Western Van Lines

Reviews

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1. P

   Paula M.

   Source: MoveAdvisor · Mishawaka, IN to Beaumont, TX

   20 Mar 2021StudioPaid $1,600

   Lost a lot of my things took 3 months to deliver

   I hired western van lines on December 21,2021 to deliver my items from south Bend Indiana to Beaumont Texas. They took my things to Kansas City Missouri without notifying me. My things sat there for 2 months. I got a call on March 12,2021 from a moving company in Houston Texas that western van lines hired them to deliver my items. . I told them I don’t want them to deliver my things and they REFUSED TO LET ME PICK UP MY THINGS THEY WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO GET MY THINGS OUT OF STORAGE. they delivered my items on Saturday March 21,2021 and Im missing 10 boxes and my black & gold vase and my kitchen table. Western van lines has not gotten back to me regarding my missing items. this company refused to accept their wrong doing. THIS IS A VERY CHEAP COMPANY AND YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR GHEY ARE HORRIBLE

2. E

   Elizabeth W.

   Source: MoveAdvisor

   19 Feb 20211-bedroomPaid $5,500

   Terrible Experience

   Sales rep lied from day one about delivery. Hidden fees and additional charges appeared after signing the contract. Belongings were damaged in the move and other people's furniture was delivered to me. Terrible communication regarding pick-up, transit and delivery. Phone calls went unreturned, promises to call right back never came through. A promise by the sales rep for delivery date was complete bogus - once they had my belongings the delivery date turned into a "window" which left me with no belongings for 3 weeks. My entire experience with this company was terrible. DO NOT use them.

3. S

   Susan W.

   Source: MoveAdvisor · Miami, FL to Hattiesburg, MS

   15 Dec 20201-bedroomPaid $5,355

   THE BAD REVIEWS DO NOT LIE. DO NOT CHOOSE THIS COMPANY. WESTERN VAN LI

   You're reading reviews because you're deciding which moving company to choose - stop here. Do not choose Western Van Lines. Western Van Line is the worst moving company that we could have chosen, and I encourage everyone to read their reviews before booking, as they are all accurate. We worked with a moving broker, US Standard and Moving company, who contracted Western Van Lines for our move from Florida to Mississippi. Western Van Lines is a fraudulent company with horrific customer service. They picked up our belongings on September 24th, and for 4 weeks, NO ONE could tell us where our items were and when they would be arriving. No one knew what state they were in, which storage unit and who would be driving them to us. Samantha and Jennifer, "customer service" at Western Van Lines were horrible at communicating with us and ultimately combative, regardless of how calm we were, and even ignored our calls and texts for weeks. We could not reach ANYONE who could tell us where all of our life's belongings were located. There is a reason they don't put their last names in their email signatures. On October 22nd, they called to tell us that they would be arriving and would not even attempt to deliver our goods into our apartment complex due to the size of the truck, even though both myself and the apartment complex manager assured them there is plenty of room for their truck, and even showed them another 18-Wheeler that was parked within the complex. They forced us to pay an extra $500 to even begin to deliver the items, and then would not even SHOW us our items inside the closed U-Haul until we paid in full, in cash - ILLEGALLY WITHHOLDING GOODS. They told us that they would be charging us an hourly rate while they transferred our items from the large UHaul to the shuttle UHaul, on the account of "waiting to deliver" - at this point, we followed them on their way to retrieve the smaller UHaul and we caught them riding around the town killing time, unnecessary U-turns, riding around backroads, etc. We then called the police to report our goods stolen, and at the sight of the police, the delivery drivers became aggressive and threatened us. We now have a police report filed with our city citing their comments and their threatening behavior. Did you ever think you would need a police report when working with a moving company? No? Us either. They finally arrived back with our belongings AND MORE THAN HALF of our boxes were missing, not even loaded on the truck, and our large sectional couch and vanity were completely broken beyond repair. They broke their contract that specifically stated they had 30 business days, excluding weekends, to deliver our goods - therefore, we should have NEVER paid full price for a service that was INCOMPLETE. When I called Jennifer at customer service, they told me the contract says that they can deliver "most of" our items by the 30 days...this is inaccurate and downright stupid. They broke their contract. Magically, nearly a month later, now November 17th, they "found" our items and delivered the boxes absolutely crushed. This company should be shuttered and internally investigated, as they broke their contract we both legally entered and we were forced to pay in full for an incomplete service and to receive our items broken, damaged, and in need of hundreds if not thousands of dollars of repair.

4. J

   Julia M.

   Source: MoveAdvisor · San Francisco, CA to Brooklyn, NY

   12 Nov 20202-bedroomPaid $4,000

   Holding belongings hostage and increasing cost of move

   This company is a complete scam. Do not use them. Western Van Lines moving company has been holding my belongings hostage for over two months. Additionally they keep increasing the cost of my move. I hired Western Van Lines for my cross country move from San Francisco, CA to Brooklyn, NY. They picked up my belongings on September 10, 2020. Upon pickup they told me my move would cost over $1000 more than I was quoted because the space estimate given to me was incorrect (intentionally misleading). The sales person I dealt with is Marty Spector - he has several negative reviews written about him and how he has lowballed other customers who are charged much more for their move the day of pickup. My belongings were supposed to be delivered within three weeks. It's been over two months, every time I called them I was told there were no drivers and there was nothing they could do to get my belongings to me. However, I was told that I was entitled to a reimbursement of $30/day for every day after the 30 day mark that the deliver was late. This totaled $450. Only once I threatened legal action, did they find a driver. Two days before my delivery the dispatch called me to let me know that there would be an additional $450 charge to cover "shuttle service", moving my belongings from the larger truck to a smaller truck to deliver them. This effectively negated the reimbursement I was due thanks to some very convenient accounting. I live on a wide street in Brooklyn that gets deliveries from semi-trucks regularly so there is no need for the additional shuttle service. I was told that the need for shuttle service was determined by the company and there was no way to change that. So after being initially taken advantage of with a fake-lowball quote, and living without my furniture and belongings for two months, I was then told that the reimbursement for the inconvenience that I was due was negated because of a service that they determined was needed and conveniently totaled the exact amount of the reimbursement due to me. This company is a fraud and seeks to take advantage of customers. I have filed complaints with the attorney general of Florida (where this company is actually based), The Better Business Bureau, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This company should not be allowed to do business.

5. G

   Glenda N.

   Source: MoveAdvisor · Tacoma, WA to Stillwater, OK

   21 Oct 20201-bedroomPaid $5,229

   Long distance move from Tacoma, WA to Stillwater, OK.

   DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!! At first they give you a great quote and good customer service. But once they get your furniture the story changes..the costs go up and they don't return your phone calls. Western Van Lines picked up our furniture on September 1, 2020. My husband and I headed out for Oklahoma and when we got here I called to see when delivery would be and was told the delivery date is 18 days from the time you will be at your new location..not from the day they picked up the furniture. We are seniors on a limited income and could not afford to stay in a hotel for 18 days so we rented an air mattress and sat on a walker and wheelchair in our empty apartment. Then at the end of 18 days we were told they have 30 business days to deliver our furniture. We could not continue living like this so we rented a couch and bed at a cost of $200!! Plus we had to buy pots, pans etc. so we could eat something other than sandwiches! I kept calling and was continually told that they had not found a driver and that our furniture was still in their storage facility in Washington. Finally on October 2, 2020 we received a call from the driver and he said they would be delivering our furniture the next day and the money order needed to be made out to a different company. When they came, all the boxes were in shambles and many items were broken, one cabinet was totally destroyed and we were missing our TV stand and shoe rack. To process a claim, you have to follow their instructions but we don't have access to scanners, printers, etc., so I called to see if they could work with me and accept another form of acceptance and was told "nope"..that's a scam too!! Please don't use this company!! Even if your quote is a little higher with a reputable company..go with them!! DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!

6. N

   Nancy M.

   Source: MoveAdvisor · Seattle, WA to San Diego, CA

   15 Oct 2020StudioPaid $3,900

   Terrible moving company.

   I wish I could give negative stars to Western Van Lines to reflect the negative experience I had with this company when I recently moved from Seattle to San Diego. Apparently it's very easy to rip people off and give terrible customer service and stay in business "for over 15 years". I lived in a ~500 s/f studio apt. When I was getting the quote they told me I qualify for a "piggyback"move. Which by the way is a crock of sh*t. There is no such thing because they aren't piggybacking anything. It's just a way for them to hook people that live in small apts. The first guy I dealt with, Michael Greene, provided the initial estimate. He was personable, basically a typical sales guy. Nice to you so he can get you to sign on the dotted line and get the deposit from you. Later on if you have questions, he ghosts you and is unreachable. After the movers picked up my stuff I had a question about the initial estimate and he wouldn't return my calls and never answered his phone. Though, when he was waiting for me to sign the estimate he was very easy to get a hold of. About 3-5 days before your estimated pick up date, another person calls you, the Quality Assurance Manager. There's no quality being assured by this person. The QA Manager that handled my estimate was Josh Levy. Basically his role is to increase your estimate and lie to you. They ask you whether anything has changed since the 1st estimate. Adding items increases your estimate since it's supposedly based on the cubic feet they think your stuff will take up in the truck. My first estimate was for 342 c/f and then it went up to 501 c/f with Josh supposedly based on what I added. Josh also removed the piggy back discount and changed my move to a regular move and did not tell me this. I didn't notice the change when I reviewed the estimate because I didn't compare the two estimates side by side. If I had known he changed the move to a regular move I would NOT have gone with them. Also, Josh told me the final amount gets adjusted based on how much space you use in the truck. He told me when the movers pick up your stuff they measure out the space in the truck based on the estimate. After it's loaded they measure it again to see if you used more or less c/f than the estimate. Then the estimate gets adjusted based on how much you actually used. THIS IS TOTAL BS & a COMPLETE LIE. They DO NOT do this. Whatever your second estimate is, that is the minimum you will be paying. Your total amount will not go down. And it will most likely increase. I called Josh after the guys picked up my stuff and told him I had less stuff than what was estimated. There were some large things that I decided not to put in the moving truck. I told him it was probably more like what I gave in the first estimate. He said he would look into it and I never heard from him again. I asked the guy that delivered my stuff how many cubic feet he thought my stuff took up and he estimated less than 250. That is less than half of the 501 c/f estimate from Josh. Another issue is your delivery date. They tell you that changing your date is flexible. This is bc they have no intention of delivering your stuff to you on the date you said you want it. You basically get it whenever they get around to delivering it to you. I'm not sure why they even bother asking when you need or want it delivered. It doesn't matter. Your stuff gets picked up & then stored in some warehouse & sits there until they can find someone who will deliver it. One of the fun fees that is added on later is the Long Carry fee. It's disclosed in the estimate but it isn't until your stuff is getting moved that you realize it's just a way for WVL to squeeze more money out of you. This is the fee for how far the movers have to move your stuff from your front door to the (I think) back of the truck. The first 75 ft is free & each addt'l 75 ft is $75. For example, If the distance from your front door to the back of the truck is 76 feet, you will have to pay $75. Since I moved from an apt to another apt a truck cannot be backed up to my front door. Or anywhere close to it. So I had to pay this fee when they picked up my stuff & when they delivered it. When my stuff was picked up, the driver calculated this fee would be $225. However, he said if I paid them in cash on the spot they would reduce it to $50. He didn't add it to my estimate so there's no record I was charged for it & paid it. Basically it was an extra $50 cash in those guys' pockets. When my stuff was delivered, I didn't get any kind of "cash" reduction. Thankfully it wasn't $225 the 2nd time around. The moral of this long review is that if you want to be lied to and pay a lot of money to have your stuff sit in a warehouse for weeks while you wait for it, then by all means go with Western Van Lines. They do, after all, have over 15 years of experience ripping people off. So they are good at it.

7. B

   Brenna L.

   Source: MoveAdvisor · Salt Lake City, UT to Boston, MA

   3 Oct 20202-bedroomPaid $7,000

   They will destroy your belongings and take all your money.

   Worst moving company we’ve ever worked with. Without going into too much detail..they will draw you in with an amazing quote and a customer service person with a kind voice. Then they’ll stop communicating, confirm a move date that they will change multiple times (including the night before), break an incredible number of your personal items because they have zero respect for you or your belongings, lose multiple important items (I.e. golf clubs and the legs to a $1000 table), delay delivering your items over and over, try to scam you out of extra money the day of (confirmed that this was a SCAM by one of the actual movers), AND when you file a claim you’ll be offered $80 for everything. This was a nightmare experience. PLEASE do not give them your time, money, or let them destroy your belongings.

8. P

   Paulie S.

   Source: MoveAdvisor · Tacoma, WA to Dagsboro, DE

   22 Sep 20202-bedroomPaid $8,500

   Not even a legitimate company.

   This is only a few people operating out of Miami, FL , They use rented trucks and have their own network of con artist drivers to collect your things. Your "sales reps" are college kids who get a small commission for getting you to sign on the dotted line and collect a deposit, usually 1800 right? Their really is nobody to sue as the company does not exist. The principal owner/operator is Hofit azuelos and Daniel Azuelos of Miami Florida. You want your stuff? go see them and see what they can do for ya. They both have minor records so not hard to find in Dade county Florida. Good luck to you. but mostly to them..

9. D

   Darla S.

   Source: MoveAdvisor · Aliso Viejo, CA to Provo, UT

   3 Sep 20202-bedroomPaid $8,000

   0 Stars, company being investigated by DOT & FBI.

   DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. They will tell you lies, make you sign a contract under duress, skip town after they get your money and not deliver or even schedule delivery of your stuff. They rarely answer calls and it's even more rare to get a call back. Then you will essentially be told that they will get to you and schedule when they want to but that that won't be anytime soon and too bad for you.

10. I

    Ivette J.

    Source: MoveAdvisor · Seattle, WA to El Paso, TX

    20 Aug 20201-bedroomPaid $6,000

    Terrible service.

    It is so sad I am writing a one star review. I chose rhis company for the 75 years experience and good reviews. My items were picked up June 29th and I still have not received them. I called frequently since July 15th and have been told someone will call you back.. no one EVER CALLED BACK. To make matters worse, when we asked why our items had not been on the road/delivered the only response we received was "We don't know ma'am. " ?? . Well into August we called again and again getting the same run around. At this point we were close to calling the police because as far as we knew - because no information was given to us - our stuff is lost or stolen. FINALLY TODAY, August 20th, I get a call saying my items will be delivered tomorrow and my balance is due. GREAT. But waiting 2 months and having to buy my husbands medical equipment/supplies because we couldn't carry it all on the plane - there needs to be an adjustment to my balance. After calling and having a rep tell me someone will call me.. AGAIN.. I wait. Then I get a call from the rudest person I have ever had to speak to. Laura, the shipping manager. She not only speaks down to me, but interrupts me, and insults me. I could not believe my ears. Having a wealthy, long lasting company you work for and speaking to a dissatisfied consumer like that is COMPLETELY unacceptable. I don't let my nephew speak to me that way much less a Karen in charge. I am still attempting to get a hold of someone in a higher position. We will see how that goes but I am devastated at my experience with this company. Hire someone else and save your sanity! Go with a company who respects you if you request a solution to your complaint!