Southern Elite Van Lines

After jacking up my price and charging my account without permission, the driver refused to deliver unless I paid an extra $400 for “unloading,” which was already included in my contract. When my stuff finally arrived days late, boxes were crushed, fragile items destroyed, some of my belongings were missing, and I was even given items that weren’t mine. They showed up hours late, unprofessional, and careless. This was extortion, plain and simple. Do not trust them with your move.

Move size: Studio Service cost: $3043

Initial conversation went well with booking my move. Movers who packed up my belongings did not handle my belongings with care. Left their trash at my front door. Lack of communication regarding when my belongings would be delivered. I was told my belongings would be delivered on a certain date. Date came and went, no delivery. Getting through to someone about my delivery date was a hassle. My belongings were finally delivered . The gentlemen who unpacked my belongings were much better than the gentlemen who packed up my belongings. My tv was not wrapped probably and was delivered damaged. I have reached out regarding my damaged item and no return call as of yet. Highly disappointed.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3690

My movers were hired through the U-haul site. The only complaint I have is they removed the mattress protector and completely soiled my brand new, expensive ($2,500) mattress. They specifically removed the plastic protective cover I purchased from Lowes, and now my mattress has many stains that cannot be cleaned. I've tried Resolve, baking soda, etc...When I called the company to let them know about this, the guy said it wasn't his company. So, either U-haul is lying or this company is. Very disappointed.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $300

Southern Elite Van Lines promotes themselves as a full service moving company that says on their estimates “ Southern Elite Van Lines performs every type of relocation service while standing committed to integrity and goodwill to our customers. Our method of service eliminates the questionable pricing practices that many moving companies impose, while providing quality services at competitive prices. We are licensed and insured.” This is the exact opposite of the service and pricing you will receive. My move had two pick up locations about 2 hours apart. They were supposed to pick up at the first location on Thursday between 12 and 3 and then pick up at the second location. They called at 11:30 to say it was now between 4 and 7pm. I asked if they still planned to do the second pick up that day because it was 2 hours away. They acted completely confused even though that was on the original reservation and reviewed multiple times the day before when they provided the 12 - 3 window. Well at 6:35 pm they called to say they were 30 minutes away. I should have gone with my original instinct of refusing service and requesting my deposit back because they were now outside of their pick up window. I told them there was no way at that point they could pick up the second location that night because even if they took an hour at the first location 10:00 pm was too late to load a truck in a residential neighborhood. The driver put me on the phone with David the Manager and he “they have to do both tonight we are very busy” I said “I’m very busy too and you aren’t going to load a truck in a residential neighborhood after 10:00 pm” he then confirmed the zip code of the second location again and finally agreed they would pick up the second location the following morning and then do delivery after. Well the following morning turned into them showing up at 2:30 pm and then trying to tell me I had double the amount of items on the truck. Their estimate that says “ Southern Elite Van Lines is providing you with this binding estimate based on the list of items provided by you in this estimate. Any changes or modifications made after the execution of this estimate can be altered up to 3 days from your pick up date. This estimated price is guaranteed for the list of items you provided.” Will not be honored and according to them is not actually binding because this is a business and they aren’t working for free. My estimate included 67 items for a calculation of 680 cubic feet. At the time of pick up only 62 items were actually put on the truck because I packed less boxes and removed a lamp and book case. However Southern Elite Van Lines tried to tell me that they were putting double what the estimate was on their truck. They were driving a 26 foot ryder truck. My items took up 10 feet of the back of the truck, they asserted that was 1000 cubic feet claiming every foot was 100 cubic feet. Ryder trucks are not 10 ft wide by 10 ft high. They are 8 by 8.33 ft. So that would equal 664 cubic feet if it was actually stacked all the way to the top which it was not because “then my items would be damaged”. Even so 664 cubic ft including the 5 or 6 ft of dead air in most places is still not 680. They continued to refuse to honor their original estimate. They did offer me a 400.00 discount because they were late. After refusing to allow David to intercede in my behalf with the owner I supposedly got him on the phone. The owner and I settled on me paying 720.00 additional beyond my estimate only because at that point pretty much all of my stuff is on this truck. I think the most telling statement in my conversation with the owner was that he was speaking with me and he doesn’t do that, that he’s the owner he doesn’t deal with customers. If you are an owner that doesn’t speak with your customers that really shows how much integrity you run your company with. On top of all this I’m missing pieces to the platform of my queen bed. Which I would have known before they left had the furniture they took apart that they say they will reassemble had actually been reassembled. But I guess when you unload your truck at someone’s home at 9:00 pm you don’t really want to actually complete the full job. Let’s add what professional moving company shows up to unload their truck without a single hand truck or dolly? They had to hand carry my washer and dryer inside! Pretty much everything is just stacked in the garage. Oh also the moving blankets they say they put on your items nope, not a single one. They just wrapped things in plastic. My wooden table was wrapped so tightly the legs are now bent. Also don’t be fooled by the “all our own people” the people that came admitted they are subcontractors and not employed by the company. So sure book with them if you’d like to work with a company that doesn’t respect their customers time, stand by the information they claim and wants to overcharge at every turn.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4127

VERY VERY VERY !!!! DISSATISFIED with this company, communication was great when they were trying to get me to go with them for my move. Once I booked this is when everything got shaky, I did my quote over the phone and when I did I told Heather I had two TV’s a 50 inch and a 65 inch tv. Unfortunately when the movers arrived they did not have the tvs on the bill of lading article list and I was forced to pay an extra 200, just for them to bring my tvs. Also the I initial quote that I was given said I had 16 boxes, and when the movers got there the list they had stated I only had 12, so they tried to cut my list down but charge me the same price. Additionally it was listed on the paper that I had a three piece sectional couch and while my mom is at the storage unit she has to once again call me and tell me they said my couch was too big for the truck, and I would have to pay 1,000 extra for them to bring it, when I told the person who quoted my move the size of the couch from the beginning. This is due to them trying to move serveral house holds at once. Once the movers left they told me they could bring my stuff Wednesday, but I had been relayed the message to them that I could not move into my place until the 19th of April, which was a Saturday. David the manager was suppose to call us back to schedule a move date and time based on when the truck would be coming this way and he never did we had to keep calling him back. Then he told me it would be on Saturday from 12-4 window that they would arrive, well here comes Saturday 3pm and I haven’t gotten any calls from him or the movers stating that they would still be delivering my stuff that day, so I take it upon myself to call him back and he tell me oh the truck broke down in Nashville Tennessee, and I asked him was anyone going to call me and he said yes, but that wasn’t the truth. Sunday around 3pm I get a call saying that they were on the road headed to me, and they should arrive by 7:30-8pm. It’s not 8pm on a Sunday and I texted the driver and he states they’ll be to me around 11pm, they arrived at 11:45pm at night to my apartment complex. After the delivery a week later I unpack all my stuff, as noticed my 65in tv was completely crushed and shattered, the box spring to my bed is broke in 3 different spots, my dresser is scratched up on the top and my 2,400 couch is scratched up at the bottom. I call David to let him know in which he then ask me did I pack the tv correctly and I tell him no your movers packed my tv them selves in a tv box, he then tell me to send him pictures and he will take care of of it, a week goes by and I hear nothing I call him back then he tells me did I submit a claim when he told me he would do it for me. Just giving me the runaround. At this point I’m frustrated and he tell me I should be glad he’s helping me because he’s trying to get someone else booked for a move, which I careless about because they got my 2,500 dollars damaged my stuff so now I don’t matter. He then gives me the website to do the claim, so I do so and it gets kicked back because I need an updated bill of lading stating that he moved two tvs for me, because the initial one didn’t have them on the article list on tues June 3rd he tells me he will send it to my email never does. So I call back on Thursday and he once again tells me he will send it by the end of business that day.Then ask me can I call the claims number and call him and he will speak to them and that’s not the process they need those documents to be able to do anything. They will not process a claim without the proper paperwork! After 7 days the claim gets erased and I have to go back in all over again and refile it due to David not getting me what I need to get this done. My stuff was moved April 26th, it is now June 7th and I have not been able to get what I need to replace my items that were damaged. Very unprofessional 0/10 do not RECOMMEND! Do not use this company they are a scam, will damage your stuff, then give you the runaround when you need to file a claim.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2400