Forum
« Contractors feedback Plaster Painting Dilema »
September 27, 2007
Are these Movers Ripping me Off?
Hi Everyone,
I am currently soliciting estimates for moving company's for a small move I am doing next month. I have never used a moving company, but company's like OZ, and Movers not Shakers are quoting me some pretty high charges. I only have a small ground floor 1 BR and am moving to a ground floor unit only 15 blocks away.
Anyhow, when I do the math these guys are estimating something like 4 guys and a truck for $150/hr for 8 - 10 hours.
Funny thing is when my wife and I moved ourselves a few years ago we spent about 6 hours, and didnt have any help. I also have less stuff now than I did then.
Anyone know if these rates seem reasonable or have a good alternative. I cant imagine this thing taking more than 4 or 5 hours with 3 guys
Comments
i moved from the uws to park slope last year and it took 5 hours total.
moveway transfer & storage...
they were very good...brooklyn based, but don't have the number handy...
i think it was around $600 or 700 maybe...?
Posted by: guest at September 27, 2007 4:40 PM
I moved from Park Slope to Clinton Hill last June, and I paid about $700 for the four hours it took for CityWide Movers to move me out of my one-bedroom apartment (second floor) to my two bedroom apartment (second floor). I must say, their service was AMAZING, and worth every penny. Very professional, quick, safety-conscious, and just generally very pleasant. I have some weird and wonderful antique furniture, and they treated it wonderfully. You can email them at info@CityWideMovers.net or CityWideMovers@yahoo.com; alternatively you can call them at 347-407-6549. Ask for Fred (they guy in charge), but I think his daughter staffs the phones/computers. You can use my name (Nelly from Clinton Hill) as a reference, if you like.
Good luck!
Posted by: guest at September 27, 2007 4:52 PM
I used Rainbow Movers last time I moved - they were very good, fast, and cheaper than many. A no bullshit move... not like the companies who quote you one price and then refuse to unload your stuff until you pay them more. I think their office is in Manhattan - look them up.
Posted by: guest at September 27, 2007 6:14 PM
Have you tried any "man with a van" ads on Craigslist? There are lots of Hipsters in Williamsburg with eurovans wiling to help out for decent rates. I use a couple of them to cart stuff I buy at flea markets in Manhattan back to the Heights.
Posted by: bheightsejp at September 27, 2007 8:53 PM
Thanks bheights, I have looked at a little of those man with van ads, but I think this might be a little over these guys heads. Not that I have that much stuff, but a Eurovan probably wont cut it without a few trips and headaches.
Posted by: newsouthsloper at September 27, 2007 9:23 PM
Nice insult to hipsters bheightsejp. What is your problem? You are rich so you have to take advantage of some poor grad students to cart your Chelsea shit back to Brooklyn for you so you can save a buck for Prada?
Posted by: guest at September 27, 2007 9:56 PM
oh no, it's the anti-pom commie!!
Posted by: guest at September 27, 2007 10:34 PM
Why are you picking on bheightsejp??? I read his posts and I think he sounds thoughtful and seems to like helping people with suggestions. You are the one with the problem. Keep your crazy opinions to yourself why don't you!
Posted by: guest at September 27, 2007 10:43 PM
We used Shleppers. They were amazing!!!! They moved us from a 1 bedroom on the 2nd fl to a 1.5 bedroom 4th floor walk-up in P-Slope, and smiled the whole time! We were so pleased that we bought them all lunch when they were done. We used them two years ago too, and were just as happy. check them out at www.shleppers.com
Posted by: guest at September 27, 2007 11:39 PM
Thanks everyone,
Really appreciate the comments and advice (Other than the obvious attempt at turning this thread into a class warfare battle by guest 9:56)
Anyhow, I think the general picture is I need to get more bids and try to have someone actually come to my place to do the estimate. Part of the problem may be these guys think there is way more stuff here than I really have.
Thanks again everyone!
Posted by: newsouthsloper at September 28, 2007 8:41 AM
I recently used Movers not Shakers to move from Prospect Heights to Bed Stuy from a 2br to a 4 story brownstone and found their prices to be reasonable and service to be OUTSTANDING. During the move, they said we really think you were underquoted for this job but never for one moment adjusted what I was originally quoted. I did end up giving the guys a big tip. I highly recommend them.
Posted by: guest at September 28, 2007 8:49 AM
Thanks 8:49 - I have heard great things about their service, but I just cant justify the rates they want to charge for such a small move. I mean they want close to thousand dollars to move a King bed, a couch, 2 TV's, 2 dressers, and some miscellaneous small items and boxes.
Im sure they are great, but for a thousand dollars its just not worth it.
Thanks Though.
Posted by: newsouthsloper at September 28, 2007 9:03 AM
i moved basically an entire house to a new house with MNS and paid not too much more that what it sounds like your quote is (this was a year ago tho). i don't know why it would be so much for a 1BR. do you have like several grand pianos or a marble staircase that needs to be moved?
Posted by: Jimmy Legs at September 28, 2007 9:17 AM
when i moved from boerum hill to fort greene from one top floor or a brownstone to another, it took 3 or 4 guys 3 hours. this was years ago so i can't comment on price, but also can't imagine why such a move would take longer now ;)
Posted by: guest at September 28, 2007 9:33 AM
Jimmy,
No Grand Pianos, or staircases, and I am moving from a ground floor to a ground floor, so no stairs to tackle.
I really just think these guys are not understanding the amount of stuff I have. I did fill in the online inventory incredibly accurately, but it does not really address things like my couch being ratan and weighing like 20 pounds, or that my bed is just a mattress and boxspring - not a full sleigh bed that needs disassembling, etc.
Posted by: newsouthsloper at September 28, 2007 9:40 AM
Living in an on going total renovation this past year I used "Moving Your Way" on 4 separate occassions and I must say I was very pleased with them. The owning is a local Park Slope resident and I found his prices to be very, very reasonable compared to several other quotes I've received.
Good Luck
Posted by: Giovanna at September 28, 2007 9:43 AM
dude, just hire oz. I moved recently and went with a friend's recommendation for Reliable Spine Movers, and let's just say that at one point during the move, I was about to go down the block to get my neighbor who's a cop. What a bunch of scammers. They quote you one thing, then tell you that it's going to cost xxx for this and that and before you know it, it's going to cost more than what a reliable company quoted you. Then they tell you that if you "take care of them" they'll wave certain costs, but make you pay them before they take your stuff off the truck. It's extortion. The smaller companies all hire out to groups of independent guys who are all scam artists. Protect yourself and use a big, well-known company.
Posted by: guest at September 28, 2007 10:43 AM
Try FlatRate. also, did they come to your apartment to do the estimate? You mentioned online quote. Flatrate and others will send someone over to get a better estimate. could make a big difference. I used FR twice to move from a third floor to a third floor - the move went overtime due to no fault of their own and they stuck by their estimate. The second was third floor to second floor of the same house. Good both times. They do a great job with wrapping up furniture and will help pack special items.
Posted by: 1910 at September 28, 2007 10:45 AM
I don't know if this will help, but I just moved from a small but densely furnished 2 br apt in the East Village (3rd floor, with a tiny elevator) to a single family house in Prospect Park South. Because our place was so small, we couldn't do the packing ourselves (nowhere to put boxes) so we hired FlatRate, and got the deluxe package, where they pack everything up and move it. It took 4 guys about 8 hrs, and it cost about $2400.
Posted by: JH at September 28, 2007 10:49 AM
If you've not used a moving company before, keep in mind that the guys who come to do the job don't get much of the money you spend unless it is a small outfit and they own the business. The movers really rely on tips so factor this in the price for good service.
Posted by: 1910 at September 28, 2007 10:54 AM
I can't believe people still use the term Hipster.
It's ridiculous.
Posted by: guest at September 28, 2007 11:03 AM
After you get a couple of quotes from reputable outfits, pick the one you like and try to negotiate, possibly varying the day of your move. Don't pick the first, middle or last day of the month when all of the renters are moving in and out. My experience is that they'll all try to match the best rate you've found if they have extra capacity on a particular day, to keep their crews working.
Posted by: guest at September 28, 2007 11:18 AM
I have always used, and recommended, Moving Your Way based in Park Slope. Reasonable rates, etc. Just be sure to ask to have mattresses/upholstery wrapped. I think some crews are more careful than others - can't beat the price!
Posted by: shasla at September 28, 2007 11:40 AM
A lot of these companies are very very nice on the phone. They sound as though they're professional and courteous, and that you, as their customer, are in great hands. They're full of shit. When they send the scam artists, er, movers, to your house, they're done with you. Try calling in the middle of the move to ask a question and they'll get really aggressive. Go with an insured, reliable, well-established company; not one of these fly-by-night hack-jobs.
Posted by: guest at September 28, 2007 12:56 PM
We used Flatrate, but I wouldn't recommend them. They were fast, cheap and relatively cheerful, but they were kinda rough with our things and didn't put boxes in the rooms we labeled them with. Left some scratches in the floor when they put down the bed, broken case of wineglasses (granted, I packed them, but I used the same method I've used for 3 or 4 other moves and never had a problem). So, no tip.
I'm not a particularly anal person about these things but it was the first time I actually used a commercial mover. I always just hired guys from street flyers and helped them with the move.
Posted by: guest at September 29, 2007 1:30 PM
Try citimove.com. You describe your move and almost immediately get a number of bids from local movers, detailing how they plan to do it (time, size of truck, number of movers). Makes it easy to compare. Then you post a review on the site afterward, so there's some incentive not to destroy everything you own. Found Moore Moving this way. They were fast and cheap.
Posted by: guest at October 1, 2007 1:44 PM
I cannot begin to tell you how bad OZ Moving Company is. I was moving less than 30 blocks on the same side of town. They sent four guys, two of which I never saw one did all the work and the others, who knows. They arrived 40 min. late but made me sign saying they were there at 9:00 am, they just had to park, made me give them quarters for the meter that they never used and finished at 5:00 pm. I was their first and only move and they took their sweet time. The actual cost was $600 higher than the estimate. I cant express to you enough, please don't go with this company unless of course you have money to throw away. Oh yes, one other thing, they destroyed my new hardwood floors in my new apt. Icing on the cake. I tell everyone I know, go with anyone BUT OZ. MOVERS BEWARE!!!
Posted by: guest at October 16, 2007 11:01 AM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.