Terrible experience and wildly unprofessional. This was my first time using a moving company, and I chose to do so because I had exams right when my lease was ending. I wanted to reduce stress. Unfortunately, this company did the opposite. Two days before my scheduled move, I received a call asking if I could move a day earlier, right in the middle of my two exams. I explained it would be difficult but asked them to let me know only if my original date truly wasn't going to work. Later that day, I checked again, and they assured me my original date was confirmed. On the morning of the move, right after a long exam, I got a call saying their first client was taking too long and they could no longer come at all that day. Not even later in the evening. Nothing. I was left scrambling last-minute to find another moving company or rent a U-Haul myself because it was the last day of my lease. It was extremely stressful and felt completely unprofessional. I understand things happen, but when people put down deposits weeks in advance and plan their lives around a scheduled date, you need to have a contingency plan, such as working later, communicating honestly, or at the very least giving notice days in advance, not hours. If they had simply been upfront that the day wouldn't work, I could have planned accordingly. Instead, it created the exact stress I was trying to avoid. read more

Very disappointed in final price. Broke 2 pieces of furniture and a couple of crystals. Still waiting for claim forms for almost 2 months!

I was quoted a nice price. They came and moved me from a 2 bed apt. Plus the storage unit. All pre quoted. Moved everything, fine. Was only 1 who spoke English which....well. then we get to my new home, freshly renovated, they was mostly neat with. Towards the end, they stop caring. My living rm tv was destroyed but didn't know til after they were gone and contract was signed! At signing, we were so tired that indidnt realize. Paid by zelle. But had to go get cash for the unquoted extea for cheap ass tape used on literal everything unauthorized like dining chairs and exercise equipment. Sons floor was damaged (hard wood floors) and 2 movers used the bathroom and left liiteral shit all over the toilet seat then in a rush pulled off, knowing it was left like this!!! How, how, how! I was so pissed! read more

David was excellent in giving the competitive quote, he attended me even in late evening. Timely updates are given in every phases. Fair clauses and movers were fast and professional. Items are handled with care. Will recommend my friends and colleagues to Universal Van lines. read more

Emilio and his crew did a fantastic job! We moved a 3 bedroom apartment on a third floor (no elevator) to a 3 bedroom ranch about 30 minutes away. And it was the hottest day of the year so far, almost 90 degrees. They were so careful with all of our furniture, wrapping everything with moving pads. I was wary of a large glass furniture piece, but Emilio assured me that it would be okay - and it was! The final cost was almost exactly what they quoted us at , so that was nice! They came with a large moving truck, and Four men total. The job was done in about 4 hours (with travel) , we couldn't believe it! We were very happy with this experience, and would absolutely recommend them! read more

This is an update to an earlier review on our movers. The agent got in touch regarding the filing cabinet after a couple of calls and came out. He was able to get the filing cabinet's drawers working again. It took more time than we would have liked, but we are pleased that the effort was made to correct the problem with the filing cabinet. read more

I contracted with Universal with very short notice. They massaged their schedule around, arrived on time, and worked like crazy! It was well worth the money to have them do my packing and moving. I was particularly impressed with how they packed up the moving truck, utilizing every available space. They did just as well with how they packed up the Storage Facility. Very experienced crew! I plan to use them again when I move into my new house. read more

Horrible. Do not use. They showed up and walked off the job! And the scheduler did not want to refund my deposit! This is supposedly number 2 national company? read more

Wish I could give 4.5 stars. We moved less than a mile away recently and overall had a great experience. I worked with Jolene to book everything and she was great and responsive, and worked with me when we had to adjust the movers arrival time slightly. The guys showed up exactly on time, worked incredibly fast, and nearly everything arrived in the same condition in left in. (We had a vase break and a plastic container crack, but nothing major.) Half star off because they charged us an extra $30 for tape. There were maybe 2 or 3 boxes that weren't yet taped up, but the vast majority of the tape they used was to wrap our furniture, which was supposed to be included in the overall price. Not sure how the wrapping could be included without the tape? Regardless, overall a good experience at an affordable rate. Would recommend. read more

David and his crew made the nerve-wracking experience of moving so much better! They were wonderful to deal with--friendly, honest, and on time. They treated our items with care, and finished on time-- no extra hidden costs. We will definitely be using Universal Van Lines for the final leg of our move in the next few months (from storage to our new home). We highly recommend David and Universal 100%. Use them-- you will not be sorry! read more

Dave and crew did a great job moving everything quickly and without damage. They were on location on time, wrapped vulnerable furniture, and figured out how to get difficult pieces out the door without destroying walls or doors. Pricing was very reasonable. I recommend them. read more

David was very helpful and answered questions at reservation and as they came up before the move date. The guys were quick and efficient. The extra $50 for packing supplies, which was essentially just lots of tape seemed a bit much, but the overall service and original pricing made it seem not so bad. I'd recommend them. read more

They arrived on time and took care really well of our furniture. The guys were very nice and service was fast. The quote they gave us, was exactly what we paid with no other charges. They calculated 5 hours but ended up being 4 hours. Definitely would use again and recommend. read more

There were three men. The guys were very nice and courteous and respectful to me, HOWEVER there was a whole bunch of HIDDEN charges that the owner did not tell me about via email or phone call. Things that should be included. I was not told of them until the foreman showed up at my house the. morning if the move. If something was not in a box something that you would never put in a box: for example a large hamper, a lamp, a milk crate with ideas packed in it.... they wanted to charge me to put it in a box and they wanted to charge me for tape. They wanted to charge me for wrapping blankets around on my China cabinet and any furniture. Are you kidding me? Wrapping blankets around furniture is part of what the moving company are charging me for already as part of the move. Therefore they wrapped packing tape around some of my wood furniture without me realizing it. Which once they left it at my house with the tape still on it and I had to remove the tape it removed finish off a lot of pieces of my wood furniture. They may be cheaper than the rest but beware of hidden charges and damage to any furniture they put tape on. read more

My very expensive marble and cast iron dining table was shattered on a 5 minute drive from my first apartment to the second. The foreman was very pleasant and explained what had happened and that he would personally find out how to rectify the problem. He explained he would let the company know and look into getting the top replaced. The base was perfectly fine. I then spoke to David the manager who told me fixing the table would cost $175 which was too much for them so I would have to go through insurance which only reimbursed up to $1 per pound, 40-50 dollars based on weight, pennies on the dollar to the worth of the table. I then asked for the base of the table back, and after a week of constant follow up was informed by David that they threw it out. David Swisa 9:26 AM (3 hours ago) to me Good morning Jillian, I was trying to see if I can locate it but it looks like it was discarded along with the broken marble top. In any event, you submitted a claim for the entire table so it doesn't make any difference because you get compensated based on the entire loss of the table. I will check where the claim process stands and will keep you posted but it probably will be done in the next couple days. Have a good day, David If any of your property is worth more than a dollar a pound to you, I certainly would not recommend letting any of these people touch your things. They will likely just throw them out which "doesn't make any difference." Absolute unprofessional joke of a company. read more

Great job! The closing on our home changed several times so I had to reschedule the move out several times. David was great! Very patient and flexible with me. The movers arrived a little later than scheduled but David gave us a heads up and that gave us more time to pack ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ . There was 3 men and a big truck. They moved the items out really fast, did a great job. We were moved out of our apartment and into our home within 3 hours. I used this company before and was very happy with the service. Once again I am a happy customer. read more

David and his team did an excellent job. I was stressed and as a result of working full time and living alone, I did not finish preparing for them. The team did a wonderful job to help me pack those things. They even packed my two tall standing plants safely into by taping two boxes together. Success! I had a very few casualties and those were due to my lack of expertise. Even with the delays I caused, the move went swiftly and without incident. Everything arrived well-protected and in perfect condition. I highly recommend Universal. Moving is probably the most exasperating event. David and the guys (and my daughter and son-in-law) helped me survive it. read more

I've used Universal several times over the past 11 years and always received excellent service. My recent move required multiple trips and stops and the guys were very patient, accommodating and professional! I would never use any other company!! You guys ROCK!!! read more

We moved from NJ to AZ. They lost 6 boxes, damaged a mirror frame and china cabinet. We stored our stuff with them for 2 months or so, while we found a house in AZ. When they brought our stuff, most of our tubs and boxes were crushed and damaged. Their driver did not check of the inventory list and forced us to sign off on it. Driver also threatened to not deliver the remainder of our stuff if we did not pay an extra $700. Since we signed off on the list we will not be able to get any money back. Do NOT use for cross country moves. read more

Everything went off with out a hitch!! I had 3 men n things were great. All questions were answered. Truck was packed in a timely order A really good experience! David was great n whatever he told me that would be done was perfect! Thank you Universal Van Lines. read more

We spoke to at least 20 moving companies (most of them crooked) and these guys gave us the best *real* price and were totally upfront with everything. No BS! (Thanks, Jolene!) The move went smoothly and most importantly, quickly. Our estimate was actually really close to the final price; we only went over by an hour and a half. There was a mix-up with scheduling. We were originally scheduled for 8-9am but our crew's truck broke down or something. Another crew was sent, but we had to wait around until after 5pm. No one's fault and UVL did stay in regular contact with us with updated ETAs. We were a little bored hanging around, but whatever. Minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things. We still had a wireless card and a laptop! I'm missing a glass insert from my coffee table, but that is the only thing unaccounted-for, and is a minor loss. I've had MUCH worse happen on a move. I'll be moving things from my NYC apartment into the country house in the next few months. I'm definitely going with these guys again. read more

The movers were rude. They unscrewed my TV, not completely off from the stand and wanted to leave as is. Come on you want to fool me? I insisted on install it back and they did. the quality of the moving wasn't great but the price was fair. wouldn't recommend. read more

We were at the last phases of moving, from a storage facility to our new home. The quote was pretty good, the movers efficient and got the job done right! We are very satisfied and would recommend this company to our friends in the area should they need their services. read more

I needed help unloading a pod that had my stuff in it. After researching many different companies I came across Universal. They arrived later than I had wanted but they got the job done quicker than expected and efficiently. Even though they were a little late I was kept informed by their office. After reading all the other reviews I was worried about them possibly showing up with extra guys or saying that they needed to charge me extra but that never happened. I asked for 3 guys and 3 guys showed up. Very careful with my stuff as well. Definitely recommend. read more

Thanks to the hard, thorough work of these movers! They did a lot to make that a successful moving day. They helped me with the furniture for a church organization and did just great. read more

Great experience from start to finish. David was very helpful over the phone, answered all my questions and made me comfortable with the whole process. My husband and I were moving from a 1 bedroom 2nd floor apartment to another about a 30 min drive away. He said 3 gentlemen would arrive between 8-9 on a Sunday morning and 3 men were there by 8:10. They wrapped and moved everything carefully. The only surprise was a small fee to move our two tv's but their price is very reasonable so we were fine with it. Glad we found them and wouldn't hesitate to use them again. read more

August 1st, 2012 was my scheduled moving date with Universal Van Lines to deliver my items from my storage unit in Matawan, NJ to my apartment in Hoboken, NJ. The estimated quote was $356 for 4 hours including the 1 hour travel time back to the Union Office. The price I paid in cash was $549.00 ($60 extra for packing supplies and 1.5 additional hours for $133-- $89/hr). The 1.5 hours over was due to the additional time it took the movers to move my items from the truck to my apartment in Hoboken. The extra packing supplies which I declined but ultimately had to agree to, otherwise they wouldn't move my fragile items were not part of the original estimate. These items were over .60/pound and therefore if I didn't have insurance I would have to take that risk if something broke. In addition, the quality of service was unsatisfactory due to one worker asking for tips during the move and another worker that was rude, disrespectful and argumentative with me when I declined the packing materials. Not to mention the scratches to my dresser, tv unit and glass tables that ended up get packaged from them! Never use this company, your promised a hassle. read more

Please avoid at all costs if you want to avoid a nightmare. Agreed to fixed cost for cross country move. On pickup they charged me additional $200 for standard packaging, so much for fixed cost. That I can live with because at least it was protecting my stuff. On delivery. The driver wanted to charge me $112 extra because from his truck to door of apartment was more the 75 steps. He quotes me 90 something steps. Can you imagine, we're talking foot steps here. Besically blackmail me out of 100 bucks threatening to leave without delivery my stuff. I called company sales agent David, he laughed and told me the same. Complete scam. I rarely write reviews, but really felt an obligation here to warn people. read more

This is the job all husbands must fear, when it comes to moving. This was my 3rd move in 7yrs, and my wife finally decided to hire movers. My wife was quoted at $499 over the phone for 4men and liked the reviews she saw online, so we went with it. When the sales rep came out to inspect the property, he bumped the quote up another hour to approx $605. When the move was complete, final bill was $904. :-( The guys did a OK job when they were working. My First issues was the unpacking of the Truck. After the truck was empty, I had 3 guys laying or hanging out in truck while the one guy was assembling the furniture. If I wasn't busy helping assemble things myself I might have noticed it sooner. On the other end, I don't agree with Movers wrapping all the furniture. Reason being, my dining room table, buffet, and two entertainment centers are now in very POOR shape. Almost every corner on all these pieces I mentioned are very well damaged. The men just care about getting product from one point to another, they do not take into consideration these are our VALUED possessions that they are flipping, rotating, pushing and throwing around just to get it on and off truck or into the house. So its now 8 days later after the move, there is nothing I can do at this point. I have a very unhappy wife who is pissed we almost paid 2x as much as our 1st quote. Plus every time we Eat or watch TV we have to look at damaged dining room table and entertainment center. (Good Times) Word to the Wise, do not always take the lowest quote. read more

Hi, We booked with Universal Van lines through David for a local move. David was upfront with everything. He offered us the best price. On the day of moving, the movers came a bit late. But they were very efficient in packing and transporting. WE wanted them to carry all our furniture and we did not want to spend more than 3h worth of labor. The movers stuck to the time. None of my furniture was damaged. We had just refinished our floors in the new place. There was one mark on the floor when they moved the elliptical machine. When movers told that they will charge for tapes, I refused as it was not in our deal, and called Dave. Dave clarified with them and made sure that was taken care of. I will recommend this company to anyone! Our move was peaceful as planned. All other costs were kept transparent. No hidden fees. read more

Great move! Movers showed up on time, were very professional and efficient, and completed the move earlier than anticipated. Everything was moved without any issues. I own a 2-family house and have seen many different companies moving tenants in and out. I am extremely impressed with Universal Van Lines and highly recommend them. read more

Very good moving company and strongly recommend. David was very helpful and answered all my questions. The movers arrived on time and worked very efficiently on a 97 degree day. I had called at least 7 movers and this company gave me the best price with great service. I will definitely use their services again. read more

Hidden fees on top of quote. They use contractors for pick-up and delivery and don't know the shape the trucks are in. All my boxes came wet and crushed because the van leaks in the rain. Let them know right away and absolutely no response at all.. Beware read more

The owner of the company is very nice and accommodating. He was so flexible with the moving date due to a very bad snow storm. The movers were super fast and professional. They wrapped everything and did the entire move in a very short time. The price they gave me beat every other moving company and I did a lot of research before selecting. I will use Universal Van Lines for our next move. I would also recommend them to others. read more

I won't recommend .. they will charge you easily 70-100$ at the end over the initial promised amount .. also very careless in handling ... if you are choosing them , please show them the working condition of you each items , otherwise they will claim it was in damaged condition before they move ... be careful read more

We hired Universal Van Lines to help with our move on 8/27, they said they would be there between 3-5pm. On the day of the move, they informed us around noon that they were running behind and would not be able to make it until closer to 5, ok, no problem. At 4:30, they called and told us they were running later, and would not be coming at all and the soonest they could rebook us would be on Sunday. We were closing on our home THE NEXT DAY and had to be out by morning. We asked, begged, and pleaded that they help us in some way but offed ZERO options other than a "Too Bad" and "We can book you on Sunday". They wouldn't come later, and they wouldn't come the next morning. A moving company should understand that rebooking a move 3 days later is completely UNACCEPTABLE. Not only would they screw us over, but mess up everyone else who has scheduled around THIS move.. Us, other buyers, other sellers, lawyers, and family and friends who planned for all of this to happen on the day agreed on. Yay, they gave me back my $100 deposit...how nice of them... how about the extra $3000 I had to pay to book another moving company last minute (literally), for the next day. I am very disappointed in Universal Van Lines, they way they handled the situation, and their lack of compassion and willingness to help a customer in which they screwed over. I have tried to get a hold of the owner of the company to discuss this matter, but no one on the staff will help me in this way either. Unbelievable. Not to mention going through all of this with a 3 day old baby. Stay FAR FAR away. read more

Service of this moving company was great until we actually had to move. David was very nice on the phone while making the reservation. The day of our move came ( May 31, 2013) and the problem surfaced. Our move was supposed to start between 3pm-4pm and David called me at 2pm to tell me the movers will be 4 hours late, so 7pm, maybe later. We were pretty upset because it was one of the hottest days, we have a newborn baby and we had so many more things to get done that this really messed us up. Well, we got kinda over it and waited the 4 hours. We actually started to move our boxes ourselves downstairs so the movers just had to put them in the Truck. 7:20pm the movers showed up and I called David to let him know. I also asked him what he could do for us to make up the lost time. Phew was that a mistake. He completely changed his nice attitude and became the meanest and most unprofessional person I have encountered in a very long time. He screamed at me and told me it is what it is and I can take it or leave and he could call his movers to just leave us. Oh yeah he offered me to take off $20.00 but I kindly declined. In the end its not so much about the 4 hour delay, we got over that pretty quick, things happen its more about the way he spoke to me and made me feel I am the one that messed up. Thats not the way to go and because of that I would never recommend this moving company to anyone. The guys however who did the job were very, very fast and the main guy was actually friendly and had an interest to help us. The other two cracked a smile after my husband gave them a nice tip....!! Anyway, I hope this company will read this review and revisit their customer service skills. read more

Excellent experience. I wanted a no-hassle quote (I did NOT want someone to come to my apartment for a "more accurate" quote), to move my one bedroom apartment (Jersey City) into a storage unit (Newark). David, my Universal point of contact, was very responsive to every inquiry, and gave me a quote via internet that was very competitive. We traded several emails while coordinating the exact day of the move - my apartment's management company had VERY strict rules around moving in/out - and he also took care of the paperwork with the property management company. When the day of the move came, the movers were on time, extremely professional, and friendly. They had everything moved with great care, in less than the time quoted, so I ended up paying less than the quote amount. I should note that I had pre-packed everything, and had disassembled and wrapped most of the furniture prior to their arrival - something I feel is an important step prior to the move. The one negative - they charge a 5% surcharge for any credit card (though they do accept all card types), which is something that I feel is a poor customer experience for any consumer, and I don't recall seeing or hearing about prior to the final payment. Taking one star off for this. I would highly recommend Universal, and would definitely use them again. read more

We used universal van lines for our move from NJ to PA. Right from the start I was impressed with David's kind and helpfulness over the phone. He also quoted me a great price. Many other movers were EXTREMELY pushy so it was very nice to deal with a normal nice person. The movers were on time, professional, and courteous. They were fast, efficient, and very careful. (The quoted time was exact). I will definitely use these movers again if I need, and I recommend them to others. Thanks Universal! read more

My wife and I had use them to move to Pa. The staff is very professional and would help you any way they can. It was a pleasure working with David and his staff. I would recommend their services to anyone read more