Phoenix Van Lines

Phoenix outsources your move to another company. Unfortunately I got outsourced to one who lost multiple boxes ($3k+ in belongings), broke my TV, and charged me an extra fee at delivery. Phoenix took no accountability for these issues, saying that I went through the wrong lines of communication in contacting the outsourced company instead of them directly (even though I had folks from other company reaching out to me). There was very little follow up in trying to recover my belongings - just notes that they were following up with the carrier and ultimately to file a claim. I did file that claim and they offered me $30 in reimbursement and said I should have gotten better insurance. Phoenix may outsource to better movers but it's a gamble with what you'll get and, in my case, one I regret taking as it is the worst moving experience I've ever had.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4400

I want to leave a very honest review for this company because some of the issues I had were my own fault for not reading the fine print and relying on what was told to me. However, overall, this was a nightmare experience. What I have learned since the move is that you should always opt for a company that has its own fleet of trucks and does not rely on carriers because dealing with two separate parties was a nightmare.

I chose this company because they seemed to say all the right things. I was assured that none of the nightmare scenarios would happen to me and I liked that they made me photograph every inch of my home to give me an estimate. Michelle assured me that my things would arrive within 7 to 17 days. This was definitely not the case. I paid for the full pack, believing that professionals would do a better job at packing than I would and thought the price I was quoted was fair. Scheduling my move was relatively smooth and the carrier arrived the day we set with no issues. However, upon inspection they immediately said that they needed to charge me another $2000 for the move even though I had sold a bunch of furniture, which I felt like being that off from their estimate was unfortunate.

However, they did tell me this before packing the truck and I did agree to the price adjustment. They packed my furniture but I can definitely say they didn't do a great job. Just so you are aware, they count things like ironing board or shoe rack as extra, so unless you have them packed into a box, beware. So far, I didn't have too many issues but the nightmare began once we arrived at our destination and I was told that the 7-17 day window is actually not 7-17 days but 7 to 17 business days and that this did not even start until the first expected delivery, which is a date you give based on when you arrive at your destination.

This meant that our things could arrive in a month, which is exactly what happened. We stayed for over one month without our stuff and everytime I tried to get in touch with someone at Phoenix Van Lines I was ignored. I finally did talk to Ava who was helpful but only in saying "its up to the carrier to decide when to travel". The carrier waits until it can fill its truck and have a route that maximizes their profits. I spent everyday calling both the carrier and Phoenix Van Lines only to get the same speech about the 7 to 17 business days and that this was written in the fine print, even though this is not what I was told at the outset.

Needless to say, we ended up having to buy a bed, a table and two chair, kitchen things etc which had I known, I would have not paid to transport in the first place. After over a month, we were told our things were finally arriving. Joy! This was shortlived when the driver tells us he needs another $2000 from us for sending a shuttle (which we were aware and was fine) but also that our shipment was expedited!! LOL!!!! This was never something we had agreed to and I did manage to fight the charge but found it utterly ridiculous. Our things arrived and most of our furniture was unfortunately broken including a custom live edge table I paid $5000 for. Our shelf was broken in half, our dresser broken, vases broken, chairs bent, bar cart scratched and missing pieces and some of our boxes were missing entirely. I filled in a claim and I received $100! LOL! This is the compensation for thousands of dollars in damage and missing items because they only compensate you 60 cents per pound, which is absolutely ridiculous. Because some of my items were custom made, they did not compensate me at all because I could not provide them with a link and these were the most expensive items like my wood table. The infuriating part is that I actually paid them to pack my things. This business has been flagged on Better Business Bureau as a fraudulent and I will provide the link here: https://www.bbb.org/us/il/schaumburg/profile/logistics/phoenix-van-lines-llc-0654-1000013483

This company opened in 2020 and should be another red flag in my opinion.

I have had zero response about the placement of my missing boxes.

Please don't believe my review but do your own research. I based my decision on all the 5 star reviews here which I can bet are mostly fake. There are companies out there that detail all the red flags. I missed so many. One of them is if they only want to deal in cash, which was what this carrier did. They told me outright that cash cannot be cancelled like a check or credit card. I definitely kick myself all the time for going with this company. There were definitely great things about them and my mistake was taking their word at face value and not reading the fine print, so please always read the fine print. It is within their rights to deliver your things after one month which is insane! But it is what it is and I know I have learned my lesson.

Here is a great resource: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $10000

We just went through an interstate move. The day the movers showed up after paying my initial deposit and signing the initial quote they informed me that the move would cost an additional nearly $10,000 which was a 33% increase. They blamed it on underestimating the quote. Due to needing to be out of the house that day I felt as though we had no other choice but to pay the movers and get the process going. Upon arrival at our next home they said our payment was delayed and they wouldn’t unload our things until payment was made. They were again attempting to get more money and said they would charge us for their time waiting for payment despite showing proof of funds. Terrible customer service!! Do not use them!

Move size: 4+ Bedroom Home Service cost: $33000

The movers Phoenix contracted to were good, but Phoenix themselves, and particularly Naomi, the customer service rep that was assigned to manage our move, was, without exaggeration, the worst customer service rep I've ever dealt with. She didn't answer emails for a week, was combative on the phone, gave me incorrect information several times, and blamed me after one of her colleagues also gave me incorrect information. Maybe won't be an issue if you are assigned a different rep--the other people I spoke with at the company were all quite helpful.

Also, be warned, if you pay for expedited delivery, they will tell you a delivery window, but not mention that the window is in business days anywhere except on the bill of lading, which you only get after they have your stuff, which effectively forces you to pay them anyway despite not delivering on the expectations they deceptively set leading up to them having your stuff.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $20000

Trying to work with this company has caused me such stress and unexpected expense. I hired them in order to make my move as easy as possible. I am a student and I do not have much extra income. But I needed to move and knew that I physically could not do it alone. I spent a third of my entire savings on this company, only to have to complete much of the move myself. Some of my items are damaged will probably also cost me money. Phoenix is such a sketchy company I wouldn't be surprised if they refused my upcoming claims. Please read this and avoid wasting your hard earned money with this company!

First, they lied to me in order to get ny business. My move was very small. As a single, graduate student with no children I do not have many personal belongings. Every moving brokerage company I spoke with told me that my move will cost their minimum amount. Phoenix told me that my small move would be "piggybacked" on to an existing move. According to them, this would mean my delivery would take a shorter amount of time. They gave a "discount" of knocking some fuel cost off but this still put them at the higher end of the estimates I was getting. There is no such thing as piggybacking. That was just a lie.

After my pick-up date was scheduled and then rescheduled by the moving company, I finished my part of the move. I was going approximately 800 miles. According to their documentation, this will take 5-14 days. After weeks of absolute silence, I asked my "customer service representative" for an update. She did not have any information for me but claimed she was just about to call the movers on my behalf. I called the movers myself and was told that my items had traveled about 60 miles in the wrong direction. They were in a "climate controlled facility." There was no scheduled delivery date.

Every time I would call I would get the same response. I once asked if they had records of Phoenix calling on my behalf and the moving company said that I'm the only one who called. PHOENIX WILL NOT REACH OUT TO MOVERS FOR UPDATES. It would have saved me so much money to just coordinate this move myself since this is what I had to do anyway.

After repeated calling to the movers (still no update from Phoenix Scamlines) I found out that my items HAD moved. They had made it about 300 miles into the journey and had been since they were picked up. Every single person I had spoken to was lying. They were not scheduled to leave this midway point. "They'll be on the next truck!" I guess moving companies are struggling so much that I was the only move they had scheduled for three entire weeks.

Something was clearly wrong with my delivery and I finally decided it wasn't worth it to continue waiting. I planned to rent a uhaul and finish the delivery myself. The moving company representative had to call me back with an address and a time frame that I could retrieve my items. A few hours later, the situation changed completely. There was a "computer glitch" and my belongings were already en route! I couldn't come pick them up. Any lie in order to not issue a refund. They gave me a delivery date (they were off by a day) and I waited. Phoenix Vanlines called once to tell me the same information I already had. If I had not been reaching out to the moving company, they would have shown up at my home unannounced, maybe when I wasn't even there, and probably CHARGED ME for a redelivery fee.

When my items finally arrived the movers did not reassemble any of the items that the previous movers took apart. Their truck had also been packed incorrectly so they had to unload another family's belongings onto the parking lot outside my home. I live in a hot and dry climate. Literally a desert. So much for climate controlled. I also saw them drop several of the items belonging to the other family.

Many of my items were damaged. I have not finished unpacking so I have yet to file my claim. I'm not optimistic on recouping any of the money. I'm devasted that my desk was damaged the most, as I need it to work comfortably.

The effect of this stress on me has caused physical problems. A company that will lie and cheat and scam paying customers will probably not make good on any insurance claims. I essentially paid Phoenix Vanlines to not do anything. They DO NOT vet their movers. They DO NOT advocate for customers. They DO lie and ignore requests for information.

You'll notice that it's difficult to find anything less than 5 star reviews for them. Please be smarter than me! The reviews are too good to be true!

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5250

I was moving a 1 bedroom apartment from Austin to New York City in January 2022. Prices were fairly high during this time because there were still a lot of COVID-19 restrictions (vaccine mandates, mask requirements, etc.). After looking around a lot and getting super high quotes, I found Phoenix Van Lines and saw so many great reviews. They quoted me a very low price and said all the right 'sales' things.

Even then, I did a lot of due diligence and checked their certifications and chatted with for a long time to ensure they met all my requirements. They promised they did and that they did everything by the book.

Well, not only did they assign me an AWFUL moving company (Condor Moving Systems), the company did not meet the requirements of my move at all. Firstly, the company did not mandate vaccines and thus no one mover who was vaccinated could actually move into my condominium in NYC. However, they failed to inform me of this until AFTER my stuff was picked up. Furthermore, Phoenix kept saying they would 'fix the situation' and then never followed up. Not only that but they LIED to me and said they talked to the moving company and they would find vaccinated employees to do my move. That wasn't the case AT ALL.

The movers ended up only have ONE mover who was vaccinated and could enter the building. Furthermore, they added extra costs to transfer the goods to a smaller truck. Phoenix promised me that they checked my moving location and this extra fee was likely unnecessary. Additionally, Condor also didn't have the right type of COI coverage that my condominium was asking for. Luckily my condo was nice and still let me move in...

They talk the talk but don't walk the walk. So much stress from this move and so much lies about finding me a company that would meet my requirements and do everything by the book.

DON'T GO TO PHOENIX VAN LINES FOR YOUR MOVE.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4000

Took 6 weeks, we prepaid, full wrap. Called almost daily. No honest response from management. Did not put together dismantled electronics; shotgun and ammo gone, tables damaged, ladder gone. We sent by certified mail a long letter with complaints to the corporate offices as well as the office we dealt with. Corporate signed for it but returned it unopened. Wife was coerced to sign for the inventory and wrote it on the contract. He hovered over her demanding she sign it. Eventually she did because he scared her. She wrote this next to her coerced signature.

It was a very frightening situation and we considered calling the sheriff but had been living with sleeping bags without furniture, work clothes, research and tax records so long we just wanted our goods. We are retired professors in our mid to late 60’s.

We have a long record of Texts, emails we sent to Phoenix Van Lines at every step. No management response. We have followed the contract to the letter, although a coerced signature can nullify the contract.

To us, this was a dangerous experience. We do intend to pursue this and have tried over and over and over to work this out. Not a word back from anyone! Maybe this honest review, substantiated with texts, emails, letters, photos, sheriff’s reports and contemporaneous notes may move this forward. Otherwise the next step is up to us.

Thank you for your time and attention.

I might add they did deliver someone else’s ammunition which was loose in a plastic box. Some big rounds. Another sheriff’s report. They never found the owner and never came for that ammunition.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $35000