Be aware of the following (long term renter). Owner says he can't (won't) negotiate…read more 1. Changing Prices National self-storage companies use a system called "revenue management" to set their prices. At the national storage conventions, owners take classes about how to use this software to increase revenue by raising prices on customers. What is revenue management? This practice is what airlines and hotels use when they quote you a different rate for the same flight or room based on demand. Big storage companies do the same thing, reassessing their prices hourly. This means if they only have one 10 x 10 unit at the moment you check, it might be priced at $200 a month (compared to $100 last week). You can get the same unit at a company that is not using this software for much less. Why are they doing this? To make sure they are charging you the highest price they can get away with to maximize their revenue. 2. Increasing Rent All the Time When you sign a contract with one of these companies, you think that you've locked in a price for the rest of your lease, right? Not true. Almost all contracts in the self-storage industry are month-to-month. This means they can increase your rent at any time with a 30-day notice. National companies increase rent for current customers frequently, oftentimes twice a year. So, a unit you thought would be $70 per month suddenly costs you $115 per month. If you stay a year with that new rate, you'll be dishing out an extra $540 you hadn't budgeted for originally. 3. Charging High Fees National self-storage companies often reel you in with attractive pricing or a special but get you with fees. You may think you're paying only $70 per month, but wait, there's more: Admin fee ($20-$30) Lock charge ($20-$30) Late fees ($50-$60 for more than 30 days late) Deposit fee ($25-$45) Those fees add up, especially if you stay in your unit for a long time. Your bill inevitably ends up being much larger than you initially planned. 4. Ripping You Off with Insurance The big storage companies try to squeeze every possible penny out of you. One of the ways they do this is by requiring you to buy their storage insurance. While it seems like it adds value for customers, storage insurance is just an additional revenue stream for storage companies. Often, the insurance provider is the self-storage company. Other times, it's a third-party provider that gives the storage company a monthly kickback for selling policies. Public Storage automatically enrolls you in its insurance program, and you have to opt-out later to get out of it. They don't even offer good coverage. When you try to make a claim, you'll find the policy is selective in what it covers. Storage insurance is just an easy way for national storage chains to make an extra $15 to $25 per month from you. In fact, most renters have homeowners or renters' insurance that automatically covers items they've put in storage without additional cost. Our experience in managing 5,000 storage units is that it is very rare -- under 1% -- for something to happen that affects the contents of a storage unit. If you wrap your furniture in thick plastic wrap available on Amazon, and pack all your other items in plastic crates with tight lids, you will avoid almost all of the possible incidents that can affect your contents. That effort would eliminate rodent damage, mildew, and water damage, plus protect against absorbing the smell of the unit. The only thing left that could happen is theft. You have dropped your risk to .1%. Let's look at what would happen if you somehow incurred a loss: If you buy their insurance and stay for two years paying $25 extra a month, and if their policy covers the damage you incur, you have paid $600 for the insurance plus the $100 deductible. So you would have to experience over $700 in damage for it to help you. Do yourself a favor and spend $100 on packing supplies and rely on your homeowners or renters policy. 5. Making You Buy Their Expensive Lock Unfortunately, most national storage companies require you to buy their lock for $15-$20 (or more) instead of providing one to you free of charge. You can get the same lock at the local hardware store for $6.

So easy to register online. Spotless 5x7x8 unit, perfect for OOS student at UMD-CP to store larger…read moreitems for summer. Made our end of year move so much easier! Thank you!

We have had Zip Moving and Storage now for two moves and have two more scheduled with them. We've…read morehad nothing but excellent customer service and support throughout both moves. They were flexible with us as we had to reschedule due to weather, and had several complicated moves that were handled very well. As with any move, we took care ourselves to wrap things, communicate our needs and expectations, but I would do that with any mover. Ask questions, clarify and explain what you want. All furniture was wrapped carefully with moving blankets and secured and all breakables were treated with care. I've never seen a team of people work so hard!

If you'd like to hire a company that triples your price at the most critical moment of selling your…read morehome, hire Zip. From the moment they arrived, this move was a disaster. They backed their truck into my retaining wall, immediately pissing off my neighbors before a single box was moved. They then showed up with half the crew promised, which should have been my first clue about what was coming next. What should have been a straightforward move from a 3-bedroom home took 13 hours, and they still couldn't finish--forcing them to come back the next morning, while I was under extreme pressure due to a pending home sale. With 18 hours to be out of my house, Zip used the situation to triple the price, leaving me completely cornered. At one point, the police showed up at my door to question one of the movers for 30 minutes. Later, they left a single worker alone for SIX HOURS to finish the job. Completely unprofessional and unsafe. Once my belongings were picked up, I received zero updates for six weeks. No proactive communication. No tracking. No accountability. I had to escalate through three different people just to get basic help or information. And when all was said and done, Zip did absolutely nothing to make it right--no refund, no meaningful apology, no remediation--other than claiming they fired the person who originally quoted me, which does nothing for the damage, stress, or financial harm they caused. This was easily one of the most stressful and mishandled service experiences I've ever had, at a time when reliability mattered most. If you value transparency, professionalism, or basic human decency during a move--look elsewhere.

I usually refrain from writing negative comments unless it's really bad, but I think certain…read moreelements are worth highlighting . Draw your own conclusion. 1. First, with a positive, the follow up and customer service is great. It has to be, due to the following comments listed. 2. Moved a 1 bedroom apt( bedframe , mattress, dresser , 2 TVs , and a sofa), and it took 5 hours , with a locked elevator , in the same building, separated by 2 floors.Everything additional was boxed or bagged. No loose items. 3. They attempted to change the charges the day of the move , even though we had confirmed less than 24 hours prior. Claimed the 3rd person Was due to their double booking, snow , etc . And the additional man would speed up the process . Did i mention this simple 1 bedroom move took 5 hours for an in building, one bedroom transfer? Does that seem expedited ? Everything was a group effort, and teaching moment. this slowed the move down. For example, it Took 20 minutes of discussion to figure out how to disassemble a bed frame efficiently . Constantly going back and forth to the moving truck on the clock ( for what idk ) . If not watched , disappearing for 15-20 minutes at a time . 4. I was advised that I could leave my dresser items in the drawers, and they could move them efficiently. I now have to find someone to take my dresser apart, due to items some how making their way to inside unreachable areas insiders dresser. 5. I have to find someone to reassemble my sofa. They didn't put it back together. 6. You're charged 30 minutes to and from . So, you owe an hour before they start . They didn't have to leave the property, but charged me fuel . How do you charge someone fuel, and time for arrival, and departure ? Seems like the rate is only labor . You're also charged for any items used to rap to transport furniture . The intimation that they try to give you when you book is that is inclusionary. 7. With a discount, A DISCOUNT, this move cost me $1,000. Between the random 3rd man up charge , wrapping items for the large furniture , fuel charge , insurance that they make you cover that they don't disclose until the last minute that is almost $200 additional ... 8. Moved my items into the hallway, and left them there unattended while moving. 9. Even if you pay by phone, they want you to write your credit card information on a random piece of paper. It's a hard NO, for me. Yes, I signed, and let them go about their business. It's exhausting to keep debating obvious discrepancies, and hidden fees during a move which is a top 3 stressor in general. Just .... Don't . Use someone else .

All My Sons Moving - Virginia North…read more This moving company needs to be investigated for fraud or deceptive business practices. I booked my move a week in advance and paid a $100 deposit after being told it would guarantee my moving date and secure my spot. Then, only 3 days before my scheduled move, the manager -- I believe his name was David -- called to tell me they were fully booked for the entire week and that my move would either need to be rescheduled or canceled altogether. I made it very clear from the beginning that my apartment lease ends on the 31st and that I needed to move before then. Had this company been honest about the fact that paying a deposit did not actually guarantee service, I would have hired another moving company much earlier. Now I'm left scrambling at the last minute, despite having everything planned out. I also have to report to work in another state on the 1st, so this has created a major inconvenience and unnecessary stress. To make matters worse, speaking with them on the phone was a complete disaster. The communication was unprofessional, disorganized, and unacceptable. They agreed to refund the $100 deposit, but that does not make up for the inconvenience, stress, and potential consequences this situation may cause me. If I receive penalties from my landlord for a late move-out or face any employment-related consequences because of this company's failure to honor their commitment, I will absolutely be exploring all possible legal and consumer protection options.

We are using Dream Team Movers for a second time to help us load a moving truck. We highly…read morerecommend this team to everyone for their moving needs. They arrived early, worked nonstop and where extremely polite and courteous. They took extreme care with every piece of furniture, every box, and every item they moved. Their rates are extremely reasonable and worth every penny. Nicole-Germantown, MD

I used Dream Team twice, and have been very happy both times. They are very flexible in…read moreaccommodating your needs, no matter how small the job. The first time, we were just moving a mile across town and we just needed help with moving the heaviest items. I will say that the movers were very late, but they did contact me and keep me informed of their slow progress through traffic that morning. The two guys who helped move were efficient, courteous, and professional. For example, before moving my china cabinet, they went over the pre-existing damage, and then made sure I inspected it after the move. For the second move, two years later, we had a bigger move. It took 3 men 6-1/2 hours to load our house into the truck, which was within the range of the quote I was given beforehand. One of the movers was the same as the earlier team (I can't remember his name now, unfortunately), and he was great - friendly and a good leader for his team. They worked really hard, taking virtually no breaks, and were again courteous and professional.

I'm having trouble finding the right words to describe our experience with Potomac Moving Company,…read morebut "amazing" and "game changers" come to mind. This was an interstate move (DC to PA) in less-than-ideal conditions (we had to move an adult family member out of the apartment). The crew, Roberto and Harry, were empathetic, caring, and incredibly efficient with packing, loading, and unloading the one-bedroom apartment. I spent the day worrying (needlessly) that the storage unit I had rented was too small. The crew fit all of the items neatly and safely into a 5x10' unit with room to spare. I've never seen anything like it. I also want to give kudos to the front office. They were the first company to respond to my inquiry, answered all of my questions patiently, and kept us informed about when the crew was arriving. The value that we received for the price was off the charts. Put Potomac Moving Company at the top of your list. I would not hesitate to call them again for a move if the need arose.

PMC was invaluable for my move from one Arlington neighborhood to another. They worked hard, were…read moreprofessional and took good care of our belongings. Roberto was our crew lead and he was a great communicator and team leader. I was so comforted by their approach and impressed by their focus. I would recommend them without hesitation and will gladly call them on future moves. Andy M. Arlington, VA

Alex gave me a quote for moving to Hawaii. It wasn't worth the stuffs needed to ship. So instead he…read morereally helped me referring my stuffs to another shipping company that deals with smaller shipments. Thankful for his referra!

DO NOT DO IT!!!! All the reviews are correct. They will give you a "worst case scenario" estimate…read moreand then when the movers get to your place, they will tell you, "oh this is way more than we thought! Pay $2500 more or we will not move your stuff." They expect you to pay despite their employee messing up the estimate. Reading the other reviews it looks like this happens all the time. Once they get your money, they will be completely unresponsive and ignore all calls and emails. They magically "lost" my expensive Sonos speakers at the "warehouse" that I watched being loaded on the truck and they basically tell you "tough luck". My experience has been with Jannah and Alex and Jannah completely disappeared after getting my money. Alex does not respond either and does not care whatsoever. This place WILL scam you. Avoid at all costs!

If you (like I) need to print and fax documents (yes some people still want you to fax them -…read moremostly doctors), this place is pretty straightforward and if you encounter any technical difficulties, the staff are promptly helpful. Not the usual "is there anyone around to answer my question" as at so many office supply places. Note: I ended up here after trying in vain to print some documents at the Charles McGee Library across the street. What a runaround! Try the 2nd floor, no, it's on the 3rd. Sorry, this printer's broken. Wait, that printer's available... but, sorry, there aren't any computers available from which to print, etc. etc. Save yourself trouble, even if it costs a few bucks, and just go to FedEx.

Parking can be NOT fun to find in this area for a quick FedEx run, but despite that, this is a good…read moreFedEx. It's spacious with all your office (and snack) needs. You can print, pick up a calendar, or ship something. Sending papers to Portugal was easy thanks to the helpful staff!

I miraculously found Nando's Movers on a desperate Google search after another company (Anytime…read moreMovers) failed to show up. Anytime Movers repeatedly failed to answer calls and didn't respond to my voicemail/email until it was too late. Lo and behold, their phone system wasn't working and they mistakenly booked me for an afternoon spot instead of the morning spot I requested ... absolutely unacceptable. Nando's picked up on the first call and was able to dispatch two movers to my location within 30 minutes as promised. That was a huge sigh of relief because it's nearly impossible to find last-minute help during summer. The rate was very competitive to move the contents of 1-bedroom apartment into a storage unit: $120/hr with a 3-hour minimum. Although I didn't like the 3 hour minimum, the total rate was still cheaper than most other companies since they don't tack on bogus travel/truck or supply (tape, shrink wrap, etc.) fees. In the end, my move only took 2 hours which I was very pleased with. The movers were polite, courteous, and were happy to oblige to any special requests I had. Due to the covid-19 pandemic, I appreciated that they kept their masks on at all times even though it was hot and humid outside. They wrapped my furniture snugly in shrink wrap, cardboard, and/or blankets. Anything that needed to be disassembled was done so in the correct manner. (Typically this needs to be done for IKEA/particle-board furniture, which I had alot of. But since I was moving these into a storage unit and not another apartment, they were fine with keeping most of the furniture intact which I preferred) I was absolutely stunned with how quickly and efficiently they moved my items, it was almost like everything was choreographed. In the end, they got all the furniture and boxes efficiently stacked into a 75 square foot storage unit. I was afraid my storage unit was going to be too small, but they did a great job and I ended up with 10-15 sqft of space still available. Nothing was damaged at either my apartment or in the storage facility. Excellent work. I'd definitely utilize Nando's Movers again if I had to move again. I probably will after the pandemic is over and I return to office work in the DMV area.

A Nando driver drove my wife's car into a curb at the intersection of Conn Ave & Bradley Blvd at…read moreapprox. 1PM on Mon, Sept 21st, damaging the rim and destroying the tire. My son was also in the car and was terrified. The cost to replace the rim & tire is $1,650. That's a tight stretch of road for those who know it, but doesn't excuse bad driving. When I called the corporate office to report it, they said there was no accident so its not their problem. I dont expect them to pay the bill, but how about a little compassion or even an apology? Certainly worth questioning to character of the owners here and would suggest those looking for movers go elsewhere. Brian Kochan