FlatRate Moving

Worst moving experience (of the 20+ moves I have done)!

I had heard good things, but their quality must have deteriorated.

On moving day, an extra $300 service was charged to me that I did not pre-approve (a bookshelf that did not require dismantling as per the virtual tour, was dismantled). Terrible communication between team members.

"Flatrate" is a misnomer.

They agreed to refund the charge.

It never came.

I emailed multiple times.

I eventually had to dispute it on my credit card.

When I unpacked, it was clear that many things were improperly or haphazardly packed.

One of my items (an irreplaceable stone/ceramic Buddha) was severely broken. Its head was severed (see images).

As you can see, the item was barely wrapped, and in a box by itself with nothing else--with lots of room to move. The box was not labeled as fragile, nor was the item packed properly. It's as if it was thrown it into a box with no proper handling or wrapping. 

I've yet to receive any followup regarding compensation for this damage. Despite multiple calls and emails.

Terrible customer service.

Brian Nalty as well as the rest of the team have been unresponsive and unprofessional. Laurence Yates (sales) was the only responsive and professional individual--and customer service would not even respond to his requests. That tells you a lot about the company!

This move was highly disappointing on multiple levels. It's clear that there was very little respect for my items.

I had hoped that flatrate would make moving smoother during such a stressful time--but between being overcharged and having an item destroyed, it did very much the the opposite.

Would not recommend AT ALL.

There are many other better companies in NYC.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2500

I hired Flatrate Moving to help me and my partner move from a 1-bedroom apartment in Manhattan to upstate NY on Sunday, Aug. 2, and it was an utter disaster from start to finish. They destroyed nearly $3,500 worth of furniture and framed art through gross negligence--and only offered an insulting settlement of $368.40. They also didn't send professional movers--they sent someone in training! Plus, the movers didn't wear masks during the pandemic.

After showing up late, the movers went on to do an extremely poor job throughout the move. They started by having the driver place my light-colored upholstered couch directly on the NYC sidewalk (no blankets down to protect it) to wrap it in plastic--no regard for potential stains or damage.

They used a shredded blanket (I have a photo of it) to drag an extremely heavy West Elm dresser down the stairs upside-down. When we unwrapped it at the new apartment, every corner of that item was bashed in, there were deep grooves and scratches all over the top, there was paint stripped off from the tape used by the movers, and the movers snapped the hinge off the cabinet door on the side. It was irreparable, and while I've spent more than a week asking the movers to come back and dispose of it (I can't move it myself), Flatrate Moving has yet to take care of this.

They damaged lightweight furniture from Ikea, including a desk, bookshelf, and drawers--items that I could have taken down the stairs and moved myself without damaging. It almost feels like they TRIED to damage these items. The movers also damaged almost every piece of framed art we paid extra to have them pack with care. Furthermore, they tried to balance a 3-month-old Herman Miller office chair on its back (where delicate components for lumbar support have been installed) on top of many boxes in the moving truck. When I asked that they move it to a more appropriate place, they left a giant black thumb-stain which can't be removed. This chair was in perfect condition before they handled it, and now it's stained and the levers don't work properly.

The amount of damage is absolutely unbelievable for this move. I asked the lead mover (Kyle) for an explanation, and he said that the damage occurred because Flatrate Moving didn't send a professional, they sent a "trainee," who handled my items improperly. I have Kyle's response on video, which I will share on YouTube to warn others about this experience.

Kyle summed it up perfectly when he said, "You have a whole lot of damaged items."

Worse yet--these movers almost never wore a mask, even when inside my residences and speaking close to me. We're moving in a pandemic! Wearing a mask is the least they could do, and the lack of this basic precaution shows that Flatrate Moving doesn't give a damn about the health of its customers. My partner and I wore masks throughout the entire move to protect the movers. It is deeply upsetting that they didn't show us the same respect.

We've been working with a variety of people at Flatrate (including sales coordinator Jeff Cadwallader, claims associate Cici Mota, and client relations manager Brian Nalty), and they've been largely unresponsive and unhelpful, despite my partner and I trying to be cooperative and figure out a suitable resolution. I intend to file complaints with the Department of Transportation, the Better Business Bureau, the Department of Health, NYC Dept of Consumer Affairs, the Attorney General, and all other regulatory and consumer watchdog organizations to get the word out about this incompetent company. I'm also going to speak with a lawyer about this situation.

Do yourself a favor--HIRE ANYONE ELSE BUT FLATRATE MOVING. The company promises a "stress-free move," but dealing with them has been the most stressful part of my move.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $1487

I had booked a move with FlatRate for last Monday the 17th, but I had to reschedule due to a change of plans. The company policy says that I can reschedule my move up to 48 hours before, so I contacted my representative Bethany on Thursday the 13th to reschedule my move and she answered me saying that she contacted management about the date change. I thought everything was settled until yesterday the truck came - I talked to dispatch and they said there was a confusion and that they would reschedule the move for me. But I keep getting emails saying that my things are in storage (they’re not) and I was charged for a moving that didn’t happen. I emailed and called Bethany, another representative called Nicholas, and customer service several times with no replies from anyone.

Now the only thing left to do is contact my lawyer and try to get my money back. Beware of this company.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $1500

Our family has used FlatRate several times over the years, always with great success. Their movers are pros, and their sales and support staff make sure everything goes smoothly.

Our most recent experience in Oct 2020 was no exception. The move was flawlessly executed from start to finish. The move included glass pieces and antiques, all of which arrived in tip top shape.

We highly recommend this company. The price seems fair and the service merits it.

Move size: Partial Move Service cost: $900

Have done a lot of national and international moves and this is the worst moving company I have dealt with. They moved our furniture from the Baltimore port to Bethesda using a little know subcontracted company called Letz Get Moving. The "boss" arrives with only 1 other person having hired 2 other people last minute. The 2 teams did not work well together and they did not have any moving supplies. They dumped everything in our apartment and did not assemble anything or unwrap the furniture per contract and left. There are images to prove that below.

DO NOT HIRE THEM. Anyone who wants to go for a class action lawsuit, I am willing to pitch in.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5000

I can't recommend FlatRate Moving less. I'll group this into two parts, the lack of professionalism and the incompetence or lack of care. For the former: would not wear masks in a masks required building; they taped lit incense sticks to the hallways (in a smoke free building) and when I removed those, one of them kept spraying perfume everywhere; when I pointed out problems the lead guy would get belligerent. As for the incompetence or sloppiness: despite the website saying they protect floors and walls these guys only did so after I yelled at them at the new apartment. They had already damaged the Marmoleum floor in the apartment I was moving out of, by dragging large cabinets, a stove, and a refrigerator across the unprotected floor. How many times did I tell them which items were being moved? Numerous - they never paid attention. They tore the expensive mattress bedbug protective cover (and then yelled at me!). They damaged a printer cart beyond repair but actually glued on the large piece they broke off the drawer - did they think I wouldn't notice the crack? Or that the same drawer front was hanging off its hardware? The boxes - put into the new apartment with zero attention to categories or size/weight. Heavy boxes on top of lighter ones. Books mixed together with kitchen boxes, with clothes boxes. They mixed in items I wanted (like my pillows) with items I said would go to the Salvation Army (only by luck did I catch that the "upcycle" boxes contained important items). The overall attitude was that they were doing me a favor by moving my stuff. Some favor - $1775 to move from a studio to a 1 bedroom (albeit lots of boxes), 2 blocks away. I'm still shell-shocked by the sheer ineptitude or rather, disregard. Oh, and two of the four complained the entire day.

Move size: Studio Service cost: $1775

Hands down the best part of my move! Everything from sales to the actual move could not have been easier, all thanks to the people at Flatrate. If I could give 10 stars I would!

Bernard in Sales went above and beyond to accommodate my ever changing closing date. Bojan, Nicola and Zoran, my movers, were efficient, covid-safe, and so great to work with. I did my research and price shopped. Pricing was one of the best I found and worth every penny I paid. I can not recommend them enough!

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $765

Flatrate returned to us a 1700sq ft home worth of soaked, destroyed furniture and belongings following the hurricane Ida. They had moved our belongings out of indoor storage unit in Manhattan and put it into outdoor containers in a parking lot in Jersey. They still charged us $1200/mon forb4 months, and for the move costs. They arrived at our new home with two trucks full of water and fungus. Destroyed our baby's things and family heirlooms. Make sure your stuff is safe if you choose to trust FLATRATE! We lost 95% worth of our stuff, they didn't honor their guaranteed "indoor climate controlled storage". They didn't try to salvage our stuff near the storm. They ignored it from 3 months til the day of the move.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $14000