Cousins USA Moving and Storage

I strongly suggest you read my post and do NOT use Cousins USA. In all total I paid Cousins USA $9,878.12 since October 2012 to keep my possessions safe and instead they took my money, ruined my mattress, expensive couches, dings and damages to dresser, books and many other possessions ruined. I had to throw away the majority of my possessions due to damage caused by Cousins.

I stored my furniture with Cousins for a 3 year period from 2012 to 2015. When I asked them to take it out of storage and deliver it to me, I received the furniture with a great deal of mold damage. I was advised by ServPro a mold inspection company that the furniture could not be salvaged. I had to destroy about $8,000 worth of my property as a result of their carelessness. I contacted Cousins to receive restitution for the furniture I had to destroy and have received no restitution of any kind.
I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and I hope they will investigate this company and their storage facility since there must be mold on other long term customers stored household goods. I offered to settle with Cousins but Clem (owner or head manager) never has returned a single phone call or email in the entire 3 years after he got my business.
When Cousins is trying to get your business they will be nice and return phone calls, but once they have your stuff or they damage it you will never get a call from Clem or Cousins staff. Clem told me I would get every 7th month free and I tried getting him to call me back over the 3 years and he never would. They are a dishonest company that has ruined my possessions while in storage. Really, how do does a storage and moving company manage to ruin all of my important hardback books? I have moved at least ten times in my life and this is the first bad rating for any moving company. Their parent company and long distance carrier Stevens Van Lines is just as bad.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $7000

My husband and I moved out of the state from Fl to In. The move happened on September 20 delivered on October 8, 2019. I'm making this post until now waiting for the insurance's claim response.

This service sucks!! literally. My advice based on my experience DO NOT HIRE THEM!.

At the begging, everything looked perfect. A Consultant that they sent to my house for the estimate was amazingly kind, friendly and "had helped me a lot with all my concerns". We hired a completed packaged that had included the wrapping and putting into boxes all our stuff. The consultant also knew that we had an attic that needed to be wrapping and packing and he told me is going to be fine. They are going to do everything you just seat and relax! Turned up that they do not climb or they can sue you. So it was up to me leave them to climb or not.

This situation happened at 5:00 p.m. when they were almost leaving the house and the next day the truck had might be at my home at 8:00 a.m to pick all the boxes up. Nobody answers the phone at the office nor even their "personal ones" that they promise to be in touch with you at any time. Bullshit!

There were 3 guys at my home packing. They arrived late. Ok, that was fine if you don't have anything else to do!. They started packing and all of them had had a different opinion about what stuff could be packed or not. You can't send on the truck any flammable as oils, matches, candles.. One of those guys packed everything for my bathroom that was oily, my candles and even had taken out the wall a mirror. Another guy just did not take any of the other oils that I have on the kitchen (just left almost all my groceries). Seriously nobody told me about these restrictions.

It turned out that the first 3 guys at my home all day long (as if I lived in a mansion) just packed the smallest thing and the tvs. The guys from the truck had to disassemble all the furniture and wrap them. They left things unpacked that the guy's truck told me was their obligation. So again nobody answered the phone at the office.

Other concern just to end this faster, was about the insurance. They are going to tell you that they hire professionals movers, is nothing to worry about. Another lie. they DO NOT HIRE PROFESSIONALS, people treat your belongings like trash. They don't care.

The cherry on the top of this story. When I received an answer to my claim the told me about a stamp lamp and a mirror that even that they were damage are still functional so they did not cover it. The word that they used: "May have a diminished appearance due to transit damage". Who in her or his mind is going to accept that your items are damaged when those were almost new but still working.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5904

A simple 3 block move--or so we thought. Damaged furniture, damaged floors, punctured wall. Management did not send a large enough truck or enough movers--this was a direct quote from the driver. On Day 1 they had 4 men and a small truck, then only 3 men on day 2. As a result the second day of the move took 13 hours and two separate loads.

Salesman claimed to be the owner and at the time of contract signing promised he would personally handle the move and would be available at all times on days of move. When I called with complaints about breakage he denied saying that he would be available, telling me that his sales calls took precedence and he would return calls when he was not in new client sales calls. After a heated discussion he hung up on me and would not call back--a supervisor was never sent to the job. That was Friday--the first day of the move.

On the second day of the move we were told by the movers that all of management had taken the day off--even they said they had been unable to reach "the boss" . I left a message with Joseph to call for an update at the beginning of day 2,and a text with Clem with no response. Have tried to reach ANYONE via text with no response. Sent Clem, the Rep numerous photos of damage over the course of the move and then again today with no response. Also sent photos to Joseph, whom the movers said was "the Boss".

At the end of the move was presented with a blank release and asked to sign it relieving Cousins of all responsibility for damage.

The driver was drinking and smelled of alcohol late in the second day.

The ONLY good thing-- despite the breakage, at least the movers honored the contract and finished the move. Hourly workers being paid $13/hour saw the importance of completing the job while management sent too few men, too small a truck, and then totally went totally non-responsive. Despite the damage I respect them for their willingness to stick to the job and get it done. Good for them.

Move size: 4+ Bedroom Home Service cost: $3700

First off, I can't give a zero rating or a negative 5 which may be more appropriate. We moved from S. Florida to Western NY items were loaded in August 2022 and delivered to new address in Dec 2022. The experience on the load side....the kitchen guy that packed all the glassware....perfection not a broken glass anywhere!!! the rest of the move they broke our stairs (Cousins did fix this). However, they broke it with our master bedroom furniture that was around 15k and took 12 months to get. They pieces are all heavily marred and damaged. They broke glass scounce globes and hid them in the corner of the garage (not knowing my wife is a neat freak and found them cleaning everything out). Tools were damaged (safety guard broken right form a hedge trimmer - anyone know how to use a hedge trimmer safely without a safety guard? We are missing numerous boxes that until we come across something we are missing we will never know what it was. To top it off we paid around $1000.00 per month to Clem and the cast of clowns to store our stuff.....I think we paid them to take their time and pilfer through our stuff....missing rugs and other items. In addition, my wife had an old cameo that the box arrived empty. Wonder where that went?

All in all, I've used Cousins in the past with much different results. However, they have taken a satisfied customer and one that has referred a fair amount of business to them over the years into one that won't refer anyone and potentially would never use them again... Why do you ask? Because Clem hasn't responded to any messages I've left or anything! If he actually made it look like he cared, I might upgrade this to a 3 if he gave us back the money we paid for storage as he definitely didn't store it with care and refunded $5k to cover the damaged and missing items. I will post again if he actually does anything. We will be contacting BBB tomorrow.

Move size: 4+ Bedroom Home Service cost: $26000

I am very satisfied with Cousin's USA for helping me prepare for the sale of my home. They worked with me to pack up all items that cluttered up my house. They were very good at giving sugestions on presenting the property in an appealing manner.
Every thing for storing items until we move was given to me in writing and details on the move and delivery and was explained completely.
It is a pleasure dealing with such understanding people. The workers were pleasant and worked in an efficient careful manner.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $1589