scmtman wrote:Wow it has taken me so long to come back to the site to post this remark. Two years ago I took this sites advice. With a move from the Santa Cruz Mountains to Queens NY with a two month old daughter and my wife ahead of me I expected the worst. My goal, 1-No hassle and 2-Cheap.
I first hired ABF using the volume in a shared trailer method as this gave me the flexibility to use as much space as I needed and only pay for that. This was a particularly easy choice b/c our starting point in Ca. was too remote for ABF to drop anything off. So we hired a local moving company by the hour. I 'll have to loof for their name and post it later. The price was reasonable, the guys showed up when they were supposed to and did the whole job in about 4 hours. I was pleased.
At NY I hired Shea movers based on the rec's from this site. Their proximity to my new place in Queens made them an easy choice. They too showed up on time, did the job and had reasonable rates.
And that's about it. A week and a half after packing up in California, my family was and is comfortably in our new home.
I will likely not post again (except to name the Cali movers I used) but I wanted to report the great success of my move and also to thank this site and all the reputable companies that made this process minimally painful.
I reccommend this move'ology to all that I know who move. Only a little effort and serious $$ and headache can be avioded. Do your homework here. - viewtopic.php?t=19324
U-Pack Moving Reviews (164 total - 150 good/5 neutral)
Re: ABF U-Pack Moving Reviews (155 total - 142 good/5 neutral)
Re-posting another good review of U-Pack (and Shea Moving) posted elsewhere on the messageboard in 5/10:
Diane
Check out domestic companies on this thread. Click here for a detailed, authoritative article on international moving.
Check out domestic companies on this thread. Click here for a detailed, authoritative article on international moving.
Re: ABF U-Pack Moving Reviews (155 total - 142 good/5 neutral)
Here is my review of ABF U-Pack from my recent move, which did not go well. You can find additional discussion on a previous thread.
I put my things in an ABF U-Pack Relocube, and ABF picked it up as agreed. While ABF was storing the Relocube, ABF's warehouse, which was located next to a river, flooded and nearly everything I own was completely destroyed. Estimated $14000 damage. ABF called me 2 weeks later to come salvage what I could from the Relocube, and gave me a claim form. ABF then denied my claim in total; they refunded my storage fee but did not offer me a dime for the loss.
From the FAQ on ABF U-Pack's website:
"What about loss, damage or theft? Are my goods insured?
...For catastrophic loss such as collision, overturn, or fire, coverage of $3.00 per pound per piece is also included with your U-Pack price quote..."
But apparently floods in their warehouse are not covered. ABF has since changed this misleading language on their website.
Even if I had known that ABF was storing my stuff right next to a river and that I was responsible to get my own flood insurance despite ABF's supposed "catastrophic liability" coverage, it's not even clear that would have been possible as most moving insurance companies don't cover ABF moves.
Anyway, far as I am concerned, losing all of a customer's possessions and offering zero compensation is not an acceptable level of service from a moving company. Unless you are comfortable taking a chance of losing all your belongings with zero coverage, look elsewhere.
I put my things in an ABF U-Pack Relocube, and ABF picked it up as agreed. While ABF was storing the Relocube, ABF's warehouse, which was located next to a river, flooded and nearly everything I own was completely destroyed. Estimated $14000 damage. ABF called me 2 weeks later to come salvage what I could from the Relocube, and gave me a claim form. ABF then denied my claim in total; they refunded my storage fee but did not offer me a dime for the loss.
From the FAQ on ABF U-Pack's website:
"What about loss, damage or theft? Are my goods insured?
...For catastrophic loss such as collision, overturn, or fire, coverage of $3.00 per pound per piece is also included with your U-Pack price quote..."
But apparently floods in their warehouse are not covered. ABF has since changed this misleading language on their website.
Even if I had known that ABF was storing my stuff right next to a river and that I was responsible to get my own flood insurance despite ABF's supposed "catastrophic liability" coverage, it's not even clear that would have been possible as most moving insurance companies don't cover ABF moves.
Anyway, far as I am concerned, losing all of a customer's possessions and offering zero compensation is not an acceptable level of service from a moving company. Unless you are comfortable taking a chance of losing all your belongings with zero coverage, look elsewhere.
Re: ABF U-Pack Moving Reviews (155 total - 142 good/5 neutral)
Lambda, thanks for adding your story here. Hopefully it will encourage others to explore insurance options.
Re: ABF U-Pack Moving Reviews (155 total - 142 good/5 neutral)
A warning to all: do not confuse ABF with ABS Moving, a completely unrelated moving company headquartered in Maryland. It sometimes spells its name with periods as A.B.S. Moving and it has MC #356250. See this thread for a discussion - http://www.movingscam.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19441
Diane
Check out domestic companies on this thread. Click here for a detailed, authoritative article on international moving.
Check out domestic companies on this thread. Click here for a detailed, authoritative article on international moving.
-
kingfish22
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Fri Aug 13, 2010 7:15 pm
Re: ABF U-Pack Moving Reviews (156 total - 143 good/5 neutral)
[This is review #156.]
Hello there.
Quick point worth mentioning about ABF U-Pack Moving - Move with the Truck Rental Alternative.
Months ago I scheduled a trailer to come to a location for us to move our stuff cross country{Jersey to Nevada}.
The drop off time was supposed to be between 12-4 today.
At exactly 11:30 this morning they called me and said the truck would be there within 45 mins.
HOWS THAT FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!
So far so good.
Hello there.
Quick point worth mentioning about ABF U-Pack Moving - Move with the Truck Rental Alternative.
Months ago I scheduled a trailer to come to a location for us to move our stuff cross country{Jersey to Nevada}.
The drop off time was supposed to be between 12-4 today.
At exactly 11:30 this morning they called me and said the truck would be there within 45 mins.
HOWS THAT FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!
So far so good.
Re: ABF U-Pack Moving Reviews (157 total - 144 good/5 neutral)
[This is review #157.]
Recommended: yes
Date: 7/10
Move: Houston to San Jose, CA
Cost: $1750 for 8 linear feet in a trailer, door to door [reduced from the original quote of $2250], plus $495 for 30 days of storage at destination
Hi everyone,
I used this website extensively while researching ABF and how to move, so I wanted to post a review of our recent experience with ABF.
We moved out of our 2 bedroom apartment in Houston in late July 2010. I had to call ABF for a quote since I wanted 30 days of storage and to find out about same day trailer drop-off and pick-up. The initial quote for a move from Houston to San Jose, CA was $2250 for 8 linear feet, +/- rate of $91/foot. Based on a comparison quote I received from another company, I emailed my representative and asked if ABF could match it and if there was a AAA discount. They didn't quite match the quote (it was ridiculously low) but did give a lower quote ($2228). About a month later, I requested an online quote from ABF's website and it was almost $400 less! I emailed the rep again and gave her the quote number and she reduced the final rate to $1750 for 8 feet (+/- $82/linear foot). It definitely paid off to keep checking quotes after making the initial reservation, though I wish they had just given the lower quote to begin with... Our final charge was $1750 for 8 feet + $495 for 30 days of storage.
Our trailer was dropped off around 10 AM. Problem: the bulkhead was broken. Just stuck in place. My husband and the driver worked on it for about 15 minutes before the driver called and asked them to send a new one. However, he continued to work on it even while we were waiting and he actually got it! He was awesome. It was so hot that day and he spent 30-40 minutes on this thing. He called the dispatcher and told them we would start loading but to make sure to send a new bulkhead when the driver came to pick up the trailer later that day. He said he prefers the hydraulic bulkheads and he brought us one of those when he came back later. Really fantastic customer service! ABF drivers should all be like this guy.
To prepare for the move, we took apart all of the furniture we could. We unscrewed chair legs, took the legs off our dining table, took apart a dresser, etc. and secured every inch with that moving plastic stuff (it comes on a big roll). Anything we couldn't take apart and cover with plastic wrap, we covered it in huge black garbage bags/tape or cheap blankets we bought at Goodwill. This protected everything from dust/water and worked really well.
For everything else, we primarily used free (used) boxes and newsprint from a friend who had just moved, but we did buy bubble wrap, more paper, and dishpack boxes for all our china and glassware. Those are great -- we packed very carefully and not a thing broke. For our tv and huge picture frames, my husband broke down some large cardboard boxes and made "custom" sized packing to fit them securely. That worked great and we didn't have to buy the specific flat screen pack box (which were expensive!). We also bought a plastic mattress bag from U-Haul, and I definitely recommend that. The $2-3 dollar bag without handles worked great.
With 5 strong guys and me, it took 45 minutes to load everything in the truck. Then, we swept out the truck and arranged two huge tarps (from Costco-- great deal!) to completely cover the bottom and the top of our stuff. He used rope (from Home Depot) to secure everything. It took my husband several hours (like 4 or 5, but he was working alone while I cleaned the apartment) to arrange all the boxes and furniture in the truck. He used rope and made sure every row of boxes/furniture was secured. You don't want anything to shift, and the rope really helps. Once completed, we called ABF to do a pick up. Our driver brought a new bulkhead, installed it, and drove away.
Our stuff arrived in San Jose 6-7 days later but the 30 day storage countdown clock didn't begin until after something like 10 days (I think). I emailed my rep and she gave me the exact day we had to get our stuff out in order not to incur an extra $495 storage charge. We weren't "penalized" since it got there early, which was nice.
After our vacation, we arrived in California a little less than a month later. We called ABF and they arranged for a drop-off the next day between 8-12. He showed up around 8:45 and helped us with the bulkhead. The damage: ONE box had fallen out of place -- it was full of heavy china but nothing broke because we packed so securely -- and a couple of box corners were crushed (I didn't fill the boxes enough, I think). A lot of dust (no sign of water leakage) and zero damaged stuff. So you can protect from a little shifting by just making sure your boxes are packed VERY carefully and securely. We unloaded everything ourselves, cleaned out the trailer, and called ABF to come pick it up. Done!
I would use ABF U-Pack again. The rep I worked with over email and phone was very helpful -- and it was nice to work with the same person and not have to talk to 6 different people every time I wanted to ask a question. The drivers on both sides were excellent. I was pleasantly surprised with how helpful and professional they were, especially the Houston driver. He cut his hand pretty badly working on the bulkhead, actually, but kept going. I couldn't believe it. And they really know how to back up those huge trucks around a corner and to get into tight spots! Also, the storage option was perfect for us -- we HAD to be able to store things for a month and they just let you store it right in the trailer. I asked whether the San Jose facility had ever had any flooding or theft and the answer I received was no, but obviously that might be different for other areas of the country.
I hope this review helps others!
Recommended: yes
Date: 7/10
Move: Houston to San Jose, CA
Cost: $1750 for 8 linear feet in a trailer, door to door [reduced from the original quote of $2250], plus $495 for 30 days of storage at destination
Hi everyone,
I used this website extensively while researching ABF and how to move, so I wanted to post a review of our recent experience with ABF.
We moved out of our 2 bedroom apartment in Houston in late July 2010. I had to call ABF for a quote since I wanted 30 days of storage and to find out about same day trailer drop-off and pick-up. The initial quote for a move from Houston to San Jose, CA was $2250 for 8 linear feet, +/- rate of $91/foot. Based on a comparison quote I received from another company, I emailed my representative and asked if ABF could match it and if there was a AAA discount. They didn't quite match the quote (it was ridiculously low) but did give a lower quote ($2228). About a month later, I requested an online quote from ABF's website and it was almost $400 less! I emailed the rep again and gave her the quote number and she reduced the final rate to $1750 for 8 feet (+/- $82/linear foot). It definitely paid off to keep checking quotes after making the initial reservation, though I wish they had just given the lower quote to begin with... Our final charge was $1750 for 8 feet + $495 for 30 days of storage.
Our trailer was dropped off around 10 AM. Problem: the bulkhead was broken. Just stuck in place. My husband and the driver worked on it for about 15 minutes before the driver called and asked them to send a new one. However, he continued to work on it even while we were waiting and he actually got it! He was awesome. It was so hot that day and he spent 30-40 minutes on this thing. He called the dispatcher and told them we would start loading but to make sure to send a new bulkhead when the driver came to pick up the trailer later that day. He said he prefers the hydraulic bulkheads and he brought us one of those when he came back later. Really fantastic customer service! ABF drivers should all be like this guy.
To prepare for the move, we took apart all of the furniture we could. We unscrewed chair legs, took the legs off our dining table, took apart a dresser, etc. and secured every inch with that moving plastic stuff (it comes on a big roll). Anything we couldn't take apart and cover with plastic wrap, we covered it in huge black garbage bags/tape or cheap blankets we bought at Goodwill. This protected everything from dust/water and worked really well.
For everything else, we primarily used free (used) boxes and newsprint from a friend who had just moved, but we did buy bubble wrap, more paper, and dishpack boxes for all our china and glassware. Those are great -- we packed very carefully and not a thing broke. For our tv and huge picture frames, my husband broke down some large cardboard boxes and made "custom" sized packing to fit them securely. That worked great and we didn't have to buy the specific flat screen pack box (which were expensive!). We also bought a plastic mattress bag from U-Haul, and I definitely recommend that. The $2-3 dollar bag without handles worked great.
With 5 strong guys and me, it took 45 minutes to load everything in the truck. Then, we swept out the truck and arranged two huge tarps (from Costco-- great deal!) to completely cover the bottom and the top of our stuff. He used rope (from Home Depot) to secure everything. It took my husband several hours (like 4 or 5, but he was working alone while I cleaned the apartment) to arrange all the boxes and furniture in the truck. He used rope and made sure every row of boxes/furniture was secured. You don't want anything to shift, and the rope really helps. Once completed, we called ABF to do a pick up. Our driver brought a new bulkhead, installed it, and drove away.
Our stuff arrived in San Jose 6-7 days later but the 30 day storage countdown clock didn't begin until after something like 10 days (I think). I emailed my rep and she gave me the exact day we had to get our stuff out in order not to incur an extra $495 storage charge. We weren't "penalized" since it got there early, which was nice.
After our vacation, we arrived in California a little less than a month later. We called ABF and they arranged for a drop-off the next day between 8-12. He showed up around 8:45 and helped us with the bulkhead. The damage: ONE box had fallen out of place -- it was full of heavy china but nothing broke because we packed so securely -- and a couple of box corners were crushed (I didn't fill the boxes enough, I think). A lot of dust (no sign of water leakage) and zero damaged stuff. So you can protect from a little shifting by just making sure your boxes are packed VERY carefully and securely. We unloaded everything ourselves, cleaned out the trailer, and called ABF to come pick it up. Done!
I would use ABF U-Pack again. The rep I worked with over email and phone was very helpful -- and it was nice to work with the same person and not have to talk to 6 different people every time I wanted to ask a question. The drivers on both sides were excellent. I was pleasantly surprised with how helpful and professional they were, especially the Houston driver. He cut his hand pretty badly working on the bulkhead, actually, but kept going. I couldn't believe it. And they really know how to back up those huge trucks around a corner and to get into tight spots! Also, the storage option was perfect for us -- we HAD to be able to store things for a month and they just let you store it right in the trailer. I asked whether the San Jose facility had ever had any flooding or theft and the answer I received was no, but obviously that might be different for other areas of the country.
I hope this review helps others!
Re: ABF U-Pack Moving Reviews (157 total - 144 good/5 neutral)
Thanks so much for taking the time to write all this. It certainly will help others. Your review underlines the importance of careful preparation and careful loading in preventing damage.
Your point about checking back for a lower quote is also a good one. I believe that ABF adjusts its prices from time to time depending on where the trailers are in oversupply and where they are in undersupply as well as other factors. For example, if there are too many trailers in TX or FL they may want to get some of them back to states like CA where they are needed more, so they will lower their prices accordingly.
Your review underlines the importance of careful preparation and careful loading in preventing damage.
Your point about checking back for a lower quote is also a good one. I believe that ABF adjusts its prices from time to time depending on where the trailers are in oversupply and where they are in undersupply as well as other factors. For example, if there are too many trailers in TX or FL they may want to get some of them back to states like CA where they are needed more, so they will lower their prices accordingly.
Diane
Check out domestic companies on this thread. Click here for a detailed, authoritative article on international moving.
Check out domestic companies on this thread. Click here for a detailed, authoritative article on international moving.
-
angelakane
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2010 11:34 am
Re: ABF U-Pack Moving Reviews (158 total - 145 good/5 neutral)
[This is review #158.]
Recommended: yes
Date: 9/10
Move: Chicago area to Citrus County, FL
Cost: About $1300 for two ReloCubes, door to door (with $25 off coupon)
What an awesome service! ABF U-Pack is AMAZING! I ordered 2 Relo-cubes and loaded them up solidly for a move of tons of furniture and household items from about 40 miles west of Chicago to Citrus County, Florida. Total cost was around $1300--VERY reasonable considering the quotes I'd received from other companies. The cubes were dropped off exactly when they said and exactly where in the driveway I wanted them. The driver (Pat) was wonderful--explained the process entirely and made very helpful suggestions about how to pack, what to send, and how the process would go. Pickup (again by Pat) was exactly when requested, and flawless. Picked up on a Thursday afternoon and I was notified Monday morning the cubes were available for delivery. Delivery was on Wednesday--again, flawless. Nothing harmed, damaged or marred. One cube was packed very solidly, but the 2nd was a little less "tetris" like, but no matter---perfect/perfect/perfect. Payment isn't made until you confirm delivery.
I STRONGLY recommend this service that ABF supplies. They were wonderful through the entire process, and very reasonably priced. Wow, USE ABF U-Pack. They are incredible!
One note: check for coupons online. I found one and got $25 off my total fee. May not be much, but every little bit helps. Again, STRONGLY recommend ABF U-Pack Relo-cubes !!!
Recommended: yes
Date: 9/10
Move: Chicago area to Citrus County, FL
Cost: About $1300 for two ReloCubes, door to door (with $25 off coupon)
What an awesome service! ABF U-Pack is AMAZING! I ordered 2 Relo-cubes and loaded them up solidly for a move of tons of furniture and household items from about 40 miles west of Chicago to Citrus County, Florida. Total cost was around $1300--VERY reasonable considering the quotes I'd received from other companies. The cubes were dropped off exactly when they said and exactly where in the driveway I wanted them. The driver (Pat) was wonderful--explained the process entirely and made very helpful suggestions about how to pack, what to send, and how the process would go. Pickup (again by Pat) was exactly when requested, and flawless. Picked up on a Thursday afternoon and I was notified Monday morning the cubes were available for delivery. Delivery was on Wednesday--again, flawless. Nothing harmed, damaged or marred. One cube was packed very solidly, but the 2nd was a little less "tetris" like, but no matter---perfect/perfect/perfect. Payment isn't made until you confirm delivery.
I STRONGLY recommend this service that ABF supplies. They were wonderful through the entire process, and very reasonably priced. Wow, USE ABF U-Pack. They are incredible!
One note: check for coupons online. I found one and got $25 off my total fee. May not be much, but every little bit helps. Again, STRONGLY recommend ABF U-Pack Relo-cubes !!!
Re: ABF U-Pack Moving Reviews (159 total - 146 good/5 neutral)
[This is ABF review #159, submitted through the Comments section of this website on October 14, 2010. I have removed identifying information.]
BobD wrote: I just moved from Pennsylvania to Oklahoma using U-Pack by ABF. This was the least less stressful move I have ever made. From the first phone contact with the main office to the completion of the move. The drivers that dropped off and picked up the trailer, the dispatcher all all were very helpful and polite. I am glad I choose to use U-Pack both for the money savings and the people I dealt with from ABF. This company should be very proud of their employees.
Diane
Check out domestic companies on this thread. Click here for a detailed, authoritative article on international moving.
Check out domestic companies on this thread. Click here for a detailed, authoritative article on international moving.
-
rocknrollmommy
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2011 7:58 pm
Re: ABF U-Pack Moving Reviews (160 total - 147 good/5 neutral)
This is review #160.
Recommended: YES!
Date of move: drop off @ origin- 2/2/11
drop off @ destination- 2/14/11 (per my request)
Move: San Jose, CA to Small Town, Oklahoma
Cost: $1,087
Now that the moving part of my relocation is over I'm VERY happy I decided to go with ABF U-Pack. Everything went flawlessly, hardly anything shifted (we had it pretty packed in there lol). We loaded the mattress/boxspring first on the sides and packed everything else in between them. Large boxes in the back, loveseat in the front, lots of bags of clothes and toys on top.
They delivered it when they said they would, the driver was amazing, and they picked it up 2 days later (empty) with no problems. IF I had to move a long distance again I would most definitely use ABF! So very impressed and the price was AWESOME (only $1,087!!!). The price never changed as I'd feared it would (I'd never used a moving company before and heard this was the #1 problem).
**Just a note: if you do plan on having your relocube stored PLEASE check with your regular insurance company to see if they can give you a policy to cover your things. My mother is an insurance agent and NO company will give you automatic coverage against ACTS OF GOD. Your insurance company should be able to give you a policy that covers the specific concern. The review above that mentions their items being destroyed in a flood (although understandably frustrating) should not have been left to reflect negatively on ABF. A moving company can't be responsible for floods and other acts of nature as they have no control over those matters.
For those who can't quite picture how big the relocube actually is here's a picture packed full with my 1 bedroom apartment. It is actually about the size of an elevator! hehe
Recommended: YES!
Date of move: drop off @ origin- 2/2/11
drop off @ destination- 2/14/11 (per my request)
Move: San Jose, CA to Small Town, Oklahoma
Cost: $1,087
Now that the moving part of my relocation is over I'm VERY happy I decided to go with ABF U-Pack. Everything went flawlessly, hardly anything shifted (we had it pretty packed in there lol). We loaded the mattress/boxspring first on the sides and packed everything else in between them. Large boxes in the back, loveseat in the front, lots of bags of clothes and toys on top.
They delivered it when they said they would, the driver was amazing, and they picked it up 2 days later (empty) with no problems. IF I had to move a long distance again I would most definitely use ABF! So very impressed and the price was AWESOME (only $1,087!!!). The price never changed as I'd feared it would (I'd never used a moving company before and heard this was the #1 problem).
**Just a note: if you do plan on having your relocube stored PLEASE check with your regular insurance company to see if they can give you a policy to cover your things. My mother is an insurance agent and NO company will give you automatic coverage against ACTS OF GOD. Your insurance company should be able to give you a policy that covers the specific concern. The review above that mentions their items being destroyed in a flood (although understandably frustrating) should not have been left to reflect negatively on ABF. A moving company can't be responsible for floods and other acts of nature as they have no control over those matters.
For those who can't quite picture how big the relocube actually is here's a picture packed full with my 1 bedroom apartment. It is actually about the size of an elevator! hehe
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LoriofCA123
- Posts: 18
- Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2011 9:14 pm
Re: ABF U-Pack Moving Reviews (160 total - 147 good/5 neutral)
My experience will ABF may not qualify as a review as I had to cancel my reservation due to circumstances within the company.
For Austin TX, you will NOT be able to request same day delivery and pick-up of containers or a trailer. This is a portion of the email I sent to their customer relations department:
I'm disappointed that I could not use their service, and I hope this will help anyone else avoid wasting time on such a situation.
For Austin TX, you will NOT be able to request same day delivery and pick-up of containers or a trailer. This is a portion of the email I sent to their customer relations department:
I recently had to cancel my reservation due to an unexpected issue ABF has created. The shipping warehouse here in Austin is unwilling to work with me to create an appointment that would allow me to have my trailer picked up on the same day it is delivered. I live in an apartment in Austin, TX, and am moving to Orange County, CA. There is room here for me to load and unload, but the management does not allow a trailer to be parked here overnight. I absolutely can understand why....the trailer would block garages, carports, and general traffic. There is no other place in which to park it that would allow for convenient loading, and as I understand it, the trailer is detached from a vehicle, so it could not be moved out of the way (for instance, onto the street) until it is picked up.
I am very disappointed by my recent attempt to book ABF services. I had a horrible experience moving to TX from CA with full-service movers, and received several recommendations to use ABF. After obtaining many quotes for movers of varying levels of service, I chose your company and made a reservation about a week ago. This reservation also included labor through a company called Moving Staffers, which was recommended through your website. Only after speaking with someone about the timing of trailer delivery did it occur to me to emphasize my need for same-day pickup. After speaking with an agent, I called and spoke with someone at the terminal, who refused to find any possible way to pick up the trailer at some point on the same day. He actually dismissed my request and said it would be rather unlikely that it would be picked up on the same day, regardless of the circumstances. I completely understand that there are no guarantees in life. But his attitude was one of reluctance to even try to accommodate my moving situation, and moves are stressful enough without these types of complications. I feel I wasted quite a bit of my time in choosing your company just to later end up being forced to cancel. I wish your website noted that containers and trailers cannot be picked up on the same day as delivery.
I'm disappointed that I could not use their service, and I hope this will help anyone else avoid wasting time on such a situation.
Re: ABF U-Pack Moving Reviews (161 total - 147 good/5 neutral)
[This is review #161.]
This is a long statement so in short - DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY IF YOU WANT SAFE RELIABLE SERVICE. Below I have written of my experience with this company:
I am a former customer of ABF movebuilder and wish to comment on their services. I used them in January 2011 and came to this site to review their reputation prior to engaging their services. I needed a comany that could provide the least expensive moving transportation but was reliable.
ABF/movebuilder appeared to offer this. However, the experience I incurred with this company was anything but reliable or least expensive. The "move management coordinator" took 3 days to return my phone calls and emails to update me on times pertaining to my actual moving day, only returning my call within one hour of me saying I would take my service elsewhere (this made me nervous but I went though with them anyways since time was short).
On the date of our move, the people who had been contracted to move our belongings said that the quoted number of containers had to go from 2-3 to at least 5, and stated that they see this often-needing more container than quoted- because often the people who quote do not actually know what they are talking about. These extra containers meant a delay in our move, which was time specific, which meant that my husband who was scheduled to leave that day in order to avoid a big storm was delay another day because the movers would not wait for the additional containers to arrive .
I spoke with both the move management coordinator and his superior who stated that we "must have more than a 2 bedroom apartment" because statistically 2 bedroom apartments fit into the containers quoted (i.e. 3 containers - we needed 5). Yet we are currently living in a 2 bedroom apartment with one room 1/4 filled, so how can that be more than 2 bedrooms, I question? In addition, I had specifically removed most of the furniture from our second room in order to fit into the smaller 2 bedroom apartment (from 1300 to 1100 sq. ft). The supervisor offered us a compensation for the delay but that was not the end of our mishap.
When the containers arrived, we found the furniture that we had not packaged up ourselves damaged. Keep in mind, I had read this website and had carefully packed all of our belongings except the furniture so that they could survive the "bouncing" across the country. All of the things we packed made it. However, a chair that was packed by the movers was crushed beyond reparation, lamps knicked that couldn't be fixed, in addition to other furniture damaged, and worst of all, our Dyson vaccum stolen by the movers.
When we submitted our claim to this company, it took over a month and me continuously folllowing up with them to get some sort of compensation. They hadn't even realized we had submitted our claim until I called in the designated time they stated on their form (approximately 1 month) to inquire the status. It took another month to receive a reimbursement. However, they refused to pay for the broken chair (removed because it was a hazard but pictures were provided) and refused to pay for the stolen vaccuum - citing that because neither was not present they couldn't assess the damage in order to reimburse us.
I am writing this post in order to warn other potential customers of this company. If you need cheap, unreliable, quick service, these peope will do. If you care about your possessions and want accurate pricing, not want to have your belongings stolen without anyone being held accountable, DO NOT USE THIS SERVICE.
The pricing of this company turned out to be the same price as any reliable service in the end (I had pricing from 3 reliable companies prior to that but ABF/Movebuilder quoted approximately $3000 less originally but increased with the additional containers), so I would advise to keep away from this company and hope they either end up under some regulatory process or out of business.
This is a long statement so in short - DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY IF YOU WANT SAFE RELIABLE SERVICE. Below I have written of my experience with this company:
I am a former customer of ABF movebuilder and wish to comment on their services. I used them in January 2011 and came to this site to review their reputation prior to engaging their services. I needed a comany that could provide the least expensive moving transportation but was reliable.
ABF/movebuilder appeared to offer this. However, the experience I incurred with this company was anything but reliable or least expensive. The "move management coordinator" took 3 days to return my phone calls and emails to update me on times pertaining to my actual moving day, only returning my call within one hour of me saying I would take my service elsewhere (this made me nervous but I went though with them anyways since time was short).
On the date of our move, the people who had been contracted to move our belongings said that the quoted number of containers had to go from 2-3 to at least 5, and stated that they see this often-needing more container than quoted- because often the people who quote do not actually know what they are talking about. These extra containers meant a delay in our move, which was time specific, which meant that my husband who was scheduled to leave that day in order to avoid a big storm was delay another day because the movers would not wait for the additional containers to arrive .
I spoke with both the move management coordinator and his superior who stated that we "must have more than a 2 bedroom apartment" because statistically 2 bedroom apartments fit into the containers quoted (i.e. 3 containers - we needed 5). Yet we are currently living in a 2 bedroom apartment with one room 1/4 filled, so how can that be more than 2 bedrooms, I question? In addition, I had specifically removed most of the furniture from our second room in order to fit into the smaller 2 bedroom apartment (from 1300 to 1100 sq. ft). The supervisor offered us a compensation for the delay but that was not the end of our mishap.
When the containers arrived, we found the furniture that we had not packaged up ourselves damaged. Keep in mind, I had read this website and had carefully packed all of our belongings except the furniture so that they could survive the "bouncing" across the country. All of the things we packed made it. However, a chair that was packed by the movers was crushed beyond reparation, lamps knicked that couldn't be fixed, in addition to other furniture damaged, and worst of all, our Dyson vaccum stolen by the movers.
When we submitted our claim to this company, it took over a month and me continuously folllowing up with them to get some sort of compensation. They hadn't even realized we had submitted our claim until I called in the designated time they stated on their form (approximately 1 month) to inquire the status. It took another month to receive a reimbursement. However, they refused to pay for the broken chair (removed because it was a hazard but pictures were provided) and refused to pay for the stolen vaccuum - citing that because neither was not present they couldn't assess the damage in order to reimburse us.
I am writing this post in order to warn other potential customers of this company. If you need cheap, unreliable, quick service, these peope will do. If you care about your possessions and want accurate pricing, not want to have your belongings stolen without anyone being held accountable, DO NOT USE THIS SERVICE.
The pricing of this company turned out to be the same price as any reliable service in the end (I had pricing from 3 reliable companies prior to that but ABF/Movebuilder quoted approximately $3000 less originally but increased with the additional containers), so I would advise to keep away from this company and hope they either end up under some regulatory process or out of business.
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ArchieWhite
- Posts: 2942
- Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 11:38 am
Re: ABF U-Pack Moving Reviews (161 total - 147 good/5 neutral)
"Cheap, Unreliable, Quick service"? Sounds like they did ok on 2 out of 3, thats usually the best you can expect when 'cheap' is part of the equation.
Did anybody come to your home to determine how many containers? If not, and it was done on the phone, then that makes everything a crap shoot, there is no way over the phone to properly arrange a move...each home is different, and the people on the other end of the phone can't see what they are quoting on.
Did anybody come to your home to determine how many containers? If not, and it was done on the phone, then that makes everything a crap shoot, there is no way over the phone to properly arrange a move...each home is different, and the people on the other end of the phone can't see what they are quoting on.
Re: ABF U-Pack Moving Reviews (159 total - 146 good/5 neutral)
rain88 wrote:This is a long statement so in short - DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY IF YOU WANT SAFE RELIABLE SERVICE. . . . I am a former customer of ABF movebuilder and wish to comment on their services. I used them in January 2011 and came to this site to review their reputation prior to engaging their services.
(Emphasis added.) I want to point out an important distinction here. This customer says that she used the Movebuilder service of ABF, not just the freight company ABF U-Pack. Movebuilder is U-Pack's venture into providing packing, loading, unloading, and/or unpacking services for U-Pack customers. Through Movebuilder, U-Pack signs up local moving companies to perform those services. If customers agree to both loading and unloading services, damage and loss is supposed to be covered, just as it would be by a full-service moving company like Archie's.
HOWEVER, customer reviews here and elsewhere indicate that Movebuilder results have been mixed at best. It's important to understand that customers who use Movebuilder are not in control of choosing the company that actually loads and unloads their things. That company is assigned to them by someone else. I've always felt that it is better for customers to hire their own loading and/or unloading company that has good reviews on the Superlist - or choose a high-rated company from www.movinghelp.com - rather than blindly relying on someone else to choose for them. This customer's disappointment about her move illustrates that fact.
In addition, I feel that in general, ReloCubes are best used for small moves rather than apparently large shipments like this one. Larger moves should be booked into a truck - either one of ABF U-Pack's trucks or a conventional moving van owned by a conventional full-service moving company. At least with a truck, the space available can usually be expanded to accommodate the full shipment, and if the customer purchases valuation coverage through a full-service mover, damage and loss will be compensated for.
Bottom line:- this customer's complaint about U-Pack is actually mainly about the Movebuilder service. I urge people to consider taking the leap and hiring their own loaders and/or unloaders rather than handing that task over to a third party and risking unfortunate results. The Superlist has reviews of small companies in most areas that will help with these tasks, and in the slow season, full-service movers may even send workers out to help U-Pack customers just to keep them busy, and those workers will be trained.
Although this customer's experience illustrates the perils of using Movebuilder, in my opinion it should not lead people to dismiss the idea of using ABF U-Pack's basic service, which has been proven to be reliable over many years now.
Diane
Check out domestic companies on this thread. Click here for a detailed, authoritative article on international moving.
Check out domestic companies on this thread. Click here for a detailed, authoritative article on international moving.
Re: ABF U-Pack Moving Reviews (161 total - 147 good/5 neutral)
While Diane's point is noted about the Movebuilder service (as a matter of fact it was on her balanced opinions I had decided to go forth with this company), it should also be pointed out that the quote for the actual number of containers needed was way off - something that is not included in the loading/unloading service. Even if we had hired our own loading/unloading service, the fact remains that we still needed extra containers beyond the quoted number. Not just 1 but 2. They had quoted us needing 2 containers and we got a third for "just in case". When we end up needing 5 containers to move what is essentially a 1 1/2 bedroom apartment, this to me makes the company look like it's trying to misquote its customers. They did not even offer the option of loading into an ABF truck, or else I would have used that instead. This fault lies with the company. I would think that even a freight company who "ventures" into providing full moving service for its customers would have a better handle on how many containers are needed for a standard 2 bedroom apartment.
In addition, because U-Pack does contract out to companies to provide loading services, it should be responsible for the damages caused by them. Otherwise, the customer suffers and no one is held accountable.
I, too, agree that that customers should use a truck so that there is more room to expand, but use some place other than ABF. I think using a company that is associated with one that refuses to be held accountable for damages is a mistake. Poor business ethics have been shown in Movebuilder. Why take a chance? USE ANOTHER COMPANY!
In addition, because U-Pack does contract out to companies to provide loading services, it should be responsible for the damages caused by them. Otherwise, the customer suffers and no one is held accountable.
I, too, agree that that customers should use a truck so that there is more room to expand, but use some place other than ABF. I think using a company that is associated with one that refuses to be held accountable for damages is a mistake. Poor business ethics have been shown in Movebuilder. Why take a chance? USE ANOTHER COMPANY!
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