Independence Van Lines

If you are looking for a moving company that is professional in DECEPTION and excellent in LYING, feel free to use Independence Van Lines!

They will lie to you like they breath, and keep lying and lying with no limits.

I came across some good people who works for this company, but overall, choosing this company was a nightmare and one of the WORST choices I've ever made in my life.

Here are some of the lessons I learned for the last 6 weeks since I joined this company's victims list:

- when they call you to offer their service, they will claim that :
-- they are one of the top 5 moving companies
-- they are not brokers
-- they have their own trucks
-- they have happy clients and 5-star reviews

The goal of this call is to keep you on the phone until you sign a contract and pay a deposit (30% of the total charges).

LESSON #1 : never sign any contract or pay a deposit before you look up the company and verify their status.

Once you pay the deposit and get to know them more, you will find out that all of the above claims were pure lies !

- A lot of the staff I had to deal with - over the phone- have one thing in common: they lack respect. They don't respect their words,promises or their clients. They will easily put you on hold and never come back, or promise they will call you back and forget about you, or even disconnect the call "because they have another call on line"

- they kept switching dates of pick up, but finally sent me a Penske truck . The team that came with the truck (2 guys and a driver) was more professional, and probably the only nice thing about this whole experience

- at one point - before my stuff was picked up- I was trying to cancel the service, but the manager said: you can only refuse the service and lose your deposit !

- I was promised that my stuff will most likely be delivered within one week, but no later than a maximum of 21 business days (the distance was about 800 miles)

- I called the company almost every other day, to hear changing delivery dates and different stories about why the delivery was delayed.

LESSON #2: after making the first mistake of using a bad company, never stop calling them (excessively!) until you make sure your stuff has arrived. You never know what would happen if you leave them alone

- 21 business days passed and I'm still waiting. I talked to the manager and asked about the company's policy for compensation. His reply was : sure, discuss with the driver when you get your stuff. He claimed that the actual mover will give something like 25-50 dollars per day. But Independence Van Lines is "just a broker ! "

- I was promised that my stuff will be delivered by the end of the 4th week, and again no one showed up

- I was given another "maximum delivery date" over the last weekend, and of course that did not happen

LESSON #3: discuss all possible issues (delays , damage .. ) beforehand with the moving company and make sure any penalties/compensations are included in the contract before you commit to a company

- I finally got my stuff today , almost 6 weeks after it was picked up

- I talked to the driver about compensation for the delay. He asked that I call Independence Van Lines because " I'm just the driver". I talked to the manager at Independence Van Lines again, who did not remember my past conversation with him about compensation. After I refreshed his memory he said : sorry, there is no compensation.

LESSON #4: If they lie to you once, they will lie again and again.

Quick facts:
According to FMCSA :
- there are 19 complaints filed against Independence Van Lines just in 2018
- despite their initial claim that they have their own trucks, Independence Van Lines fleet has :
Number of Trucks : 0
Number of Tractors : 0
Number of Trailers : 0

I really wish that no one else come across this moving company and suffer like we did.

Independence Van Lines deserves no stars. One star is actually too much for what they do !

Move size: Partial Move Service cost: $1228

They do their job well and my move went great. I had an expensive
guitar that needed to be handled with care and independence did so
very nicely. There are reputable movers out there if you search hard
enough, don't give up. I'd give Independence a try because they don't
break the bank (very good quote) and honored the agreement from start
to finish.

Not many movers out there that will go above and beyond to arrive on
time, even after the driver called and said there were some issues on
the road. Thank you!!

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4650

You won't find better movers and that's a fact. We moved cross country
and independence van lines kept in touch with us throughout the whole
process.

The estimate was accurate and it was a good price when we shopped
around. They were not pushy, but quite the opposite. Maybe its my
salesperson, I recommend working with Mark Davis.

Call independence if you want a honest company that will take care of
your stuff and make sure they arrive safe in the agreed timeframe.
Thanks again!

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $1200

Now this is a mover that I can recommend. After some bad experiences
in my past, I was skeptic about independence van lines, but they did
great!! Really surprised about the level of attention to our move.

The price was a little much, after adding unnecessary packing
materials, but it all worked out in the end. I really recommend this
company if you're looking for a reputable long-distance mover. We
searched long and hard and they beat out the competition. All of our
stuff was delivered on time yesterday! :-).

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3900

Spoke to two customer representatives (Sean Thompson and Cory) and got a quote. Spent two hours on the phone to understand quote and was promised that the move would cost 60 cents per pound and that they overestimated the weight on purpose, put in a bigger box count (100 boxes), and that the move would not cost over$5.5K, no matter what, as long as we don't go over the box count and give an accurate inventory of what will ultimately be moved 2 days before the scheduled date. Red flag #1:the company doesn't accept any form of payment to pay the deposit except direct withdrawal from a bank account (no credit card, check, etc.). Red flag #2: All emails from the company are under pseudonyms (ex. you may be speaking to Sean but he sends emails under aliases such as David Miller) and no rep lists a direct phone #.

When the rep called to get the updated count of inventory, we mentioned that the date needs to be moved to three days later (fro a Tuesday to a Friday) and they agreed to this. However, movers showed up on the Tuesday ready to get to work and it took a while to get that sorted with Independence Van Lines providing no support as the movers kept telling us to call the company when it was the Independence Van Lines who should have told them about the date change. Additional difficulty is that they require 50% of the remaining amount to be paid in cashier's check but you won't know how much that is until the day of the move - very frustrating.

Friday came and though our box count was within the estimation, the movers gave us a bill of lading that determined the move cost BY CUBIC SPACE, NOT WEIGHT as originally agreed. Additionally, furniture that could be dismantled (ex. wire shelving) was not dismantled but instead put on the truck as whole, resulting in more space to be taken. This resulted in the cost to be close to 10K, CLOSE TO TWO TIMES THE GUARANTEED COST given to us. The moving company they outsourced this to said that we would have gotten a better rate if we had just moved with them directly instead of going with this middleman company that just acts as a broker.

Have called Independence Van Lines rep twice afterward and have gotten the brush-off ("don't have time to speak to you now, will call back later") with no result. Conclusion: Costly lesson learned that doesn't benefit us but hopefully benefits others. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY no matter how smoothly they speak and go with a place where you can get the service you need and pay more attention to the reviews online when choosing a moving company.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $10000

Total fraud of a company. I would say they have horrible business practices, but that would be legitimizing them as a business, which seems insulting to real businesses. They get you to pay a direct deposit on the phone with whatever you want to hear, then take your money and don't show up to collect your stuff when they say they will. They delay pick up as long as possible (outside of your promised window) until you are desperate, then show up at the last minute to pick up your stuff (never in a real uniforms or an official truck, since they are only BROKERS and contract out your move to whoever wants it). Then, the worst part is that once they get your stuff, they hold your belongings HOSTAGE until you pay them two or three times what you were quoted. Luckily, I was able to avoid giving them my stuff, but if I had, I can't even imagine how much worse off I would have been.

They lie, cheat, and steal. This type of thing could truly lead someone into dire financial distress, and that breaks my heart to even think about. After dealing with this company, I now firmly believe that evil people actually do exist in the world.

Never contract with them. EVER. For ANYTHING.

Move size: Studio Service cost: $2500

DO NOT TRUST INDEPENDENCE VAN LINES

I am sitting and waiting for nearly 7hrs for the moving truck to arrive. I was told they would get here between 10am and 1pm. I called at 1:05 because no one showed up. I was told that 10am-1pm is just an estimate and they could arrive at any time during the day. I called them every hour after and each time it was a different excuse: maybe they got held up at a previous job, maybe they are stuck in traffic, we have no idea where they are, and they're not allowed to be on the phone while they are driving, the only people who can do anything about the situation don't come in until the evening. Absolutely horrible customer service.

When I did get a call back from someone a bit more proactive, I was told the truck was full and I would get postponed to the next day at noon. The problem with that is my flight leaves tomorrow morning. I sold my house and give up the keys tomorrow. This was discussed when I put down my deposit, and I was assured it would not be an issue. They are currently trying to reroute a truck to pick up my boxes, but it is 5pm and I haven't heard any news.

I would never recommend Independence Van Lines. I understand things come up, but a respectable company would be prepared for these types of things especially when it was made clear that today was the last possible day for pick up (they could have come yesterday, but didn't come then either).

EDIT: Independence Van Lines ignored my emails, text messages, and phone calls. When a driver did show up, he said that he was not told that he had to pack anything up and was not prepared to do so and the move would have to be delayed. He also warned that the company was trying to scam me by inflating truck weight so I would have to pay more on delivery. I had to go with a different moving company and IVL will not give me my deposit back even though they are not able to honor our contract.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $1800

Independence is an agent or broker not a moving company. Someone his name was Chris sent me a quote for $2200 and the real moving company that picked my stuff was United transportation. At the time I didn’t add but removed some items United charged me $1000 more and told me there are some charges on delivery. I tried to call that chris many times but noway, he has disappeared. He told me the shipment will be delivered by 01/03 and the shipment is still here as of today 12/31 didn’t move by United. Avoid liars, avoid scam and suspicious activities. My mistake was not reading the reviews about that office or broker, really I don’t know what I call it but I will wire reviews everywhere to help others avoiding them.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3200

Independence Van Lines

STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!!

They are an unethical moving company with predatory business practices.

Unfortunately I lost my job in Dec 2017 and have yet to find employment, which is why I needed their moving service as I was moving back home to live with my mother until I could get back on my feet. Prior to contracting with Independence I packed what I could in boxes and measured all of my non-packable furniture. This resulted in a cubic-foot need of 430 cubic-feet.

On October 3rd, 2018 I called an agent at Independence and we went over my itemized inventory for my two bedroom apartment and he was surprised at how accurate my measurements were. As a result I got a quote of $2,200 for my move from San Diego to New York. The move was scheduled to be done on October 4/5th they didn’t show. I called to complain and cancel but they offered to take an additional $100 off of the cost of my move. So I decided to give them another chance and rescheduled the move for October 8th.

But when the movers arrived all of a sudden my estimated cubic-feet increased to 700 cubic-feet just upon visual inspection, resulting in a $1,000 increase from the original estimate!!

Did I mention I am unemployed and cannot take a $1,000 price increase. Tried to work the issue out with Ray Anderson who claimed he was a supervisor at Independence but he would not budge. As a result I cancelled the move as I could not absorb that drastic of a price increase. Not to mention that I contracted for 450 cubic-feet but the final estimate showed 341 cubic-feet. As a result they kept my deposit of $1,064. Putting me in a position that I cannot recover from. Taking from someone who is unemployed with limited funds is extremely unethical and morally bankrupt. STAY AWAY FROM INDEPENDENCE VAN LINES!!

THIS COMPANY IS EXTREMELY UNETHICAL!
They quote you one price and space usage only to change it once they arrive on location, leaving you with no choice but to come out of pocket with more money and if you choose not to do business with them they will take your deposit. Is it any wonder that they are rated 2 stars on yelp!! Don’t believe the reviews on their website they do not reflect actual customer experience!

STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY
FAR-FAR AWAY!!

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2200

We are pleasantly surprised by the excellent service provided by
Robert's moving crew! They worked very hard to make sure all of our
things were accounted for, even after I reported a missing lamp, they
quickly located it and delivered it to me. I know that mistakes happen
but a company that owns up to them gets an A+ in my book.

if you are hesitating about independence van lines, my suggestion is
to give them a try. You'll get a good price and a company that cares.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4000

If I could give this company negative stars I would. They lied to me about having their own trucks, they are only a broker. They told me I could use a card at pickup, I couldnt. They showed up 5 days late. Original quote was $2100, ended up paying $3200and having to give away a lot of stuff I wanted to keep. I spend hours on the phone with their customer service team who will not do anything for me. When I picked this company I was told my stuff would be brought in 5-7 days. Now I am told 14.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3200

This company is the most unprofessional group of men I have ever dealt with in my life. It is one office with about 5 men and one phone number. They are brokers who find mover’s to pick up and deliver the move. I requested a quote online and was contacted by Robert. I made it clear to Robert that I was relocating with my company and needed to put this move on my company credit card. Robert assured me that this would not be a problem. But then all the sudden it began to be a problem. I had to put $892 the deposit to be drafted out of my personal checking account but the rest would be able to be put on the credit card. My original estimate was $1892. Minus the $892 from my personal account. I owed $1000. The movers were supposed to show up at noon on Saturday and I never heard a word. So I contacted Independence and got in touch with Max because of course Robert is nowhere to be found because he collected his commission and he is gone. Max was a complete ass from the beginning. I asked when to expect them and how to reach them. He gave me a number and told me to call them. I asked why he wasn’t handleing this since they had already been paid and he said I needed to call since it was my move. Can you imagine? I got in touch with the movers and they were coming Sunday at noon. Well they didn’t show up until 3:30 on Sunday. Got everything loaded and then told me that my cost had gone up to $2900. And that I could only pay cash, money order, or cashiers check. It’s sunday and all banks are closed. All I had was $250 cash on me. So now I’m out another $250 personally. With the price going up as well. Today Monday I have been trying to get in touch with a supervisor with independence and one does not exsist. This company is nothing but liars and cheaters. I will be contacting the BBB and my attorney.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2900

These are top notch movers that really know what they're going. The driver arrived early with a two man crew and they took great care in loading all of my belongings. The price was great no complaints here. I was able to negotiate some discounts so I recommend trying to do that.

All of my stuff arrived in perfect condition and the guys kept in touch with me at each part of the move. This is how an interstate move should look like and i'm happy with the results. A big thank you to Independence Van Lines for moving my things safely and quickly.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2400

I'm thrilled with the great moving experience offered by independence van lines. The moving crew worked hard into the late afternoon hours to quickly pack my stuff from my 3 bedroom apartment. They did a great job and the truck just arrived on time. I'm unpacking my stuff and everything looks good. No complaints -- they give a good price too. It was lower than the next 3 competitors in the area, so I obiviously went with independence and don't regret my decision one bit.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4000

If I count, their lies, it will be more than 50+

1) They took the inventory of items in our 2 bedroom house, and estimated the cubic footage to be 360 cu foot. I objected saying it will be more than 600cu ft. Then they said they go by weight & as long as it doesn't cross 3000 pounds, we are good.

2) They wanted us to pay the deposit through checking account, though I insisted on credit card payment. They said the only option is through check payment

3) They lied saying they are a moving company not a broker company. They are absolute broker company with only motive of cheating and getting money.

4) When we said the best quote we had was $1900, they said they will do it for $1700. They promised lot of things like: free disassembly and assembly of beds, wall mounted TV, delivery of packing boxes, bubble wrap, 6 hanging boxes and other packing supplies 1 week before for "free" - NOT EVEN 1 THING FULFILLED. Everything is a lie.

5) They listed treadmill, didn't tell about any additional fee

6) They promise 1000 things till you pay through bank account. After that never respond and even if they do, they talk uttermost worst language (what more can you expect from a bogus company like this)?

7) The scheduled pickup is on Sunday 12-3pm and the movers arrived at 11PM when everyone in the community is in deep sleep.

8) The high drama began here:
Before they start moving, I asked the driver and move in-charge, to walk around the house to plan.

9) He said there are lot more items than listed. We had some lose items, which were not put in boxes but left as they were like leg massager etc, but we didn't cross the listed inventory. Though we asked, what's extra, the driver didn't want to go over with me on inventory

10) They asked $7000 for moving the items. Told us it's extra for mounting and unmounting TV, disassembly and assembly of beds etc. Also told us additional fee for stairs (we listed our house to be town house with basement and 2nd floor. The sales guy didn't tell any fee for stairs).

11) The driver said they go by cubic feet and it occupies 1900 cubic feet (can anyone believe that 2 bedroom town home of 1000 sft, will have stuff worth 1900 cubic feet?)

12) Driver has an old quote, which doesn't list many items. So finally, I have the driver 2 options: a) go over the items and tell what's extra b) Take only that were listed in the itinerary. He denied both and left.

13) The person who talked to us so nicely till we paid, was disconnecting our calls and transferring to other person and they talk very very rough.

14) They refused to pay our deposit of $770. Btw sales guy promised that it will be returned in case if we want to cancel the move etc )but not in contract.

15) They refused to agree what's promised on phone, they refer to contract now. When we say Chris promised this, they say Chris is out of it, he doesn't have access to your file. When I say 'can I talk to your manager', the reply is: "I am the owner of the company".

16) We had to find another moving company after 2 days of calls with them and no resolution from them etc

17) They just don't want to resolve anything simply eat free money and live with it. HOW WOULD IT DIGEST FOR THEM, THEIR KIDS AND FAMILY? WONT GOD PUNISH THEM FOR ALL THEIR FRAUD BUSINESS?

Caution if you still want to fall in their cheap quote trap:
1) Never believe what's talked to you. Make sure every single item is in contract (cubic footage, weight, all the items listed etc)
2) Never pay with bank account and routing number, bank will not refund
3) Don't believe the 4 star ratings on this company- all are fake, not real people (check on social media). It's just a cheating company
4) Finally be ready to lose money and ur items, mental peace etc.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $1700

** They are brokers, they have no responsible for the delivered day or missing Goods! They sell your business out to a mover. Their job is to pick up the phone and talk what you like to hear, and rush to get commission!! **

Before you choose the moving company, Read the company information on BBB, They are brokers and they started the business on 03/16/2018

https://www.bbb.org/us/fl/fort-lauderdale/profile/moving-brokers/independence-van-lines-0633-90415056/details

It's the complaints about IVL on BBB:
https://www.bbb.org/us/fl/fort-lauderdale/profile/moving-brokers/independence-van-lines-0633-90415056/complaints

Below is my experience with Independence Van lines ( IVL):

7/17/2018: Contacted Independence Van Lines. Jordan Blackman estimated the price for $1500, We requested loading date on 7/18--7/19
07/27/2018: The driver named Sherman showed up at Chamgaign IL, The price went up to $2200.
09/04/2018: We kept call and call, after 40 days, finally delivered at Tickfaw LA
09/22/2018: Since nobody was at home to uppacking until 09/17,I realized missing boxes and loss goods. Contacted Jordan Blackman with phone. He let me email him with the list of goods missing and said he will contact the driver. after one week, I called him again, he said" I could not get in touvh with him, you cell him." I called the driver several times, finally he picked up the phone, he said," I contacted the warehouse, they have not gaven me a answer, I am only a driver and work for the brokers, you need to contact them."
10/10. Emailed to Jordan Blackman again, I got his email back," I am working on finding it for you."
10/17. Called the phone list on website 1-888-254-3494. Jordan Blackman picked up the phone, he said," I have not had a chance to do the claim. I will do it soon.No worries"
10/18. Call 954-237-3600, Mr. Mark picked up the phone and he transfered me to Mr. Ray. I am not sure if he is a customer service. The company seems no manager or customer service. He said," We are brokers, you need to contact the driver." I said," 8 out of 10 times the driver didn't answer the phone, also he told me I need to contact you." Ray said," I already told you who you should contact to, the driver did not pick up the phone is not our fault. You signed the contact with E&S Moving systems LLG , the driver Sherman, not us. We are only brokers". Well, Why first time they did not tell us they are only brokers. Now we lost goods, He emphasized they are only brokers!! ..I searched online about E&S Moving systems LLG which we have no idea who he is. I found the company list the phone number is the driver, Sherman's cell phone. No Wonder, He and his wife delivered our stuff. So It's a so called company with only the driver and his wife!! How can I speak with the company If the owner, also the driver does not pick up his cell phone?
10/24 I called 888-254-3494, Tyler Hanson picked up the phone, he said he is customer service, he said he is trying to find the driver. I need to be patient!
11/6 I called 888-254-3494, One lady picked up the phone she said she is customer service. She told me I should call the driver, because we had the contract with him, not them. I asked her," So what did your company do? You got $755 from us, gave the business to the driver, That is all? That $755 was so easy to make!". She said," If you don't want to talk, then I have to put you to a hold. " She did. I had to dial the phone again. Tyler Hanson picked up the phone. He said," Ok, I am giving you a phone number to claim." I wrote down the phone number, I realized he gave me the driver's phone number again!

I found E&S moving systems on BBB:
https://www.bbb.org/us/al/mobile/profile/moving-companies/e-s-moving-systems-0463-90150806/complaints.

Move size: Studio Service cost: $2200

I love the service offered by Independence Van Lines. The guys were very helpful and the quote was accurate when you take into account all of my stuff (i have a ton of things!) I read the contract carefully and there were no issues whatsoever. I'm a musician so I have instruments and the guys were careful with my fragile items, which I appreciate very much.

I can tell you that from my experience, you can trust independence van lines with all of your items. They are a legitimate moving company that truly care about the well-being of the customer!

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $6000

I would not hire this company again if they paid me! The move was ALL about their convenience, has little to do with what you want or need. So it ended up costing us almost $12,000 to move 800 miles and they damaged or lost parts to more than half our possessions. If I had to do it again I would sell or give away my furniture and buy new at the other end! When they finally show up to deliver your stuff they will not unload until you have paid them in cash or with a postal money order, they will not accept a credit card or cashiers check. (That alone speaks to their business practices.)
Do yourself a big favor, DO NOT hire this company!

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $11500

After reading the reviews for this company on many sites I definitely got nervous. But they at least gave me an idea of what to watch out for. I was quoted a price and when the moving company got there it was significantly higher than what I was quoted but I was quoted in pounds the company charged in cubic feet. They also say on the paperwork that this is an estimate. I felt like overall their customer service was better than I expected. I found that both independence and the company they contracted the work out to were easy to get ahold of and would communicate whenever their was update. Overall though, I do wish I would've looked more into a bigger moving company because some of how Independence went about stuff seemed a lit uncomfortable to me.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3600