I got help from Strong Arm Movers twice - moving things from a 2-bedroom apartment into storage, and then from storage to my new place.
Seeing that there are many "extreme" reviews on this company, I figure I'll break mine down into "sections" to describe the experience:
Price:
I checked prices with Strong Arm Movers, 2 Men and Truck and some other company whose name I don't remember anymore.
- Strong Arm Movers estimated a $200 fee to go from 2nd floor to storage, and then $250 from storage to floor 2.5.
- 2 Men and Truck estimated a $700 fee.
- The third company was around $500.
Given the disparity of prices, and the cost of my furniture (nothing fancy), I went with Strong Arm, assuming that they will work faster, without tediously wrapping all my items, but saving me a few hundred bucks.
To be honest, I was surprised at how low the price was. I was a bit worried that the move might go wrong and I'd be charged extra, but it was so much cheaper that I'd be ok even if having to pay $100 extra if I saw it was fair (there wasn't a contract, so its all good-faith-based anyway).
Scheduling:
I scheduled the move only a few days in advance and Frank squeezed it in. The 2 guys showed up at my place within half hour from the scheduled time and got to work right away - for both of the moves. I understand the nature of the business and scheduling, so I was very satisfied with the timing (would not have been satisfied if I paid $700).
Move:
Throughout the two moves, one of the flimsy bookshelves I got from Target got broken. The shelf was ~$60 and wobbly (not disassembled). The guys simply informed me that it broke. If I remember correctly, they took $20 from the moving fee, which I was ok with - I was not surprised that the shelf didn't survive, I should have disassembled it.
Everything else was moved without any damage - no scratches, no cuts. Also, my dining table had a stripped screw preventing me from removing one of its legs for the move - the movers had tools that enabled them to quickly remove the stripped screw and finish disassembly so the thing could fit through the door. I disassembled all other large furniture myself prior to the move.
Final fees:
I paid what was originally agreed upon. Both of my moves were done within approximately the time estimate that I was originally given. I suspect that I would have been charged more if the moves took much more time than the 2 hours Frank estimated when scheduling, but there were no complications.
Overall:
I was happy with how things went. The movers looked a bit intimidating - on a scariness scale from "flower shop lady in the countryside" (0) to "hardened criminal holding a knife and covered in violence-depicting tattoos" (10), I'd rate a few of them at 6 or maybe 6.5. However, they were friendly, polite, and efficient - I felt very comfortable working with them.
I expect to hire Strong Arm for my next move. read more