Positive local NYC move with All Star!

[lawra]

Hi
Finally moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn. I used
All Star Moving & Storage
88 SANFORD STREET
BROOKLYN, NY 11205
Phone: (718) 643-4705
USDOT Number: 515137
MC or MX Number: 261594

They showed up on time, were very nice & professional - introduced themselves (4 guys) and got right to work. They loaded everything fairly quickly, wrapped up all the furniture etc and put any small stuff i forgot into wardrobe boxes. I got 6 free wardrobe boxes (rental).

They showed up at my new apartment and started unloading that afternoon and finished in a couple hours.

Nothing looks damaged - maybe a ding or something on an old bookshelf but its IKEA and over 8 years old so who cares. We had 5 large computer monitors, 3 TVs, etc. and all that was wrapped well and looks fine.

At the end they stuck to the binding not to exceed estimate contract.

It was a steamy hot day and they were working hard, plus they rearranged the bedroom furniture a couple times for me (I suck at measuring) - so they got a nice tip.

I totally recc'd them - I know the board can't officially do that, but my move went smoothly with none of the horror stories I've read here. Again, this was a local move so it was hourly rate, done in one day and paid with personal check at the end.

Laura

[MusicMom]

Hey, Lawra, I remember you being so finicky and soaking up every last bit of informatioj we couls throw at you. Glad to hear your move went well. Do you know if these guys are only local, or do they go long-distance, also? We've been having so many people trying to move from NYC.

[lawra]

They're liscenced to go Interstate but I don't know how often they do it or how far they go ( I'm sure Tri state area at least, but not sure about cross country). They're fairly small (9 trucks) and don't advertise at all.

They worked their butts off I must say. My apt is now floor to ceiling boxes!

[MusicMom]

Would you agree to be contactd by other moving in NYC for discussion of your experience?

[lawra]

Would you agree to be contactd by other moving in NYC for discussion of your experience?

sure. no problem

[Diane]

Great . . . so I shouldn't have sweated the old "bald tires and bad brakes" type of stuff. Thanks so much for reporting back to us!

Can you remind us how much stuff you had to move, what the dollar amount of the All Star quote was, and whether you had to give them a deposit?

[lawra]

I moved a two bedroom apartment - full bedroom, dining table, large desk w/ return, 4 bookshelves plus tons of dissassembled metro shelving. Lots of computer gear including 5 large monitors. Maybe 20 boxes each of CDs and books. No couch or armchairs. Just tons of STUFF.

I was quoted $150/hour for 4 men and I believe 8 hours. Plus crates for all the flat stuff. The supplies came to about $125 (I don't have the estimate or bill with me). I was charged the binding not to exceed estimate plus 10% over. So it came to around $1500. Took all day from 9:30am until about 6:30pm ( my co op was ok with going past 5, some aren't). There were elevators on both ends ( very old small one to a slightly larger newer one), with a few stairs on both sides. (no extra charges).

No shuttle charges or anything like that - nothing extra was tagged on at all - even though they packed a few bits and bobs for me etc. They braved 90+ degree heat and a brief but raging downpour. Nice all the time, put my bed back together, reattached the mirror to the vanity, bolted the desk and return back together etc. Everything was well padded and they newly refinished floor protected.

Overall the least stressful part of the move - the most being fixing/cleaning up the apartment - and now unpacking the multitude of boxes. The move itself was easy - I just watched .

laura

[lawra]

Oh and I forget to answer one of your questions - I didn't give any deposit, and they let me pay by personal check at the end ( made out to cash), with a full receipt etc. after everything was loaded out and put into my apartment.

[Andy1]

I just received a GNTE quote from All Star, it sounds good. They also said payment would come after everything is unloaded at the destination.

Move is from Brooklyn, NY to Fairfax, VA on July 31, small 1 BR apt. It's about a 4:30-5:00 drive, he booked it at 5:30 each way, pretty reasonable I thought. He's also not charging for the time in getting to me in Brooklyn. Three men loading, 2 men unloading, total $1410 plus tolls (which will be about $60). I will have the truck to myself, and it will be done by All Star, not a broker (he says he has 9 trucks). I know some posters were skeptical about how they can do this, any thoughts on that?

As of now, I think I will probably go with them, beats the nonbinding estimate from Santini and a binding one from Bekins, I'll keep you guys posted.

[Diane]

What size (length) of truck are they using, Andy? I was skeptical when companies said that they were going to devote a truck to a guy's one room of furniture (probably about 1,000 pounds), but you are moving a 1 BR apartment, which is a little different.

Also, does All Star go from NYC to Boston? I would like to know because a lot of people come here who are doing that move.

[Andy1]

What size (length) of truck are they using, Andy? I was skeptical when companies said that they were going to devote a truck to a guy's one room of furniture (probably about 1,000 pounds), but you are moving a 1 BR apartment, which is a little different.

Also, does All Star go from NYC to Boston? I would like to know because a lot of people come here who are doing that move.

I'm afraid I don't know the answers, I didn't think to ask about the truck size. It's still a fairly small move, about 1500-1600 lbs based on my other estimates.

I also noticed that Laura says they went over by 10%, doesn't that go against the whole NTE concept? (I guess if that's the worst thing that happens, I shouldn't complain!)

I am also getting estimate from Moving Man before I make a decision.

[MusicMom]

Andy, just so you know, it took us almost 5 hours to drive from Alexandria, VA, to Clifton, NJ, and that was going 70 the whole way. Might take the mover about 6 hours from Brooklyn to Fairfax, which is another 20 minutes west of interstate 95.

[Andy1]

Andy, just so you know, it took us almost 5 hours to drive from Alexandria, VA, to Clifton, NJ, and that was going 70 the whole way. Might take the mover about 6 hours from Brooklyn to Fairfax, which is another 20 minutes west of interstate 95.

That's why I thought it was a good quote. I'd figure if they're getting paid by the hour it would take at least that long! I did the drive in about 5 hours, with little traffic and stopping for lunch, and I was going pretty fast too.

[Andy1]

Update on All Star, see above (Brooklyn, NY to Fairfax VA): The move went very smoothly, the movers were friendly and capable. The only mishap was some damage to a dresser, luckily it was an Ikea so not that big a deal. As I suspected, the drive took longer than it was billed for, but the loading and unloading did not take as long as expected (I also helped out voluntarily). The total, including the drive back, certainly went at least slightly over the allotted time (I wasn't expecting it to go under), and I paid my guaranteed price with no problems.

Feel free to contact me with any questions. Thanks again to the volunteers on this site, it was a very helpful resource.

[mercerdnky]

I just moved from CT (Hartford area) to NYC. After reading the reviews here about All Star Moving & Storage in Brooklyn, I contacted them and decided to use them. They were a bit more expensive than the other moving companies I got quotes from but I was impressed with their knowledge and honesty on the phone and I felt that paying a little more per hour would save me in the long run (quality of service and peace of mind).

All Star did not offer an in house estimate and did not ask for an itemized list of what I had to move. They assumed it was a typical 1 bedroom apartment move and estimated the hours. They charged an hourly rate for an interstate move but they gave me a very low travel time, not to exceed - so I felt very comfortable using the hourly rate.

We had one problem with the insurance certificate - but I am not sure who to blame there (All Star or the management company). During process, All Star was always available and worked hard to fix the situation.

Nothing was broken or damaged. The movers were courteous. No hidden costs (tape, etc.) Best of all, the move was under, by a couple hundred dollars, what they estimated.

I am very pleased with my decision to go with All Star Moving! I am not sure of my decision to use hourly versus by weight... but the cost was very much in line with what I expected to pay.

Thank you movingscam!