Kingsway Van Lines Inc

I can't describe enough how disappointed I was with this company! First thing the day before the move was supposed to happen I got no phone call to when the truck was supposed to arrive. I had to call them several times. And of course, late in the day, I get a phone call saying that there truck broke down and can't come until the next day when I had plans to leave the day of the move. The had absolutely no backup plan and wouldn't even give me a discount or anything. My quote for the move was 1025$! And a cold days after they picked my stuff up they emailed me saying that my stuffed weighed 5300 pounds and that I owed them 3500$! I weighed my stuff prior and had a little over 2000 pounds. Just ridiculous and complete fraud! Do not use Kingsway Van Lines! I called them about all this and said they can go to the next weigh station but there going to charge me an extra 200$ for a resale fee! Crazy! After 6 days they finally arrive unprofessionally swearing. The driver asked were all the stuff was going which was up a couple stairs in a garage for storage. He said well I'm going to have to charge you extra for that. Another 200$. I said no I'm not paying that and he insulted me about it. And they just dropped everything right out front. Worts experience ever! I hope everyone reads this and use a different company! Total fraud! And on top of all that many things were damaged behind repair! Didn't take care of anything whatso ever!

Service cost: $3400

I was moving from Kitchener Ontario to Burnaby BC. After extensive emailing, researching each company status with the Better Business Bureau, and reading online reviews, I decided to book with Canadian moving systems. I forwarded the information to my father-in-law since he was going to be the contact person as I was already in BC and he was paying for the move. Eva McDonald was our contact person with Canadian Moving systems, she sent my father a secondary quote with all of the terms and conditions, there was one small change which we did not notice where it listed the carrier as Kingsway movers. It is the contention of the general manager Kingsway that the liabilities, thier insurance works, and additional insurance options were discussed with my father-in-law, at no point was this ever discussed nor were any additional insurance options offered. There is one sentence on the contract where it says some sort of replacement insurance is available, but my in-laws did not see it, nor was it ever discussed. A few days before the move my in-laws were contacted to let them know a phone call would be made to give them an exact time for the pick up. My in-laws contacted Canadian moving systems after that to be told that from now on Kingsway would be there contact. Kingsway met my father-in-law at the storage unit very quickly moved all the stuff give them some papers to sign and left. My father-in-law maintains that at no point was he given adequate time to read any of this information. Although the terms and conditions of liability were listed in the contract Maya Bloom insists that we had insurance discussed with us, this was never the case, we were not aware nor was any additional insurance offered. When it came time to receive my goods a van with the name Vega line on the side arrived. I was immediately concerned because they the line was one of the companies I had researched with 90 complaints in three years I never would've allowed them to move my goods. The gentleman came upstairs and asked where they would be putting stuff, I showed them an area in the kitchen. When one of the gentleman was moving the very large tower boxes, one of the boxes almost dropped and I caught it. I heard the sound of broken contents so I need at the opened the box which was clearly marked fragile. The entire contents of the box, my dishes, was shattered to pieces. I then started to open the other fragile boxes and noted the more damage. I ask the movers to note the damage on the inventory for the contract they refused stating that I was not their customer, they did not work for Kingsway therefore they were not liable and refused to sign anything. They tried to leave with my contract and would not give it to me, I had to remove it from the clipboard and ask them to leave my house. After going through each and every box carefully and slowly for a few days after, I noted over $1300 in damage. This is including three boxes that are still missing and Maya Bloom insists were delivered. She maintains the tags must've fallen off, to which my response was if there was no tags on the boxes how do you know where they went? Kingsway maintains that my total weight was 1500 pounds, there is absolutely no way that is possible. It was 38 household boxes with basic household goods including boxes filled with filing boxes and a few papers, one box just had martini glasses, and other boxes had things like towels sheets and lamps. They sent me a scale ticket , but I have since learned through other people have contacted me regarding their disputes at Kingsway that a number of people have had issues with the weight of goods that Kingsway has provided. You need to ask to be present during the weigh. I did not know this was an option, and I will be disputing my weight as well. I called Kingsway rather upset at the treatment of the movers, there are unprofessional behavior, and the damaged goods. I was told to file a claim. Maya Bloom insisted that the movers did not work for Vega line and were in fact her employees. In an email she swore to me that they were her employees, and that they had bought the truck from Vega Line since it was going out of business. She also told me that she would take full responsibility for the move. I contacted Vega line myself on two separate occasions and they confirmed for me that yes they were indeed subcontracted to do my move. They also confirmed for me that no they were not going out of business and we're not selling off trucks as part of going out of business. The manager I spoke to was very fearful of being named and did not wish to put anything in writing but assured me that he would tell the truth if need be. Maya Bloom insists that because we signed a contract where their liability is put in writing that she is only liable for $.60 a pound, that I am responsible for the deductible, and that since we refused additional insurance after a discussion which never took place that I will get very little. I dispute that we were ever offered additional insurance in spite of the fact that there is some print on the contract. It seems to me that the terms and conditions of the contract should be as Maya Bloom insisted has already happened, discussed. It was never explained that replacement insurance was available, or we would have used it. Regardless of the insurance, terms and conditions, and liability I'm still holding Kingsway responsible for all the damage. According to the highway traffic act, Kingsway movers would be responsible if they were negligent. At this point I maintain they are responsible due to negligence because they subcontracted my delivery to an extremely disreputable company with a D rating on the Better Business Bureau and 90 complaints in three years. As a consumer I believe I have a reasonable expectation that my goods will be delivered by the company that I contract, and if they decide to subcontract that move, they should do so with a company which of similar reputation and standing, to subcontract to such a disreputable company is negligent. I have filed a similar complaint against Canadian Moving Systems as advised by several counselors with the Better Business Bureau.I am more than happy to share any information I have, and offer any advice I may have, and more than happy to share my information about filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. A number of other frustrated and unhappy Kingsway customers have contacted me and we are also in communication in regards to our common interests. If you would like any additional information please contact me. Things I have learned from this move. Ask a lot of questions, this moving company is not going to be 100% forthright and upfront with you about the hidden fees, liabilities etc. ask if they are going to subcontract your move and to whom. Demand to be present when they weigh your goods. And if you have the option of using any other moving company, do it. Saving a little bit of money is not worth the amount of headaches, damage, poor treatment, and aggravation that you will have to go through if you book through Kingsway.  Sent from my iPad.

Service cost: $1600

My partner and I moved in August. The company we booked with turned out to be an agent (this was not disclosed during booking) and we ended up moving with Kingsway Van Lines. I have contacted the initial company, Canadian Moving Systems, repeatedly over 2 weeks through phone and email but have had no response. After several attempts, I heard back from Kingsway and voiced my concerns. Our shipment weighed in at double the correct weight and was not reweighed.  When I contacted Kingsway about the obvious mistake/inaccuracy of the weigh in I was blamed. The agent implied that I was lying and cited items that would easily make up that weight.. items that were not in my shipment! I have yet to be given a copy of the scale receipt and my concerns were not taken seriously. My final total was near double my estimate. I do not know where my shipment was weighed but I was not able to have it reweighed and the driver had no scale ticket to show me. The GM assured me she would send me a copy once the driver arrived back in Ontario, however the driver clearly told me that he had no record of the weigh in. Along with these obvious issues several pieces of my furniture were badly damaged. Some of the damage would be impossible without excessive or unnecessary force used, and should not have been possible given that the pieces were 'securely wrapped' by the company. I bought a mattress protecter from them directly for superior protection, yet somehow it was ripped through and my mattress stained. During unloading I witnessed one mover roughly knock two boxes marked 'fragile'  off the top of a tall pile (falling a good 5.5 ft) and leave them on the ground while the movers walked around them for several trips. I am extremely disappointed in both the service provided by Kingsway as well as the customer service, as no effort has been made to resolve my issues and instead I have been met with hostility and condescension. Please take the poor reviews very seriously and stay away from this company. I wish I had known that I would be moving with this company, as I would never have booked. If you care about your belongings, time, and your wallet please heed the warning and look elsewhere.    .

Service cost: $1500

As most people do, we researched prices versus reviews on the internet before choosing a moving company. We narrowed the list down to Kingsway. The original quote was for moving a 2 bedroom apartment and was around $1500. The main question I asked was "Do you subcontract?". The answer was a definite NO. The pickup was delayed from Saturday morning to Sunday evening at 11:30. They left the apartment at 3:00 AM Monday morning. The excuse from the moving company was mechanical failures. The movers complained constantly that our boxes were too heavy and that they had been working since 3 AM Sunday morning. They also told us that they were not Kingsway and the problem with the delay was due to over booking. Our belongings were pushed and shoved into the back of the truck leaving barely enough room to close the doors. We got a call on Thursday stating that our belongings would be delivered Friday late or Saturday early. I got a call Friday stating that there was a delay due to mechanical failure and that my belongings would arrive late Saturday evening. The truck arrived Saturday around 3 PM. I was alone that day and was asked by the movers to unwrap the blackets so that they could unload faster. I was unable to check off the items, so I'm still not sure if anything is missing. Boxes were crushed, wet and dirty. The delivery company was not Kingsway and according to them, the delays were due to overbooking. My new upright freezer was scratched dented and creased on five of six sides but since they pay out 20 cents per pound, it's not worth filling out the paper work. You have ten days from delivery to file a claim even though today on the 12th day, I still have unpacked boxes. The final price was $3,245.53 which includes a 3% surcharge for using a credit card.

Service cost: $3245

  Last July,  I searched for a moving company to ship my items from Ontario to Alberta. I moved the same items a year before, and the weight was nearly 1,100 Ib. I was approached by  Kingsway Van Lines  through a moving the agency (Move it.ca). Three other companies also offered the move for similar rate. I decided to go with Kingsway,  as they had more flexible pick up dates. It was the worst decision I ever made in my life !!.  Over the past 25 years or so, I have been moving across Canada and this was the worst move I ever had. I do not recommend Kingsway Van Lines to any person. They should be banned to offer moving service to the public.        The dilemma is summarized as follow;     - Kingsway provided an estimate (1000 Ib) by phone followed by a confirmation E-mail.       - My shipment was loaded and all items were labelled in a. packing list (with no Company logo or address).   - Kingsway stores the shipment at their warehouse in Toronto and evaluate its content very carefully.     - They  provided estimated delivery date (5-10 days) and sent me a fake scaling ticket showing double the actual weight (2,340 Ib).     - I requested to re-scale the shipment. They refused  and pretended they are busy and no time for that.       - They abuse the situation and bargain the weight. The search the shipment very carefully and base their fees  accordingly.   - It took me about 10 weeks to settle the matter and deliver the shipment to my destination.  Unfortunately by that time I purchased most of the furniture I shipped !! and the losses was significant     - The shipment was delivered with missing items and damaged content. Kingsway claimed that they are not responsible for damages or losses.   Based on my experience with Kingsway, I advise everyone not to trust this mover by any mean. Their service is based on lies, frauds, and unethical attitude.

Service cost: $2500

Beware! You will be quoted a reasonable price based on a list of inventory you send in which is apparently based on a weight chart. The weight will be drastically more when they apparently weigh the shipment after they take your stuff away. There is no proof of this weight. Expect to pay at least three times the quote. You will be assured that your belongings will be protected with ample moving blankets, etc. You will then be told to pay ($730 for us) additional money for bubble wrapping, etc. You will be told not to worry about damage because there is a good claims process if it does happen, but that damage is unlikely because of the care and process they use. You will be told of the cost for insurance, but that it isn't necessary. You will be assured that storage will be climate controlled and given a reasonable storage fee, which will also increase by the weight they assign after taking your furniture away. Then you will see the moisture damage on wood finishes when you get your stuff back. Worst of all, your furniture will come back to you badly damaged. Even their own subcontract guys couldn't believe the extent of the damage on the truck upon arriving at our place. You will even be missing some items completely. You will use the claim process. They will stall and not even reply until you hound them, and finally offer you an unreasonable amount based on weight ($75.00 in our case for over $3000.00 worth of damages and stolen items). They wont send an adjuster or look at photos. They will not take responsibility for missing or stolen items either.  After having moved five times over 25 years, this was the most expensive and disappointing move of all, and trying to deal with them after they have your money (over $8,400.00 in our case) they could care less. They are careless! Don't you be.       .

Service cost: $8404

Dishonest movers! Between pick-up and delivery, the weight of our stuff magically doubled(from 1000lbs to 1900lbs)! We weigh everything carefully (my wife works in shipping) and we get approximately 1000lbs of stuff we were moving from Montreal to Vancouver. We have never been told when the truck going to arrived, and when he arrived without notice our stuff weight was magically 1900lbs(plus charges we never heard of before delivery)! We called the head office that threatens us to charge us for making the movers waits, with also additional charges for a second delivery and a rescaling if we refused to pay! As they refuse to give us our stuff previous payment, we were completely hostages for them as they got all our belongings.We are sure of the weights of our stuff, they are completely dishonest and corrupted! Do not move with these thieves!

Service cost: $1400

This company should be shut down. The worst experience I have ever had. They quoted my move at 1800 dollars and it ended up being 4600 dollars and they would not release my belongings until I paid their outrageous mark up. The manager in Ontario was possibly the most ignorant, useless, idiotic human being I have ever encountered. These people are extortionists and have no business ethic whatsoever. Do not use this moving company if you value your belongings. Half of my stuff was damaged or missing and trying to deal with these crooks was the most frustrating experience I have ever had.

Service cost: $4800

TERRIBLE! They don’t deserve 1 star! I would not recommend using this company unless you enjoy having things lost and broken, dealing with incompetent people and being lied to. The reps are rude, have no interest in their clients and send generic emails without actually looking into the files. From the beginning we had nothing but problems with them. They changed our pickup date without notifying us and when we advised them that wouldn’t be possible due to our lease termination they sent a subcontractor. The movers were supposed to show up at 11am. They showed up 16 hours late at 3 a.m., woke up the entire apartment building by yelling in the staircase and did not leave till after 6 a.m. They also showed up with a truck that was ¾ full from a previous move and told us that if all our items did not fit in the truck it wasn’t their problem. We asked them for an approximate weight calculation and they said 4500 lbs. All our items and boxes were pre-weighed and we knew we had an approximate of 2500 lbs. Liz promised us that all items were scaled after being unloaded off the truck. We were quite surprised to receive an invoice stating that our shipment weighed 4800 lbs. We disputed it and were guaranteed that our items would be rescaled upon delivery with us present. Two weeks later we received an email saying our items were reweighed and the weight was 2600 lbs and they were “sorry” the scale was “defective.” This happened after several emails and phone calls going nowhere. Liz promised me that my Trek road bike valued at $1950 USD would be packaged and wrapped in the warehouse as I complained the movers simply through it into the truck like a sack of potatoes. The bike was never wrapped nor packaged. Upon delivery we were presented with extra charges for storage on the invoice. It took 3 months to get a refund. We never received a proper invoice. Several boxes were crushed. My bike frame was scratched. Dishes and serving ware were broken even if they were well bubble wrapped. Furniture was scratched even if it was wrapped in cellophane. Several boxes containing rollerblades, ice skates, shoes and books are missing. After several attempts of contacting them and going in circles we have simply given up dealing with them. They are unprofessional, rude and try to twist everything and blame the client. I would not recommend this moving company to anyone. When we moved our stuff out of storage in Moncton and to our apartment in Montreal we rented a Uhaul, carefully loaded it and drove it the 1000km. It cost us $600 less than with Kingsway and was completely stress free. Avoid this company as you would avoid bed bugs and the plague!

Service cost: $2500