Charter Van Lines Inc.

I moved due to a change in jobs from NORRISTOWN, PA (Montgomery County) to Elizabethtown, PA Lancaster County). Packing everything up, starting a new job and moving to a new area was a huge deal. Charter Van Lines made the move a lot less stressful. Their customer service representative was pleasant and helpful. They answered all my questions, provided helpful information and and gave a reasonable quote. Once the date of the move arrived, the movers showed up on time and were extremely courteous and professional. They treated my items respectfully as they loaded the truck. Once everything was ready to go, they took the most direct route to my new address. They unloaded the van with the same degree of professionalism as loading it. They put everything where I wanted it in my new home. They made the move easy and a lot less stressful. Thank you so much! 5 stars.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $300

These past six months have been fairly rough for me, after receiving news that my mother was not in great health, I needed to move from Tucson, Arizona to Fort Worth, Texas, my hometown, to help her out. Grabbing all of my things and moving back home meant a whole lot of stress on my back, which was lifted once I decided to go with Charter Van Lines to help move all my possessions from a few states over back to my mother. They made the process very easy, great employees who were friendly and very trustworthy, Charter Van Lines made sure that I, the customer, was very happy and pleased with their service. They did such a great job it lifted the worries of moving all of my possessions, and let me focus on what matters the most in life, family.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2500

This is a broker firm. They hire out your move to another company. They hired my move out to "Household Hauling, LLC".
Charter assessed my move cost by weight which they calculated on the VERY high and heavy weight, then Household Hauling came in my house and said they charge bu cubic feet and that my $2,500 "white glove service" move did not accurately assess my "cubic feet" because my furniture is antique. The movers who showed up at my house scoffed out loud that I'd been told I paid for the "white glove packing service" as they explained to me that nothing I'd been quoted included any packing or materials that they would have to charge me for the packing and materials (that Charter allegedly already had charged in my "binding estimate" charges.
In addition, after telling me that I'd need to pay ONLY in cash or money order to the movers directly at pick up and again at delivery, I had two money orders ready in the exact amounts per my "binding estimate" quote. When I explained that to the movers who showed up at my house, they then said they would accept a personal check in addition to the money order for the extra costs, but that the extra costs they would need to charge me at drop off I'd "have time to get in cash".
Household Haulers take your things to a warehouse somewhere for your "free month of storage" whether you want them to or not unless you pay the added charge for direct delivery which they do not tell you you need to request.
I thought my things would be moved when I moved because paying for them to pick up my things and transporting them to a warehouse for storage doesn't allow me to have things in my new place, as I need them..which is why I'm moving them. I told the movers I couldn't afford to pay them for this move today just to pay to stay in a hotel and buy new clothes until they could "schedule my delivery time and additional costs". So,your "free month" of storage is obligated whether you want it or not unless you pay additional costs to have your things directly delivered to your new home.
The man from Household Haulers who showed up at my house told me that "all movers in America get 30 days to deliver your things to your new home unless you pay more for direct delivery".
So, Charter Van Lines will upcharge the move costs by the weight of your things, then Household Haulers will show up and tell you that you're going to pay more because the "cubic feet" costs were not assessed properly and the packing will be extra even though Charter already charged you for the "white glove" packing service.
Household Haulers also tell you they "own their own trucks" and these movers showed up in a rented Penske truck they'd told me they had just driven "7 hours to move me in".
As the Household Hauler mover was explaining that I'd need to pay more again everything I'd already agreed to pay for, I told him I was frustrated at the deceit from Charter Van Lines and he then got angry and told me " maybe we don't move you then" (his English was heavily accented Indian and VERY hard to understand) and I said, maybe you shouldn't move me, then.
And they walked out of my house.
I called a family member to talk about what had just happened and as I was on the phone, another man from the moving duo walked right back in my house uninvited and without knocking to snatch the packing costs price list they had handed me to show me all my additional packing costs (that Charter had allegedly already charged in my quote price).
The movers sat outside my house in their rented Penske Van for 20 minutes while their company "Household Haulers, LLC" called me 5 times. I was on the phone and didn't answer the company's calls. 5 calls in 5 minutes as the moving guys sat outside and the "company" calling me didn't leave a single message about this issue.
These people did not actually move me because they walked out when I told them paying more for what I was already paying was upsetting.

Move size: Studio Service cost: $2500

What a JOKE! I talked to Richard who told me how stress free this was going to be and let them handle everything, we had a Enterprise rental truck show up with a old and LAZY mover who did not want to move anything big or heavy, so rude and threatened to just leave because we had a weight bench that he did not want to move, so we could not take it and it stayed behind. They give you a quote that sounds so good when the movers get to the house it is a whole different story! DO NOT TRUST WHAT THEY TELL YOU!!

Move size: Partial Move Service cost: $2000

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

If you are looking for a moving company that has little to no integrity will say anything to get your business and not do anything they commit to.. you found them. Charter Van Lines is quite possibly the worst service provider I've dealt with in my entire life. They are liars.

I moved from NYC to Nashville. On the first call with the salesman (8 Weeks before my move), he told me there was a partial load coming out of NYC (8 million people so seemed reasonable to assume this possibility) going to the same state I was the week I wanted to leave and he could get me on that truck as a partial load and by doing so it would save me money. He told me a specific day that I would get my pickup and so I proceeded to schedule my entire life around this day. The only caveat was if the truck were to breakdown or act of god then they would then need up to 48hrs to get a replacement pickup. Well, that was all complete BS used to get my money. I was also told that the move would take 3 days unless there was an issue but no more than 5 days. I planned accordingly.

A few days out from my move I became concerned because I hadn't heard from the company confirming my final box count and schedule for the move. I had to reach out to them to get this done and I come to find out there isn't a truck I'm scheduled on as a partial load and in fact, I'm not scheduled on any truck and I won't know till the day before my supposed moving date who would be moving me (surprise it's not Charter its some fly by night subcontractor who is barely in business).

My mover was finally scheduled days after the date I was told I would be moving and come to find out they tell me that the move is going to take at least 7 days and more likely 10 (not 3 like I was sold). They had me hostage. Charter van lines took my money already and I couldn't afford to flush thousands down the toilet and suddenly switch to a more reputable company.

All I wanted was the truth. I didn't get it from charter van lines and I certainly didn't get it from anyone they were affiliated with. The communication was horrible. Whenever I finally got a hold of someone (because they would never call you back) the story just constantly changed. The date always moved and the excuses were endless. Charter themselves will simply ignore you and become unresponsive once the subcontractor is booked. (Not their problem anymore right?)

It took nearly 4 weeks for my belongings to show up(not 3 days as quoted). I had to live in my new house out of a carry on suitcase and on an air mattress with my wife. It cost us over 10,000 in the end in loss of business not having our office equipment to operate our business.

Please avoid Charter Van Lines at all cost. They will lie to you. They can't be trusted. They don't deserve your business or care about you at all.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3605

If you are planning your move and are considering using Charter Van Lines, there are a few things you should know.

1. They are ONLY a brokerage company and are not the ones delivering your stuff.

2. They will give you a low quote to get your deposit and when you get your call to confirm your shipment the price will double. We were quoted 2200 for our move which included 35 boxes. We removed the boxes completely and our order still increased by 150 dollars. Why, because they did not record the measurements of the furniture correctly.

3. They assure us that our furniture would be there with in 5 -10 days. However when we called to see when it would be delivered after the 5 days were up, we were informed that they had 35 business days to deliver our stuff.

They say they are a 5 star company but they are not.

Do not use this company. You've been warned.

Move size: Partial Move Service cost: $2500

All these horrible reviews you read about are true! They get you with all kinds of sale pitches of great service and they are only nice on the initial call. I had to cancel services a month after I booked them when I no longer needed it but I got no response after 4 attempts. I finally called them and ended up being verbally harassed by the manager on duty. He kept telling me he was trying to help me but wouldn't give me a refund.So I'm unsure how he was trying to help me. He basically called me difficult, a liar, and a brat because I wasn't getting what I wanted. I ended up filing a claim with my credit card but Charter claims I never requested a cancellation so my refund was denied. They state I have until 5/28 to get full refund but how do I get refund of they don't respond? I guarantee you that they will avoid all calls and requests so that it will pass the deadline to get a full refund. It has been a total nightmare dealing with them. I am still trying to get my refund of almost $2000 since first week of January.

Move size: 4+ Bedroom Home Service cost: $7230

There are no words to say how amazing Charter Van Lines Inc was. Justin and Jose moved me from California to New York, and it went so smoothly. They had my apartment loaded up in less than 3 hours. I was shocked that they worked so quickly and efficiently. Then at the other end, same thing, super quick, professional and really nice guys. I just don't know how they do it so quickly and nothing was damaged in the process, I did have everything quite organized for them, but they had to pack it in the truck. It will be tough to find a company as committed and passionate about their work as Charter Van Lines Inc.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2900

Let me tell you, they were so late that we literally moved almost everything we could, ourselves. We even had all the items they needed to move, out in the garage already. Should have been the best move ever.. but a far cry from that. Once they finally called to say they were indeed coming we had to wait even longer. We called them to get a new ETA and they had stopped to get something to eat. Unbelievable! We did not pay for these services, aside from the $50 deposit, which I will be filing a claim with my bank to get back. I have pictures, before and after of everything, luckily, because I had just purchased them.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $8700

I recently moved a 1-bedroom apartment from NY to FL. This was my first move ever, so I was very nervous. There are a lot of negative reviews or seemingly fake positive ones, so I wanted to post that I had a very positive experience with Charter Van Lines. My move went smoothly and all according to plan. I worked with Shawn K. and Alexia J. who did a great job answering all my questions and delivered on all their promises. The company they hired to perform the move did a great job as well. None of my belongings were damaged, the movers showed up when they said they would on both days, and I did not experience any added fees or charges after the deposit was made. I would highly recommend going through Charter Van Lines if you need to move a small number of items and are on a budget.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $1800

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!! They share a quote with you and later give you 4 times the original price they gave you! I tried to cancel via writing and phobe after reading their reviews within 24 hours. I spoke with my husband, thinking they were Van Lines (a very reputable Company we used for a job relocation), I tried to cancel. They reduced the price and BEGGED us to stay with them and the price will not changed. When they are sued for this bait and switch - they will be out of business. They kept my $400 deposit and lied to my Bank stating I never put anything in writing. That was a LIE. Please, please do not use this company!! It’s not worth it.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $1167

-They are a BROKERS only.
-They give you a low quote get your deposit $$ & then double price when they call to confirm shipment.
-Your broker is MIA once he/she gets deposit $$ No one can answer your questions and if you do get a hold of someone RUDE & UNPROFESSIONAL (alexa jennings)
-If you plan a weekend move they fail to tell you they are closed on weekends so there is NO ONE to call if a problem occurs and YES there will be MANY PROBLEMS
-They make FALSE PROMISES They promise a specific day for pickup unless extreme emergency, act of God or mechanical breakdown.You schedule your life around this day & they change the day with no reason.
-They give you a quick turn around time (7-10 days) only to find out 1 week later my furniture is still 1500miles away waiting for the truck to be filled.
-Totally blew us off with our car move. No one called No one showed up & where is my deposit??
-They are a less than ONE STAR company.
-DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!
*I would move myself instead *.

Move size: Studio Service cost: $2700

My daughter used this company to move from Michigan to Florida, Charter Van Lines in Florida, brokered out the move to Household Hauling, Instead of transporting her furniture to Florida. They put her belongs in a storage facility. and then took from April 28 to June 5 to deliver her furniture, She made multiple multiple inquiries about when she would get the furniture and was given excuses. We contacted the BBB as well as the attorney general in both Michigan and Florida and was told that there were 93 complaints on file. And were encouraged to file a complaint.Be extremely careful to read the contract, before you sign, charter Van lines in Florida told us that we could do nothing because of item number 8 in the contract.

Move size: Studio Service cost: $1300

Did NOT know they were a broker! No one mentioned that while in negotiations for booking them. Fast forward Moving arrived. Once all items were on the truck, the foreman handed me an envelope with some numbers on it and told me that he estimated more stuff than my counted items and increased the price to $7700.00. Original estimate came in at $4900. He then told me that he had to charge me a bulk fee of $395. I had no "Bulk" items as listed on their website. When I questioned it, he told me he would remove the charge if I gave him and his 2 guys $100 tip each..which I did, but was not happy about. I felt like it was a shake down. Receiving the goods, they told us they would be there at 8:30 on a friday..but the truck never arrived cos they sent it to Houston for another load. No call from the company till 9 pm that night stating they were in the area. We had no one available for the delivery at 9 pm as I was still at the old house and my daughter was at work. When I refused delivery because I had no one in Texas to pay them, the supervisor was rude, cursed at me and threatened to charge me $250 a day for storage. I asked to speak to his supervisor. He gave me a bogus phone number to call. When the gentlemen answered he said he wasn't from any moving company and I had the wrong number.Saturday morning my daughter went to the house with her friend at 8:30 am. The truck showed up shortly thereafter. The helper got out of the truck, took payment and handed her a receipt. Shortly thereafter a man arrived in a Ford Explorer who knew the helper and then another kid named Ben who answered an ad from Craigslist for the job arrived shortly thereafter. ( the company stated that ALL movers would be licensed and bonded..this kid clearly was not.) the helper and his friend moved a couple of boxes then told my daughter he was going for water at the store. He jumped in the car with his friend and took off. The driver called in a robbery, three cop cars showed up and took a report. The driver then called Alex the supervisor to tell him what happened and Alex got on the phone with my daughter and told her she paid the wrong guy and told him that they ( my daughter and himself) needed to unload the truck. My daughter, her friend and the kid of Craigslist, whom WE PAID, then unloaded our stuff and put it in the garage. Alex was incredibly rude and the moving company didn't provide any HELP in unloading the truck. My daughter and I have collectively paid this company $7,745.10 to move, unload and reassemble our furniture. That did not happen. Additionally, I have had to lay out an additional amount of $100 to Craigslist Ben and hire local movers to carry the furniture up the stairs at an additional cost of $200. I am out over $8000.00. I attempted to talk to Customer Service, but was told that she's worked with Alex for years and has never had a problem I asked to speak to the manager in charge of customer Service and was given a bogus name of Jon Edwards and a Bogus email address to send him my complaint, photo's and videos. Additionally, items were broken ( all my fine china and stemware and stolen ( TV, Clothes, Hand cart) Do NOT use this company..they assume no culpability for their services and refuse to provide you with anyone in authority to remedy anything.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $8045

While all my things arrive in tact the experience was horrible. I needed my stuff to arrive on a certain date and at no point did they tell us that it could take up to a week for my stuff to arrive PAST the date we had originally said I needed the stuff to arrive. Customer service representatives were mean and [EDIT] when I called to talk to them which I did several times during the whole process. While it was in the contact that we signed at no point in the process or during the numerous conversations did they mention that in some cases it could take UP TO 20 DAYS for my stuff to arrive due to the distance. I am not faulting them for what is in the contract but I would have been able to plan better if they had just been upfront at the beginning about that the time period I wanted was unreasonable. They left a lot of things unmentioned and then got mean and snippy when I asked about why these things where not mentioned beforehand. I would not use them again and I would suggest you don't either.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $1400

Moving services were reserved on April 6, 2019. My salesman, Mark Ryan, verbally told me if I change my mind I am eligible for full refund as long as it's cancelled at least 7 days before my move date. I confirmed this policy in the signed contract and paid a $552.20 deposit. On April 10, 2019 I cancelled my contract and requested a refund as their services were no longer needed. I was told I would need to speak to my salesman Mark Ryan before the cancellation could be completed. During our conversation he insisted that I provide him a reason for the cancellation and when it became clear I wasn't going to nor did I owe him an explanation, his tone changed as he became more agitated. Finally, he responded that someone from the cancellation department would be contacting me in the next 24 hours and hung up.

Two days later I received a call from Daniel Stevens. The representative explained he had more experience than my particular salesman Mark Ryan and that he wanted to talk to me to find out why I changed my mind. Again I simply reported we were no longer moving and did not need their services any longer. He refused to accept this as an answer and continued to ask me the "real reason" we were cancelling. He quickly became more and more agitated and became quite unprofessional. He told me I was a liar and that as I'm from Utah I must be Mormon and certainly Mormans aren't permitted to lie. He questioned my moral character then said "I hope you're going to church tomorrow" and hung up. As it was not clear from this conversation that the refund would be processed I sent two follow up emails and called. No response to the emails but when I called, after a brief hold, was told the refund was being processed and that I would receive a confirmation email. That was 4 days ago and still nothing.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3944

Charter Van Lines was great! They gave me a reasonable price for 3 movers and their truck. They showed up on time, and got started quickly. The guys made quick work of my furniture, appliances and boxes. They had my townhouse packed in a little under 2 hours. They then drove about 30 mins to our new house and proceeded to unload everything in about an hour. Whole move took a little less than 4 hours. I had invited a couple friends to help move, and they said this was the easiest move ever. They didn't have to do anything but help us pack up all the small stuff I didn't want the movers to worry about. Highly recommend Charter Van Lines! Effortless move! Great and efficient movers!

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3100

I was quoted a very reasonable rate for my studio move out - but it came in over 4x what was quoted! Then, my items were held hostage because of their "very expensive blankets," so I had no choice but to use them for my move to my new apartment. The rate for that was half what I paid for the move from my studio, which was great and all - but it just confirmed how badly they overcharged me on the initial move.Then, they lost pieces of my furniture and damaged the wall in my new apartment in 2 places, only to have the movers tell me they weren't dealing with it. 2 weeks later, they put the repairs on a third party company who demanded I take off work to get them to repair the wall.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $7800