Northern Van Lines

This company was late picking up my furniture in Oregon and we were supposed to have received it in Florida on September 24th, but now it is October 9th and we have yet to see our stuff.  They have claimed it is on the road or it still might be in storage in Oregon.  They can't seem to find it and when pressured all the customer support folks do is blame their dispatch.  They will not call back when they say they will and they ignore voice messages.  They don't seem to care about their customers.  I am convinced that when their lips are moving they are lying.  I will update this if I ever get my furniture, but if you are considering a move, don't use these folks.  Their customer support guy "Brad" even told me he wouldn't use his company after the issues we've had with them.  I am about ready to file a theft report.

Service cost: $11496

BEWARE!! I received an initial quote of $1500 for a one room apartment. The movers showed up 2 hours late (after I called several times) and started to increase the price to $2600 based on a new ‘weight’ estimate and after they INSISTED on wrapping my sofa and dining chairs for an additional $200. After several delivery delays and numerous excuses, Northern Van Lines (USDOT-1147457 MC-418133 CID#; 4051123) delivered my furniture 2 weeks later than the 3 to 5 day promise date.  ALL of my living room, bedroom and dining room furniture was damaged beyond repair.  Included in the extensive damage to all of my furniture, are several large pieces of furniture and small boxed items that are missing.    In addition to my missing items, other boxed items that belong to other customers have surfaced in this mess. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!

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Update on 5/10/12
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(2/20/2012) I received an initial quote of $1500 for a one room apartment. (2/27/2012)The movers showed up 2 hours late (after I called several times) and started to increase the price to $2600 based on a new 'weight' estimate and after they INSISTED on wrapping my sofa and dining chairs for an additional $200. After several delivery delays and numerous excuses, Northern Van Lines (USDOT-1147457 MC-418133 CID#; 4051123) delivered my furniture 2 weeks later than the 3 to 5 day promise date. (3/11/2012) ALL of my living room, bedroom and dining room furniture was damaged beyond repair. Included in the extensive damage to all of my furniture, are several large pieces of furniture and small boxed items that are missing(dvd player, stereo system, bed frame, bookcase and media counsel). In addition to my missing items, other boxed items that belong to other customers have surfaced in this mess. I found the owner of the belongings and return them personally. (05/09/2012): Still have not received an apology nor any money from Northern Van Lines. My claim is still "in process" nearly two months after I filed. I have no dining room chairs to sit on, my bed frame, bookcase & media counsel are still missing. Amy (Northern Van Lines rep) calls and offers me a refund of $500 (out of the $2700 moving cost) to remove my negative comments. They should offer the $500 refund for my troubles!

Service cost: $2700

My experience began with northern van lines rep, Chris.  He gave me a quote, was patient and professional when I called him several times to change the amount of boxes I was moving and requoted me the estimate, explaining that it might change up or down once the actual weight was determined. Chris sent me a group of "Ninja" movers with team lead, Tim.  My family and I were delighted they were so friendly, professional and hardworking.  They moved like a smooth well-oiled "Ninja" machine from beginning to end.  They first came to our home to pick up the first batch of things, and took great pains to be sure they didn't track mud into our house -- welcome to Oregon it was raining!  Then they followed me to our storage building to pick up the other half.  In both instances, they wrapped everything in blankets and taped up so tightly, nothing would happen to damage anything. I have to admit, I was very nervous first about how to find a good, reputable moving company, then thought how do I trust this person/people when I truly don't know anything except what's written about them and if they would honor what they told me, would my things even arrive?? Would they tell me upon delivery it would be hundreds of dollars more than I knew?? However, again, it was a delightful, yes, delightful experience as much as a move across the country could be!  :)   the quote Chris gave me was right on target!That made my day because I was still worried about that part of the process.Thank you, Chris, Tim and northern van lines for taking such good care of my family!  I will definitely recommend other families to you!   Yours, joy Kovacs.

Service cost: $2000

We contracted Northern Van Lines, based in Eugene, OR for our move from Seattle to Phoenix. Comparing their rate to renting a truck, gas and some help to load and unload, Northern was about the same. My wife and I decided to hire them and be able to drive the 1500 miles in our car separately, taking a little extra time. The problems began upon our arrival in Phoenix, when it turned out that the statements by the loading crew, who were otherwise very nice, prompt and efficient, were wildly inaccurate. They promised delivery the following week, though the contract gives the DOT approved delivery "window" of 21 days. Upon finding out that that wasn't going to happen, and indeed the mover couldn't tell us at all when our possessions would come, we finally asked them ( a customer service rep) to put it at the end of the window, even later than the end would be OK, so our funds would be in place. We had already paid 2 deposits at this point. The Friday before the week we had arranged for delivery, we got a call from the driver ( a different guy on this end) who was ready to deliver! That weekend! After threatening to either deliver, or put our stuff in storage, he agreed to deliver Monday or Tuesday. We got ready for that; then he called to say he was taking a few days for a personal errand and would call us when he got back. Repeated calls to the company at this point were not returned. He showed up Thursday morning. After questioning the Western Union money orders we were requested to pay with, he asked for and extra $118 (destination fee and carton for our mattress) and $175 for a "long carry fee". I should mention at this point our contract listed a balance owed of $692.50. We didn't have the extra funds, because we weren't expecting them, and finally persuaded the driver to leave our goods on the curb outside the entrance to our apartment complex. We then moved them, with the very good help of our neighbors, into our apartment and an onsite storage unit. Throughout this process, the communication with this carrier has been very intermittent to poor, and we repeatedly asked about the fees in order to prepare for this (what was for us) expensive move. The carrier, their reps, the driver and the dispatcher consistently displayed an attitude of take it or leave it, and I have rarely spent so much and received so little in the way of service. Especially at delivery, the company took the attitude that we were out to cheat them! As I write this my wife and are pretty wiped out from today and the only positive is that our stuff is finally in our apartment. I will be going through out things carefully for any damage. M. Hart


This is a follow up to the review I wrote shortly after the movers arrived. After trying to hold us up for additional fees of $300, and threatening us with placing our goods in storage (the contract, it turns out, says we get 30 days of free storage) we had the mover deposit our goods on the sidewalk outside our apartment complex and we finished the move!
After 2 weeks of trying to get someone on the phone, I gave up and am sending a detailed letter of my complaints, including some damaged items I have discovered upon unpacking, to the Interstate Commerce Commission, the Arizona Attorney General, the Better Business Bureau, and the American Moving and Storage Association.
This particular Northern Van Lines is based in Eugene, OR and I recommend you choose someone else.

Service cost: $1800

Original quote was 2500, now it is 4800 for the same service. The second they get your stuff picked up they will not return your calls and know that you have to pay the ridiculous price to get your things back. They will say that they will include a shuttle truck, then another person will charge you for it. They will say you only pay per pound for what is moved and refund the difference if it is less but they won't. Ignore the fake posted reviews that are positive. Do they really look like real people? The negative reviews are the real ones. They WILL hose you. It is not worth the risk.

Service cost: $4800

WORST EXPERIENCE EVER ! Liars and Absolutely unethical company ! You are better off going to another company even if they charge you a thousand dollars more, because with Northern Van Lines, you will end up paying at least that much after they give you their "estimate" and do all the smooth talking. Once the sales person gets your deposit, you are on your own. Chris, my point of contact offered me free storage for 30 days. ( I have proof of the offer ). But then, after all my things were on their truck, they charged me $250 for storage ! The driver will not deliver your stuff until you pay whatever ridiculous amount they demand, and the different departments (dispatch, customer service etc.) will just bounce you around. Once they have your deposit, they will not return your calls or respond to your emails. All our furniture was broken beyond repair and eventually this move has cost us way more than what we would have had to pay through any other company. Another word of warning. They will mark all your costly items "PBO ( Packed by owner )" in your inventory sheet. This means that they are not liable for any damage to those items ! They packed our LCD TV, but marked it "PBO" on the inventory sheet ! Absolutely unethical and disgusting customer service. I read the mixed reviews on other websites about this company and was stupid enough to believe Chris - a real smooth talking salesman, but don't believe a word he says. In hindsight, I now believe that the reviews in yelp are a 100% TRUE. This is the worst moving company ever.

Service cost: $4300

Started out fine with a good quote and friendly experience recieving quote.  Once the down payment was paid everything was CRAP.  Communication was terrible, not returning calls. Came three days late to pick up stuff.  I am still waiting for my stuff to be delivered they are now 5 days late and no one can tell me when it will arrive or where it is.  The sales guy over my account will not return phone calls.  This has been a terrible experience and I am still waiting for my stuff to be delivered.  Plus they are wanting to charge me over $1000 over what I was quoted.  I will not be paying anything else to them.   GO WITH SOMEONE ELSE!!

Service cost: $2800

I made a deposit with this company to move our things from UT to TX, after I was stupid enough to fall for their cries of "prices could go up due to fuel costs, lock in your quote now!".  I regret this wholly.  We ended up changing our mind and using a rental truck for our move instead, so we could tow our second car.  It has been more than 6 weeks and we have not gotten our deposit back because this company is dishonest, and will steal your money and never return calls. Julian, the representative I spoke with, was very kind & helpful at first, and sounded very knowledgeable.  He verbally told me that if I didn't sign the contract, I could get my deposit back if we changed our mind.  When I called to let him know we had to cancel, he said it was no problem, we'd get refund in 7-10 business days.  2 weeks, no refund. I called again, he apologized and said it looked like the cancellation didn't go through (hmmm that must've been why on the day of our move, a guy called at 10:30 pm asking when they should come the next day..when we had already packed up & were on our way! Good thing we didn't use them, or we would'nt have moved on time!).  Julian said in 7-10 business days, our credit card would be refunded.  2 more weeks, no refund, and since that time till now no on at Northen Van Lines has returned my calls.  I have called Julian and the main line that is on their website, but only get answering machine.  Has anyone else reached a person at their main number?  I am wondering if this is a real company at all, or did I fall for a scam?   To add to the lies, Julian told me they were BBB rated A , and emails from him show the BBB logo & that rating, but when you look them up they have not rating on BBB!!  I really wish I hadn't' been in a rush to get this move organized, and had looked into them more before even making a deposit.

Service cost: $1640

My specific experience with this mover has been hell. The original quote for my move was $1380. After several no-show dates for them to pick up my move, they arrived 6 days late on 12 June. Once they arrived, the drivers claimed that my belongings were at least 500 lbs. heavier than estimated; they refused to show me the actual weight / scale of my total move. So they increased my price to $1650, OK. I used none of their storage services or packing materials. It is now 05 July. The only answered call / returned call I have received from them was from Shelly on 29 June. She told me that she had great news, "The movers will be at your home in 2 days, the drivers will call you 24-48 hours before they arrive. Be sure to have your balance ready in cash or certified check." It is now 6 days later and I have not received a call from Northern Van Lines or their drivers, and they do not answer the phone or return my voicemails. If they ever deliver, I will follow up on this post by sharing the date on which they arrive and the condition in which my belongings arrive.
This company screens their calls ("..we are experiencing unusually high call volumes, please leave a message..") and does not return messages.
Emails go unanswered.
I should not have let this company take my belongings after they failed to show up until 6 days after the scheduled pick-up date. Alas, at that point I was already invested in a $521 deposit, which I knew I would lose if I canceled. I wish I had canceled, eaten the 500 bucks, and either sold all my stuff or rented uhaul.

Service cost: $1650

Northern Van Lines picked up on 05/31/12.  Per contract:  "Legally long distance movers per DOT law have 7-21 business days to deliver cross country."  Last business day to deliver was 06/29/12.  Once Julian got the deposit money he was of no help at all.  Nobody at this company answers their phone.  Shelly told me several times my son's property was being loaded onto a truck in Colorado and would be on its way to Michigan.  Lies.  After many, many, phone calls and email messages, I finally got a number for dispatch, located in Colorado.  I learned dispatch was under the company name MCI. Northern Van Lines is a broker, although they will tell you they are not.  After many, many, many calls to MCI I learned my son's property never even left Washington state.  All his property was sitting in a storage facility.  Basically Northern Van Lines and MCI were paid $1600 to move property 9.65 miles where it sat in a storage facility for a month.  It was a dirty storage unit that anyone can rent.  There were several loads in the same unit.  We were able to retrieve my son's property.  We are now starting over with a reputable moving company.  Emails to both MCI and Northern Van Lines requesting a refund were ignored.  What a surprise. At one time Northern Van Lines had a Eugene OR address listed on their web site.  I contacted the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to file a complaint.  The response was:  "Please know that this company is not an Oregon company, and its reference to Eugene Oregon has been questioned by ODOT, as the Eugene address previously given is a vacant building.  Northern Van Lines was placed OUT OF SERVICE by the USDOT on 06/01/12 and is still not authorized for interstate transportation."  After I filed this complaint, the Eugene OR address was removed from Northern Van Lines website. I also contacted the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (www.fmsca.dot.gov).  I was told that Northern Van Lines has no authority to operate at all. I am thankful we were able to retrieve my son's belongings.  The local dispatcher for MCI was the only person who told the truth; he couldn't find a driver to take this load to Michigan.  When asked if the property could potentially sit in storage for months, he replied yes.  I wonder when Northern Van Lines or the main MCI dispatch office in Colorado was going to tell us that?  Northern Van Lines doesn't care once it gets your deposit money.  MCI is not much better. No option for zero stars.  Poor is still one star. I hope everyone who has had these horrendous experiences with Northern Van Lines makes formal complaints with DOT and the FMCSA.  That's the only way this company will stop scamming people. .

Service cost: $2500

Beware of this company.  Avoid at all costs.  They use deceptive sales practices to obtain your business and do not deliver on any of their commitments.  This is by far the worst customer service I have ever experienced.I contracted Northern Van Lines to relocate my goods from KS to MD (~1,100 miles).  After reviewing my full inventory with Josh Willey (salesperson), I was given a quote of $3,265.  My revised costs at the end of this ridiculous ordeal were a little over $6,000!  They intentionally give you a low estimate to obtain your business, fully aware that they will tack on incremental costs along the way.I was told by the two movers (Preston & Enrique) on loading day in KS that my belongings would arrive in MD in "4-5" days.  That was on June 27th.  I did not receive my belongings in MD until July 13th.  So, apparently when they say 4-5 days they really mean 16 days.  I spent an enormous amount of money on hotel reservations in the meantime.  Throughout this large gap in delivery, I was not able to reach ANYONE at Northern Van Lines to get any kind of update on delivery.  Josh Willey will not call you back after he has taken your deposit at the time of the initial quote.  He got your business and screwed you over in the process, and he hides from here on out.  He is such a slimeball.Shelley was another useless Customer Service individual at Northern Van Lines.  After a dozen or so messages left for her, she finally returned my call, only to be absolutely no help whatsoever.  After I expressed my opinion of her company, she hung up on me.The movers - Preston and Enrique.  Preston looks like he is either homeless or was just released from prison.  He lied to me the entire day he was loading (only to learn later).  Enrique is a smooth character and will be evasive and elusive any time you ask him a question.  Both of these guys are NOT to be trusted!  If they show up at your house, request a different crew!When my goods finally arrived in MD there were multiple damaged items.  They are careless with your belongings and will just cram things anywhere to fill up the trailer.  They didn't transport our dirt bike properly so gasoline leaked on our queen size mattress (they punctured the gas line).  They also got that gas on their feet and tracked it onto the carpet of my stairs.  They broke my children's $150 covered wagon.  There were multiple boxes that were either crushed or had large holes or tears in them.  We had several plastic totes that were cracked.  We had several patio chairs and other metal items that have significant scratches on them.  I could continue, but you get the point.  They have no regard for the protection of your goods.  The only reason they wrap some items is so they can charge you more (a ridiculous amount of $) for the wrapping and packing materials.When the driver (Tal) arrived on July 13, he immediately approached me and told me that there would be a "Long Carry" charge because my home was a little too far from the road.  I asked him how much, and he said he needed to call Dispatch (another group you can never get in touch with) to find out how much.  I told him that if it was going to be a significant fee we were going to have problems, especially since we had been waiting so long for our goods.  He smirked and said, "how about $250"?  I told him that was unacceptable, and he literally started to haggle with me, which clearly tells me he was just going to pocket any extra cash I gave him.  I told him we would discuss it at the end of the unload, and he agreed.  After they were finished I showed him all the damage caused by the moving of my goods and told him I wasn't paying ANY extra fees for Long Carry or anything else.  He was annoyed, but he could tell my patience was gone and he didn't push it.  He's just another on a long list of shady characters from Northern Van Lines and their affiliates.I could keep writing (yes, there are actually more negative comments), but my blood pressure is starting to elevate, so I think I'll stop here.  Please spare yourself the headaches and DO NOT hire these delinquents.  You WILL regret it.  DO NOT believe the prices they tell you..it WILL go up.Jeff H.

Service cost: $6178

All 5 star reviews are fake.  Save yourself a headache.  Do not use.  My story is typical of just about everyone elses story.  No communication, late, additional fees, etc.  DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!  YOU WILL SORRY IF YOU DO.  EXTRA WARNING: I tried to contact them by going to their website and requesting a quote under another name, phone number, and email address, and I was contacted back  by a guy named Zachary from Alliance Worldwide Van Lines.  I suspect they will probably completely switch.  Alliance Worldwide Van Lines has fake reviews.  They are all 5 stars and are eloquently written.  They are only days apart as well.  It is absurd to believe that company has generated that many 5 star responses in such a short amount of time with not one complaint.  It is very unrealistic.

Service cost: $2000

I used this company to move my stuff on June 30. Intially they said me that within 6 days it will be delivered. Today is August 6. I have not heard anything about my stuff. I'm really really worried. This is first time in life, I have done a move and now that I do not have anything with me in my new apartment. We are very strict vegetarian and right now we cannot cook any food at home as all our stuff has not reached us. Also I have a 2 year old kid, she keeps on asking me daily when would my toys come, it is very hurting to tell her that I'm do not know. It is tough cooking for her at home and also sleeping on the carpet with this little kid is even more difficult. I have left atleast 100 voicemail to all the northern van line number that I have, but no one is giving me call back nor Joshua Wiley who helped me with reservation is letting me know anything about my stuff. I'm really worried and do not know what to do from here. I'm just praying GOD that my stuff comes quick. If anyone knows what I should do in this situation apart form praying please do let me know because it has been more that 37 days now and I'm really worried.

Service cost: $2200

I received an estimate for this move that was not only provided very quickly but was also the lowest based on an exact shipment of home furnishings at a very specific weight.  Although my inability to provide a pick up address at the time of my order resulted in some confusion, one call the office netted an immediate response  by a supervisor, corrected the problems and got my move back on track. I have moved with professional movers in the past and they never go completely smoothe but I have never received such a fast response to get problems resolved and everything back on track. The company represenative was not only courteous and professional but responded directly and truthfully about what had caused the problems and resolved them within a matter of 15 minutes.  When the driver arrived I found him to be courteous and professional.  The workers were clean and professional and handled my property with care.  This company gets a 5 star rating for their customer service, as far as I am concerned.  Kudos.

Service cost: $2400

The move was from Washington state, to Illinois, 2200 miles. Alicia and I discussed thoroughly the estimate with regards to size, pieces of furniture, TV's, and anything requiring special packing, like wrapping the sofa, boxing TV's, etc. as a result, the quote was very close to the actual costs The crew was prompt, courteous, and efficient in packing and loading the truck. The shipment was also delivered on time right to our storage shed as described. Alicia represented the company, their capabilities, and their service very openly and honestly I would recommend their services.

Service cost: $1800

I booked my families move to South Carolina Chris at Northern Van Lines, after checking with the BBB and reading the great reviews from past customers.

This was no small feat, we moved from a 3 bedroom home, and we had accumulated alot of stuff with 3 kids..Chris walked me through each step, and was there if I called to ask questions. This made me feel less stressed about the whole thing.

The company called the day before and gave me a time frame that the movers would be there, and they were on time.
They were professionial, courteous and efficent. Packed and loaded everything in record time.

Chris, our sales guy called the next day just to see if we needed anything. Very thoughtful guy.

The movers called 2 weeks later to deliver the next day, they were there on time and unloaded, put our things where we wanted and put the beds ect.. together, Our family was very impressed, I WILL USE NORTHERN VAN LINES IF I EVER MOVE AGAIN.

Service cost: $9679

I was moving a total 514 miles, it took them 18 days to deliver my belongings. I was given a price quote of $1300 & when the movers showed up (which was 5 hours late!) they stated my belongings were too heavy & they needed to pack my belongings (most of which were packed by me & I was told when speaking to Jason, the salesman, that packing was included in the fee). That raised my bill to $2165, almost double my quote. The movers would not touch my belongings until I signed a form saying my previous quote was void. There was no way to cancel because I was told AFTER I put my $400 deposit down that the deposit was non-refundabe, even though I asked Jason if there were any fees that I should know about. About 10 days into the company holding my belongings, I called & spoke to Chris, who claimed to be partial owner of the company, to ask where my belongings were because I was never given an update. He stated to me that they were in a warehouse in Colorado & guaranteed me that they would arrived in 3-4 more days. My belongings did not arrive for another 8 days!! Once I received my belongings, several of my belongings were broken including a large desk & a lamp! The website, moving quote, & staff at this company lie to & mislead customers. I should have just rented a Uhaul & moved my belongings myself!!

Service cost: $2165

On 10/9/12, spoke with US DOT concerning # 1147457 - Northern Van Lines, as of 10/3/12 their license has been REVOKED. ** DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY ** my household goods where picked up on 8/28/12 and still have not been delivered. Today makes 6 weeks without any word on a solid deliver date. No one from Northern Van Lines is returning my calls or emails. The only contact I was able to get ANY information was with the pick-up driver Jared James Anderson @ 541-606-2494 who recently quit and stated my items are being stored at a warehouse in Eugene, OR. Jared James Anderson indicated Jessie Thorn @ 541-520-5173 sub-leased the warehouse together and would be a good contact. No one from this number is returning any calls. I've even sent the Sales Rep at the time Zachary Adams @ 541-255-3339 several emails and still no response. There was a guy named Julian @ 877-221-9355 who at the time was their Quality Assurance and now is a Sales Rep @ 503-895-5539. Julian claimed he would get in touch with dispatch and have someone call me back concerning my deliver date that was on 10/1/12 - still nothing.

Service cost: $3118

By far the WORST moving experience I have ever had. They delivered my goods TWO MONTHS LATE. During this time customer service was NO help I couldn't get honest answers from anyone about my belongings and why it was taking them so long to deliver it. Amy at customer service never returned my phone calls and Carlos the supervisor at dispatch was beyond rude and lied to me constantly. When we finally received our belongings which again was two months after our promised delivery date, of course stuff was missing and broken. On top of that the driver showed up with one guy to do all of the unloading so my husband and a friend had to help unload. And the driver kept giving us other peoples belongings and when I would refuse them he would tell me to "just take it, its on your list" I did not take it and was very worried that my stuff had been given away as well. I strongly discourage anyone from using this company your move will be a nightmare. I wish I would have seen these reviews before my move! STAY AWAY from Northern Van Lines!

Service cost: $3200

I started my search of movers getting quotes from several companies. From experience, I didn't want to go with the cheapest but also didn't want to pay top dollar. Northern Vanlines was my 3rd call for a quote. In talking with Chris, everything seemed professional. I had told him that I was getting quotes and he had asked me what companies I was considering. I told him of one company and he advised me I shouldn't use them because they sublet the work and are brokers, not a moving company. He informed me that in using Northern Vanlines, I would be working with them, their trucks and employees which would all be clearly marked with Northern Vanlines name. This did make me feel more comfortable that I can put my trust in one company. He gave me a quote, which was a little higher then the rest but figuring I would be working with a moving company and not a broker, I felt I would be handled on a more professional level. We were on a timeline and he reassured me that my belongings would be the last on the truck headed for Arizona and it would only take 6 days to get there. We were driving down ourselves and were planning a 5 day trip. Perfect! I gave the required amount for a deposit and the deal was made. The day of my move, the truck did not show up. I recieved a call from the mover stating the air brakes on the truck were out and they could not make it that day but he assured me they would be by the very next morning. The next day, two hours later then expected, I get a knock at the door. Three guys are standing outside the door with a clipboard, I look past them and also see a rented Uhaul truck. They explained they were with Northern Vanlines and were there to get my stuff. The only thing that had any evidence they were indeed with Northern was the paperwork with my quote. After assencing what all was being moved, they added extra packing charges to the sum of $275 for the packing and wrapping of some furniture and the TVs, which Chris had informed me they would pack and it was already part of the charges. All the furniture was new which I purchased 2 years prior when I bought the home. While taking apart my bedroom set, the mover had informed me that he didn't have the right tools to disasemble my bed but after 2 hours, he somehow managed. He also told me that whoever put my bed together had used the wrong tools (which was the delivery guys from the furniture store). The move seemed fairly smooth from there, except when they got to my dining room table (my expensive dining room table). They had wrapped the table, legs and all, as one piece. Which was too wide to get out any door in the house. I mentioned it to the one that seemed to be the team leader and he measured and found this to be true. They unwrapped the table so that they could take the legs off. I had some things I was taking with me in my vehicle to still pack so I headed up stairs to handle that as they took care of my table. Later, I go outside as the are loading the UHAUL and see my table, wrapped up again, with the legs still on it. They said they managed to fit my 42" table out the 36" door. That's when I noticed that two of the legs were bent. I asked about it and they told me they loosened the legs to get it out and when they got to the distribution center they would get the tools needed to fully remove the legs. All is loaded and off they go with another $850. We arrived in Arizona on time (March 31st) and was eager to recieve our furinture in the new house which would be arriving the next day (April 1st)! Nothing, I call Chris and no one answers or returns my calls. Next day, more disregarded phone calls. Finally after three days I get through to someone (john). I get a story about the truck having air brake issues and the wouldn't be able to go through the mountains safely but that it was resolved and my items were on the way. He apologized for the inconvience but my stuff would be here by the 7th. The 7th, nothing! 8th, nothing and again can't get a returned call. Then the 9th I get in touch with another person who tells me my belongings haven't left Oregon! I'm in a rant! The manager, Amy calls me and tells me how sorry she is but that whoever told me I would get the things by the 7th was misinformed. Also, Chris would have NEVER told me my stuff would be there by the 1st! He's a team manager and wouldn't make a promise like that. I was then told that my stuff was either still in Oregon or in the Tennesse distribution center?? Tennesse? From Washington State to Oregon to Tennesse to Arizona?? After multiple calls and tracking, and more calls I talked with everyone in the office at least 3 times each. I even found out that John isn't really John, it's a name he uses some times, an alis if you will. My belongings arrive on the 19th of April, 18 days after I was promised. In a moving truck labeled ZEFFY Trucking. Yeah, Not a Northern Vanlines truck! They removed all my items to the driveway, all the battered boxes to the garage (of 42 boxes, 9 were undamaged). When everything was laid out, I noticed some things were missing and I was assured by the driver that everything was there and I would see this when he unwrapped everything. I walked to the back of his truck just to look and he blocked me and told me that he has everything unloaded and to "just wait". That's when I saw more boxes and other items still in the back! I started pointed and they unloaded the rest. They too had NO tools to reassemble my furniture, I had to borrow from the neighbor I didn't know. The bed they was "put together wrong" was broken and the side boards which hold the matress up could not be put back together, firewood now. The dining room table glass top was chipped in 2 corners and when they went to put the legs back on, it seems the legs were just snapped off and could not be put together. I called Amy right away, nothing! I still had to pay for the rest of the delivery but I really wanted to talk with her first. Nothing, so the driver suggested we write everything down on the reciept and he would sign that all was damaged. After all this, the driver (in front of his guys) says to me.."so, are you going to tip us?" After days of calling, I decided to try my wife's phone since I never called from it before and it was answered the 2nd ring! They seemed to be screening the calls since not 1 minute ealier I had called from my phone 3 times with no answer. I was told by Amy that she believes I am intitled to some form of reembursment to which I never saw, and she and the company was never heard from again. I filed a claim with the insurance company from the movers and after $3200 worth of damage was offered $96! You value what you have, DO NOT use Northern Vanlines for your move. I KNOW I can't be the only one! In fact, during one of my coversations with one of the sales guys John, or whatever he calls himself, and Amy the manager, they both told me that over the past couple months they seem to be getting a lot of complaints and are working on it. Honestly, the only thing I feel they are working on is perfecting the LIES, and collecting YOUR money!   At Northern Vanlines: You know who I am! You know what you've done and you know what you promised. This will NEVER die until I feel everyone is informed.

Service cost: $3600

Their service was beyond bad; it was criminal.  Beware of this company.  They will rip you off.  Don't just search for company reviews because such searches will generally come back favorable.  Instead, include the word fraud in your Internet search, and you will be astonished at the huge amount of horrible experiences this company has given people.  They are crooks!  They begin very politely--all "yes ma'am" and "no ma'am" and "anything you need ma'am," but they will fleece you in the end.  They didn't even show up until three days after the appointed time.  Then they wouldn't return phone calls or emails.  Then the final balance came in at nearly three times more than the amount I'd expected based on their estimate, and they threatened to hold my items hostage until I coughed up the balance in cash or money order.  To this day they have not returned my phone calls, emails or letters.  I've reported them to the Better Business Bureau, the Oregon Attorney General's Office, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.  They replied to the first BBB inquiry stating that customers often underestimate the true weight of their items, which results in a cost greater than what they might have anticipated.  However, when I spoke with them and described the items I had, they assured me that industry standards allowed them to give a fairly accurate weight estimate, certainly not one that would be grossly underestimated.  Given that it is their business to know such things, I believe that their actions constitute either blatant incompetence or straight up thievery.  Considering that they refuse to address my dispute, I'm left to believe the latter is true.  STAY CLEAR OF THESE CRIMINALS!!

Service cost: $2595

SO FAR, I'M VERY NERVOUS ABOUT THIS COMPANY. I scheduled a move for friday. they told me a back up day was neccessary, so we made that saturday. friday they called us to let us know we'd need to use the back up day. the movers never came the back up day either; they called me that day 1 hr before the scheduled pick up and said they were stuck in another town. they said they could come sunday between 2 and 4:00. I told them I had to fly home to LA and that would be very hard for me to arrange, and the man on the phone said they would try to figure something out and call me back. they never called. finally monday I spoke with my sales rep Alicia, who was very apologetic and said that they would come do the pick up, and they would arrange it with my contact person in colorado who I had to find to stick around to let them in the unit. she said "tell us a time and we will come." still no pick up, they never called my contact person or me, or called me back even when I called today. they already have our deposit and credit card info. after reading these reviews, im nervous. I will update..

Service cost: $1400