Simple Moving Labor

SML IS NOT MOVING COMPANY BUT RATHER A BROKER FOR MOVING COMPANIES. THEY HAVE NOT VETTED THOSE COMPANIES AND DO NOT INTERVENE WHEN THERE IS EXTREMELY POOR SERVICE. IF USING PENSKE TRUCK RENTAL IT IS BEST TO HIRE DIRECT WITH A LOCAL COMPANY. NEVER AGAIN.

THIS WAS ONLY A 1/4 TRUCK UNLOAD.

MOVERS ARRIVED FOUR HOURS LATE AND DID NOT KNOW THE COMPANY THEY WERE "WORKING" FOR. I CALLED SML AND THEY SAID THEY COULD DO NOTHING. BUT, I COULD FILE A COMPLAINT, WHICH I DID. STILL SILENCE FROM SML.

Move size: Partial Move Service cost: $650

Hired SML on recommendation of Penske (from which we rented a junk truck, but this review is about SML). Using SML's web tools, we followed the suggestion to request three guys to load our household in Florida and then unload it in Michigan. The Florida crew arrived precisely on time, but within the first 30 minutes it was obvious we had made a very big mistake. From the first floor of our two story home, it sounded like we had a demolition crew working upstairs. After around an hour of loading our pre-packed boxes and storage tubs in the truck, I heard a giant crash. I ran to the truck only to see everything scattered on the floor. They had put very light boxes on the bottom of their floor to ceiling stacks and very heavy boxes/tubs on top. So an hour was wasted while they refilled the boxes and tubs (disregarding all the damaged items and foregoing any hint of organization) then re-stacking them with heavier units on the bottom. I wish things had gotten better from there, but they didn't.

After the avalanche inside the truck, I began supervising more closely and noticed that only two of the three men were actually working while the third seemed to be there only to get in the way and slow things down. I noticed that they would use a dolly for literally everything. A filing cabinet that would be quickly and easily carried by two men was instead removed *upside down* ensuring the finish would be damaged by the steel dolly and the few contents left inside would be scrambled as if put into a blender. I saw a single empty drawer from a dresser brought out on a dolly. Our realtor stopped by and unprodded asked why we hadn't hired "real movers." Neighbors stood around gawking at the spectacle as it seemed it would never end. A Herman Miller Aeron chair had heavy tools stacked on it in the truck. After roughly three times the estimate SML's website provided, the men declared themselves done and indeed our belongings had reached the back of the truck. This was mainly due to incredibly sloppy and inefficient loading, but were far too exhausted to debate the matter so we signed their form and sent them on their way. We wound up with a full storage unit we paid a "real mover" to remove the next day while we drove North hoping to get back on schedule.

As it happened, we were a day late in arriving, but were able to reschedule the unloading crew easily enough (the Comcast folks were a little less accommodating). The Michigan crew was over an hour late and we feared a duplicate of our experience with the loading crew in Florida. Happily, we were wrong. Within 30 minutes it was extremely obvious that two of the three guys in Michigan were highly experienced and took good care of our (now damaged) belongings. The third guy, well, again his purpose seemed mainly to get in the way and ask stupid questions (i.e. a box labeled "kitchen" would have him standing around untill I or my wife walked by and he would ask, "where this one go?"). Even with this boat anchor slowing them down, the Michigan crew finished the job causing no new damage and in less time than estimated. I would gladly hire them again, just without the third guy.

So .. SML. A totally mixed experience. They were hands-down, no contest, by far the worst and most incompetent movers I've ever seen. They were a bad Saturday Night Live parody of a moving crew except it's NOT funny when it's your stuff getting banged up and your wallet getting emptied as they slowly wheeled out a single 20lb box on a dolly (sometimes taking two guys with one to keep the box on the dolly and the other to pull the dolly itself).

Yet like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, SML sent us a couple of real professional movers in Michigan. We have moved quite a bit over the years and the SML Michigan guys were easily in the top five (maybe top two and tied for first place) among the dozen or so movers we've encountered. So, would I hire SML again? The answer is "No." What good is a competent professional crew when your stuff is already torn up by incompetents? As good as the Michigan crew was, they couldn't fix the damage (both to my furnishings and property as well as my wallet) caused by their Florida counterparts. If you are moving locally in Michigan and get the same crew we had, I'd recommend them without hesitation. But since most people want to move out of Michigan, this scenario is unlikely at best. My advice then is to seek a recommendation from your friends, family, or realtor. And allow yourself a flexible schedule so if you have a nightmare crew you can fire them on the spot and wait a day or two for a competent crew to be found and hired.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2000

First off I paid for "professional movers" so I didn't have to worry about helping as I had other things to do.  They were unable to pack 3 rooms into a 26ft truck.  I had to stop what I was doing and help them unload 1/2 the truck and then pack the front half again so there whould be enough room for everything.  I personally was able to take what they had as a full truck with no more room for the rest on my belongings and make it to a 1/2 full truck with more then enough room to fit everything else.  These poor kids they sent me had no reasonable packing system to load.  Its not rocket science.  Neither of the "professional movers" knew how to push the button on the dolly and turn it into a 4 wheel cart.  They were unable to pack the truck in 3 hours due to them standing around scratching their heads as to how they are going to fit everything then having to unpack it and re-pack it with my help.  I could have bought pizza and beer for my friends and could have gotten it done quicker, better and would have cost me under $100.  I called to inform them of the issue and was told someone would get back with me.  That never happened!  I posted a blog on their site about the sevices similar to this blog and it was removed within 24hrs hmmm.  All and all don't be fooled by this company there are nothing more then a below average comapny with below average services.  I drove the truck myself so technically there was no pickup or delivery time.  However they were on time for the load.  I have not decided yet if I am going to pay them another $380 to unload me.

Service cost: $760

I took a new job that required me to move from South Carolina to Arkansas.  My budget was fixed so I tried to do the contracting myself.  I hired Simple Moving Labor (simplemovinglabor.com) to load the truck and to unload it.  While loading the truck, they broke some one of a kind art work and punched a hole in a leather recliner.  They didn't bother to mention it when they did it, they just continured loading. I tried to file a claim with them and was rejected.  I was told all claims for broken items must be done before the movers leave your premises.  That is impossible when I would not even know it was broken until it is unloaded.  The "professional" movers they sent were far from professional.  I would NEVER use this company again.  Now I'm stuck with a $1000 recliner with a hole in it's arm, and two shattered one of a kind pieces of Indian art. Also, the "professionals" places light boxes on the bottom of much heavier boxes crushing the ligher boxes.  At least these were just clothing and a trip to the cleaners for several hundred dollars fixed this problem. Please avoid SimpleMovingLabor.com at all cost if you want your possesions to arrive in the condition they left your old home in. The only thing good I can say about the move is the people from UPack.com who provided the truck to me at a very resonable cost.  Actually the cost of the truck and the driving it 750 miles was less than the cost of UHaul equipment I used when I first moved to South Carolina.

Service cost: $1100

What SML does not tell you is that your helpers are day laborers from a temp service. One looked like a junkie. He tried to convince me to lie on the paperwork and pay him cash. These "helpers" do not follow simple instructions. Unless you are willing to provide 100% supervision of how each thing is loaded, do not use this service. Our furniture was damaged due to not being draped with moving pads. They only did when they were being watched. They broke a buffett door while moving it. They did not tell us. The unloaders discovered it. Our total damages exceed 5000.00. Go with a lic. Mover. You will not regret it.

Service cost: $600

Simple Moving Labor (SML) representative were very helpful and in contact regularly prior to the load day. The load time was confirmed twice and was scheduled for noon. On the load day I was contacted by SML and the load time (crew arrival) was delayed twice. And, they did not meet their second showtime either. A SML representative contacted me twice about delays prior to the last time adjustment and then SML did not follow up after the second delay as they said they would. Loaders arrived at 3:30 and rushed. Thankfully, it was a simple move with mainly boxes.

Service cost: $350

This company is great for anyone needing help moving. However the local moving company they send can make the experience vary. My movers were not on time. They were taking their time loading the truck. One was working hard while the other seemed to be watching him half the time. I helped them load the truck, as it seemed they were milking the clock. Some of the items were crushed and furniture got scuffed and chipped. I told them to use all of the furniture pads and they didn't. A large vase and stained glass terrarium shattered from how they packed it in the truck. All fragile items were labeled. They were courteous and friendly. One of the movers complained that he hasn't gotten a raise in 12 years. He seemed to be fishing for a tip. I gave him a minimal tip. I didn't think that was professional.

Service cost: $540

My SML ProMovers were courteous, punctual and hard working, but the end result of their services was very disappointing.

When I arrived at my destination I noticed that 13 pieces of furniture had significant scratches, gouges, and other damage to the surface due to the way my ProMovers had packed these items into the truck. This was due to a number of poor packing practices used by my SML provided ProMovers, including: 1) a number of wood items had been packed by the ProMovers next to each other without a blanket or plastic wrap separating the items, allowing the furniture items to scratch each other during the trip; 2) in 1 case a wood chair was placed on top of an upholstered chair by the ProMovers without a blanket or wrap separating them allowing the wood chair to rub very visible holes into the upholstered chair; 3) some of the wood furniture items were placed against the side rails of the truck also causing signifiant scratches to the furniture; and lastly 4) the legs of my dining room table were laid directly on the floor of the truck without being secured or wrapped in any manner causing significant surface damage to all four table legs. I found it interesting that my ProMovers wrapped certain furniture items in shrink wrap but not others even though there was more than sufficient supply of wrap and they were under no pressure to finish the loading effort in a specific time period.

My understanding from my conversations with SML and the documentation provided was that ProMovers were professionals with extensive moving and truck loading experience. This is the reason I paid for this premium SML service and allowed them to pack the truck based on their experience. I now see that the load service I received from my SML provided ProMovers was not of professional quality and has resulted in significant damage to my furniture that will require me significant time and money to restore my furniture to its previous appearance.

Service cost: $500