DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY ESPECIALLY MOVING TO/FROM BOSTON (GUARANTEED TO BE CHARGED A SHUTTLE FEE). I paid over DOUBLE my initial estimate. Though moving companies are doing well in COVID (per Ernest), they will not hesitate to scam you. Even after finding out I was a healthcare worked who had been deployed to COVID units in NYC, the customer service manager had no hesitation to add on costs and fees.
I had hand measured everything the night before pick-up and measured 520 cubic feet for a simple 1 BR move from NYC to Boston... I was advised to request 667 cubic feet just in case, reassured that I would not be charged for space not used (ugh please learn from my mistake and don't fall for this trick). When I asked the foreman to have my estimate adjusted, he said that I would get a call the next day for an adjustment since my items were going to storage for a week (storage was supposed to be included, so not sure why that would have mattered). I asked for certain furniture to be packed a certain way to take less space, but he waved me away and said not to worry - he implied the estimate would be brought down. Red flag, red flag, red flag!
I never got a call as promised. I called the customer service manager, Steve. He said based on how my items stacked, my items took up over 800 cubic feet so I was lucky I wasn't charged more. A 1 BR NYC apartment for a single person takes over 800 cubic feet?? I don't think so... I had purged a lot of my belongings as well.
Then, the company called the day my move-in to inform me they would charge me $500 for a shuttle. Steve said that all Boston moves require a shuttle because their large truck won't fit in the entire city of Boston. Funny that was never mentioned before. Funny that I've moved within Boston multiple times and never had a problem. Another person at Ernest informed me that the driver had been by and didn't think he could bring a large truck to the front of the apartment. I explained that my building actually has a loading dock made for massive trucks... and I had booked that loading dock in advance. I sent photos of the loading dock, but then I was told the street was too narrow. I live on a 5-lane road with the lane closest to my building used for unloading trucks... My friend has had her car picked up by a car-carrier truck in front of my building with no issue.
When the movers showed up over 6 hours late (by the way, NO ONE kept me in the loop, and at this point, Steve the customer service manager threatened to charge me $5000 if I tried to contact again, so terrified, I stopped contacting them), the driver had no idea there was a loading dock, and the movers admitted that any-sized truck could fit there. So why did I get charged $500 for a smaller truck? Turns out they were using this rented truck to pick up another move in Boston after my drop off. So guess I paid for the rental fee for this other mover.
Setting aside that I paid $1.5k more than my initial estimate, my most appalling experience was with the customer service manager, Steve. He absolutely should be fired. He belittled my educational background and mocked my ability to read contracts. When I revealed that I was doing this move alone and was stressed, not wanting to exacerbate a delicate medical situation, he said if I contacted him again he would charge me $5k before returning my belongings.
Funny thing is... I'll be doing a large move to California next summer. Had this move gone remotely well (and I already have low expectations for moving companies), I would have used their services again. With moving expenses covered next year, I would have gladly paid whatever was needed. Their horrible untrustworthy customer service makes me never want to work with them again, covered costs or not. read more