Think twice before hiring NF Moving! Our experience was incredibly disappointing, and what happened…read moreafter we reported the damage was almost as frustrating as the move itself.
We originally chose NF Moving because they had a 5 star rating on Yelp. We then hired NF Moving to professionally load two rental trucks for our move from Yucaipa, CA. to Arizona. We supplied the trucks and plenty of protective materials. NF Moving's own pre-move document specifically stated that its crew would handle "padding and protection of furniture."
Unfortunately, that is not what we experienced.
When the trucks were opened at our destination, the unloading crew's reaction immediately told us something was wrong. Numerous items had been loaded with little or no protection.
Four Electra/Townie bikes that had been kept in immaculate condition were placed directly beside each other, metal on metal, uncovered and with nothing between them and leaning against a ladder. We specifically asked an NF Moving crew member to please cover and strap down the bikes. That was not done. All four arrived scratched, with exposed metal from rubbing against one another.
A solid wood desk was left with finished wood exposed against the truck floor and arrived scratched. Its legs were also left unprotected and damaged.
Two leather ottomans were not properly wrapped and arrived with scratched metal.
Our approximately 3-year-old Pottery Barn sofa was wrapped only in plastic, without moving blankets protecting it from hard surfaces. It arrived with marks transferred onto the fabric.
A dresser was wrapped incompletely, leaving a corner exposed that arrived scratched and dented.
And those were only the items where we immediately identified damage.
We also found cream upholstered headboards, benches, dining chairs, furniture legs and other finished surfaces loaded without adequate protection. Framed pictures and shelves packed in lay-flat boxes had been turned on their sides with a golf bag placed on top. A white bookcase was even used by the crew as a step stool during loading leaving behind a wet shoe print.
There was no shortage of truck space. In fact, we had TWO trucks.
The condition was concerning enough that we paid the destination crew an additional $470 for two extra hours of labor so they could properly wrap and protect our belongings before placing them into storage. The job that should have been done by NF moving!
We documented the condition with photos and videos and promptly submitted a claim.
NF Moving denied it.
We then submitted a detailed request for reconsideration, pointing out that their own paperwork says their crew handles "padding and protection of furniture," that their contract provides valuation when damage is caused by their staff, and that the contract states NF Moving is responsible for items while in its immediate care.
They denied the claim again.
Their position is essentially that because the trucks traveled approximately 300 miles after they loaded them, we cannot prove their loading caused the damage. They also emphasized that we supplied the trucks and materials and were present during loading.
That response is particularly frustrating. We hired professional movers precisely because we expected them to know how to properly wrap, protect, position and secure household goods. Supplying blankets and a truck does not make the customer the professional mover.
Being present also does not mean a homeowner should be expected to supervise every piece of furniture loaded into two trucks or override the professional judgment of a four-person moving crew.
Most troubling to us is that NF Moving never meaningfully addressed why so many items were left exposed or inadequately protected despite its own written promise that padding and furniture protection were services its crew would provide.
We have now filed a formal complaint with the California Bureau of Household Goods and Services and provided documentation of the move, damage, contracts, correspondence, photos and videos.
We understood that moving always carries some risk. We did not expect perfection.
What we did expect was professional care, reasonable protection of our belongings, and accountability when something went wrong.
Instead, we received damaged possessions, an additional $470 expense to correct the condition of the load, and two complete denials of responsibility.
Based on our experience, I cannot recommend NF Moving. If you are thinking about moving into or out of the Inland Empire and you'd like more information about our moving experience, you can DM me and I'd be happy to give you more detail on how bad this experience has been.
