Long Distance Van Lines

If I could give this company 0 stars, I would. We very mistakenly used Long Distance Van Lines for a move from San Francisco to Chicago in July 2017. They drew us in with a really low estimate for our move (which of course turned out as too good to be true) and a charming sales person who immediately disappeared and could not be contacted after we signed up to move with them. We learned a good lesson for future moves that you should always get a home visit before signing up with movers so that they can provide you a reasonable cost estimate. The movers arrived 2 days late and then increased our moving estimate by $3000 after they had loaded all our possessions (some of which were hanging out the back of an unmarked van) into the truck. The movers spoke very poor English and when we tried to contact customer service (Paula), she was not accommodating, sympathetic, or flexible. Paula should not be in customer service - her personality is the antithesis of someone who should be in customer service. We felt that we had no option but to use them for the move (which was a mistake on our part), given that all our possessions were already loaded onto the truck. We were given a 2 week delivery range about a month out. This in and of itself is absurd. We had to wait at our parents' house in Minnesota while we waited to hear back from LDVL about our delivery in Chicago. As we got closer and closer to the end of the delivery date, I started calling them multiple times a day - about 95% of the time, I could not get in touch with anyone. When I did speak with Paula, she provided very little useful information about where our possessions were and when they would arrive. Because of that, we left on a week-long vacation thinking that we would be able to accept delivery of our possessions after we returned. Of course, while we were out of the country, LDVL decided to deliver our stuff. We PLED with Paula to change the delivery date so that we could be there, but she refused. On the first delivery attempt, the driver claimed that our alley was too small to fit a truck into, and they demanded $500 for a shorter truck to come in and deliver our stuff. That was a COMPLETE lie. I saw multiple large moving trucks in our alley successfully delivering other people's stuff for the 2 years that I lived in Chicago. On the second attempt, a successful delivery was made. When we returned, all our boxes were crushed, our white couch had 4 large black stains on it, nearly all our furniture was scuffed or scratched or damaged in some way (including a kitchen bench, our table, our dresser, our box frame, our couch, and our office desk). The movers also lost a box of expensive ski gear, including ski boots. The total compensation for this loss, plus the unnecessary request for $500 to get a smaller van? About $450. We had to threaten them with legal action to even begin the process, which took 6 months. PLEASE DO NOT TRUST THEM. They go through a few different names. Also do not trust reviews on Consumer Affairs - they are a scam review site and Long Distance Van Lines paid them to remove bad reviews. They go under multiple names and have switched names in the past to avoid issues. You can also refer to this website: https://medium.com/@ldvl.broke.me/the-sale-6876b14d02bb.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $9000

I would rate this company below 1 star if I could! Complete disaster. Don't let them pressure you into a contract - they subcontract drivers, change crews across states, and they don't do their homework. Estimates skyrocket past the quote. Worst experience ever - and I've moved a dozen times!! Agreed with another reviewer that as soon as they have your money, the phone calls stopped being returned. Several items were packed horribly (i.e. every had wine glasses packed in a wardrobe box with random other items?), there were many things damaged - including a $45,000 dining table. No much chance I'll get any money back - decided to go through my own insurance and tell you to avoid them like the plague!! Check out my "white glove" service pics.

Service cost: $15000

Sales lied and misquoted first quote $6415 for 40 items. Customer service when through our MLS and gave new quote of $13000. Movers late >2hours wouldn’t complete move. Forced us to resign new contract at 3am for over $8000 if not they would not deliver and put in storage and charge rent. Didn’t deliver next day. When delivered majority of furniture damaged customer service refused 110%rule piano left in hot garage. 90-100 degrees. Many calls without any service. The movers were rude and used vulgar language when moving We still have PTSD from all of this. Major damage of our grandfather clock and fine furniture. We have more pictures if interested.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $7650

Moving with Long Distance Van Lines of either Columbia MD or Davie FL was a nightmare from the beginning to the bitter end. In the bid / comparison phase, they low-balled us on estimates, ran down the competition, and used very high pressure sales tactics. I went with them in spite of my misgivings because the price was cheap and they claimed to have 5-star ratings (shame on me for not reading the real reviews). To give you an idea, Mayflower came to my house and gave a binding estimate of $11,000. Long Distance did not come to my house and used Mayflower's estimate of weight and space to give a price of $9,000.
In the loading phase, the first bad sign was two smaller rented trucks showing up (Long Distance doesn't own their own trucks). Five Russian speaking loaders loaded all day, and - surprise, surprise - they filled the two trucks and had a lot more furniture to go. It seems they were going to have to bring a THIRD truck hopefully the next day. NOT at THEIR expense, but at MINE. Now, the cost was going to be $14,750 and they wanted half of that RIGHT AWAY. I don't believe the packing was efficient and space well used. After all, what motivation do they have to use two trucks when they can charge you for three?
In the shipping phase, things got VERY bad. Mind you, we were moving 400 miles, 3 states away. We arrived at our new empty home and waited for our furniture (AND clothes!). Our driver had PROMISED us that he was coming straight to our home with no additional loads (no room for it anyway) and NO STORAGE. After all, he said, could they afford to load and unload our stuff TWICE? And haste paid for them because they rented their trucks. Long story short, TWO WEEKS later, no furniture. MULTIPLE calls to what is called "Customer Service." They couldn't even tell me where my furniture WAS. The salesman INSISTED they would get it there BEFORE two weeks because it was "in the contract." The NEXT THIRD week was TORTURE. I read the fine print (PLEASE read it!) and discovered that they had "THIRTY DAYS" and told Jay the salesman (I could hardly ever get customer service) and he insisted, No, it was two weeks (while I was looking at the contract and reading 14 days). I let it go hoping that they THOUGHT it was 14 days. But they were counting 14 "BUSINESS" days so weekends and the holiday didn't count! Thus my furniture finally came THREE WEEKS to the day later exactly 14 BUSINESS days later so they didn't have to pay the - get this - $30 a day fee. Oh, that $30 would "kill" them on my $15,000 move!
Now the delivery phase was where the REAL suffering kicked in. I talked to the driver. Discovered he was on vacation. AND that the furniture had been in storage, loaded and unloaded TWICE (and of course twice as damaged!). I was quite angry but trying to be nice as I wanted my furniture handled well. He wanted me to sign the RECEIPT that all my furniture was there and in good condition BEFORE they UNLOADED!! Of course I refused. DO NOT DO THIS! The shipment was NOT in "good condition." The boxes were crushed (I am attaching pictures - PLEASE look at the pics of boxes marked "FRAGILE" that are absolutely demolished and re-taped up like mummies). One clueless Russian loader came in with one of my wardrobe boxes (CLEARLY marked "This side up") on a dolly UPSIDE-DOWN. If you don't know, wardrobe boxes contain a bar on which you hang up clothes. Needless to say, all of my suits were wrinkled and in need of dry cleaning. Boxes were NOT put where they were labelled - if the TOP box on a load on a dolly said "Attic," the Russian loader put all five or six boxes up there. I carried boxes to their proper room for at least a week. What made me MOST angry was a damaged WET box of books clearly marked for the library hidden upside down in my daughter's bedroom closet. Clearly trying to hide the damage until after the receipt had been signed and they had left.
The same kind of deception was used to cover a huge CHIP on the desktop covered with a box. Oh, yes, furniture was DAMAGED. Glass broken out of the dining room hutch - both sides. Crushed corners on my wife's bedroom dresser. Scratches on dressers and bookshelves. Worst of all, my wife's favorite piece - our one-piece olive made-in-Italy $3000 table had a leg broken off. How did I discover it? I walked on the truck to see a worker feverishly trying to SCREW it back together! Would they have told me about it? Not according to the deception described above. My wife was in tears. Her three favorite pieces were all damaged. Not to worry, said the driver. He was taking pictures of the damage (I believe just to make me feel good - because the company never got them) as was I. He said the carrier's insurance would pay for all repairs. The nightmare was over, right?
No, on to the damage reimbursement phase. They want you to jump through hoops. I had to supply original receipts (you have that for everything in your home?), and three estimates (I pay for the estimate charge - $75) all notarized. It took me over a month to get it all done. And the ultimate insult came yesterday with their "resolution" (so they called it). They took the lowest bid on each piece and cut it IN HALF and then HALVED it AGAIN and offered - if we would sign a release (so that they could be done with us and we couldn't sue) - a check for ONE QUARTER of the few damages we filed for. Don't SIGN that release! Don't know how the arbitration or lawsuit will settle out, but I'm tired of waiting for real "resolution" to give the review and WARN potential customers: STAY AWAY from Long Distance Van Lines! RUN the other way! I know they say “you get what you pay for.” NOT with Long Distance Van Lines! I'm pretty sure the 5 star reviews on here are from them. BEWARE!

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $14750

As I am sure you know, moving is stressful.  I had every confidence that your moving company would provide us with great service.  Eric, James and Ellie were helpful and courteous on the phone, however when it came to the actual move,  my experience with your company was very disappointing and even frightening.   To begin with, I was told to expect the mover Tues. or Wed. So I cleared my calendar for those days.  Sunday I get a call from the driver who does not speak English very well,  saying he would deliver at 3pm on Monday.  So I had to clear my afternoon appointments for Monday as well.  When I called him Monday to verify the time.  He then told me 7:30 at night.   (very bad time in Florida as the mosquitos are out in full force and it's getting dark.)   I called him later to tell him that we were having very stormy weather with tornado warnings and large hail from 5:30 - 7:00 pm.   It was on the news and they were telling us to stay indoors and seek cover.  I called the driver to tell him of the situation.   He told me he saw no storms, he was heading for my house, and would be there at 7:30.  He was very rude to me, refusing to listen to what I was saying, and he hung up on me.                                Please note the time on the Storm Trac WEATHER - and the hail coming down in Stuart which is where I was and why I was trying to tell the driver it wasn't safe for me to get up to Ft. Pierce right away.  Also an add that appeared a day or two after the event.    It takes a half an hour to get to my house in Ft. Pierce from Stuart, FL. I called him again to tell him I could not leave Stuart as we were experiencing tornado warnings and hail and it was all over the TV.  At this time he started yelling at me.  I tried to explain the position I was in, that it wasn't safe  to drive.   To which he yelled some more then hung up on me again.   A little after 7:00pm as the storm was clearing  I drove North up to my house in Ft Pierce.    I got there at 7:35.   He had just gotten there at 7:30.  My neighbor went out to talk to him and tell him to stop yelling at me, that he can't talk to me like that.  The driver would not even look at me.  He insisted I pay him upfront before he did anything and threatened me that he had only 1 hour to unload.  He was there by himself.  He had no crew with him.   It was extremely stressful.  He would not give me a receipt or the packing order and told me to take a picture with my camera of the receipt.   He did not have the packing list with him.  None of the boxes were numbered or marked.    There was no one there to unload the van.  He got some neighbor hood kids to start unloading boxes.  A half hour later a family showed up to unload.  This included a child of maybe 4 years old, a young teen girl, both who just got in the way making idle conversation and climbing on the furniture - and a husband, wife and son.     It was very chaotic.  The children kept opening doors and letting mosquitos in.. The movers did not unwrap the furniture or put it back together, as I was told they would do.   We had one knife to cut through the tape.  My neighbor brought it over.  So he started unwrapping things.  The driver did not offer to help.    Things were broken sometime during the move.  One antique dresser was broken as the mover was holding it by a fragile leg and the dresser began to fall apart.  We got him to stop and we pounded it into place, but it is messed up now.  The antique child's dresser's foot was mangled.  They did not put the legs on the one hutch that was delivered.  They did not put the legs on the sofa or chair for the living room.  They did not unroll any of the rugs. The rocking chair is broken.  An antique lamp and antique globe were both broken as well.     The driver was in such a rush that a lot of furniture was left in the garage. Boxers were not unpacked. They were just piled up.  Nothing was labeled or numbered.  I had no idea what was in any of the boxes.  I couldn't wait to get the family that came to "help" (He'd gotten them from Craig's List the woman told me) to get out of the way.  The little girl was getting on my bed and furniture and playing 'house.'  It was absurd.   Apparently the packers on the PA end packed up things they were not supposed to pack that were not on the list and missed items that were on the list.  My husband told me he had a very hard time communicating with them and understanding them, that they barely spoke any English.   As a result they missed things that were on the packing list and things were put on the moving van that should not have been shipped in the first place.  When they came off the van I put them directly into the trash.    I provided your company with a very accurate list.  My husband told me he was not able to keep up with the guys who were packing on the PA end.     He paid them a lot more than had been agreed on the official agreement. I had to do the same on my end.    Here is the packing list I provided you with on the contract - above it I am listing what was not delivered.    of the 4 adirondack chairs only 2 came of the 3 small area rugs, only 1 came of the 3 bookshelves only 2 came the 1 single chair arrived with a broken leg of the 2 cupboards, only 1 cupboard came the child's dresser has a broken leg 1 of the table lamps is broken 1 of the antique globes for the light is shattered     Please tell me that your company will compensate me for the broken furniture, see that I get the missed pieces from the packing list in good condition, and do something about the rude, unprofessional and very upsetting treatment I endured from your driver.   Also, please do NOT let your driver know that I reported him.  He scares me.   Sincerely, L. P.   Lincoln.

Service cost: $2252

I have moved cross country 3 times in my professional career, and long distance van lines was by far the worst choice I have made for carriers. They under quoted and over charged, over promised and under delivered, outright lied to me. The were 12 days late. When they did show up, my items were "missing" and or broken. Some items were wet?? Unresponsive when asked to help. The form to get reimbursed for damage is a joke. Paula told me if I called the BBB or complained online she would resend my so called discount. Now they are not responding at all. DO NOT USE THEM YOU'LL BE SORRY.

Service cost: $7800

Worse experience with a moving company. Be aware this company will under estimate the cost of shipment to get you business. My original price was 10K, things were extra pack and they used large boxes for small items to take more room in the truck. I complained after the finish packing. The office never return my calls to talked abut the increase of price from 10K to 16K. I emailed the company several times. They finally answer one of my calls and offered $150 refund-really!!
 I have several family items broken, to get a refund you need like 6 document with receipts and 3 estimate price for repairs.
I will recommend you to used any other company as Long Distance Van Line will only answer your calls or emails before getting your furniture. Once they got your furniture you are on their hands and there is no costumer service you can rate-worse experience!!
A family dresser had tape in one of legs. They knew they had broken the leg. In a new city is going to be hard to find somebody to repair this dresser. This was my father dresser-very sad and mad about picking this company.

Service cost: $16000

This company (previously known as North Eastern Moving and Storage) lacks accountability. I am a real customer. I moved from PA to CA 6/19/15 - 7/4/16. (My move #MD7939160) Ask for three referrals and speak to them directly before deciding on this or any moving company.

The initial price for a 4 bedroom house went from about $10,000 to a total of $18,006.70. The initial moving truck was too small, so they said another truck would come the next day. (nobody ever showed up without explanation)

We politely asked the moving crew to remove the front door due to large furniture, but they said it would be ok. The door was damaged and the new owner of the house requested all three doors be replaced in order for us to sell the house.

The 2nd moving truck finally came and damaged the driveway asphalt by going in reverse up our steep driveway.

At the delivery house, the movers did not say they were obligated to re-assemble furniture even though I paid for basic reassembly. I did not expect any telephone customer service on the 4th of july delivery day.

When upacking, there was a box with a knife pointing upwards! This box #120 which was packed by the packing company and can be verified by the delivery crew that were in shock to see this. This knife was not packed with any other knives and not even covered? I have young children and just this makes Long Distance Van Lines service unacceptable and dangerous.

Also when unpacking, a women's hairdryer and purse was missing. We quadruple checked everything to make sure we were not missing something. We remember a man packing the master bedroom carried a personal backpack with him all moving day, so yes I am suggesting the personal items may have been stolen.

I don't expect perfection, but there were too many mistakes. I am in the process of expecting reimbursement for their damage. I will defend my name and reputation. Will Long Distance Van Lines do the same?

Service cost: $18000

Company was provided a detail list of items, company misrepresented the cost. Representative advised the following: there would be a clear marking in the truck of the cubic feet - there was not. The items would be delivered on October 8, 2014. Granted there was no act of god-as of October 12, 2014 I do not have my items nor do I know when they will be delivered. I was advised that a paid a piggyback paid - my bill is $5800 the same amount of van lines that conducted an inventory. All of my items were not taken and I ended up leaving items. Customer service representative Nina hung up on me. I requested the contact information on the owner and to date still have not received it.

Service cost: $5800