Long Distance Relocation Services

I can’t even give one star! Signed contract for a move from California to Indiana for my disabled mother 3 months in advance.. deposit given and a guarantee the movers would have her things loaded no later the 5-2-2018.. hours between 11-4pm, NO CALL, NO SHOW! Every excuse in world given, not realizing communication goes a long way!! Today I’m told there is nobody out there , have no answers and I have been forced to ask for my full refund. I am now having to find another moving company LAST MINUTE and in a hurry! I would not recommend this company to anyone, there wonderful when it’s time to collect deposit, communication and customer service there after is little to be desired or proud of!

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $1649

Great communication, great pricing, great service. That sums up my experience with Long Distance Relocation Services. I was moving from Virginia to New Hampshire after getting married and needed a reliable company to handle a lot of valuable and fragile items from my 3-bedroom home. These guys came highly recommended by a number of my friends and colleagues and I am happy to report that they deserve every bit of that praise.
Movers were punctual, polite and hardworking. All my queries were handled by Blake from their office. I highly recommend Long Distance Relocation Services.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4800

This was our first married move and we should have gone with a reputable company. We were very flexible and changed the pick up day for the company. Then they tried to arrive a day early, but I wasn't available. The day of we had to beg them to list the items and to let me check marks on the boxes. They also refused to box our mattress. When it got to the end, our "binding" cost was 1.5x the estimate based on poor estimate on their size and fishy wording on the contract. When they went to deliver, they tried to come a day early, before we even had a key. The staff yelled at both my husband and I for not being available when they were. When I called customer service about all of these issues, they were beyond rude. Additionally, my triathlon bike was missing and the mattress that I wanted boxed was ruined. Unlike reputable companies, there were only 2 options for insurance: 1) weight based 2) value based, but instead of being a few hundred, it was several thousand $$ extra for just in case. The total cost of our move with everything damaged and lost was double our estimate. We are on a tight budget with our first baby on the way- this was devastating for us.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $8300

I contacted several companies on a move and the quote was the most cost effective with Long Distance Relocation Group. I decide to use these guys but as they loaded my goods into there truck the raised the price on my move, by double the price. As I had already left the state I could not get someone else to move and they already packed my stuff into there truck. I felt like it was a bait and switch and my stuff was being held up for ransom. I will never use these guys for moving anything. I will suggest that you have them give you an actual quote before they arrive as you never deal with the person who picks up your stuff or the one who drops it off. Buyer beware of there shifty tactics and dealings. As well a they broke several items during the move and they all blame the other movers. Not a good way to do business.
Signed a not satisfied customer.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5600

We had a terrible experience with our move to Sacramento from Baltimore with Long Distance Relocation Services (LDRS). Stay away and find another mover! We did our due diligence researching moving companies, including reviews on My Moving Reviews, Yelp and Home Advisor; looking at the FTC ratings; and comparing mileage charges, packing charges, estimating inventory etc. We interviewed half a dozen companies, including one that did an on-site walk through (which we believe we should have selected as their estimate would have been closest to actual). On moving day with LDRS, they almost immediately required us to sign paperwork agreeing to a 50% increase in moving charges - thousands of dollars above the agreed upon price - placing us in a take-it-or-leave it situation: agree to the additional charges or have our carefully laid moving plans completely disrupted. Because I needed to travel across the country and start a new job, I essentially had no choice but to pay the thousands extra LDRS demanded. It was a sign of what was to come.

The move itself was quite chaotic and it was difficult to keep track of things. LDRS did not label the boxes or keep any kind of inventory about what was inside, so we were unable to review their work. We did find cupboards that were unpacked, and they hastily packed them up. What we did not realize is that they hid our rolled up Persian rugs in the basement rather than loading them on the truck. Obviously, this was done to save the weight, but these valuable possessions were left on the East Coast and, not only did we have no way to get them to California, LDRS refused to provide compensation for the loss.

But that is just part of our moving horror story with LDRS. We were disappointed but not surprised when LDRS told us the truck with our goods would not arrive until the very last day of the delivery window. We were extremely dismayed when we received only partial shipment on that date. Our contract provided for them to set up our two beds for us on arrival. However, there was no way to tell what was in any particular box nor what was on the first versus the missing shipment, so they did not set up our beds. Furthermore, we never received all the pieces to one of our beds. It was a quality piece of furniture and it arrived broken, and we never did receive the split box spring that was part of it, nor did LDRS take responsibility for the damage or the loss. (How does a professional mover “lose” a box spring?) Assurances that they "searched the warehouse" and missing items "should be on the next truck” proved false. We set up our own beds after securing a piece of plywood for the broken bed - at our own expense, of course.

If only that were the end of the problems. LDRS seemed to have selected what they wanted to steal from among our possessions, for example, our brand new printer/scanner for our home-based business; brand new iPod speaker and headphones; art, another rug, and more. Many items were broken and damaged. I even gashed my hand on broken glass while reaching in to unpack a box.

The worst was not over. LDRS specializes in the most antagonistic, rude, stonewalling, frustrating "customer service” experience ever. Paula in particular seems to pride herself in being the most unyielding, unreasonable, unfeeling gatekeeper in this world. It was never about seeking a fair and honest resolution for LDRS, but rather about finding a way to “just say no.” This went on for nearly a year, and if we had the time and money, we would have hired a lawyer to take them on, but with just moving and starting a new job who has the financial and energy resources to do this? Their business model relies on the fact that eventually, after months of back-and-forth, the consumer is worn down and will settle for another paltry LDRS take-it-or-leave-it deal as we did, after all our efforts to document and negotiate hit the continual LDRS brick wall. It was stressful to the point of tears, dishonest and grossly unfair.

LDRS will “disappear” your belongings without taking any responsibility for your loss. They will not take care of you or your possessions, and whatever they break, damage or steal, you will fight long and hard to get pennies to the pound. Also, beware that if you submit a claim and subsequently discover another loss, they will refuse to allow you to add it even though they have not yet paid or even approved the claim, and although it is not written on any of the paperwork nor orally communicated at any point that this is their hard-and-fast rule.
Moving is difficult enough. Do not do this to yourself - go with a reputable company that specializes in moving households, and has a long, positive track record of standing by their work. Neither of those things describe LDRS. They are HORRIBLE.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $12000

Moves scare me, especially because of a number of negative experiences I’ve had personally and also because of the horror stories that are always floating around. Over the years, I’ve learnt to separate the good from the seemingly good – Long Distance Relocation Services is definitely one of the best!
The pricing is reasonable, the staff are friendly (business manager Joy and movers, Nick and Jason), the packing material is of good quality and they keep to their schedules. If more movers operated like this, the industry wouldn’t have such a bad reputation sometimes!

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3600

This is going to be a long review because of the lengths this company went to in order to extort money from me under great duress. First and foremost, I would urge you to seek another company immediately. Long Distance Relocation Services (hereinafter “LDRS”) has customer service representatives that are very convincing. My father used to tell me that a dumb person goes through life making mistakes, never gaining any knowledge from it; a smart person goes through life, makes a mistake and gains valuable knowledge so they do not make that mistake again; and a WISE person learns from the mistakes of others. Please be wise if you are considering the use of this company.

First, please note that the “five star ratings” listed above are repeats. Look at the avatar pictures for the people leaving comments. Several have left two or more ratings and they are the same person (just look at the pics next to the name). The rating is inflated. Trust me. I found out the hard way.

I researched the cost to move myself via self-move companies (price of the truck, cost to trailer my vehicle, cost to have movers load and unload the truck) and I was looking at approximately $2,500.00 for the move. Plus, I would have the added stress of driving myself, my two dogs and my trailered car ten hours to my new home. Stressful, yes. However, it was feasible.

On July 3, 2018, I was contacted by “Angelo” with LDRS for a quote on my move from Indiana to Virginia. I was provided a quote for $4,580.00. However, because he knew I was on a budget, he was going to give me a discount on the Tariff percentage “to help me out.” The quote he provided to me, after going through a list of furnishings I had, was $3,426.00. It was $1,000.00 more than the DIY route. However, he assured me all my belongings would be wrapped, well cared for, LDRS was not a brokerage company that would hand off my belongings to another carrier, they were rated as an “Elite Member” with the Better Business Bureau, and it would alleviate the stress and worry of having to trailer my car, move, drive, and deal with dogs. For $1,000.00, I considered what my time was worth, the stress of the travel, I researched the BBB site he provide to me (fake) etc., and decided I would proceed with LDRS. On this date, I provided a deposit of $1,269.00; leaving a balance of $2,157.00. It was explained that one-half of the balance was due at pick up and the remaining balance was due at drop off.

The estimate states:

THIS IS A BINDING-NOT-TO-EXCEED ESTIMATE BASED ON CUBIC FT. OR WEIGHT. IF THE LOAD CUBIC FT/WEIGHT IS HIGHER THEN THE ESTIMATE, THE CUSTOMER SHALL PAY THE SAME RATE FOR TRANSPORTATION PER CUBIC FT/LB AGREED UPON AT BOOKING. IF THE LOAD CUBIC FT/WEIGHT. IS LESS YOU WILL RECEIVE A CREDIT OF THE DIFFERENCE. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THIS IS CUSTOMER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO NOTIFY THE COMPANY OF ANY CHANGES TO THE ESTIMATE. IF YOUR MOVING DATES ARE BETWEEN 25TH AND THE 5TH OF THE MONTH PEAK SEASONAL RATES MAY APPLY.

In reading this, you would believe that the quote was binding. You would be incorrect.

On July 13, 2018, I received a call from “Quality Assurance” to go over my list of property again. Based upon the conversation with the QA representative, I was sent a second quote, which increased my move to $5,171.00 with and additional deposit of $348.00 due immediately to book the truck. When I asked about the quote increase, I was told it was better to overestimate because I could count on money back from the company if I didn’t use all the space. When I asked her how I would know what space I used, the QA rep indicated it would be “clearly marked” on the truck so there was no question as to the cubic feet my property utilized.

At this point, I had serious alarm bells going off. I was provided an initial quote and now, it was being changed. I should have listened to my inner voice and pulled out of the deal. However, because my move was scheduled for less than seven days out, if I had cancelled at that time, I was informed I would not get my deposit back. I had no choice but to proceed. Now my quote (with a courtesy discount) was for $4,098.00 and I had paid a deposit to date of $1,617.00; leaving me a balance of $2,481.00 (half due at pick up; half due at drop off).

I was informed my scheduled pick up would be July 19, 2018 between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. The truck did not arrive until 2:00 p.m. When the movers came in, I was greeted by “George,” who was going to go over the contract with me in detail and get further information from me. He asked me to show him what was being moved. I took him room by room and pointed out everything that had to be moved (primarily furniture) and I told him that the boxes I had packed could wait if needed. He explained to me that if I exceeded the cubic feet in the quote, they would have to charge me more for the space. I very clearly told him that I did not want to exceed the quoted space as I could not afford a higher move cost. I instructed him to load all the large furniture onto the truck first and that the boxes should go on last.

He and his partner (it was a two man crew) began taking out my larger furniture. Some boxes were taken out to “make room to wrap my furniture” so it was not damaged during the move. The quote tells you that furniture pads are included. However, it does not tell you clearly that if the movers use tape to secure the pad, they charge you $4.00 per roll to do so…and they use a lot of tape. Additionally, you will be charged for labor costs while they are wrapping your furniture in “free” padding.

I was unaware that the movers were taking all of my big furniture out to the driveway and not loading it on the truck. I was inside, finishing the boxes that were coming with me separately as I would be without my belongings for up to ten days. After an hour or so, I went out to look at the truck and what was in it. Imagine my surprise when I walked out and saw all my large furniture wrapped and sitting in my driveway. When I asked where all the boxes had gone, I was informed they were loaded on the truck already. I was then told by George, that all of my furniture in the driveway would not fit within the quoted cubic feet as the boxes had already taken up over 400 cubic feet of space in the truck. He informed me that I had a decision to make. He could take a couple of my bigger items and fill it to the quoted 773 cubic feet. Or, I could enter into another contract for 1100 cubic feet of space, which would accommodate all of my furnishings and boxes, however, it would be considerably more. He then sat on the back of the truck and said: “I’ll give you a couple minutes to talk. You have a decision to make.”

As I walked past all of my large furniture, I realized there was no way to get that much furniture in the back of the truck my boyfriend had brought to help with the move. I was furious. I called the Customer Service line of LDRS and I spoke with “Michael” as Angelo was unavailable. I told him of the situation and that I felt I was being extorted. I had instructed the movers NOT to put the boxes on until the end as I needed my large furniture moved. Michael told me he was going to see what was going on and put me on hold. During my hold, I was disconnected. Try as I might, I could not get a live human being back on the phone to discuss this with me. I left several urgent messages to please have someone call me immediately. No phone calls were returned to me.

After approximately five minutes, George sauntered back into my home and informed me that he could not stay all night. He needed a decision from me. I asked him to remove the boxes from the truck and put my furniture on as previously discussed. He refused to do so. He stated that he was “paid to put things in the truck but to take them off would be another job you will have to pay me for.” He then produced another contract for the 1100 cubic feet of space on the truck and told me I needed to make a decision. He could take a couple more of my belongings and leave me to deal with the rest (which they also would not move back inside). Or, I could enter into a contract for $5,610.00 to complete my move. With my deposit of $1,617.00 already paid, I would have a balance of $4,000.00; $2,000.00 payable immediately and $2,000.00 payable upon delivery. The final cost was over double what I was originally quoted in my “binding quote.”

At this point, I had no other choice but to agree to the increased cost. I was due in Virginia to begin a new job on July 25, 2018; I had no way to get my large furniture to my new residence without incurring large costs; and I had no way to get my property already loaded onto the truck off. I truly felt like I was being robbed in my own home. It was presented as: “Pay extra or else…”

On the morning of July 21, 2018, I received a call from “Brandy” in customer service who was returning my call regarding the move. I told her of the situation and she stated she would look at the paperwork when she got it on Monday (my belongings were scheduled to be delivered on Tuesday) to see if they could not discount the final bill due. She provided me with a direct telephone number and email so I didn’t have to go through dispatch…neither of them work now.

Conveniently, on that same evening at approximately 8:00 p.m. I got a call from George to let me know they were ready to deliver my belongings the following morning and that I would need to have cash for the balance due or money orders from the United States Post Office. July 22, 2018 was a Sunday. I had no way to go to a bank or post office on Sunday. I asked if the furniture could be delivered on Monday to allow me the ability to go to the bank. I was informed if I did not accept the property on Sunday, I would be charged for the hotel room and time of the workers having to “stay overnight to accommodate my request,” as well as a $600.00 preferred delivery date charge. George said he would accept money orders if they were issued by Walmart and if I would agree to accept deliver Sunday morning. I reluctantly agreed.

My property was delivered on July 22, 2018. When the movers arrived, it was not in a LDRS truck. Instead, it was a truck belonging to RUSS Express Company, bearing the USDOT# 2919710, which is not a registered vehicle of LDRS per the US Department of Transportation. A totally different crew of movers were present and I discovered that “George,” who I had spoken with the night before was not George. I showed him the money orders and told him that once my property was off the truck, I would give him the money orders. This was refused. Until I handed them the money orders, my property was not coming off the truck. I offered to leave the money orders in a neutral location where he could see them until my belongings were unloaded. This again was refused. With no other choice, I gave him the money orders and prayed my belongings were actually in that truck.

The movers got to work and began bringing in my belongings. Not surprisingly, the boxes came in first. Why? Because LDRS had my belongings taken to a warehouse, where it was staged, and reloaded onto a broker’s truck for delivery…something Angelo said they did not do.

My washer, dryer and refrigerator would not fit through the main door of the house I was renting and needed to go through the garage. At this time, “George/Not George” reminded his worker, in Russian that the contract called for a “long carry fee of $75.00.” Unfortunately for him, I understand Russian and told him he would NOT be charging me anything additional. I helped his mover with bringing in the washer, dryer and refrigerator. I was helping his employee with the trip through the garage and getting them in place. Additionally, I was already overcharged and I had no additional cash or money orders to give him. He backed down at this point and agreed not to charge the additional $75.00.

Finally, the movers completely destroyed my $1,500.00 dining room table and my $250.00 entertainment center in the move. When I say destroyed, I mean the wood was completely shattered and cannot be fixed.

In total, this move cost me $5,600.00, which was $2,200.00 more than I was initially quoted; and I had over $1,750.00 in furniture completed ruined (with a reimbursement cost of .60 per lb…you going to come weigh the table??). LDRS gave me no choice but to pay the additional monies or leave my furniture behind and pay to move it later. I have yet to hear back from Customer Service regarding the overcharging of this move or reimbursement for any of the damage to my furniture.

This company quite simply extorted me and they did it with precision. I intend to follow through with a complaint to the Better Business Bureau. Please…do not use the website they provide you. Go to the BBB and look them up yourself. Do research if you are considering using this company. However, I would urge you to be the WISE person here…and learn from my mistake. This company practices in legal extortion. Don’t be a victim like me. Walk away from this company as quickly as you can.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5600

BEWARE!! If I could give this company a 0 I would. They did the old bait and switch. They gave me 1 estimate up front. Then on moving day, loaded 1 truck which left immediately for a warehouse in Maryland then loaded part of the 2nd truck. Then they told me that I was just about at my cubic feet and that they needed an additional $5000 to complete my move. At this point a good portion of my items were on their way to Maryland and 1/2 my items were still in my house. Mind you.. I spent a lot of time confirming my items by emailing them a full list as well as speaking with a "Quality Assurance" Rep who was viewing photos of all of my items online. So how was my estimate so far off??And..The Foreman did a walk through in my house prior to loading the truck. Never once did he tell me my estimate was inaccurate prior to the load. Fraud!!
I had to come up with the money in order to get my items back. I admit that I had some additional boxes but nothing that was worth an additional $5000. Total rip-off! Then they offered me a small amount of money back but wanted me in return to waive my rights to complain or take action. Are you kidding me! BEWARE of this company! Hire a mover that is more upfront and honest about the cost of your move! Moving is very stressful and there should be no surprises.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $13252

My experience is very detailed and can not fit here - It is available on the BBB website. To be completely transparent and to help others in future decision making, I included dates, times, names, contract details, etc.

The primary complaints I have are as follows:
-Failed to deliver inside promised delivery date (even with $600 paid guarantee - (Family had to spend 7 days in a motel at our expense)
- Failed to respond to communication requests, updates, etc.
-.

Move size: 4+ Bedroom Home Service cost: $12914

First of all, because of my husband's job, we moved quite a few times in the past 10 years. We didn't mind moving so much until we had service with Long Distance Relocation Services. It became a nightmare for us thinking of moving again.
We moved from Atlanta to Chicago on August 2 and was assured that our belongings would arrived by August 4 and that the contract saying up to 10 days is just "follow the book" when we tried to cancel the move because we needed the exact delivery day. Well, our truck didn't arrive until August 16. We had to stay in hotel and then because we couldn't afford anymore, in an empty house for 2 weeks. Their customer service was the worst part. Paula, the customer service manager was rude and never showed empathy/ apology for what we had to suffer. They promised to call us multiple times by specific time/day to update about the truck but never did. Our belongings arrived with 1 vintage chair and all the shelve units of 2 book shelves missing. Those were 2 bookshelves that the pick up people up charged us for $300 extra. We decided to have them move the bookshelves anyway. Now we had 2 big frames sitting in the living room without any shelves to put stuffs on. Their delivery driver noted the missing items, however they asked us to file a complicated claim with public notarization (?) and said they had up to 4 months to take action.
SO PLEASE, DO YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY A FAVOR AND AVOID THIS COMPANY. I wouldn't recommend this company, even to my enemy.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5920