will ALWAYS ask you more money than what they have told you at the beginning of the process.
- MOST importantly you stuff are going to get crushed and treated like garbage.
- Their customer service will handle everything (NOT TRUE.
They also change movers on you and move your stuff on and off different trucks damaging everything.


Now here is my full experience. I spoke with Jay Carione the first time and he warned me of OTHER companies that quote you a move then charge more after. To be cautious of those scammers but guess what that is the same stunt they pulled on me. Once you have signed Binding Estimate and given deposits, Kiss it goodbye.

Moving day comes and no Charter Van lines, It’s a subcontracted company (lowest bid). In my case Ocean Moving & Storage. Mover started conversation with complaints that items were more than he was told taking up more space on his truck (volume). I told him this is exactly what Charter Van lines had on paper, nothing was added. Matter of fact Charter Van Lines has a quality assurance person (Scott) that calls prior to pickup to insure the count is accurate. They have a volume calculator that adds up volume and pieces (boxes) for accuracy. Charter Van Lines on there BINDING ESTIMATE document, paragraph 3 states clearly that total cost will not exceed estimate cost. UNLESS weight/Volume was added.
The song and dance from the pickup company is to obligate you to pay up more. It is a total scam. They know that by the time you book a move (weeks to a month out is the pickup) you have 7 days to cancel move( You lose deposit, in my case $410). So they bully you on the day of pickup, Knowing people are in a bind ie. Don’t have time to schedule another company to pickup goods. They bank on that. That is there MO.

Boxes arrived beatup and some moldy. The delivery GUY, Yes 1 person to unload my stuff. I was told I had shuttle, turned out I didn’t., First thing I requested from Jay Carione, which he said yes. But no that is an additional $300. Contract states they deliver door to door (100 ft.) Included. They did not do. My husband had to get his motorcycle trailer and Help the ONE Guy they sent to unload our belongings. Do yourself, your family, your pocket, your friends,a favor and DO NOT use this company. They are scammers and liars.
When I complained with Charter they told me that they are not responsible and I must talk to the moving company, even if at the beginning they promised me that they were going to handle everything for me. Needless to say that I never heard back from the moving company.

Move size: Partial Move Service cost: $1400

I have done 3 cross country moves previously and this is the worst.
This is not a moving company. They are simply a broker. Do not get swindled by their sales pitch. A cheap third party will get your move and you will not know until it is too late. Don't be fooled. They subbed out my move to a terrible company with horrific reviews. I have been lied to repeatedly and get no communication about when my stuff will be delivered. WORST EXPERIENCE. I cannot stress enough that Charter promised me a "white glove" experience for my move and it has been a sham.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $8500

I recently moved into a three bedroom house. My experience with moving in the past has always been the same. It usually takes an exceedingly long time, and is extremely overwhelming. Using Charter Van Lines alleviated the stress that usually accompanies a big move. Being a person who does not like to talk on the phone, I was pleased to find their phone representatives were friendly and helpful. The movers were not only capable, but also punctual, They arrived on time to both locations, and were able to move boxes and furntiure with ease. The transitions from one home to another were smooth. Their pricing was reasonable, especially considering the level of service I was given. I would recommend Charter Van Lines to any person looking to have a hassle-free moving experience.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4000

Couple big issues. The online estimate method is horrible. The price you pay will not be what was quoted. The actual moving company that comes to your house the day of the move will give you a real estimate, which will be more. You can either pay it of be forced to find another company, so if you are selling a house that is closing and you need to move on a specific date you are SOL. Second issue is that Charter flat out lies to you. They specifically told me a semi would come to my house and get loaded directly and then drive to the new location to be unloaded within 3 days. I asked about this numerous times in an email and was told this was the case, so I went with them for this reason. The day of the move the actual moving company shows up in a 26' truck and tells me they will take it and load it on a semi, so at this point I had no choice. After the truck leaves I get an email stating there is no ETA on the delivery of my stuff and could take 21 business days. Not a single word of truth out of Charter. DO NOT USE CHARTER VAN LINES!! I would stay away from all moving brokers, especially this company.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $9000

DON'T give Charter Van Lines your business; they are merely a broker, and your entire experience will be hedged on what third party bids the lowest on your move (which can turn out really poorly/stressfully for you). I learned this the hard way, since my movers held on to my belongings for 5 WEEKS(!!) during my move from Chicago to Philadelphia (after giving me a verbal estimate of 6 days)..my movers finally arrived in Philly with my belongings when I started to look into legal help. Charter subcontracted my move to Midwest Movers - a super shady company that has exclusively 1 star Yelp reviews. They refused to give me any ETA/information on where my things were and when they would be arriving - all they kept saying was they were "working on" getting my things to me (and for some reason, had brought my things to Florida to be stored, what). They refused to commit to an updated delivery date estimate, once the original 6 days came and went (how is this legal).

Charter & your shady subcontracted company will not stay true to any verbal estimates they sell you on when you book the move; if you're looking for a company who will work anywhere within the realm of a reasonable schedule, I strongly suggest you look elsewhere. The main reason I went with Charter is because they told me on the phone my move was expected to take just 6 days. They also said they "would work with the drivers" to accommodate the only two requests I had:

1. Please come pick up my stuff on March 29th. I was successfully able to reserve an elevator in my building for movers that day, and my building was really strict about reserving elevators/my building manager offered no flexibility on these reservations.
2. Please drop off my stuff literally any day but the weekend of April 14th, because I would be out of town for a wedding. I didn't even think this would be an issue, since my stuff was allegedly going to be in Philadelphia well before then.

However, what are the two things Charter Van Lines/Midwest Movers did? Picked up my stuff a day early (March 28th) when I did not have an elevator reservation (I literally had to cry to my building manager so she would give us some elevator time, it was awful), and they eventually started to claim that April 14th was the only day they could drop off my things in Philadelphia (literally the one day I would not be home in the entire month). I was told for weeks by customer service that they "didn't know" when they would have another truck in Philadelphia again after the 14th, a comment which definitely came off as threatening. They offered no real updates or ETA on my things for weeks, and I started to genuinely believe they had run off with what I owned.
On top of that, on both pickup and drop-off, they slapped me with a "long-carry fee" - something they charge you if they literally can't park their truck inside your living room. My buildings on both ends were super easy to pull up to, and had giant elevators, and yet the movers threatened to withhold my things if I didn't give them an extra $150 in cash. Super fun times running to the ATM to hand cash to this shady company for no reason!

Drop off was especially sketchy. They showed up at 8pm (so late to start this!), with a completely different set of paperwork that didn't match mine from pickup at all, and tried to charge me an "elevator fee" that wasn't even listed as a fee option on my paperwork (my contract with Charter said all elevator usage was included in my anticipated costs). The mover handling the paperwork mostly spoke Russian, so he had to call his boss who then called me as we haggled over the paperwork and fees at 8pm on the sidewalk. They eventually conceded the elevator fee, but still slapped me with a "long-carry" but "took 40 dollars off of it" (how freaking generous, thanks guys). This is where it definitely gets illegal: I was forced to sign a statement saying I've examined all of my items and everything is accounted for and in good condition BEFORE they would unload the truck!! I had to lie and say I had examined all of my things and they were fine (while they were still hidden from view in the truck), or they wouldn't physically hand me my things back. It was an awful situation to be in, and I am pursuing legal avenues to address that false statement they made me sign.

tl;dr - avoid a lot of stress, and don't take the gamble with this company. God knows when your things will arrive, who will bid on your move, etc. My whole experience was a nightmare from beginning to end.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2000

Big Cheaters . Never trust Charter Vanlines. I booked reservation . 4648367 with them for $1315 for 288 Cu Ft. Same inventory I used from Atlanta to New Jersey and I do not faced any problem with Space. But when I tried to moved same items excluding Washer and Dryer with few additional boxes ( 6 Large total never crosses 50 Cu. Ft.). These are agents and they gave subcontract to State to Sate Movers in NJ and they are very big cheaters. They bought small 26 ft truck with 1700 Cu.Ft Capacity and they started cheating before loading my items to truck by stating my items will occupy 450 Cu Fts. After loading they said I used 500 Cu.Ft. with out any proper justification. They said they will verify actual space after moving items to Storage . Once items reached storage they are demanding more money and started threatening they will not ship until I pay additional amount. I am keep on asking for my additional items with space but Charter Van Lines and State movers unable to justify their additional space and asking for more money.
My advice to new movers never trust charter van lines. THey are cheating by saying we used additional space without any proper justification. If you ask evidences they just skip and support subcontractors.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $1315

Reference number 4633941

Horrible dealing with this company and I'm still going through the nightmare!! Steer clear of this company they will lie to you during the quoting/inventory process to get your business and then reference you back to the fine print to cover themselves!
We are moving from Columbus OH to Garner NC. We went over our inventory multiple times and they increased the price after the last inventory, not ideal but ok that's fair. When they picked up our stuff they raised the price by $400, even though we were accurate on our inventory. The sales person and all the customer service reps kept telling us that things are usually delivered within 0-4 days. Now I'm sitting here at day 5 and our things haven't even left Ohio and the only thing customer service tells me is read the fine print it can be up to 21 business days. The customer service reps never call you back when they say they will and I have had two reps just hang up on me. I'm paying to live in a hotel and have no idea when we are going to move in.
Worst experience with a company ever!!

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4000

Order no- C4458732
Service Quote- $5000
We were moving from Raleigh, NC to Arlington, VA. I found this company through one of my friends and then called them to schedule. I am so glad I landed up with Charter Van Lines, they did what they committed to us. They even gave us a free quote for our inventories. we had 2 bedrooms apartment and charged accordingly and it was in our budget, so decided to went ahead with them. They moved all our stuff to a new place within a week and there was no need to direct or instruct them. They are the best in their services and try to make your move hassle-free.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5000

We were moving from Raleigh, NC to Arlington, VA. I found this company through one of my friends and then called them to schedule. I am so glad I landed up with Charter Van Lines, they did what they committed to us. They even gave us a free quote for our inventories. we had 2 bedrooms apartment and charged accordingly and it was in our budget, so decided to went ahead with them. They moved all our stuff to a new place within a week and there was no need to direct or instruct them. They are the best in their services and try to make your move hassle-free.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3000

What an amazing company this is! I had no stress at all moving long distance with my kids. I have three young girls and when I found out we would be moving out of state, I was instantly worried about how we would get everything done. Charter did all the packing, moving, and unpacking for us! It was so nice to not have to do all the hard work that comes with moving, especially with the girls. All I had to do was get us to our new home! I had such a great experience I would definitely recommend them and I would use them again!

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $1200

I've moved a couple of times before, and this was by far the easiest! From the very beginning, they were very upfront about costs and the expected timeline, unlike many other companies that tend to deal in frustrating generalizations that allow them to spring things on you last minute. Charter, in comparison, let me know right away when there was uncertainty about the truck's arrival date. The woman I spoke to was very helpful and kept me updated throughout the process. When the truck did arrive (fortunately on time due to some quick work by the company), the packers made sure to inventory everything. They were very friendly and careful when packing my things. One guy even asked if I wanted him to add more bubble wrap to my framed map of Beijing when I told him it was a gift from my grandfather. It was an unnecessary, but very kind, gesture. The truck arrived at my new apartment on time, and everything was unloaded quickly and efficiently. Overall, the experience was a good one and I would definitely hire Charter again if I move to another state.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3000