Traditional Express Van Lines

Run away as Fast as You Can -These people are dishonest scammers and use the contract to extort money from you both after loading your goods and then again immediately before delivery. I felt like I was dealing with the Russian Mafia.
They tell you anything you want to hear verbally and then rely on contract to take your money. They low ball the bid and once loaded demand 30% increase once they have your stuff.
They were three weeks late on dates they committed to verbally and then even with that were over a week late even by contracted date.
They are too small a company to adequately handle cross country moves with limited resources.
Note all the reviews - only 1 stars and 5 stars. The 1 stars are real.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5000

For my upcoming move from Queens to San Francisco Icalled many movers and decided to go with Traditional Express Van Lines based on their delivery timetable (they promised 5-18 days) and a quote of $3000. Long story short, I just received my goods nearly one month later and almost $2,000 more than quoted. After loading my things in their truck, the main guy told me that he and his two movers expected a tip (he said that average was $100-$200 each!!) my husband gave them a smaller tip, but we looked at each other in disbelief. This was the first time, in all our moves, that a tip was ever requested. We just wrote it off as a New Jersey thing! After 2 weeks, and no word from the movers, I called to check on the ETA of our stuff since my apt complex needed me to schedule our move/reserve elevator and such. Each time, I was given excuses for the delay, from Dept of Transportation licenses to clients needing shuttle services, etc, etc. Every time I called, I got the run-around. ‘it should be soon’ I was told. Finally, after 25 days I was given a 1-day window (with no time to reserve my move with my apartment manager). I was also told that the 18 wheeler couldn’t drive into San Francisco and that I would have to pay them an extra $450 in cash for a smaller truck!! Today, two guys show up (neither of whom can speak much English)!! The move took twice as long as it should have taken since they had to use a different elevator and meander through three different attached buildings. I could go on and on, but I don’t have the energy. All I ask is that you Please Do Your Research!! I wish I had read these reviews.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5000

My mover I had hired 2 months prior to my move-out day had cancelled on me 2 days before my move. I was beyond stressed! A friend of mine had used Traditional, so I decided to get a quote from them. Bill & Elvin were a pleasure to deal with throughout the estimation process. On move out day, the guys were absolutely terrific! Everything was wrapped and padded to perfection. Delivery in NY was 2 days later than expected, & I was reimbursed $70, which I thought was nice of them. I will be referring anyone I know to this company, thanks again!

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5500

This move went well above my expectations. The crew is very professional and did right by me frin beginning to end. I'll admit that I was apprehensive towards hiring this company because they have mixed feedback, but I do know that ultimately I can control the outcome of my move to a certain degree. So that's exactly what I did. I made sure the movers had everything they needed and made sure all my expensive electronics and furniture were secured. Being aggressive towards protecting my valuables rubbed off on the movers and in my opinion increased the likelihood of protecting my things. So the move went extraordinarily well. I'm very satisfied with my experience.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3160

If there was any possibility to give negative rating I would have done so. Their team is unprofessional and unethical. During the calls they even did not refrain from using the f**k word.
For my job relocation I had to move from MA to CA and I was looking for a mover who is trustworthy and reliable. After contacting few vendors I selected one who gave the lowest quote (as governed by my company's policy) and it was not "Traditional Express Van Lines (DOT: 2373664)". Later I received a call from Elvin (sales rep) as a follow-up to the quote shared by him and he matched the price given by the other vendor. The service was agreed at an estimated cost of $2791.26. A binding moving estimate was given for the same with the detailed inventory list and location details.
As per the initial email sent to me I was scheduled for pickup on 08/29/2017 and per my discussion with Elvin on 08/28/2017 everything was set for the same date. However, later on I was told by another member from their team (Tina) that it was rescheduled to 08/30/2017 between 9:00 am - 10:00 am EST, but no one showed up, neither I was given any update till I myself called and followed up to check the reason for the delay. Now after speaking with Tina again I got to know that the dispatch team is engaged with another small job and hence the pickup is further rescheduled on 08/30/2017 between 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm. However, on the day of pick-up the cost was increased to $4600 to provide the service for the same inventory list stating different reasons like the previous estimate was given by mistake by the sales representative, the software used to arrive t the estimate was not correct etc. I could sense something is not right and hence did not accept the revised price. The driver (Vladimir) was extremely rude and he left with the truck without even informing me and leaving me stranded on the day of pickup. Later on I sent an email to cancel the order and refund me my $300 advance which was fully refundable as per the cancellation policy (The cancellation policy stated "Cancellation and Refund Policy: Deposits refundable for cancellations"), but I have not yet received my refund from them till date.
The same inventory was moved to the same place by another vendor at a cost of $2306.20.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2791

MOVING COMPANY from H*LL !!

PS: People please file a complaint with U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier US DOT/FMCSA Safety Administration and with BBB for these scammers !

Comaplaint for OVER ESTIMATING & OVER CHARGING and Mitch for threatening us for holding our things hostage.

Richard Russo from Traditional Express Van Lines Inc., (US DOT: 2373664 MC: 814557) gave us a quote for moving our household good (we pack) from Brooklyn, NY to TX at $4 per cu.ft for 500 cu.ft. After a $100 discount and a $50 referral discount, our quote came to $1850. We paid $300 deposit with our credit card on April 28, 2018.

Through various text message communication, we asked Richard how will we know we used 500 cu.ft. To which he replied that anyways 500 cu.ft is an OVERESTIMATION and that we will not be using that much (have text msg proof). He said, on the day of our move, we will know EXACTLY how many cu.ft we used after the movers load our things in the truck and the truck will have markings inside. Based on how much cu.ft space we occupy that day, our quote will be adjusted in the system and we will pay that amount at $4 rate per cu.ft.

Our move date was preponed without our consent. We had no choice but to comply. The day the movers came - Enrique and 2 other guys; Enrique harassed us for a tip. We HAD to give them $100, because he subtly threatened us how things can get damaged and lost. Enrique made us sign all the papers without filling them out and not explaining the process to us. He kept us occupied with the paperwork and the other 2 guys started loading our boxes. To keep an eye on them and make sure they are handling things per our direction, we had to rush and sign the paperwork before we even got a chance to review it.

Once the boxes and furniture were loaded, we were told our things occupied 398 cubic feet space (round off to 400 cu.ft). We asked Enrique to change the document reflecting 400 cu.ft. But he told us that no where on the papers it allows him to "subtract" the 100 cu.ft from our estimated 500 cu.ft quote. He said, once his supervisor checks the truck at the warehouse, he will adjust he there and that we should not worry. We tried to follow with Richard and Enrique about the change to our overestimated quote to be changed to reflect 400 cu.ft so we do not get OVERCHARGED. But got no response. To not aggravate and to make sure we get our belongings we kept quiet and thought we will first get our things and then talk to them.

Our delivery date was July 1st, but the truck came on July 5. The movers demanded $1,550 in cash (Overestimated $1850 - $300). We told them that as per 400 cu.ft, we owe $1150 after all discounts applied and the $300 we paid to book the move. They told us to talk to Mitch their Manager. Mitch hung up on us multiple times when we called and would only reply to our text messages. He threatened us that if we do not pay $1550 in CASH, he will tell the delivery guys to leave with our things and that redelivery fee is not cheap (have proof). We had no choice but to pay $1550 in cash and to get our things because we had 2 small children with and we were without our things for almost a month.

Also, they lost 19 of our boxes (very conveniently the original box containing the Blendtec Blender which costs $500 was "lost") and damaged a few of our household items. Our dining table & chairs were damaged badly and 2 iron lamp shades (this goes to show how they mishandled our item, that iron lamps have been damaged). They have not responded back to our calls regarding the 19 lost boxes, damaged items and have OVERCHARGED us $400 for the move.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2000

My family recently moved from Edison, New Jersey to Los Angeles. My husband and I have got a new job and we had move as soon as possible to start the new professional step up. I didn’t have any moving experience before. I was frustrated and sure: it’s supposed to be extremely difficult to move across the country with two children and many staff as a furniture, clothes, kitchen belongings and so on. Fortunately, a friend of mine who used the Traditional Express moving and storage referred me to this company. I have got a refer discount, quick estimate and true quote. Moreover, I have got the perfectly fitting insurance for my expensive furniture and lovely decoration items. The process of packing was easy going, movers were friendly and coordinator Luis was always polite. All moving was finished on time and much easier than could imagine. Now I have the good moving experience. I am satisfied and will recommend Traditional Express to my friend, with my pleasant and refer discount, for sure.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2130

We contracted with Traditional Van Lines for a move from our very large home. We are extremely pleased with their service all around: initial contact and immediate follow up with detailed quote, professional and affable crew, efficient and surprisingly affordable. We have worked with a few professional moving companies over the years and this company by far was the best. We are renting on an interim basis and will definitively hire this company again for our next move.

Move size: 4+ Bedroom Home Service cost: $6200

The only reason I selected one star is that there is no option for no star. THIS IS A MICKEY MOUSE OPERATION!! One the day before the move the supervisor "Josh" demanded we pay 50% more then the contract price or $4,000.00 additional. Lacking any options as I had to be out the house the following day, I paid it. Once the move was completed and after several "Hot" phone calls I finally requested the full names of all parties and to confirm corporate mailing address to send suit papers. The dullards finally got religion and like a Mickey Mouse cartoon my money was magically returned to me, with an note that is as a "clerical error" You have been warned, do not be deceived by the so called 5 star positive reviews.

Move size: 4+ Bedroom Home Service cost: $8500

Whatever you do in life, but do yourself a favor and do NOT use Traditional Van Lines to move your items. It is a typical bait and switch operation. The sales people seem nice and work with you to give you discounts and free services e.g. free additional stops and free elevator move.

I provided the moving company with the exact number of boxes and household items and photos to get an accurate quote and was told that there will be no surprises.

When the moving day came, the driver raised the price by $1000. I had to get my items out that day, so I had no choice.
I was promised that everything will arrive in a week. Long story short, I got my items a month later after numerous calls and was charged additionally for the use of the elevator.

Again, under any circumstances - do not use this company!

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3000

Initially I had went to moving.com, to get some quotes for my move. The response was absolutely overwhelming. Once I had a free moment, I called Traditional & got in touch with Richard Russo. He seemed knowledgeable & was very helpful throughout the process. After doing a visual estimate, we had agreed on a price and on move day there were 4 gentlemen from the company who worked tirelessly throughout a cold day. The crew did a great job, which was a big relief - being able to see how carefully the gentlemen packed everything, made the process a lot lighter. Delivery came within a week, which was 2 days earlier than expected. (I'm not complaining) All in all, they honored their price & only 1 item was damaged in transit, which we are going through the claims department currently, to get reimbursed for. Will definitely recommend them.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $9200

BEFORE YOU BOOK WITH THIS COMPANY READ MY REVIEW. Traditional Express Vanlines changed their name a few days ago to Safe Muuv to evade the update of my review. I am going to do my best to shorten this review, but I can't promise anything. So let's get to it! I initially contacted Traditional early this year about a move from Maryland to California. I called them to get a quote and I spoke to Sam. He was very nice the first call and then the second call he began pressuring me to pay so I decided to do research the company. What I found was shocking. All the raving reviews were fake! YES, THE REVIEWS WERE FAKE! What I noticed was that the same people (numerous people) had given raving reviews to other trucking companies in the same week. (Please see the screenshot of my initial review). After posting my review the company tries contacting Yelp stating that they had never spoken to me before and requesting that Yelp remove my review. So I had to prove to Yelp that I had, by sending the quote. (Yup, I still had it in my email. Thank you Google.) After they were unsuccessful in having it removed I get an email on 2/4/18 from Mitch asking for me to call him. Mitch tells me that he is the owner, he fired Sam and he would like to make things right. He begged and promised me that he would give me a better quote than before and he would apply a discount. I told him I had already booked with another company and he asked me to cancel. Sounding so convincing, I canceled and received my down payment back. He also asked me to take down my review until my actual move and swore to me in a bragging way that Sam made them look bad and they were this awesome moving company. So I changed my review stating that we were working to resolve the previous issue and that I will update after my move. Mitch asked me to give him a list of my items but to make sure we had no mistakes on the price, per his request, I sent him a list and pictures. He then gave me a quote. I was happy. March 2018 came and I contacted Mitch via text and told him that I decided to sell some items including the couches but we had more boxes. (Please see pictures attached) He said, "oh well let me adjust the quote". He did. Fast forward to moving day April 28, 2018, I had to call him because I had not heard from anyone. He apologized and said they should have called me the day before. The movers finally showed up and after they get everything on the truck, the mover says "Mitch did not put the right size items on the list" and that I would be charged more because "the items were bigger than notated on his list" He also said that we had more boxes than Mitch told him. He then added $743.10 to the quoted price. Stating that we had 875 cubic feet versus 625 cubic feet. Amazing! May 5, 2018, We also booked with them to have my car picked up. Yeah, you guessed it, no call no show. (please see screenshots of conversation.) So I had to, at the last minute, find another company to bring the car to Cali. I had been texting and calling Mitch for days and days no response. May 16, 2018, I was contacted by the driver and told me he will be at the storage in 15 minutes and if I was late getting there it will be additional $150. I then told him to stop yelling, that I was one block away and I will be there. I get to the storage and he tells me that he doesn't think he can pull in the storage because there is a dip on the entrance and that he was leaving with my belongings and you guessed it. I would have to pay more money to get it. Long story short I had to call the police. He then changed his mind and said he was going to try to pull up over the dip. I said ok. I then followed the manager down the aisle to my unit. After 10 mins we realized the driver wasn't coming, so we both went to the front entrance and the drivers truck was stuck on the curb. The police arrived and spoke to both of us. The driver tried to get the officer to agree that I should then pay $300 for a tow truck. The officer informed the driver this would be a civil matter. After the tow truck moved the truck out the driveway the driver then tried to tell me I had to pay more money for waiting time because his truck was stuck. I begged and pleaded with the driver to give me belongings. He refused. The officer then informed him that he is supposed to be a professional driver so it was his responsibility to make the decision on how to drive his truck. He still refused saying I need to give him more money. I called Mitch several times he would not answer. I called the company and Bill answered and said that Louis will be calling the driver to work this out. Finally, Mitch text me accusing me of making his driver pull into a space that he knew he couldn't. To sum this up. They put my items on the street and I had to get a Uhaul and move everything to my storage. Then I get a text from Mitch asking for more money. (See screenshots/pictures of conversation.) Oh I had broken items as well and missing items. See Pictures on Yelp.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3210

Working with Traditional Express Van Lines has been a wonderful experience. And in the moving industry, consider this a glowing compliment. The movers were on the same wavelength, communicated proficiently, and coordinated my belongings from Point A to B without any issues. I’m very impressed and satisfied with their level of professionalism throughout this move. My belongings safely made it inside my new California Home. I would recommend Traditional Express Van Lines for being transparent and well coordinated. Thank you kindly!

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3650

I consider this a jam packed move. Packed full of surprises, determination, and positive results. This is due to the movers vitality and willingness to overcome obstacles. They ran into some issues down the road but found tangible solutions by maintaining their composure. Even though the pick up time was slightly delayed, they made up for it in the area of drop off. Drop off was quicker since they had to make up for lost time from the pickup. It was nice seeing this in action and coming to a success. Thank you so much for your help.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2700

This company has mixed feedback, but I’m not surprised in the slightest. The moving industry provides a great deal of challenges, and certainly everyday isn’t going to be perfect. But despite the imperfections that transpired throughout my move, the movers did a good enough job to not break or damage anything. This is partly because I expressed how I would be in discontent if anything happened to my precious, irreplaceable things. They agreed to be diligent from the very beginning, otherwise I wouldn’t of hired them. Overall, the move was orderly and I would recommend this company to anyone looking to move. If you walk into any move expecting perfection, you will be sorely disappointed. There will always be unexpected problems. What makes a good moving company is how they respond to those problems.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3400

I had a fantastic experience with Traditional Express Van Lines. I appreciated their cooperation and willingness to communicate consistently through this move. There were some tough aspects of the move, but they were able to successfully push all the way through. That’s more than I can say for most moving companies out there. My things are safe and secure, and I didn’t end up overpaying for my items. It’s safe to say that Traditional Express Van Lines is an optimal choice. I highly recommend them for your moving needs!

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4000

If I could give 0 stars I would!!

Do NOT USE THESE MOVERS! BEWARE!! So I recommended these guys to my sister after my tenant had used them. Well while they moved my sisters belongings from her old home to the new home they damaged a marble stoop so my sister had to pay for the broken stoop to be fixed upwards of a few hundred dollars. Igor who calls himself the owner of this company said he has insurance and would issue her a check for the repairs. Now, my sister and her husband are the nicest people on this planet they followed up with him for the check once or twice and he never sent it even though he promised he would. So I got involved bc I felt responsible since I recommended him and after months and months of calling him for the money he ignores my calls. Finally when he answers he threatens me curse ME out when he's the one that owes us money this guy is a CROOK go elsewhere please do yourself a favor hire honest normal business people he is totally a hot headed unprofessional thief!

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3300

Ok, so going into this I had very low expectations, since I know how poorly moves can turn out. But, I was pleasantly surprised. This is one of those situations where I’m more than happy to be wrong. Traditional Express Van Lines was very effective during our move. Professional and straightforward through the pick up and drop off process. Anything I emphasized protection on was properly secured with plastic wrap, cardboard, blankets, etc. Everything made it to my new home in LA just fine. I would hire them again if the need arises.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3300

Not only did my movers prove to be friendly and helpful, but they were also knowledgeable and productive throughout each phase of the move. Pickup, transport, and drop off. Each phase went well and there was ample communication to keep me informed of their progress. When a company doesn’t communicate, I become very fearful at what the outcome is going to be. This company was able to communicate and perform quality moving services simultaneously, which makes them a formidable choice for your next move. Highly recommend.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5100

The absolute worst company and customer service. They never answer the phone, they don’t communicate, they lose your ppwk and they apparently overbook themselves. They have had my belongings for 3 weeks now and it’s still sitting in their warehouse and I still don’t have a date as to when they are delivering it. Probably cause that can’t find it. They pick your stuff up take it to a warehouse to get unloaded to be loaded on another truck. It doesn’t seem to get any further then their warehouse. Hopefully I get my belongings and they are in the same shape as they picked them up. Oh and btw they expect tips and will tell you that when they arrive before they pack anything. Maybe because I don’t carry cash and I gave them all I had it must not have been enough and they conviently miss-placed the ppwk and sat on my belongings. Still waiting for my things and it’s now approaching a month now.
FIND SOMEONE ELSE OR DO IT YOURSELF BEFORE HIRING THESE GUYS!!
Oh I wouldn’t have even given them 1 star but I had to highlight one to even leave a review.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2900

I originally hired Colonial Van Lines to move us from Massachusetts to Florida, however, without my knowledge, Colonial subbed the job out to Traditional Van Lines based out of NJ. We were told our furniture was going to be sent to a warehouse in Tampa and we were to call two days prior to when we wanted our home goods delivered to our new home. We called them on February 12th to inform them that we will be moving in on the 14th. When the furniture didn’t come, we resorted to using air mattresses. On the first night, my wife fell off the air mattress and broke her shoulder. I called Colonial to ask about my furniture and I told them of the accident with my wife, I didn’t receive any apologies, they seemed like they didn’t even care, and that I needed to call them back in 2 days and they would update me about the status of my furniture. At one point, they told me it was in Jacksonville in a warehouse and that they would get back to me. The next time I called, they told me it was still in NJ. My furniture finally arrived Feb 25th with $1200 damage to by Harley Davidson Motorcycle, and many items were broken, including some antiques I bought while I was in the UK. Also, many of my brand new toolsets were missing, I presumed stolen. Then, about 2 weeks after we received our stuff, a moving truck pulled up with more of our stuff that they claimed they found at the warehouse. Every time I called them, I got the old “you need to talk to so and so” run-a-round. I was told I could put a claim in, and they said it would settle between 90 and 100 days. I placed my claim for $3200 and they gave me a settlement of $450. They knew they had, because small claims court told me I had to file where the moving contract was signed, in Massachusetts. What a dysfunctional company, both companies. My advice to anybody, put your stuff in a POD, use your own lock, and your stuff will be safe.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5341