Colonial Van Lines
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Our recent moving experience with Colonial Van Lines was highly unsatisfactory and was compounded by the company's claims processes that appear to effectively limit their compensation obligations. The cost for our interstate move of approximately 500 miles ended up at $14,361.67 - more than $3,000 higher than the original quote because of "additional packaging charges." We packed most items ourselves yet the moving crew decided to repack numerous items at their discretion levying an additional charge. The moving crew also did not take care in adequately protecting many expensive furniture items, which were damaged during the move including a cherry work desk, a living room couch and outdoor patio chairs. Prior to the actual move, we paid an additional premium to declare a higher value for our items hoping to protect ourselves from damages during the move. However, the higher coverage value comes with a $1,000 deductible. The damage claims process required extensive information and photographs of the damaged items along with a bill of lading. Based on our calculations the damage to our furniture exceeded several thousand dollars. After carefully following the company's claims procedure, many months later we were offered a "settlement" of $450 with the requirement to sign a full non-disclosure agreement. We expressed our displeasure with the offer but received no further communications with the company. In our view, much of our dissatisfaction could have been avoided with better upfront communications,, particularly on charges for the move. Needless to say, we cannot recommend this company for any interstate moves.

Whatever you do, do NOT use this company to move your belongings. They will lose them, damage them, lie to you about prices, up-charge you, and ghost you. 1. They were weeks late on promised delivery window 2. They moved my belongings 4 times before it arrived to me. (That I know of.) 3. Many, many pieces of furniture has been ruined or broken, including my TV (despite it being in a protected box) 4. They ARE a broker, despite assuring you they aren't (Colonial Van Lines did not pick up or drop off my things, Apex Moving did.) 5. They lost many of my valuable possessions. Boxes, furniture parts, shoes, hardware for my bed, legs to multiple tables, expensive pots and dish ware. All of it is just gone. 6. They added over $600 in fees after pickup, claiming that 17 boxes were used to pack my things (completely false) and when my things were finally delivered, they wouldn't release it all until I agreed to pay the remaining charges that I didn't agree to. (I was given a small discount from the brokered movers of $140 towards the $600). Once we loaded everything, there were only 4 boxes that were used, not the 17 I was charged for. I've been trying to work with the company for over 2 months now with finding my things and receiving compensation for the damages. The manager I was working with was let go and no one called to tell me so I was ghosted for weeks. I keep being told they will reach out to dispatch and that dispatch will get in touch with me to find my things, but dispatch never does. I'm heartbroken that I spent thousands just for this company to lose sentimental items that I cannot replace. Learn from everyone's mistakes on here and just use someone else.

They are a terrible moving company. I moved from LA to CA for work. The delayed my delivery 3x despite giving me a 1 week window since pick up. I was forced to alter my plans in order to wait for their delivery but they kept delaying it. They attempted to discount my final amount, however, I already paid them. Right now, I have $60 that they have yet to send back my way. It's been over 2 months and nothing. I even spoke with their manager, Bruce, who said he'd call me to discuss compensation after they send only ONE mover to deliver my stuff, the truck driver. I had to hire outside movers to help unload my things. I was truly overwhelmed and disappointed by this company and hope you reconsider another.

DO NOT HIRE COLONIAL VAN LINES!!! They do not care about their customers, use shady tactics, nothing they said would happen did, only cared about the money, didn't pickup or deliver as we were told, every person I spoke to read scripted responses for every interaction, additional fees and deposits extorted from me with threats of not delivering if I didn't pay, contracts only protect the movers not the consumer so beware before signing and have an attorney review! This experience was dehumanizing, anxiety attack inducing, highly stressful and very unprofessional! When our things were finally delivered by a third party contracted out by Colonial, our boxes were all crushed, things were broken and dirt and debris caked over everything!!!!!!! They didn't care and don't care and probably will read this and still not care! Nothing short of a full refund on my deposit and a full written apology would come close to making up for the absolute lack of respect for our hard earned money, unprofessional handling of our items and complete failure to execute the move as conveyed. Even after I expressed my severe disappointment and asked to be contacted by management many times nobody from Colonial ever did!

Absolutely awful! Avoid at all costs. They are a broker acting like a mover. They sent my contract to Posh Moving Services of Las Vegas. Disastrous! First, they gave no information as to how long they would take to pickup my stuff. I was all packed at 8am as I was told. They didn't finish until midnight in THE SECOND DAY! I had to sleep on my floor! Second, they gave no notice of when they would deliver, just 30 minutes. Third, there was so much damage! Bookcases destroyed, entertainment center dusted, and boxes marked fragile came crumpled! I'm glad I took out the Full Insurance, but knowing them now, I'll bet they won't pay. Finally, they told me three days ago, they would send me an updated price via Rerates, but they did not. I paid full price to Posh. Get your act together!

I hired Colonial for a move from NJ to Illinois. They assured me that they are not a broker and are the actual Movers. They will tell you that "we have a DOT number and you shouldn't deal with brokers"...They are %100 brokers. I promise a company called APEX Moving will show up at your move. Colonial will be nowhere in site. When Colonial gives you a date on when your belongings will be delivered, make sure to make the date as close as possible. Example: If they say your stuff can be delivered August 4 - 11. Your belongings will come the 11th. It gives them more time to look through your stuff. Since Colonial Van Lines gets their cut as a broker, the first thing APEX will do is try to upcharge you. They tried charging me 2700 to box up my televisions which were supposed to be already included. The driver must get a cut of whatever they upcharge. They were supposed to come to my house with a tractor trailer for moving a 5 bedroom house. They showed up with a box truck. They taped my furniture to the back of the moving truck. They will pack up your belongings onto the truck, than unload your belongings at their facilities, search for any valuables, repack the boxes, than pack up your stuff in a new truck and send it to you. Make that make sense. The worst part, they blatantly stole an 80inch TV from me. One TV just disappeared. They will steal thousands from you and than send you a settlement for a few hundred dollars. That's a great business plan. Steal a lot more than what you are paying out. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!!!

BEWARE!!!! Do not hire this company for your move!! If I could rate a zero I would. I don't want more people to go through the nightmare we did. We have moved 9 times in the past 26 years, and have never experienced such a horrible moving experience. I don't even think the people who packed our belongings were even movers. They had no idea how to pack. They just put breakables and electronics all together in boxes with no wrapping. They also left our house a mess. Trash everywhere, spit out sunflower seeds on the floors, bottles with sunflower seeds left everywhere, spilt soda on the floor that they walked through and got it sticky everywhere. My husband bought them pizza and they left pizza crusts on the window sills. Not only were many of our belongings broken upon arrival, they forgot a portion of our things at our old residence. Since we moved to a different state, we are now trying to figure out how to get that stuff to us, let alone out of the house we are trying to sell. We have been told many times they were taking care of it, then suddenly they stopped communicating with us, won't pick up any of our phone calls, nor return any of our calls. The movers who picked up our stuff and delivered our stuff never gave us any paperwork or an inventory list. This whole process has been a complete nightmare and I can't believe there are companies who conduct their business like this. So shady!! If you are looking for a moving company, I can't stress enough to stay away from this company!!!
Despite negotiating a "Resolution", no resolution in site. Colonial offered, and I accepted, in writing a $750 settlement for their lack of performance in our recent move. See previous review. But then they incessantly call me, leaving voicemail message after voicemail message, needing to "go over the details of the resolution process." They will not state what those details are in writing. I don't know what part of OFFER + ACCEPTANCE + CONSIDERATION = CONTRACT Colonial does not understand. Nor do they understand that once when two parties have an agreement what is left is for the parties to perform to the agreement. Apparently there are other conditions that they want to discuss, but not in writing -- I wonder why? They want to add other conditions not earlier stated -- they want to change the contract!!! I have issued a DEMAND NOTE FOR PAYMENT for the $750. Donna has sent the note onto the Escalation Manager." We shall see. read more
5 years ago
Although we experienced numerous difficulties in our move (see previous review), Donna from Colonial's resolution desk reached out. She listened attentively, was empathetic to our concerns and went to bat to resolve our issues. Appreciate Donna's efforts to which I give five stars. read more
Business owner information
Al D.
Manager
Hi Dorian,…
2 years ago
Warning to anyone moving! Do not use Colonial Van Lines. They subcontractored Lopez Moving and Hauling located in Pompano Beach. Furniture was offloaded and loaded to another truck. New upright freezer looks like it was in a fight with Ali. Knuckle marks all over with large strip of painted off the bottom, 5 piece Lazy Boy sectional was wet and has white stains, custom made solid oak Amish bed has 2 chunks of metal on side board, 100 year old Westminster chime clock found upside down with pendulum up in the mechanics, Allan Jackson signed rocking chair is damaged. List goes on!! Can't find an attorney to sue for breach of contract. Damages far exceed what would be covered in a claim with these shitty movers. Should be trash haulers because they have no business handling peoples belongs! I'm not done with them yet! Still hoping to find an attorney that cares about what is right. Not looking good but I don't quit easily! Don't let this happen to you! Neither moving company had any concerns over this problem. read more
4 years ago
Keep Away. Colonial Van Lines moved us in July 2022. They were late and a different company, 'Re Moving America' showed up. At no time were we informed they were doing the move. The DOT # The form that is required by law was for Colonial and not Re Moving America. We had not been given the ability to review/reject this carrier. These are a few of the things that Colonial were negligent with: Showed up past last pick up window No contact info Arrived in a Penske moving truck with no shelving for a long-distance haul. Furniture and boxes strapped to the truck's liftgate and drove in heavy rain. On delivery, we found a large amount of poorly packed boxes that had damaged items thrown into them. Scratched up floors and walls. Hired unvetted Craigslist workers on arrival and delivery. The movers did not finish reassembling furniture. Upon Delivery, attempted to give us items that we did not own. Items of ours were lost. 3/4 of all boxes crushed and many soaking wet. Items were hidden from view and orientated to hide damages. Moving Paperwork: The company never offered the booklet "Your Rights and Responsibilities when You Move." Order for Service was incorrect. It did not list 'Re Moving America' and all the required information about them as required by law. (Name / Address / US DOT#/ Phone/ etc.) Bill of lading -Refused to give copies. (Required by law) Altered paperwork after signatures to list everything as being scratched. The inventory list was incorrect and the movers did not allow us to correct No indication of credits to us for delayed timelines. By right, they did not allow us to observe the weighing of the truck. The cost breakdown exceeded the cost per weight tariff in the Order for Service and never offered a refund. We asked the delivering mover for a company claim form and they refused. Damages caused by their neglectful actions totaled around $10,000.00, yet Colonial only offered $1400.00 and is trying to force us to sign an NDA. read more
5 years ago
Stay away. Poor communication, don't respond to emails or calls. I was not informed of my pickup and now have been fighting with them for delivery of my things which they have in storage. Was given two delivery dates and the moving company they sub contracted with confirmed the delivery date with me and never informed me that they were not going to show up. Very poor communication between van lines and subcontractors. Staff at colonial are not responsive and rude. Stay away, very pricey but don't give the services for that. Will give zero stars if that was an option. Colonial reached out to me and Donna from Colonial worked on a resolution with me and she was very understanding of the issues and excellent to work with. I give them five stars for the services rendered by Donna and Tomas Massey. read more
Business owner information
Al D.
Manager
Good morning Yazhini,…
2 years ago
Donna from the Resolution Department at Colonial worked with me to solve my complaint. She was very understanding, and I agreed to their offer. I would highly suggest if you have any issues with Colonial to talk with Donna....she want their customers to be happy with their Colonial experience..... read more
Business owner information
Al D.
Manager
Rick,…
2 years ago
They ruined our $3100 refrigerator and offered us $280 replacement. I do not recommend them!!!
5 years ago
Thank you to Donna who resolved my issues! She helped talk with me about what went wrong and said she would fix it. Thanks! read more
Business owner information
Al D.
Manager
Sarah,…
3 years ago
They are brokers if you don't care who they send to move you then they are the one for you. Read your contract to make sure they have all the right information. Fallow up often you talk with a half dozen people. Do be filled by the reports on the and the photos of a truck with company logo it all smoke and mirrors. read more
4 years ago
We moved from Ga. to Tx and it was the Worst experience ever. They knew they flat out lied to us when explaining the delivery window. I was told I could choose the delivery date during the window. That was a flat out lie. We were closing on a home in Texas and needed a certain date. Ended up costing us thousands more than we were told and what they did not break they lost. If you use Colonial Van Lines I can not stress enough to take out extra insurance because you are going to need it. Actually... Don't use this company at all they are crooks. read more
3 years ago
When I first started working with this company, I was pleased. The customer service rep seemed knowledgeable and kind. She told me that they do not contract out to other companies, which is not true at all. Should have been a red flag, but we had already put in a deposit so we stuck with them. We were doing a long distance move for my mom from the Outer Banks NC to Fairfax VA. They told me this was no problem and gave me an ETA of Monday between 11 and 4. On Monday the customer service rep called at 2:00 to see if they had arrived or had heard from them and I had not. She claimed she was going to look into it and have the driver call and I would hear from them soon. I didn't hear from him until 4:30 after calling the customer service rep 2 more times. When the driver called, he said they were just leaving now and would not arrive until 9:30 PM, 5 hours outside the window. Turns out the dispatcher can't read a map or estimate how long a move will take and double booked the movers. When I called to complain the rep suggested we move it to the next day, which we couldn't do since we needed to drive back to our house in Maryland for work on Tuesday. His solution was to ask a neighbor to let them into the house to monitor the move. Basically they had no solutions. When I asked for a discount due to the inconvenience I was told that they would take money off the final bill, another lie. The movers finally arrived at 10:30 PM and tried to get me to pay up front, which no one told me was going to happen. I refused and they agreed to wait until delivery for final payment. When I called the next day about my discount the lady said they "never" promise a discount they would "investigate" the situation and would let me know soon what the results were, another lie. Six weeks later, nothing has happened. This company will mislead you and has zero follow through. They overwork their movers and do not know how to read a map or plan out the time it will take to do a job. Do not trust their lies! read more
12/29: Donna R. contacted us and offered us $600, and then $800, in "compensation" but the catch was that we had to amend our review to 3 stars or remove it. Which is against Yelp's TOS, btw. But we have integrity, so, no. Do appreciate the follow-up, but not the conditions. AVOID COLONIAL VAN LINES. Do not book your move with this moving "relocation" specialist. Booking with CVL: Our first point of contact dramatically underestimated the weight on our stuff (all the while reassuring me that their system was so accurate, in his experience it was always over-estimated and we'd probably get money back) and miraculously managed to give us a quote that was just over our desired moving budget. This should have been a huge red flag. Several days before our pickup window, we talked to another person at CVL and went over our inventory list again. Magically, even though we'd removed some furniture and heavier items, the addition of more boxes meant that our estimate had gone up and we owed them $417. At this point, we were assigned a specialist who would be our new point of contact with the company. Carol was the ONLY good thing about dealing with Colonial Van Lines. The Pick Up Window: The day before our confirmed pickup, Carol called and told me we would not be picked up as contracted. Colonial then booked us with another moving agent and pickup was rescheduled for the last day of our window on the 29th. On the 28th we were told that the new agent was actually coming on the 30th. Then on the 30th, they said that due to a problem, they were going to have to pick us up on the 1st. The day after our lease ended. That's 4 days after their first "confirmed" pickup. Moving Day: The driver is 4 hours late. Once the truck was weighed, our bill went up by another $600 because of weight. We're over budget, badly. It just seems clear to me that they get you to sign the contract by lowballing the weight/cost estimate, which is a pretty terrible business practice. Cost to us for these late shenanigans: We were charged $70 in pro-rated rent by our landlord for the extra day. We missed our good weather window for travel and had to take the coast highway into Oregon as there was heavy snow on our original route. This added 8 hours to our drive time, considerable stress, and 300+ miles, which meant about another $100 in gas for 2 cars. Extra meals, coffee, and stops on the now longer route, probably another $100. Insurance: The day before the new movers came, our moving insurance was abruptly canceled. Why? The new agent - booked BY CVL - wasn't covered by the insurance company CVL uses. Seems like a pretty big oversight. We were told we'd be offered insurance by the new agent on the day they came to pick up. We were. The new movers wanted $1700 with a $1000 deductible and it was all or nothing. The Delivery Window: We were given a window from the 2nd to the 10th. The movers came to deliver on the 11th. That's 9 days, camping in an empty house with 3 cats. There was a total breakdown of communication at crucial points in our move. Seems like fires only got lit under people's butts when I started using terms like "breach of contract." Drop off Day: one day late/outside our drop off window. Pro: The two movers were pretty fast and polite, they behaved professionally and got the job done in fairly short order. Con: the back of the truck was a hot mess of their personal belongings and nasty ripped moving pads that reeked of mildew and cigarette smoke. I had to wash every towel, sheet, slipcover, and blanket that was boxed on that truck, as well as all of our summer clothes that were boxed and shipped with the movers. It smelled so bad. So bad. I can't even tell you how bad it all smelled after being on that truck. Their truck leaked and some of our wood furniture and boxes got wet. The movers didn't mention this, just left the wet stuff on our hardwood floors and let me find it and only 'fessed up when I asked about it. I'm still finding mildewy things. There are some significant scratches and dings on our floors that weren't there before they delivered. Which means, when we move out, we'll have to pay to have the floors re-finished because our landlady had just had them done before we moved in. They did use pads to scoot the big stuff, but, not all of it and our floors still got scratched. My expensive wedding crystal was smashed - the movers had packed a shop compressor and some tools ON TOP of the boxes marked "fragile". I'm still unpacking so it'll be another few weeks before I know the extent of the damages. My Kitchenaid mixer is also destroyed and if you've ever bought a Kitchenaid, you know that's not inexpensive. CVL will absolutely not get an amended five-star review from me after the fact because they do not do not deserve one. Do not recommend. Editing to add: Upon unpacking, we discovered some possessions never made it off the moving truck. Disappointing. read more
2 years ago
I had moved across states and was without my furniture for almost 2 weeks. it took days of chasing people down because no one would tell me where my things were or when to expect them. When my things finally arrived, they had rodent feces and urine one them, and the movers damaged flooring and walls. They even moved rugs out of my bathroom into the laundry room to cover up the damage they had done. Now Colonial won't answer emails or calls now that my apartment complex and flooring company put a quote together for them for the damage they did. Stay away. Even if other companies cost more, it is not worth the stress of what they will put you through, nor what will happen to your belongings. read more
Business owner information
Al D.
Manager
We apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced. We would…
I also want to warn others and say DO NOT HIRE THIS MOVING COMPANY. We booked them six weeks in advance and when our moving date approached, they weren't able to tell us exactly what day they were coming. Kept talking to various people at the company and they couldn't tell us what time they were coming or the exact day! Two days before our moving date, they told us that they didn't have a driver available and couldn't tell us why. And no, it was not related to covid. They said they could confirm a driver and truck for a week after. Ridiculous. What's the point of booking 6 weeks in advance when they cancel on you at the last minute. So we had to scramble for a new moving company at the last minute. read more
Business owner information
Al D.
Manager
Shari,…
5 years ago
Let's start by saying this isn't my first rodeo. I am a Executive who has lived all over the world moving 22 times with professional movers. The binding estimate wasn't correct PER COLONIAL even after giving them the following before getting my estimate: 1.) Photo's of each row as it was being loaded into the storage unit 20'X20' about half full, that was picked up by Colonial. Really easy pickup location. See the photo it shows what was moved. It was packed and loaded by another professional moving company. 2.) A cover sheet showing addresses with google maps for each location and a detailed list of the tasks requested from Colonial. 3.) Excel spread sheet with each item that was being moved numbered and color coded per location it was going. Binding estimate was increased after the truck was loaded. I was told weeks later. Estimated weight was 5700lb, Driver said when it was being loaded he thought it was 7500lb. CA weight ticket 6700lb. FL weight ticket 6500lb My last moving weight ticket less then a year ago from another moving company 5000lb. I don't believe any of them. I think the binding estimate weight of 5700lb was still over the real weight. My delivery date was 30 days after the pickup date. I was called the day before the delivery and told they are not going to deliver my items to my storage unit a mile away that was spelled out in the cover sheet they received before the move. It ended up being 62 items I was still charged for it. I had to rent a truck and delivery them myself at the same time the movers moved my belongings. Makes me think it was more about not being present at the Miami weight ticket. I had a cashers check for the amount from Bank of America that was made out to Colonial and was told by the driver, I had to get a money order or cash before he would start unloading my belongings from his truck. After filing a complaint with BBB and the agencies that regulate moving companies interstate and local, including Florida's governors office, a complaint with Florida's district attorney office. Colonial Van Line hasn't fixed anything or refunded my money after Months of dealing with them , hoping you will give up. I hired a professional moving company which they are not. I see the following from Colonial no ethical standards, dishonest group overall. They are going to steal from you and sleep fine its what they do. The information is 100% truthful in this review and if anything I am being overly kind to them. Best regards, read more
2 years ago
Chose this company based on reviews & that it is family owned. Movers were 4 hours late, they threw stuff around despite my protests. Very unprofessional. Long story short, much of my stuff was damaged or missing. Approximately 5 boxes were lost. I was compensated a meager amount for my loss. read more
Business owner information
Al D.
Manager
We apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced. We are…
7 years ago
Today is 8/8/19. CVL has renegged on their offer of resolution when they added a stipulation after we signed. . Their reason is that they are insisting that we drop our complaint with the credit card company FIRST. We don't feel comfortable doing that until their check to us cleared first. We would be crazy to trust or believe after so many things didn't occur as they told us it would. I will remind everyone again, Colonial Van Lines may, or may not be movers. They claim they are, but in our move, they acted as the broker. Dont judge them by the three stars. Those stars are artificially affected by CVL asking that reviews be deleted, altered, or, in our case, Donna asked that I rate her. I did rate her a 4 star in the body of the review. She pointed out that the company was still a 1 star. Yes, they will stay that way. They still dont reply to emails even in the middle of a conflict resolution. Nope, one star it is! read more
5 years ago
Update 1: My items finally arrived a week beyond the promised delivery date. There was no paperwork that was ever received, only 2 phone calls from the Colonial CS office, including one from the douchebag CS rep who hung up on me before. My stuff was delivered in an Allied Van Lines truck (wait... huh? Allied Van Lines? I don't get it either, but hey.. my stuff is here.) The only saving grace was the driver and the delivery team. That team was extremely courteous to us and very careful unloading and placing our items exactly where requested. The team placed carpet runners down to protect against footprints and other messes, never nicked a wall, and really did a great job. They were on time for delivery and done in less than 4 hours. There was some minor damage to a few items that we packed, so I can't be mad at them. These are issues we can live with and that come along with a long distance move. Just glad to have our sh*t... I also spoke with their resolutions specialist, Donna. She offered a price adjustment for the inconvenience, poor customer service, and delivery delays. I accepted the offer with the agreement that I would post this update to my review. 5 stars for the delivery team 5 to Donna for a fair inconvenience fee refund. Colonial customer service agents still gets a zero. Honestly, I would have rather they deliver on time as promised without the hassles that me and my family went through, but the delivery team was Colonial's saving grace. @Al Disorbo - You are damn lucky to have Donna and the delivery team that you sent to my house. If you trained your CS people to be more responsive, honest and show some empathy to your clients, you wouldn't have to repeatedly reply to angry customer posts. read more
Business owner information
Al D.
Manager
Jon,…
6 years ago
"Outstanding! This is one of my best moving experience. Teo and his crew were outstanding both packing, loading, shipping, unloading, delivery and setup. The whole experience was a breeze including the appointment, scheduling and dispatch. Everyone at Colonial Moving and Storeage was genuinely kind, courteous, patient, knowledgeable, professional, reliable and efficient. Words are limitless with praise! Marjorie M. Cabell" read more
Business owner information
Al D.
Manager
Thank you for sharing this awesome experience feedback with us.
4 years ago
Ok I provided some erroneous information in my review. Evidently there are to Donnas.. Donna Gomez that s my account rep and Donna Rose (I believe) that chases down poor reviews . Donn Rose called me last week and on Tuesday I believe offering to compensate me for the terrible experience. During the conversation she said I Was still obviously very upset.. Which I was.. And she promised to call me back tomorrow after I had some time to think about how she could make it right.. Guess what .. SHE NEVER CALLED BACK!!! Par for the course read more
2 years ago
Using this company has been the worst experience ever! We have been waiting for our belongings for almost a month. Every excuse has been made and are belongings have been sitting in a warehouse in Las Vegas. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!! read more
Business owner information
Al D.
Manager
Kathleen,…
2 years ago
Using this company has been the worst experience ever. We have been waiting for stuff for almost a month now. Every excuse has been made and our furniture is still sitting in warehouse in Las Vegas. DO NOT USE THIS CO! read more
3 years ago
I've moved dozens of times, and this is by far the worst moving company I have ever used. After charging a very high fee but assuring me of their professionalism and promise that they be "there for me every step of the way," their movers never showed up. Can you imagine the financial and logistical nightmare situation this left me in? Don't buy their B.S. Find another moving company. read more
Business owner information
Al D.
Manager
Ben,…
5 years ago
EDIT-Donna did a great job and worked with me to ensure i was satisfied with my outcome and took responsibility. When the movers first showed up on 1/19 in Cleveland in an unmarked truck (apparently Ortiz Movers), the worker who was working alongside the main worker coordinating the documents was cat-calling me outside of my home while hiding next to his truck. He also made me feel very uncomfortable in my own home by staring at me and stopping his work to do so while smiling and nodding. I am a single woman and this was not a great feeling. I didn't want to make a big deal about this and just wanted to get on with my move but it should be known this person felt predatory. This is the same worker that wrapped my great grandmothers mid century lamps with my own rug he picked up off my floor which ended up being destroyed. I paid extra to have only these items wrapped "professionally". They also forgot the large bar and had to come back and get it 2 hours later. As i waited in an empty place in Austin, my move window kept getting pushed back, which would have been manageable, but no one called me to tell me this was happening each time. I had to call myself to find out on the last day of the delivery window each time. They had no information regarding the whereabouts of my items. When I first started working with Colonial, I was told by Thomas that he would be my contact throughout the entire process. This was a lie and my point of contact was changed regularly. Once my money was taken, no one seemed to care anymore. I spent the entire time waiting and worried sick. When the movers finally showed up, they tried to charge me approx. $500 more. I have read about this happening in other reviews. They alluded to not giving me my items until I paid. I waited on hold with Colonial and was hung up on twice. Finally, the onsite movers came over with the correct price. This felt like a total scam for more money. The movers began unloading boxes that looked like they were thrown around and no regard for the contents. The last few pictures I attached showed them stacking glass boxes and crushing the bottom one when they were clearly labeled not to do so. My grandmothers midcentury end table showed up unwrapped and the corner was chipped off. Another irreplaceable item. There was no respect given to any of my belongings. They put on the couch legs incorrectly and could have easily snapped. None of my furniture feels the same, my table, shelf and other items feel rickety not sitting properly. The pain I felt upon opening a box I paid extra to have wrapped professionally containing family heirlooms that cannot be replaced is something I never want anyone else to go through. I trusted "professionals" to pack these items better than I could have. They were LITERALLY THROWN IN A BOX AND WRAPPED IN MY OWN RUG. ZERO OTHER PACKAGING. I feel devastated, totally betrayed and scammed by Colonial. read more
6 years ago
I had a terrible experience with this company. There were 2 days when they were no shows, which was 2 days wasted. They knocked off only a tiny bit from my overall total and when I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau they tried to get me to sign an NDA for some hush money- which I refused. They treated me terribly-like my time was worthless and made me chase after them for any updates or details concerning all my worldly possessions. Overall would not recommend them to anyone. Update 10/2020: I can verify they've contacted me several times over the years. I've never agreed to take down this review nor will I. They claim they tried to compensate me by which they offered to refund me $200 for a job that cost me over $2000. I was also yelled at by an employee of theirs on the phone for demanding a more fair refund for all the trouble they put me through. Lastly I will say that they demanded payment before handing over my stuff-otherwise I wouldn't have paid them at all, but they essentially took my stuff hostage. read more
Business owner information
AL D.
Manager
Sara R Was book for a pick up dates of 12-9-10 the movers picked her…
3 years ago
DO. NOT. USE. I am trying to get an update on my delivery that was supposed to be delivered today. I call everyday & have no update on where my belongings are, as well as when I can expect my items. Is there anyone who can help me receive my items? The customer service continues to tell me they are calling dispatch, & each day claim I will get an update. (Never get one) My stuff is no where to be found, being held HOSTAGE by them with 0 insight on WHERE MY ITEMS ARE?!?!?! This is HORRIBLE! & I paid for this?! I have important belongings with no insight on there where about. I am sleeping on the floor of my house with no furniture, none of my important belongings, none of my personal items. The delivery window is over and they still have no insight. This is crazy and so disappointed. I am beyond upset I have no words. Also, no manager or actual helpful resource to speak to. I get put with the same people who get mad I'm frustrated. Do not use this company. read more
Business owner information
Al D.
Manager
Zarah,…
2 years ago
Colonial Van Lines - Job # 1240568-CV-A Washington State to Arizona State 9.28-23/10.12.23 Do Not Contract with this Company!!! Sharing this experience, in hopes no one else has to have this memory for a move. In January of 2023 we agreed to an initial contract with Colonial Van Lines and was provide an initial quote, that was follow by our requested in person quote as we wanted to ensure that Colonial was aware of all our valuables and our expectation of the upcoming move. 9.28.23 - Colonial sent us an email informing us that we need 75' of space in front of our house for their moving truck on 9.29-9.30. 9.29.23- *Red flag #1 - The movers that arrived were not Colonial Van Lines employees and instead were outsourced to a non-professional moving company, Marsik Movers LLC (302-217-8320). The movers did not have proper moving materials, equipment, or manpower, as agreed in our written contract with Colonial. We immediately called Colonial due to our concerns with the outsourced moving company and they guaranteed they were professionally trained by Colonial and everything would be completed as contracted. Since we were not convinced, we asked about adding additional insurance at that time, was told it was too late. *Red flag #2 - In addition, we raised specific concerns back to Colonial via phone about their plan to take part of our belongs on day 1 and drop them off in a warehouse and consolidate later which was not part of our contractual agreement and was informed that is standard practice and not to worry. We informed them of our concern that this move was going to be a disaster and that the company they used to outsource our move had no idea on how to manage our move. Day 2- 9.30.23 - *Red flag #3 - The same movers arrived without proper moving materials, equipment, or manpower, as agreed in our written contract with Colonial, and proceeded to run out of packing supplies at the end of day. As a result, we had to go to Home Depot and purchase additional packing supplies. Day two was a very long day and it was approach 9 pm, so the movers were tired, arrogant, un-professional, and disregarded our concerns for our personal belongs. *Red flag #4 - At the end of day 2 "No packing list" was provided by the movers. Once again, we called Colonial with our concerns they passed off as, "it will be ok, don't worry it is standard practice". We informed them of our severe concerns of how our belongs were packed with and loaded, and based on our experience that this was going to be a disastrous move on the other end. 10.1.23 - 10.06.23 - We contacted Colonial to confirm our delivery and was told that it was still in a warehouse in Washington. We request delivery date of on 10.11 or 10.12. 10.12.23 - *Red Flag #5- Delivery time. When the movers arrived again it was not Colonial Van lines, instead it was yet another outsourced moving company, using an Enterprise rental truck from Washington state. When the movers arrived, the first thing they demanded was the payment for the remainder of the move before we even were able to confirm all our stuff was delivered. Once again, the movers had no packing list to reference against to confirm delivery of our personal belongings. As the movers delivered our belonging, the movers continually commented on the poor quality of the pack and move. As our belonging were delivered and un-packed, we were shocked on the high level of damage found, which was absolutely heartbreaking, especially given all our communication on our expectations given the valuables in our move. (Estimated damage -12K) In addition to this and to our worst thought, Colonial mixed up our belongings with others and we ended up with other clients belonging and missing more than $6K of belongings that we can document. Colonial Van Lines - Resolution to the Incompetence of this Move. 11.08.23 - We completed a detailed damage claim form as required by Colonial Van Lines, along with a summary of event, and photos. (Including the 18K of loss and damages) 12.1.23- Colonial provided a settlement offer of $1300 and if we accept the amount, we are not to discuss this event with anyone (Confidentiality Settlement). Colonial also stated that this is the only and final claim. We sent a letter back to Colonial that we do not accept their offensive "offer" to resolve damages and loss caused by their incompetence and in no way are we going to sign a confidentially settlement! Overall Colonial Van Lines Experience: 1. Breach of Contract: Pack and Move was not provided as per signed contract 2. Resolution of Lost/Damages: No accountability or resolution provided for incompetence of moving services they contracted to provide. 3. Customer Service and Settlement - Colonial will lead with threatening language with a totally unacceptable resolution and a confidentiality agreement to keep you quiet on your experiences read more
6 years ago
DO NOT HIRE THIS COMPANY! Like many reviewers before me, I was duped by the adroit pitch of the sales representative. She walked me through what would surely be a professional and uncomplicated move. It didn't take long, however, until the red flags started waving. I have shared the bullet points of my experience below. The takeaway is: DON'T HIRE COLONIAL VAN LINES! * We were not provided the weight of the truck on arrival, as promised. * We were not provided the updated weight after pickup, as promised. * I was met with a condescending attitude by the staff. * Though the delivery address never changed, the company decided last minute that they would need a shuttle to bring the items to my home and I incurred an additional fee of nearly $400 for the service, which was not included in the original quote. * The truck arrived several days after the delivery window had expired, which happened to be in the middle of a trip that I had planned. Even though they were the ones who were several days late they charged ME a storage fee!! * The moving company called me on a Friday afternoon requesting payment for delivery. They said they were closed on the weekend and could only process my payment within the next five hours. If I did not call back in time then I would have to pay them CASH on delivery!! I happened to be on a transcontinental flight at the time and had no way to return their call. They were, fortunately, able to get in touch with my husband. They instructed him to EMAIL the credit card information. He refused, as email is not a secure method of payment. He was ultimately able to give it to them over the phone before they closed. Otherwise we would have had to scramble to somehow get enough cash on a weekend to get our furniture released to us. * The movers finally arrived and left us with damaged furniture and HUGE, DEEP scratches on our brand new, beautiful floor despite the cardboard and blankets we had put down to protect it. * The tape the moving company wrapped around all of our belongings was incredibly difficult to remove and left green residue on everything it touched. * The final delivery weight was EXACTLY the same weight as the estimate. How is that possible?! Did they even weigh it?? * I was never, not once, offered any apology for any of this. I absolutely regret my decision to hire Colonial Van Lines. Please don't make the same mistake I did. ** Update - I am raising my review to 5 stars due to Donna in resolutions. She was able to negotiate an acceptable compensation amount for our troubles. read more
Business owner information
Al D.
Manager
Thank you for speaking with us yesterday Samantha, we appreciate you…
3 years ago
Donna did a great job working on our behalf to get a reasonable resolution to the poor performance of the moving team. The resolution amount will fix the broken items and mostly pay for the missing items. It took 5 months to get this resolved. read more
Business owner information
Al D.
Manager
James,…
6 years ago
As if moving my family across the country wasn't stressful enough... This company has been a nightmare. My car was delivered a week late. Every time I spoke with someone it was, "It'll be fixed today." Well it wasn't fixed until I talked to the car delivery company they used myself. Why I needed them as a middle man is beyond me. Now I'm waiting for my home goods to arrive. With over two weeks notice on being the delivery, day one of my delivery window has passed. Surprise! Again, I some with my rep and just like before, it'll be taken care of... And just like before, no response. They said, "you'll get an email today!" No, no I won't. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. This company is a train wreck. The people are nice, but they are not good at delivering on their promise. read more
Business owner information
Al D.
Manager
I apologize that you did not have a good experience with your move.…
4 years ago
I did my first-ever cross country move using a van company. I quickly learned through my own research and connections that there's a wide gap in service reliability from line to line, so I was careful. Colonial was referred to me by a friend and after discussing my situation with them, and taking another estimate in person from a large company, went with Colonial. With their help, I got an extremely accurate estimate. They allow increases if the initial estimate is light using the same low rate. They communicate extremely well and are professional at every level. They use their own 'Colonial' trucks with assigned drivers to that rig. They were timely, and courteous at both pick-up and drop-off. I was actually fascinated by how organized, efficient, and precise they were in loading the trailer (see picture). My 10k pounds are all packed from the front to the red 'L' on that trailer! I have no complaints and would refer them to anyone. read more
3 years ago
Resolution department was good in assisting with problems I encountered with Colonial. They are hopefully going to refund me for a box they lost. read more
2 years ago
Stay Away from Colonial Van Lines. I learned the hard way. For me they were more like a high priced broker and not a moving company at all. Mine was not a traditional move. But it was a simple pick up of some furniture and household items that had been shipped to Miami and to deliver them to SC. The Colonial salesman assured me this was no problem. He told me the team at Colonial would take care of everything. He justified the cost by assuring me that Colonial's damage claim record was far below the industry average, their drivers were highly trained, their team would take care of all the details and they had a pick up date available within a week or so - if I signed up right away - even though I told him there was no urgency. Turns out he knew - or should have known - that the available pick up date he was pushing wasn't a Colonial truck at all. They have in their 'fine print' that they can assign 'one of their agents' to do the work. And the 66% 'deposit' I paid was really a finders fee! As soon as I signed I began receiving multiple calls from Colonial team members - some to verify the info I had already given them - and over a dozen emails with lists of how I should prepare for the move - none of which pertained to my situation. The last email and call were informing me that the pick up was scheduled with some mover from MD and that I needed to pay the balance of my contract directly to that mover! In other words, all the work, the actual pick and delivery, was done for 1/3 of the high cost I was quoted by Colonial. Colonial collected 2/3's and did nothing but waste my time with phone calls and a barrage of emails, schedule some other company to do the actual work and give me their phone number to arrange payment - to them! To make matters worse, the MD movers had very little information on the nature of the job. They thought it was a regular household move and at the last minute were concerned that their driver was not prepared for my type of shipment, all of which Colonial was well aware of in the very beginning. As a result, I ended up doing the work Colonial had promised to do - and had been paid for - spending hours on multiple calls and emails - coordinating the pick up, paperwork signing, delivery, more paperwork, etc. Even more shocking was their response when I told them know how disappointed I was. That I felt I had been lied to; had not received anywhere near the services I had been promised and had paid for and asked for my money back. Suddenly the dishonesty of this company was on full display. I think they have a special 'team' who are well trained with 'prepared' excuses and veiled threats to treat customer complaints. They pointed out the fine print in their contract language, assured me they were well within 'their' rights! They even made sure to mention that a credit card charge back would hold up any potential damage claims. And they offered me a credit amounting to 4% of the fee they collected. There's more! I then began to receive a document to sign called 'Full and Final Settlement Agreement, Release of Liability, And Confidentiality Agreement'. Disgraceful and incredibly Dishonest business practices. Best advice for a long distance move? Stay away from Colonial Van Lines. read more
Business owner information
Moving S.
Business Owner
We apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced. We are…
4 years ago
I used Colonial to move my elderly parent across country (CA to FL). I have been blown away at how amazing the communication has been with Colonial. They have truly perfected the customer experience in an industry where customer service is typically an after thought. I received constant/ daily communication from the account manager Eric, QA/customer service, etc. They kept me updated during every step of the way. Their 3rd party shipper also fell in line with their customer service expectations. I was truly not expecting it and now use Colonial as an example when facilitating Customer Experience training within my own team and organization. Thank you Colonial Van Lines. read more
2 years ago
I contracted CVL to move me from Warsaw, In. to Dublin Ca. I was quoted $5,031.89 I paid $2133.57 when i signed the contract. They picked up my belongings on April 2nd. They we're 4 hrs late and finished the loading around 9pm. I was given an ETA window of April 8th to the 20th. I placed 2 apple air tags in my boxes so I could track their progress.....or lack there of. My stuff went to Chicago, the headed East to Bethesda Maryland, where it remained for 2 weeks. I sent multiple emails of which NONE were answered. I called multiple times and not once was I connected to my customer service agent. The 1st time they called me back they said the driver had a Family emergency. 2 days later they called me back and said the driver problem had been solved and my stuff would be on the way. My house sat in Bethesda another week before heading West. Mind you....the 20th had already come and gone. I then received a new RE-RATE job acceptance form. The new rate was $6455.51 There was no explanation why the amount had increased. Again emails were sent and phone calls were made without response. Fast forward to May 1st. Driver of my stuff made contact and with me and said he would deliver the next day. Unfortunately for him I was not available that day and told him it would have to be the 3rd. He was not happy. He then asked me if he could deliver in his 18 wheeler and I told him that this was discussed with CVL at the very beginning and it had to deliver in a bobtail truck. The driver then said that I had to pay him $400 CASH for this service, + $75 because i have 17 stairs to my apartment. I told him no, and that that was part of the deal. He replied i need to pay cash or they would not unload the truck. Once he arrived (actually on time) on the 3rd, I showed him where I had it in writing that the shuttle at destination was paid for. All in all this was a disgusting experience. I have been in trucking biz my entire lihe and I wouldn't use this group of scammers again if I had a gun to my head. Take my advise....................KEEP LOOKING read more
Business owner information
Al D.
Manager
We apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced. We would…
For our long distance move from San Diego to Texas we got bids from 5 companies. Colonial was the low bidder. Slick website, slick pitch, very friendly sales person, lowest bidder, undercutting Atlas, United, Mayflower. But when it came time to deliver they were missing in action! They demanded a 2 day window for pickup and were supposed to notify us 48 hours out, when the actual time and date would be. Sales person would not answer my calls or emails and handed me off to someone else. They didn't meet the dates agreed on, and the escrow company and the buyer were upset. It cost a substantial sum to delay moving but Colonial did not offer any justification, lamely stating "they couldn't find a truck and driver". 24 hours after the 48 hour window agreed upon, a freelance truck and driver showed up, and they did a good job, but it frightened us considerably, caused sleepless nights, and put the closing of our escrow in jeopardy. I would have fired them if I could have, but it was way too late, and they already had a $2500 deposit. When is a good deal not a good deal? This is a prime example. In my opinion, Go with the Big Boys, don't risk it! I saw on the internet, (after the fact) , that there seem to be class action lawsuits pending... read more
Business owner information
Al D.
Manager
Jack D,…
2 years ago
This Company assigned our items to a 3rd party (best price moving & storage, inc) the movers arrived and unloaded my storage unit and took our items to their storage unit (we were unaware) several weeks later our items did not leave Chicago.(why, waiting on another company to move our things, which could of stay in our on storage unit until they were ready to take our things out of town) Upon my out of state arrival, items were missing, and of course they are unaware (because this is the second movers). I would suggest for you to not use this company. Oh one more thing, they will try to get you to get extra insurance, I wonder why? we assume nothing would happen to our things, but you know what assume means. This cost us close to $10,000 to move, absolutely the worst experience we had. Once we total up our loss they offered us 10 cents per item, can you believe this? what a waste and they certainly took advantage of us. If we ever move again, we will get a POD. read more
Business owner information
Al D.
Manager
We apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced. We are…
6 years ago
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER USE COLONIAL VAN LINES! Or any other moving company that contracts someone else to move your items. After booking my cross-country move 5 months in advance, Colonial spewed vile lies to me for two months while I waited in an empty apartment, only to have to contact Colonial's sub-contractor myself to get my items delivered. I am certain I did more of the work than anyone at Colonial, when they "couldn't get in touch with the sub-contractor," I called the sub-contractor directly and got an immediate response on any day of the week. I ended up speaking more with the sub-contractor than Colonial because of Colonial's incompetence. After two months of lying directly to my face, Colonial left me high and dry, not responding to emails or calls, when Colonial's sub-contractor added a whole host of fees at the drop off that were counter to my contract. I was fooled by the positive reviews and the friendly sales people, but don't be like me: living with nothing for two months while being tossed from incompetent Colonial idiot to incompetent Colonial idiot. This company should absolutely not be trusted, I wouldn't even trust this collection of lying fools to move a broken glass of rotten milk one inch. read more
6 years ago
This company is outright disgraceful. Please be aware they BLACKMAIL you to change your 1 star reviews to 5 stars (see for yourself time and time again below, it's shocking). If you try to get compensation back you will be manipulated and stringed along for WEEKS under the mistruth that Donna from the Resolutions Department will "fight" for you and is on your side (please don't believe this, it's all a tactic and incredibly misleading). Only to find out just when you think you're coming to a resolution, they will ONLY sign off on the refund, and send you your money back IF you agree to change your 1 star review to 5. It's disgusting. I deserve compensation, but I also care deeply about no one else having to go through the same thing my husband and I have. After HOURS and HOURS of calls reliving the stress Colonial caused us, detailed emails about work missed, money spent, and anxiety endured, picture of damages, scanned receipts from the WEEK we spent living in a hotel (during a pandemic!) waiting for our things with no end in sight, and a clear depiction of every single outrageously disappointing and unacceptable thing Colonial did to us, I got NOWHERE because I would not agree to change my review. Even though I was DEVASTATED, it's not worth it to me to get money back if I have to take down my review. My 1 star review remaining visible could help someone choose a different company and that's SO important. I've never felt so strongly that a company is so horrible, from their team members, their communication, their lack of compassion, lack of care and consideration, and lies -- it is SHOCKING they are still in business. Below is the review I wrote on google that I will not change and now I'm leaving it here too. I wrote it on the LAST night of our moving window, with no communication from Colonial, no returned calls, and no idea where our stuff was, forced to keep spending money on a hotel, during COVID, stressed and broken down. When our things arrived, furniture was damaged, and our truck driver and his team were rude, dismissive and intimating. When they arrived, we asked to see our things in the truck before handing them our money. We were laughed at and turned down. When I asked to at least see paper work, the driver shoved it in my face. The driver demanded to come up to our apartment TWICE before he even opened the truck which made us uncomfortable. He wouldn't allow us to stand down by the truck when he was unloading. My bookshelf was damaged beyond repair, and parts from our bed were missing (that they packed) and they were not going to put it back together even though that was within the contract. I felt extremely uncomfortable the whole time they were moving our things in. When it was all over I broke down in tears. This was by far the worst experience of my husband and I's life. From what I wrote above you can see it got even worse, and in the end we spent 5 more weeks trying to get money back, all for nothing because I won't change my review. It's completely mind-boggling to me how a company that handles people's most precious possessions is so harsh, unhelpful and essentially manipulative. I think the type of operation they're running is disgusting. Initial review I wrote on google 6/21: This has been the worst moving experience of my life. We have no idea where our stuff is at this point. Our account manager went MIA. Customer service is defensive and rude and has not offered to help us in any way. Communication 100% dropped off after deposit was made and pick-up happened. Now we are beyond our move in window and forced to pay for a hotel with no end in sight. We were told our things would be here Friday the 19th so we drove over TWENTY hours from CA to TX to be here by Friday. All of a sudden now we're told it will be here Thursday the 25th which is DAYS beyond our move-in window without any assurance or reasoning why there is such a delay. No one can tell us where the truck even is. Moving during a pandemic is stressful enough. We are putting our health in danger now with being around crowds and staying at a hotel when we would otherwise be safely in our new apartment. We are stressed every single day over this and cannot get through to ANYONE. We have NEVER been able to get through to our account manager at Colonial since our pick up. NEVER. We call and call and call. When we do get through to someone else at the company we're told people who can help us are on their lunch break or out sick, and then they never get back to us and we have to call again. They never call US. We feel sick to our stomachs and have no idea where our stuff is. I cannot believed what has transpired. Times are tough enough, you hope when you pay a company and are assured communication will be solid, that you can trust to at least understand where your possessions are. Where are my things!? We are so worried!! Do NOT work with this company!! read more
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Review Highlights - Colonial Van Lines
“It was only because of Donna's efforts that I was able to put the situation in perspective and move on.”
Mentioned in 202 reviews
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661 reviews that are not currently recommended
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5 years ago
Job ID: 1067154-CV-R1 Update: Changing to 5 stars - I spoke with Donna, their resolutions person, and she was incredibly responsive, understanding, and prompt. She was also direct (in a good way!) and managed to resolve all of my issues. I used Colonial Van Lines to move from Minnesota to New York. Discussed with the agent moving timelines and inventory and had set a pickup window of November 26th-28th. I got a phone call on Wednesday November 24th from someone filling in for the agent I'd had letting me know there was some issues and that they would have to change the pickup date to either November 29th or 30th. I had been trying to finalize my plans to get to New York and coordinate it, and I agreed to switch it to the 29th. This was the first issue. Because when I called or spoke with Colonial again (I believe this time it was back to originally assigned agent, although I ended up dealing with 3-4 different agents all throughout the process, which was concerning and part of the problem) they said they saw it was scheduled for the 30th, and had no record that the 29th was mentioned. I had already taken time off from work to deal with this, and so I was less than pleased, but there was little I could do. On the 30th, I kept waiting for the movers. I called Colonial and they said that the window had been pushed from what we had originally discussed and would now be later. When I called back later, the agent said he would check with dispatch and let me know if there was any update. I had already had flights and other plans scheduled at this point, and so I was getting anxious. The agent called back and said that the truck was broken down/stuck in Wisconsin for repairs and that they would try to guarantee something for the next day. I panicked and got upset because they were just dropping this well into the second delivery window period they had mentioned, and because I had already spent quite a bit of money between plane tickets plus the deposit (plus updates to the deposit after double-checking inventory) and so the agent said that their manager had said they'd reimburse the cost involved with me having to adjust my travel plans (and I want to emphasize that they offered that unprompted). They waited until I had called for an update to let me know this. So I adjusted my travel plans (which involved a not-insignificant cost in fees and new plane tickets). The movers showed up the next day, and looked at my items, and added an additional $900 or so to the total quote because it looked like I had a lot of stuff and that it would be heavy, with the caveat that they wouldn't know the final cost until after they got things back to their facility and weighed them (in the end there was no change to the final amount). They proceeded to take items and start loading the truck, and left, and I got a call from the agent later that night confirming that they'd picked things up and confirming the delivery window, and confirming the reimbursement of travel plan changes. The items were delivered by movers a week later. In between that time I had two calls, one with someone in the Colonial finance department and one with a woman who worked for the company they contracted with to do the moving. Both times I mentioned the reimbursement and both times I was told it would need to be discussed with a manager and they would escalate it. The finance person told me that no reimbursement or adjustments would happen until after delivery of my items and after payment. The finance person also said that I was wrong about having incurred additional costs because he reviewed the information and there was $40 less I was charged due to less packing materials used (and completely ignoring that I was discussing the amount of work I had to miss and the costs in changing travel plans) All of the agents I spoke with said they were making notes and would escalate things to the manager. I emailed the agent I originally spoke with about a week after the delivery, who had guaranteed that he was making notes and that things would be escalated to the manager and who had originally told me the manager authorized reimbursement. He said he put in a customer service request to have them speak with me, and that all he saw in the notes was that I had wanted to speak to a manager about late pickup and expenses I had incurred due to lateness I told him I was concerned that that was all that was mentioned in the notes, ,considering the number of people I had spoken with, the guarantees that things were being documented, and that they had offered to reimburse in the first place. I followed up again a week and a half later and was told that the agent had escalated things to customer service and they were responsible for their own correspondence. Late, costly, and incredibly uncommunicative. I am also not asking for much with reimbursement and which THEY offered in the first place, and which is why I didn't just drop it in the first plac read more
2 years ago
You might as well burn everything rather than hire Colonial Van Lines, because you will end up with a pile of damaged items, and they will not take responsibility. If you have no other choice but to hire them, file a Dispute with your Credit Card, as that will be the only way to get any refund on their despicable service. Over $60K in damages as a result of how THEY loaded the truck and stored our items. This is what their Website reads 'professional movers trained by Colonial Van Lines would come to our location, load everything in a professional manner, treat my move with the respect and attention it deserves, because 'our movers know how to pack a truck', and then UNLOAD in any manner in which we requested, and boxes would be placed in any location that we requested, and items dissasembled at pick up would be reassembled at delivery" "we teach and test our moving team to "pack it, stack it, but never crack it" "Before any driver, mover, or packer trains in the field, they must get past the moving instructors at CVLU first". "We teach a strategic approach to loading and unloading your home contents. At CVLU, packers and loaders are taught to look beyond just securing load and consider how the truck will be unloaded on arrival, and, in what order". None of this is true. This was a business move. Before hiring them, during 3 weeks we spoke at length with Moving Coordinator and his Supervisor, everyone understood what was being moved. We hired two containers costing us over $25K. We were concerned about having two moving trucks showing up at the same time, but Moving Coordinator confirmed that truck#1 would pick up "one day", truck #2 would pick up "the next day", and on delivery, truck #1 would deliver on "one day", truck #2 would deliver the "next day". Truck #1 picked up June 8 Truck #2 picked up June 9 and never showed up on June 11, or June 12, or 13, 14, 15, not even the last day of the 'estimated window", June 18 I began calling Colonial Van Lines on June 12 asking the whereabouts of the second truck. They did not know. I called and emailed over 50 times in 5 days, each time they make you feel as if you are bothering them, making things up, or like you misunderstood something, or you did something wrong... so I stopped calling. Truck #2 eventually showed up 4 weeks later. Each day our business was closed, we lost $2K daily in revenues. What happened? Colonial subcontracted my move to Posh Moving, who after loading, drove 3 hours and put all our items in a rat infested warehouse for 4 weeks without my knowledge or consent. All our tools, equipment and merchandise were in a warehouse with temperatures up to 140 degrees, Colonial knew that our merchandise was packed in styrofoam boxes and containers, yet they decided to put all this in a warehouse... and with that excessive heat, the boxes warped, some even disintegrated. when their professional movers 'reloaded' these from the Warehouse to a moving truck, no care or thought was put into that process, because the boxes were thrown into the truck Colonial Van Lines website reads that items disassembled at pick up would be assembled at delivery. Not one fixture or bookcase that was taken apart at pick up was assembled upon delivery. Instead, the movers wanted to charge me extra to put the shelves and fixtures back together. Things that were not disassembled at pick up, were taken apart at the warehouse, and upon delivery, the pieces/parts were nowhere to be found. We ended up with many fixtures/furniture that we cannot reassemble due to missing parts. No 'professional mover' showed up... Truck #1, was a Driver with her brother and three laborers they picked up at Home Depot Truck #2 , The service was NOT performed by Colonial Van Lines using Colonial Van Lines fleet/equipment. It was PICKED UP by two un-vetted pot heads hired by POSH, that were smoking marijuana in my bathroom all day, and loading our boxes into a Ryder Rental truck. Although we informed them NOT to tape or wrap the Styrofoam boxes, they did so anyway. Neither the PICK UP or DELIVERY followed Colonial Van Lines Service Standards as defined on their website. As I ponder on this move, I realize that the issue is that the website is all lies, wishful thinking, and that the Moving Coordinator's task is to get a reservation... get that deposit... sell you on the service.... and then, Colonial does not care at all what happens after the deposit is taken. These are not 'trained movers', these are unvetted laborers, I hired Colonial professionals, and got who knows what... one time workers that have no relationship to Colonial, don't care what happens to the furniture/fixtures/items, they toss, dump, throw boxes, all marked FRAGILE, with no care whatsoever, because they answer to nobody in Colonial. None of these 'movers' were trained by Colonial Van Lines University, and the people that showed up had no clue how to pack a truck, Monkeys could of done a better job! read more
8 years ago
MAY 29, 2018 UPDATE: Our final furniture was received on May 21, 2018. After my reviews and escalations, I was also put in contact with Al who has done all he can to mitigate the situation. We will be receiving $$ back from that we paid to the moving company who proved incapable of delivering timely and without damage. I can say that Colonial has stepped up to try to mitigate the issues arising from these contractor's failings, as well as the internal problems at Colonial. (original review below) This company has been terrible. They happily quoted me a move fee in November 2017 and provided me a pickup window. Colonial directly collected ~30% of the total move fee. Here's what they don't tell you: they do NOT have their own trucks, drivers, and movers. They subcontract with companies in your local region and they have ZERO ability to hold those contractors to any sort of accountability. Colonials preferred company failed to pickup within their window, causing me to go into a new month in the apartment we were to vacate. Extra rent had to be paid- had to reschedule cleaners and carpet cleaning, now to be done w/o my presence since I had to get on the road. Then, they said the pickup drivers were to be at my home within a few hours ... three days in a row. They failed to arrive two days in a row and came very late on the third day. (I had to put my husband on a plane to get to his new job in time since he now wouldn't have time to drive 2,300 miles and arrive as required.) I was told by Colonial (Dona) that despite the late pickup, our delivery window would not change. So, I began my (now solo) drive across the country with 2 cats, a dog, and a very full vehicle late on a Saturday night. 4 days after I had planned to begin the move. I arrived safely and began "roughing it" in our new home. Air mattress, two camp chairs, a folding table, etc. Sufficient for the anticipated couple of weeks w/o the bulk of my household items. The week of our delivery window arrived, Dona at Colonial called to say that "next week" would be when our items actually were delivered. I wasn't happy but I was relieved at least that we should have everything before Christmas and New Year's. However, I subsequently received more follow up calls and then even more calls, each advising of further delays. All the while Dona assured me our items were safely stored in the moving company's warehouse and not, in fact, stolen. Dona at one point requested I pay the remained of the (now discounted) move fee in anticipation of our items being delivered so "the movers don't give you any problems about it". I refused. Said we'd pay once our items actually arrived. They didn't arrive for another 3 WEEKS. In that time, Dona call me again and told me that our items were NOT in the moving company's warehouse. THEY NEVER LEFT UTAH. These movers loaded a truck, left my home, and them got some random storage unit and left my household items -- childhood piano, wedding dress, photo albums, other irreplaceable mementos, along with furniture, kitchen implements, etc. -- all just in some RANDOM STORAGE UNIT in Utah ... So -- the movers and Colonial had been lying for nearly 2 months. February 4, our stuff was delivered. Damages to several items occurred. Additionally, this company who delivered tried to deliver several items that were NOT ours and did not have all items that were ours ... but they *promised* they'd be back in two weeks with my couch and the rails to assemble my bed. They additionally required full payment, no discount. I wasn't going to argue since I wanted my things. Fast forward to today, we still don't have all our things. Colonial has offered to refund 30% of the total move cost but that doesn't begin to cover the extra expenses of living w/o day-to-day items in order to eat in our kitchen, and live normally. I put a post on Twitter and did hear from "upper management" at Colonial. I was promised a call back 1 week later with a resolution. Then they asked me to update/remove my tweets. I declined until I saw real results. The very next day, I received a call from Dona (or original rep) that I should just file a claim for our missing items since she just didn't know when their preferred move contractor could deliver them. That timing is highly coincidental - I declined to update twitter and then they stopped even trying to get me my things. The one week promise from "upper management" expired yesterday. No calls back. No solutions or resolutions offered. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. THEY HAVE BEEN DISHONEST AND DEMONSTRATED AN TOTAL INABILITY TO FULFILL THEIR COMMITMENTS. read more
8 years ago
MAY 29, 2018 UPDATE: Our final furniture was received on May 21, 2018. After my reviews and escalations, I was also put in contact with Al who has done all he can to mitigate the situation. We will be receiving $$ back from that we paid to the moving company who proved incapable of delivering timely and without damage. I can say that Colonial has stepped up to try to mitigate the issues arising from these contractor's failings, as well as the internal problems at Colonial. (original review below) This company has been terrible. They happily quoted me a move fee in November 2017 and provided me a pickup window. Colonial directly collected ~30% of the total move fee. Here's what they don't tell you: they do NOT have their own trucks, drivers, and movers. They subcontract with companies in your local region and they have ZERO ability to hold those contractors to any sort of accountability. Colonials preferred company failed to pickup within their window, causing me to go into a new month in the apartment we were to vacate. Extra rent had to be paid- had to reschedule cleaners and carpet cleaning, now to be done w/o my presence since I had to get on the road. Then, they said the pickup drivers were to be at my home within a few hours ... three days in a row. They failed to arrive two days in a row and came very late on the third day. (I had to put my husband on a plane to get to his new job in time since he now wouldn't have time to drive 2,300 miles and arrive as required.) I was told by Colonial (Dona) that despite the late pickup, our delivery window would not change. So, I began my (now solo) drive across the country with 2 cats, a dog, and a very full vehicle late on a Saturday night. 4 days after I had planned to begin the move. I arrived safely and began "roughing it" in our new home. Air mattress, two camp chairs, a folding table, etc. Sufficient for the anticipated couple of weeks w/o the bulk of my household items. The week of our delivery window arrived, Dona at Colonial called to say that "next week" would be when our items actually were delivered. I wasn't happy but I was relieved at least that we should have everything before Christmas and New Year's. However, I subsequently received more follow up calls and then even more calls, each advising of further delays. All the while Dona assured me our items were safely stored in the moving company's warehouse and not, in fact, stolen. Dona at one point requested I pay the remained of the (now discounted) move fee in anticipation of our items being delivered so "the movers don't give you any problems about it". I refused. Said we'd pay once our items actually arrived. They didn't arrive for another 3 WEEKS. In that time, Dona call me again and told me that our items were NOT in the moving company's warehouse. THEY NEVER LEFT UTAH. These movers loaded a truck, left my home, and them got some random storage unit and left my household items -- childhood piano, wedding dress, photo albums, other irreplaceable mementos, along with furniture, kitchen implements, etc. -- all just in some RANDOM STORAGE UNIT in Utah ... So -- the movers and Colonial had been lying for nearly 2 months. February 4, our stuff was delivered. Damages to several items occurred. Additionally, this company who delivered tried to deliver several items that were NOT ours and did not have all items that were ours ... but they *promised* they'd be back in two weeks with my couch and the rails to assemble my bed. They additionally required full payment, no discount. I wasn't going to argue since I wanted my things. Fast forward to today, we still don't have all our things. Colonial has offered to refund 30% of the total move cost but that doesn't begin to cover the extra expenses of living w/o day-to-day items in order to eat in our kitchen, and live normally. I put a post on Twitter and did hear from "upper management" at Colonial. I was promised a call back 1 week later with a resolution. Then they asked me to update/remove my tweets. I declined until I saw real results. The very next day, I received a call from Dona (or original rep) that I should just file a claim for our missing items since she just didn't know when their preferred move contractor could deliver them. That timing is highly coincidental - I declined to update twitter and then they stopped even trying to get me my things. The one week promise from "upper management" expired yesterday. No calls back. No solutions or resolutions offered. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. THEY HAVE BEEN DISHONEST AND DEMONSTRATED AN TOTAL INABILITY TO FULFILL THEIR COMMITMENTS. read more
8 years ago
MAY 29, 2018 UPDATE: Our final furniture was received on May 21, 2018. After my reviews and escalations, I was also put in contact with Al who has done all he can to mitigate the situation. We will be receiving $$ back from that we paid to the moving company who proved incapable of delivering timely and without damage. I can say that Colonial has stepped up to try to mitigate the issues arising from these contractor's failings, as well as the internal problems at Colonial. (original review below) This company has been terrible. They happily quoted me a move fee in November 2017 and provided me a pickup window. Colonial directly collected ~30% of the total move fee. Here's what they don't tell you: they do NOT have their own trucks, drivers, and movers. They subcontract with companies in your local region and they have ZERO ability to hold those contractors to any sort of accountability. Colonials preferred company failed to pickup within their window, causing me to go into a new month in the apartment we were to vacate. Extra rent had to be paid- had to reschedule cleaners and carpet cleaning, now to be done w/o my presence since I had to get on the road. Then, they said the pickup drivers were to be at my home within a few hours ... three days in a row. They failed to arrive two days in a row and came very late on the third day. (I had to put my husband on a plane to get to his new job in time since he now wouldn't have time to drive 2,300 miles and arrive as required.) I was told by Colonial (Dona) that despite the late pickup, our delivery window would not change. So, I began my (now solo) drive across the country with 2 cats, a dog, and a very full vehicle late on a Saturday night. 4 days after I had planned to begin the move. I arrived safely and began "roughing it" in our new home. Air mattress, two camp chairs, a folding table, etc. Sufficient for the anticipated couple of weeks w/o the bulk of my household items. The week of our delivery window arrived, Dona at Colonial called to say that "next week" would be when our items actually were delivered. I wasn't happy but I was relieved at least that we should have everything before Christmas and New Year's. However, I subsequently received more follow up calls and then even more calls, each advising of further delays. All the while Dona assured me our items were safely stored in the moving company's warehouse and not, in fact, stolen. Dona at one point requested I pay the remained of the (now discounted) move fee in anticipation of our items being delivered so "the movers don't give you any problems about it". I refused. Said we'd pay once our items actually arrived. They didn't arrive for another 3 WEEKS. In that time, Dona call me again and told me that our items were NOT in the moving company's warehouse. THEY NEVER LEFT UTAH. These movers loaded a truck, left my home, and them got some random storage unit and left my household items -- childhood piano, wedding dress, photo albums, other irreplaceable mementos, along with furniture, kitchen implements, etc. -- all just in some RANDOM STORAGE UNIT in Utah ... So -- the movers and Colonial had been lying for nearly 2 months. February 4, our stuff was delivered. Damages to several items occurred. Additionally, this company who delivered tried to deliver several items that were NOT ours and did not have all items that were ours ... but they *promised* they'd be back in two weeks with my couch and the rails to assemble my bed. They additionally required full payment, no discount. I wasn't going to argue since I wanted my things. Fast forward to today, we still don't have all our things. Colonial has offered to refund 30% of the total move cost but that doesn't begin to cover the extra expenses of living w/o day-to-day items in order to eat in our kitchen, and live normally. I put a post on Twitter and did hear from "upper management" at Colonial. I was promised a call back 1 week later with a resolution. Then they asked me to update/remove my tweets. I declined until I saw real results. The very next day, I received a call from Dona (or original rep) that I should just file a claim for our missing items since she just didn't know when their preferred move contractor could deliver them. That timing is highly coincidental - I declined to update twitter and then they stopped even trying to get me my things. The one week promise from "upper management" expired yesterday. No calls back. No solutions or resolutions offered. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. THEY HAVE BEEN DISHONEST AND DEMONSTRATED AN TOTAL INABILITY TO FULFILL THEIR COMMITMENTS. read more
5 years ago
*Editing review after speaking with customer service. They apologized and offered a little $ back to update the review below. tl;dr: Colonial's customer service will degrade terribly once they have your stuff. Communication with customer and within the company is terrible. One of their customer reps tried to straight up con me into paying for 500lbs extra weight that didn't exist and tried to get me to show up at a roadside weigh station for a weigh-in that never happened. After the pick up Colonials service TANKED. They stopped answering calls and replying to messages. I had to update my delivery details and when I called my rep he didn't answer or callback. I called back 3 times and after being hung up on someone finally made it obvious that no one had updated the delivery info. On move in day they only sent 1 person who was unable to get some of the furniture upstairs on his own (I offered to help but he refused). He told me Colonial hadn't notified him of the delivery details I'd provided them weeks ago until 1-2 days before and he wasn't able to find other movers in the area. He was great but the move took almost 4hrs for less than a studio apartments worth of stuff. On pickup they'd disassembled some items and assured me they would put everything back together on delivery but that never happened. Before delivery a rep told me I'd need to pay another $300 for a shuttle since the truck couldn't make it up my street despite the fact that my original rep had viewed the location on google maps and confirmed the truck would fit. They had also insisted I pay for a shuttle for my pick up even though I lived on a wide road that regularly had moving vans parked outside of the neighboring apartment complexes and I had to insist it wasn't necessary (they called a few days later still adding the shuttle cost and I had to tell them AGAIN that I didn't need it). The rep laughed and told me salesmen aren't drivers and don't know what they're talking about but I'd still have to pay. Another huge issue - someone working for this company 100% tried to scam me. A few days after pick up I got a voicemail from someone by the name of Franklyn saying the weight of my move was way over weight and I'd likely need to pay extra. When I talked to a different rep he had no idea what I was referring to and confirmed that the BINDING QUOTE that I'd paid for would prevent that so long as I didn't add anything new to my inventory list (I didn't, and actually had LESS than the original estimate accounted for). Well, he forwarded my call to Franklyn who, along with being rude, cutting me off, and mansplaining the basic logistics of moving (despite me telling him this is my 3rd big move and know how it works), told me my delivery weighed 500lbs more than the estimate included. When I asked about the binding estimate he told me that only worked for deliveries under weight. I laughed and said "so I paid for this and it just means you get to keep my money if you over-estimate but I still have to pay extra if you under-estimate?" He told me that was correct. He said I could meet the movers at the weigh station to see them weigh the delivery myself, I said I'd go because I felt I had to since there was no way this was accurate and he said he'd send info on when/ where but he never did. Later that night a different rep called to confirm my delivery date and when I called them out on all the extra charges this rep told me I wasn't being billed for anything over weight, that I had a binding estimate and COULDN'T be charged more and that there was no other weigh in taking place as Franklyn had told me. I told him to get Colonial to confirm this before I paid for/ signed anything else. He called me back hours later asking if Colonial had called me - he'd spoken to them and asked them to call and confirm no extra weight charges - they never did. He had to text different reps while on the phone with me until he got ahold of someone (who was in the middle of dinner) who finally confirmed there'd be no extra charges for the weight but I might have to pay extra for a shuttle. Either it was a scam or Franklyn was very misinformed, either way the worst move experience I've ever had. read more
11 years ago
Job# 55354503 My moving experience was so bad, I created a yelp account just to warn others. We had issues each step of the way, and once you sign the contract with Colonial good luck getting your representative to return your calls, and don't expect anyone else to try to help you either. We were given a 2 day moving window and told we would find out at least 5 days before our move day, the actual date. We found out the night before at almost closing time, after multiple calls a day for 5 days straight. We booked our move with a binding agreement on weight (based on a visual estimate). Everyone I spoke to except the manager in the booking department told me it was impossible to have a binding estimate based on weight. I'm not sure if other representatives didn't have access to view my contract, or if they just didn't read it. But it's hard to have any confidence in the customer service area, when they can't answer basic questions about your contract. One reason we booked with Colonial was for their insurance. After we booked our move and signed everything, and passed the 5 day window to cancel, we were informed Colonial's company they used for insurance would not cover our move (even though we had been told they would.) Colonial outsourced our move to another company and that company they booked was going to store our belongings in a building without liability coverage. To late to cancel we had to find third party moving insurance on our own. We were told we would be packed and moved in one day (this was to pack everything, but we packed 80% of our things). The day of the move we expected the moving company between 8 and noon. To our surprise a different company showed up on our door step. We had been given a company's name and amount ahead of time for the cashiers check, but apparently they changed the company the day before the move and just didn't inform us. The movers also showed up around 5:30 instead of between 8 and noon. All day as we were awaiting the movers, no one at Colonial could tell me anything except "your representative is on the other line, and she will call you back when she has a chance!" We didn't pack our dishes because we didn't have the special double corrugated dish pack boxes. But to our surprise, the movers didn't bring any dish pack boxes. They just packed the dishes in regular boxes - our belongings are still in storage, but I am nervous to see how our dishes survived. The movers said they would be back the next day by noon, but showed up at 2PM. They said they would be done by 7PM, but finished at 1AM the next morning. The delays by the movers caused us to have to change hotels for our commute to our new location, cancel appointments to see houses, and really cramped the amount of time we had to clean before moving. On top of everything the movers did not use rugs to protect our hardwood floors, dinged and scratched door frames and walls, left packing tape stuck to floors, as well as all the leaves they tracked throughout the entire house. After our horrendous moving experience Colonial Van Lines has been less than willing to work with us. They are still hard to contact, the person we are trying to work with usually has a full voicemail so we can't even leave a message, and doesn't return calls in a timely manner. We have been trying to work towards a resolution with Colonial, but 2 months later, they are offering us $100 and each time we try to address specific issues we had, we are told they will look into it and get back to us. It's already been 2 months, not sure how long it takes to review calls, and contact they company they outsourced to??? Save yourself the headache and additional stress. They don't care what they promised in their contract, and their customer service is amazingly worse than you can imagine. read more
4 years ago
UPDATE 4/24: I am amending my review as Donna from the resolutions department has reached out and worked to resolve my case to my satisfaction. Thank you, Donna! I hired Colonial for my move from Austin, TX to Atlanta, GA for a 1-Bedroom Home at the beginning of April 2023. Quote: I received my total move estimate from sales person Anthony on 3/23 totaling my estimate $3,494.32, I signed the paperwork, paid my deposit of $1,687.18, and agreed to a 2-day pick up window and 10-day delivery window. It seemed straight-forward. Quote: I was advised that Colonial charges for the weight of items and mileage of transportation, as well as the amount of steps that the moving team takes from your home to their moving truck-I have moved many times before and never came across this, but fine. FYI Colonial subcontracts their moving teams with other companies, where they load your items into a truck, unload your items to their warehouse, and re-pack your items into a new truck to your destination-that is why they provide a 10-day delivery date for the arrival to your new home. Days Leading up to the Move: I received a call from Ashley, the moving contact for my account go forward, who prepped me for my move, went over the details, and confirmed my pick-up window. Pick Up on 4/1: The subcontracted moving team of 2 arrived within the pick up window, were very kind, wrapped my items well, and did their due diligence - they were the only positive of this moving experience. In reviewing their ledger before signing off on the pick up (before they are able to move anything) they had updated charges- adding items to the itemized list, moving materials, and long carry (145 feet from home to truck). I was fine with this, as I had expected these charges. What I was not fine with, is their updated quote/ledger charged a $1.48/lb charge for my items vs. a $1.15/lb charge that I was quoted. With estimated weight of the truck being 3,208 lbs/cuft., this significantly increased my quote. According to their new ledger, my estimated charge upon delivery was now $4,474.40 instead of $3,613.22 -which both delivery charges were already higher than my total estimate of $3,494.32. Time In Between Delivery: I could not receive a clear answer regarding expected delivery date in Atlanta - I moved with a suitcase and was eager to have my things again. Apparently there is a breakdown in communication and files are not promptly updated-I did not learn about my delivery date until 24 hours before delivery, when the subcontracted team (the same team from pick up) texted me letting me know. I had called many times leading up to this to try to receive an answer from Colonial who had no idea when my delivery would be and could not pin point a date for me. Ridiculous. Delivery on 4/8: The same team arrived to my new home but had different paperwork in the account from Colonial which did not match their delivery quote - before we could move anything, they were calling Colonial to try to rectify my owed amount. NO ONE FROM COLONIAL WAS WORKING TO HELP THE MOVING TEAM SOLVE THIS! Because they could not get in touch with anyone from Colonial, they advised that they had to charge me $4,603.22 (delivery quote of $4,474.40 + a long distance carry charge of $128.82) in order to offload my items from the truck, and to resolve the misquote that I received with my account manager and resolutions team. The moving team acknowledged that Colonial completely messed up my quote. My initial total move estimate was $3,494.32, I paid a total of $6,290.40 (1.8x my estimate), and I should have paid a total of $5,239.16 (1.5x my estimate). I have been awaiting a call back from James since my delivery on 4/8 (9 working days now) after leaving many voicemails. I just want some communication to understand my review of the rerate-I have receipts. read more
8 years ago
UPDATE to review: I received a phone call from Donna Rose re: my review. She told me she wanted to help reach a satisfactory resolution regarding my move and asked me to give a detailed accounting of both of the situations outlined below. She was professional and empathetic and appeared to be taking detailed notes as I spoke. While I cannot know the outcome of the mover who harassed me, she did stress several times that this behavior was unacceptable to Colonial which I appreciated. Regarding the tripling of my packing costs, she said she would be conferring with her manager and would call me back. I received a call three hours later wherein Donna stated she had spoken to her manager regarding all aspects of my move and she had been authorized to refund me $700, which is basically the additional amount I was charged for packing. I very much appreciate Donna's effort on my behalf and the speed of the resolution to my concerns. I gave them a 3 on Moving.com but am downgrading them due to follow-up contact from them that was less than optimal. 1. I had three conversations with CVL reps regarding what was to be moved. Movers arrived to pick up my items after I was on the road and told my designated sub that the cost of packing was now tripled. Why? I don't know. I was not physically there and could not do a walk through re: their claims. When I asked on the phone the only thing they could point out (and the only item ever mentioned in subsequent phone calls with CVL) was a TV STAND that is approximately 44" high and with a 44" base and two shelves that are 33" and 22", respectively. I was also told by a CVL rep that someone named Roxie had made an adjustment to my account. She then put me on hold and came back to say she couldn't refund me because I agreed to the extra packing. When I AGAIN asked for an explanation of what caused my packing fees to triple, she mentioned the TV stand and nothing else. 2. MeToo experience with the movers. While I know the were a subcontractor, they were acting as reps for CVL at the time. I am a newly single woman who has moved to an entirely new area of the country for work. During the move-in, one of the movers would wait until the other one was gone and then start telling me how beautiful I was. He asked for my phone number so he could "fix my bed". He asked to use the bathroom while the other mover and crew chief were heading downstairs at the end of the move, then came over to put his arm around me, pat my shoulder and ask me for a tip. I did report this to the CVL case manager (who, in her own, was one of the few bright spots I had with CVL in that she listened, made extensive notes and passed the info up the chain). 3. No box count with the crew chief. When I asked about items he would say that everything was there. By the time the move-in was complete I just wanted the harasser to leave because I was feeling distressed and frightened so I signed the form. 4. The most recent call from CVL. A rep called me after I posted my review on Moving.com which includes all the above info (this is the same rep who said their was an adjustment on my account and then never explained it). Her first question out of the gate was if I could change my review to 5 stars. Really? I have listed sexual harassment as an issue and you want me to raise my review stars for you? How incredibly...tone-deaf at the least. While other people may have had better luck and experiences with CVL, I thought this experience should be posted as well so people can have multiple pieces of information to consider when making a decision about what moving company to choose. read more
6 years ago
DO NOT HIRE COLONIAL VANLhired colonial van lines for our move from California to Texas back in November 2020. We paid our deposit, solidified a 48 hour window of time for pickup in January 2021. They advised that 24-48 hours prior to the pickup window, they would call and tell us exactly what day of the window they would be coming. Less than 24 hours prior to contracted pickup window, we still had not heard from them, so I called to inquire as to if they were coming the next day or the day after, as per our contract. The case manager, Jared, advised me that they could not locate a driver and they could no longer adhere to the contracted pickup dates. He asked if there was flexibility in pickup days to which I stated "no" since we sold our house and have to be out so the new owners can move in. I advised him that this was unprofessional, unacceptable, and their ability to not find a driver was not my problem since scheduling people's moves is the exact premise of their business. He put me through to a supervisor, Kenya, who was incredibly rude and offered zero solutions to this problem other than saying they could refund my deposit money or hopefully, maybe, possibly find another driver in 10 or so days! How this company remains in business by screwing families over at the last minute is beyond me. Calling around for backup moving companies this late in the game is going to cost $1000's more, not to mention the stress this has caused on my family. I have a newborn, a toddler, and a 100% disabled veteran husband and the stress this has amounted to is ridiculous. What is the point of signing a contract, paying this company a deposit to secure our moving dates, only to have them say the day before that they can't perform their end of the contract and leave us scrambling? No apologies were provided, nor were any reasonable solutions offered. Essentially I received a "whoops" we can just refund you or we can pick up your stuff weeks from now, but even that they couldn't confirm. This company had months to figure out the dispatch schedule for our job , on the contracted dates, and I find this completely unacceptable and unprofessional and in breach of a contract. Sharon, a customer service manager, emailed me and stated that "sometimes things don't work out" in regards to them bailing on their contractual pickup dates and that she would offer me $150 as well as our deposit back. Again, $150 doesn't begin to cover the extra hoops and monetary inconveniences we had to endure in order to stick to our moving timeline with less than 24 hour notice. She also insinuated that since we had "no flexibility" in our pickup dates that this was now our problem. When you close escrow on a home and have to move out, in order for new owners to move in, there is understandably no flexibility. I'm not sure that Colonial Van lines grasps the concept of moving a family home, since they can just back out of their contractual duties whenever they see fit. Accepting money for a move and then not providing the service is the exact definition of consumer fraud since we paid a deposit to secure our move out date , as well as signing a contract, to ensure a smooth transition to our new home in a different state. I would never recommend this company to anyone who is looking to move. Their customer service is less than acceptable and they will leave you high and dry. **Update- I am increasing this review to 5 stars due to Donna in the resolutions department who was the only person at this company who truly provided excellent customer service , and was able to provide reasonable compensation for our troubles. read more
8 years ago
Hi, This is an update for my previous response. After I submitted the claims form, someone by name Donna Rose from Colonial van lines had called to understand the claim. When I explained the troubled that I had gone through with the move she listened to me patiently and promised that she will talk to her manager and get back with a resolution. She had also mentioned that the management has changed and are working to resolve customer issues. After few days she called me and informed that they are waiving the balance I owed plus they will be issuing a check as a refund for the missing and damaged items. I'm glad that Donna had acted quick and professional to resolve the issue I had been having for sometime now. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This company is all about getting your money. The sales person, after I had the initial quote, kept emailing me every day to remind. Finally, because of the price I chose to sign up with them. She spoke well and told me that she is doing all that is possible to keep my rates low. I didn't have an address for me to receive the items at first. She mentioned that as soon as I find a place, all I have to do is give a call and they will get my stuff. She also went to the extent of saying that if the weight was more than the estimate, they will still honor the agreed price. I should have caught the flaw right there but I missed it. And, I signed the contract. Closer to the move, the account manager calls. She mentioned that once I have a place to move I have to inform her and she will coordinate with the truck and get my stuff. That's when she mentioned that they will have a window within which they will deliver. I said but if I needed it on a specific date, why would I pay for additional days it sat on the storage. She mentioned that I'll only pay for the date I had requested rather than their actual delivery date (I hope they will at least keep this up). The movers came. They were ok. I only wish they hadn't used my plastic wrapper and tapes. The mover told me that they will weight after the pick up and colonial will give me the actual price based on the weight. Ok, I'll at least know the actual price once they weigh. I found my apartment for 9/10 and informed the account manager on 8/27. She had asked me to give two weeks notice so she can work out the time with the truck driver. Today is 9/16(three weeks since I informed), she has no idea where my stuff is and what my final price will be and when my stuff will really make it. They keep telling me that my window to get my stuff starts on 9/10 and ends on 9/22. I don't know why they needed two weeks notice before the start window of that "window" and wonder why the account manager to this minute couldn't get hold of the driver to find where my stuff is and when it will reach me. Someone from colonial called after I took their online survey and told me that their account manager is one of the best and actively working with the driver. The account manager never returns my call or emails. Either the sales team and the delivery team doesn't talk to each other on how they operate or else? Either ways, this is the most horrible moving experience I have ever had. I just hope I get my stuff soon. I'm going to keep calling them up this week. I'll update the review after that. So choose Colonial Van lines if you want to add more to the already stressful move. read more
4 months ago
I cannot recommend Colonial Van Lines after what was, without question, the worst moving experience I have ever had. I hired Colonial Van Lines for an interstate move from Virginia Beach, Virginia to Denver, Colorado, trusting that my belongings would be handled professionally and safely. Instead, Colonial subcontracted the move to APEX Moving Solutions, and the entire process became a nightmare that resulted in extensive damage, missing property, and thousands of dollars in losses. One of my biggest frustrations was the complete lack of transparency and documentation. I repeatedly requested finalized inventory records and copies of signed paperwork but was never provided with complete documentation. Important information regarding valuation coverage and claims procedures was never clearly explained. As a customer, I should have been able to verify what was loaded onto the truck and understand what protections were in place, but I was left largely in the dark. I was told that once the truck was sealed it would not be opened until delivery. However, I tracked my belongings with Apple AirTags and discovered the shipment sitting in Baltimore for several days without explanation. Communication throughout the process was poor and no one could provide meaningful answers. Things only got worse upon delivery. The movers arrived around 1 PM but did not actually begin unloading until hours later. During the delivery process, family members assisting with the move were subjected to arguments and unprofessional behavior from members of the crew. Then came the devastating part: opening boxes and discovering the extent of the damage. A solid wood buffet table valued at approximately $2,500 was destroyed beyond repair. My 75-inch LG QLED television arrived with a puncture and shattered screen, rendering it completely unusable. Personalized wine glasses that held sentimental value were broken. My Giant bicycle suffered severe structural damage. My grill was damaged because heavy tools had apparently been stored inside it, damaging the wheels and gas line. In addition, the movers damaged walls at the pickup location in Virginia and damaged a closet door during delivery in Denver. Even more concerning were the items that simply disappeared. A box spring never arrived, despite its protective cover making it to Denver. An entire Ryobi tool bag containing multiple power tools and batteries vanished. My Subaru Crosstrek crossbars were also missing. Altogether, the losses exceeded $13,000, not including additional repair costs. The most disappointing aspect of this experience has been the feeling that accountability has been absent throughout the process. Customers trust moving companies with virtually everything they own. That trust should be met with professionalism, communication, careful handling, and transparency. Unfortunately, that was not my experience with Colonial Van Lines and the company they chose to subcontract the move to. Based on my experience, I strongly advise anyone considering Colonial Van Lines to do extensive research and think carefully before entrusting them with their belongings. What should have been an exciting move to a new home became a stressful and costly ordeal that I am still attempting to resolve through arbitration. I would never use Colonial Van Lines again, and I cannot recommend them to anyone. read more
6 years ago
NEVER USE COLONIAL VAN LINES!!!! NEVERRRRR!!!!!!!! Read to bottom. I used Colonial Van Lines to move my stuff from a storage unit in New York down to Florida into another storage unit. They didn't have to do any physical packing or I packing. They gave me an expected day and timeframe for the pickup and ended up never showing up. So I took off of work for the day to be there to get them in the storage unit and they didn't show up and my account manager, Jared, was out of the office that day and unable to be reached. Then that following day they said they would show up between 10-2pm, never called to say it would be later. They ended up showing up around 7:45pm. That was just the pick up....I knew we were in for a disaster. Then they lied about the estimate cost and tripled it right away. I never heard back from my original point of contact, Drexel, who said he would be my point of contact the entire time. Complete lie. Then for delivery, they were supposed to show up on a Friday between 10-3...shockingly a no show/no call. So I called my account manager who told me it would be delivered on Sunday between 10-3. Never showed up/never called. The guy physically driving the moving truck, who was a 3rd party company and isn't affiliated with Colonial Van Lines, Calls me on Monday morning and says he never received the address for the delivery, the storage unit number or access code, which I had provided that previous Friday for the original delivery. So I gave him the info directly and he tells me he will be arriving around 4pm for the delivery. It gets better. Jared, my colonial van lines account manager, calls me that same day and tells me my stuff has been delivered the previous day. Then I obviously had to correct him and tell him it was getting delivered that afternoon at 4. They ended up showing up around 7:30. I had my infant with me waiting for almost 2 hours at the storage unit with no call or answer as to where they were. They destroyed a lot of our belongings, my son's crib which is a brand new Pottery Barn crib, is destroyed. They took it apart and cracked all of the wood. When discussing options with the resolutions department, they were offering me $60 for a crib and kept saying I should've expected them to dissemble the crib during the move even though I was told 4 times during the 4 times I went over the inventory list, that they would not be dissembling anything. They actually tried to keep the crib and not give it to us because it was that destroyed. I am beyond upset, frustrated, and shocked by the unprofessional and completely lack of pride this company has. I will never ever use them again and I will make sure people know not to use this company because I don't want anyone going through what we went through. ***Had to update my review to 5 stars in order for the resolutions department to agree to "resolve" my issues and give me money back. Worked with Donna in resolutions. I received a call after I posted the review. Would not give me money owed/negotiated until I agreed to giving them 5 stars on review. So here it is. The moving experience was still a complete nightmare and it makes sense why they hired Donna in resolutions because it's a NEED in their company when the job isn't done well. Just happy this nightmare will be over soon. read more
4 months ago
Colonial Van Lines is the most clown-car, Romper Room operation I have ever dealt with. Run--do not walk--away from this company. For anyone considering hiring them, let me explain exactly how the experience works. First, Colonial is NOT a direct moving company as they present themselves. They are very clearly a middleman broker who collected the money, marked up the price, and then contracted the actual move to an independent moving company that did all the work for a fraction of the payment. Colonial added cost, confusion, and another layer of people to deal with, but no actual value. The entire setup felt like a bait and switch. The communication was abysmal. Their operation seems to run almost entirely on canned emails, scripted talking points, and layers of contacts with random employees. Trying to have a meaningful conversation with anyone was painful. You also get trapped in a ridiculous triangle between Colonial, the contracted mover, and yourself. The two companies seem to have no direct communication. Several times during the move, my Colonial "Moving Coordinator" was calling me--the customer--to ask if I knew the mover's status. Apparently I was coordinating the move for the Moving Coordinator. I lived in a congested city and needed a firm move-out date to secure HOA approval, reserve the loading area, and obtain street permits. They did not disclose until after I was under contract, that they would only provide a vague date range and refused to confirm the actual date until 72 hours beforehand. That 72-hour window fell over a weekend, leaving me scrambling at the last minute to arrange permits and building access. Of course this is for their own scheduling convenience, with no respect for the inconvenience to the customer. Then comes the pricing routine. When you first call, a "Moving Coordinator" walks you through a quick, superficial inventory estimate--usually before you have packed anything or have a realistic sense of what you have. That produces an artificially low number that gets you to sign. Closer to the move, a different person from "Quality Assurance" calls and suddenly discovers that the move will cost substantially more. In my case, the original estimate of 6629 lb later ballooned to 8,344 lbs. The actual documented weight ended up 7100 lbs. Of course no refund or adjustment for the difference, but I'm sure I would have been notified immediately if the weight was higher. The entire process felt deliberately structured to get me under contract with an artificially appealing estimate, then reveal the real price, restrictions, and logistical problems only after I was committed. Colonial was a pointless and poorly coordinated middleman whose main contribution was collecting a substantial markup. Once they had my money, they became evasive, disorganized, and remarkably unhelpful. Save yourself the frustration. Book directly with a reputable moving company that will actually perform the move, communicate with you, and take responsibility for the service you are paying for. read more
6 years ago
Review Update 09/28/2020 Updating the review after speaking with Donna (resolutions manager), who has work amazingly fast to get us the best resolution outcome. It has been a pleasure to work with Donna. Colonial Van Lines provided us with an estimate for an interstate moving that was calculated ONLY on weight, not in volume. We warn the sales agent Mr. Chad C that our items were larger than usual but not heavy. He stated not to worry about since they were going to send an 18-wheeler. On the day of the move a 40 feet truck showed up. We were surprised when our moved was sold to Best Price moving without no one letting us know. we raised our concerns that the truck was going to be to small, and immediately called Colonial Van Lines, who onlyl then told us that the truck was sent based on the cubic weight (but we were sold only on weight not on volume) Mid load, the crew saw that the truck was indeed too small, and left items behind with the promise to pick them up the very next day. It was right then when the nightmare started. Suddenly Colonial Stop answering the phone call, just giving us a call at the end of the day to let us know the goods were going to be picked up the next day. Best Price moving referred us always to Colonial. We had to get rid of numerous items that were on the original packing list in the estimate in order to fit their trucks, again at our financial loss. ONE WEEK later they finally came to pick up the goods. it was a week that we were forced to stay at hotels and have meals in restaurants at our own expense. ONCE they had our goods in their possession they called us to let us know that they were changing the estimate and transforming it to a binding contract without giving us the option of having our household goods weighted at a certified station. Colonial Van Lines forced us to accept it or face more delays. Then the delivery never came. Again Colonial Van lines failed at giving us an estimate on when the goods were going to be delivered. We were assigned multiple Customer Service Managers every day, when they run out of words and excuses they just assign us another person (Mario, Roxanne, Aisha...) We asked several timer to Colonial to provide reasonable accommodation with the only offer from Mrs. Roxanne H of 150 dollars to buy inflatable mattresses so we could "sleep comfortably". Colonial denied every single of our petition and always stated that we needed to place a claim with their claims department. 17 days after the pick up we finally got our items delivered (without Colonial letting us know, in fact they called us to tell us that they did not know when our items were going to be delivered, while we were getting them delivered by a third party company) to our surprise, we learnt that our goods were stored at a warehouse from Best Price Moving for more than a week, without no one going to pick them up. When we got everything delivered, 16 boxes were missing and numerous items were broken. read more
8 years ago
Colonial has reached out to us because of our concerns and lack of satisfaction. We would like to thank Donna Rose for providing a satisfactory resolution to our concerns. We do give 5 stars to the resolution we received. The initial contacts and contract was quite satisfactory, but as the moving process started they altered all arrangements and required thousands more dollars. We moved from PA to WA. Our packing and preparations took months and we updated our list of belonging on the contract as we packed items. We felt comfortable with this mover up until two weeks before our move, when they changed our moving manager two times and forced us to change our pickup date. Since we had sold our house and had a firm closing date, any change in the pickup date was a major issue. However, we did accommodate their request. They said they would compensate us for this change, which cost us anxiety and $200, but after the move was finally over they merely offered us $50 for this change. On the day they showed up to pickup our belongings they required us to sign a totally new and different contract. It didn't matter that we had accurately described and detailed all the items that were to be moved. We had to sign this new contract, adding thousands more in moving costs, or they would walk out the door the day before our house closing date. We were forced to accept this new contract. We were forced to agree that the "binding estimate" in the original contract was superseded by this new contract. Overall it cost us $6400 more than our original contract. We felt that this last minute change was their plan all along, in order to squeeze more money out of us. Our belongings were to be delivered between the 11th and 17th of November. Each day we had to arrange for someone to be available to accept that delivery. But from Nov. 9 through the 15th we were only able to reach a live person at the office twice, and both times they could give us no information on delivery. We left numerous voicemails and emails, but no one would call us back. No one would give us any information. Finally on Nov. 17th one person, the assistant to our move manager, called to say that they would have information on Nov. 19. On that date, two days after all of our belongings were to be delivered; we were told that the delivery would take place the next day. They offered us, after much discussion, a mere $150 for this three day delay. At one point, weeks earlier, we had asked about the cost of delaying our delivery and were told that a three day delay would cost us $3,304. But because THEY delayed delivery three days they merely offered us $150. The overall move cost more than $20,000 so this $150 is less than 1%, not what we consider a fair offer. Overall we feel this company is not trustworthy. We feel that they did not treat us well, they were not responsive to our many phone calls, and they did not provide the service they had contracted to provide. read more
5 years ago
Edit: Changing it to 5 stars after their resolution manager, Donna, reached out and worked to get a resolution in regard to the customer service issues we experienced. Our claim for damages and lost items are separate and still being handled by the claims department, but I appreciate Donna's efforts and commitment to resolve my issue. If I could give this company negative stars, I would. DO NOT HIRE THIS COMPANY FOR YOUR MOVING NEEDS. EVER. I'll start off by saying they were 3 days late picking up our items which caused us $300 in rent charges which, of course, they won't cover. They never told us we could pay extra to lock in a confirmed date or we certainly would have. The driver was unorganized and did very little work while the two people he had subcontracted locally wrapped and packed everything. Those two did a great job while the driver took multiple breaks. Then the driver left without leaving us a copy of our invoice. We called him immediately to have him come back or to just stop and we would meet him for a copy but he said "no need - I forgot to give it to you but I got this" Whatever that meant.... Our delivery was two days late. When the driver opened the truck, it was immediately apparent our stuff had been unloaded and loaded back on. How many times? Who knows, but it was in total disarray. I asked the driver for a copy of the item breakdown and he literally told me it was too cold to get it. I told him I needed to verify items as they came off the truck and after a staring contest, he rolled his eyes, sighed and got me the forms. I could see why he 1) didn't leave it in the first place and 2) didn't want me to see it. The pages were a mess with many of the listed items illegible. As they unloaded, we found almost every big piece of furniture was damaged. We have a cast iron table base and that was broken in half. Another thing about this cast iron piece - IT WAS MIXED IN WITH SOMEONE ELSE'S STUFF ON THE TRUCK SO THE DRIVER HAD TO UNLOAD THEIR STUFF TO EVEN FIND IT. I should mention here that this driver kept talking about other missing items from other shipments he had picked up and delivered over the past few weeks. So now trying to deal with customer service, supervisors, etc in this company has proven to be nothing short of time wasting. We keep getting the same answers - they are trying to locate our items. I'm pretty sure we are just going to be out our money because we can't seem to get a good answer out of anyone. I'm not sure who to even go to at this point but I just wanted to warn everyone out there that is even remotely considering using these guys....DON'T. I see other reviews here that someone named Donna helped them resolve their similar issues. So Donna - if you're a real person and you're out there, please give us a call. We could sure use some positivity at this point. read more
1 year ago
I was extremely disappointed with the service I received from Colonial Van Lines during my recent move from California to Oregon. While I understood that household moves can involve a degree of logistical complexity, what I experienced was a troubling lack of accountability, transparency, and integrity on the part of Colonial. Shortly after my belongings were picked up, I contacted their customer service department to request a delivery update. To my surprise, I was informed that my items had already been delivered -- which was categorically untrue. This miscommunication was only the beginning of an extremely frustrating process during which I had to consistently initiate follow-up inquiries to obtain even basic information regarding the whereabouts of my shipment. After a full week of repeated outreach on my part, I was informed that my items were in a "climate-controlled warehouse," but no further details regarding location or delivery timeline were provided. It took several additional days -- again initiated by my own follow-ups -- before I was finally told that the warehouse in question was located in Los Angeles according to the customer services manager Hope. Even then, no one could provide a confirmed delivery date, and when one was eventually provided, it was two days beyond the latest date in the original delivery window. When I asked for an explanation for the delay -- particularly in light of the extended period during which I received no meaningful communication -- I was told there was "nothing that could be done" aside from a $30-per-day credit. When my items were finally delivered, I learned that they had never been stored in a warehouse at all. The same agents (Movers operating under their own business name and under Colonial's carrier license) who had picked up my belongings delivered them and informed me that my items had been on the back of their truck the entire time -- I was delayed only because a larger job took precedence over mine. This directly contradicted what I had repeatedly been told by Colonial Van Lines customer service. When I raised this matter with their team, the response was perfunctory at best. I was offered a $150 price adjustment, which does not come close to addressing the inconvenience, stress, and misleading information I endured throughout the process, in addition the extra financial strain that was placed on me. This experience has raised serious concerns about the professionalism and reliability of their company. I expected -- at the very least -- honest communication, timely updates, and responsible handling of my personal belongings. Unfortunately, none of these expectations were met. There was one employee (Tiffany) that expressed her empathy to my situation, but her hands were tied. The company was subpar and dishonest. I would not recommend Colonial to anyone. read more
8 years ago
I'm updating this review for two reasons. They would not settle my dispute unless I changed my one star to a five star and secondly because we did reach a reasonable resolution. The move was still the move from hell and nothing else has changed. We've had success moving from Atlanta to Martha's Vineyard with no issues. And that's 1500 miles to an island with a ferry to consider. So this under 600 mile moved seemed like it should be a breeze to us. That could not be farther from the truth. We looked at Colonial's reviews and they were mixed. People either loved them or hated them. Right now we leaning towards the hate. If they redeem themselves I will revise the review but right now its a solid 1. My issues: They give you a two day window for pick up and promise to let you know 48-72 hours in advance. 72 hours came and went and then 48 and no word. We called and were told they'd get back to us on Monday, which was the day before the estimated pickup. We said hell no! So we pressed and they finally called back and said 9-11am today, Tuesday. It is now 2pm and still no van. The driver called a couple of hours ago to give a "Courtesy" call to let us know they were running three hours behind. At that time we expressed our concerns and he said they would make up the time. In order to stay on track, we moved everything from the second floor to the first. I MEAN EVERYTHING! We broke down all the beds, rolled up all the rugs, shrink wrapped all the antiques, etc. The driver also so said we were the only one on the truck and they may even be able to get there earlier than estimated. Shortly after that call, we received a call from Colonial saying they were told by the agent we requested to be the only ones on the truck. No true. Everyone told us the entire time, based on the size of our load, we would most likely be the only ones on the truck. And the driver confirmed that. But now because we asked the driver about that they said we're going to have to revise the quote. Seriously? They just wanted to make MORE money off of us. Of course all this happens when there is no hope of us cancelling because we wouldn't get our deposit back and they know we would have to wait for another mover to reschedule. So they have us over the proverbial barrel and we have no choice but to continue. Then to top it off they will only commit to a window of 5 days to deliver. How can you plan for a five day window? Another company came out to do an estimate and when it was Colonial's turn to do the a site inspection, they asked for the previous estimate, sent someone out and low and behold they came up with the exact number of pounds. Exact! How in the hell does that happen? I'm sure they just used the previous inspection report. It's just been a nightmare. read more
8 years ago
UPDATE on this review: Five stars for the resolution of my original issue. I had a positive follow-up interaction similar to Peggy P. I had a bad experience that was addressed by the new management. I was contacted by Donna who listened to what happened and empathized with my frustration without getting defensive at all. She didn't rush me or downplay anything I had to say. Donna recognized the stress that I went through and recognized that Colonial should take responsibility. She agreed to compensate me for my bad experience. This move was impressive to me because it was unnecessary. They know that I am not likely to need another move in the short-term, and yet still wanted to make sure that I had a positive impression of the company and its direction under new management. Given that they can't go back in time, this was about as good a gesture as I could have hoped for. I wish them luck in continuing to turn it around and stay focused on customers. Original review: ------------------------------------------------------------ Worst moving experience I have had. Colonial staff were extremely respectful and helpful when making the initial purchase. I booked two months in advance, and was told to not have any concerns about any delays or troubles since it was so far out. But guess what - they never showed up! They called one day before the moving window saying that they might need to find a new driver. That turned into a different story each day, with them repeatedly telling me it might be the next day before I hear any more information. They continually failed to call to update me with information despite desperate pleas. My moving window came and went. They must have promised 5 or 6 different days to call me back with updates. No calls came. And then when I called back at the time they said they'd update me, my contact person was mysteriously busy / unavailable, or the office was closed entirely. They even tried the excuse "not enough people live in Seattle, no there's no truck traffic there". Eventually I was essentially told to book with another moving company. Well that's pretty hard to do on the same day when I needed to be out of town during the window they booked. I had already made plans and arrangements. Now after having booked a different company with some delay in pickup, I have begun my job and my life in a new city in an empty residence with none of the basics. All thanks to Colonial FAILING to live up to their word. As SOON as they thought there might be a delay, they should have taken it upon themselves to fix it, instead of stringing me along for over a WEEK beyond the arranged time, and then just giving up entirely. Trust no one. read more




















































