Derek, you know the truth and you know what our most recent conversation said. You also know that you couldn't remember anything about me or my move until I jogged your memory with 3 separate emails. Now all of a sudden you remember details? Doubt it. Half of what you're saying isn't true. You were absolutely correct that there was a pleasant conversation during the move, I tried to make everything as easy and pleasant on you guys as possible. I paid for and booked 4 hours which was more than needed to walk back and forth with the few things we had (remember that you finished early) and I only let you use my vehicle as a courtesy to you guys and you know that. Everything was just fine until I saw and brought up the broken china--Which you ignored. Further, I never saw the damage to my truck until you had finished and left and I went to park it in the garage. As previously stated to YOU, your total lack of concern of the damage that you witnessed and the fact that you ignored my comment when asked about the damage, and the fact that you yourself destroyed the back of my truck and acted like nothing had happened, convinced me not to bother to call you to complain again. You made it clear that day that you wouldn't take responsibility for my possessions. Everyone can see the sheer number of positive reviews, and I'm sure that all of them are correct. Things happen, no one is perfect and stuff is bound to break once in a while..but that doesn't give you the right to basically call me a liar. It has been a while and I stated that on my first review, so I didn't expect you to remember details. But I do, it was my move after all. I'm not interested in going back and forth with you anymore-I didn't ask for reimbursement then and I didn't do it when we spoke most recently, two days ago, so stop acting like I'm after something and lying to get it. The review is done, the time has passed and I'm sure one or two bad reviews isn't going to hurt your "flourishing" business. Things happen and it's just the way life is, let's just move on. read more

Excellent, excellent, excellent This was a great experience from beginning to end. I am just kicking myself that I did not also hire these guys to do the unpacking. 1. Derek has excellent communication skills and responds instantly 2. Time and cost estimates provided prior to the move were perfect 3. Heidi and her brother did a great job packing my place in 3 hours 4. Derek and Peter moved me in under 3 hours 5. I managed to mess up the schedule and e-mailed Derek the night before at 6:00 pm asking for a last minute change. He got back to me at 6:05 accommodating the change. Great company. Would highly recommend! read more

After reading the glowing reviews for 1st Choice, I attempted to book them when I was moving out of my home six months ago, but they were completely booked. I went with the next best rated moving company on Yelp and I have never been so disappointed. They bashed up my walls and destroyed the front of my stainless steel fridge. I was thrilled when I was able to book them for my move out of storage and into my new home. I relayed the terrible experience I had with the past movers to Derek and expressed my concern for my new hardwood floors. He assured me that I would not have anywhere near the same experience, and he was more than right! They arrived early (wow!), loaded up several items from one location, drove to my storage unit containing all of the contents of a 2,000 sqft home, loaded everything into the truck, drove to my new home and unloaded everything in 3.5 hours. I could not believe it... and they did all of it while protecting my floors, my walls and my furniture. Our movers, Asa, Gary, Carlos and Max, were fast, efficient and professional. I refuse to hire anyone else for my moves! read more

Positives: They showed up on time and as scheduled. Negatives: 4 guys showed up when only 3 were expected and made us feel pressured to enlist the help of the 4th guy. We said okay since we thought it would speed up the move, but our move took almost 12 hours!! That was for furniture only. These guys seemed more interested in chit-chatting than moving in a timely manner. They also scratched our dryer and a piece of furniture and were supposed to come back the following day to touch things up, but we never heard from them. I definitely would not choose them again because I didn't feel they were careful with our things (I had to spackle a lot of dry wall spots in our old home where they hit the drywall with furniture) and they were very very slow. read more

I highly reccommend Derek and his team! They showed up on time, moved through everything quickly, and were extremely affordable. Flat rate with no small print or extra fees. I had to reschedule my move several times and he was very accomodating and understanding. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again or reccommend them to friends. read more

We used 1st choice to move about 20 miles last Sunday. The crew was Juan, Ryan and Peter. They arrived a half hour early, which was fine becuase everything was pretty much ready to go. They were fast, careful and communicated with us regularly. They were also a cool bunch of guys with good attitdes, which makes a huge difference. They moved all of our furniture and boxes in a total of 4 hours. Everything was delivered in the same condition it left. Will definitely use them again next time we move, hopefully we can get the same crew because now we know these guys are hard workers and serious about getting the job done. -Todd read more

I had a small 1bdrm to studio move in the city. Derek was effective and efficient in getting me what I needed and when. I had a million questions over the 45 days leading up to my move and he kindly answered all of them. ALL OF THEM! Day of the move, the team was courteous, quick and very efficient. Just want I wanted. Everything I asked, they were more than willing to accommodate. My belongings were handled with care and I felt safe and comfortable with them throughout the process. Once we got to the new location, everything went like clockwork until it came to my couch. Completely my fault in mis-measuring the area to get the uber large item in the building but the guys were pros! They did everything they could but were up front and honest that it was just not possible and helped to get it out of the way and stored at a new location. My quote was honest and competitive and my final cost was right where I expected (actually under to be honest). Amazing team from start to finish and I will recommend them to everyone and anyone needing to move anything! Just a few notes to help you on your move that I learned: -If you have questions, email them to Derek (quickest method to get answers). Totally helps to prepare for the day of! -Pack as many of the small things in medium to large boxes. Makes it quicker to move in and out easily. -If you have kids, tie them up, I mean, send them to a friend's house. Makes it safer for them and Derek's team to quickly do their stuff! They make it look easy but these items are heavy and they can always see a little one running around them. -If you have pets, same thing as kids. Keep them out of the way for everyone's safety. Nobody wants to find a cat in a box on the other side of a move. Plus, it makes it easier on animals. Moving really stresses these little guys out so do it for them if nothing else. -Anything you need wrapped up like wall art or mirrors, stage them in an easy access area so that one of the guys can be wrapping up while out of the way of others. Just a few thoughts! read more

I called 1st Choice movers after reading all their reviews on Yelp. I definitely see why they got so many great reviews. I had 2 guys show up, on time and ready to work. They did a walk through of my house and realized they needed someone else. They got started and an hour or so later a 3rd guy came to help them. All I have to say is they were awesome! They worked hard, efficiently, were polite, and just great guys. All my furniture was well taken care of. They put together all of the furniture, placed it all how I wanted it and had all our beds together before my kids got home. They made moving bearable. I would definitely hire them again and recommend them to anyone! read more

Worked with Derek Parker from 1st Choice movers, he responds quickly, works very hard, and is responsible. Recommended!!

I have used 1st Choice Movers many many times... Moving precious China and high end furniture around is not easy.. But BIG Derek (The Owner) has made my life very easy.. I can always count on his muscles to help me out!!! I remember when he moved my fridge by himself. When he first started the business... It was up flights of stairs... My old roommate and I attempted it, I almost dropped the fridge on my roommate... Literally! The fridge sled back down the stairs and good thing my old roommate was a TrackStar because he quickly jumped over the Fridge!!! I almost killed my old roommate trying to my lift my fridge up a flight of stairs... After that incident... I looked movers in my area and found Derek online... Since then he has been my moving guy!!! Thanks 1st Choice Movers!!! read more

This company is great!!! I'm very picky and they were still great!!! They pay attention to detail and don't destroy your items or the property. They are quick. Their price is competitive and they are very honest. read more

Extremely happy with this business!! Used Derek's movers to unpack my son for his first apartment out of college in Orange County. The two guys showed up exactly as scheduled and unloaded and moved everything quickly and carefully. They even offered to move furniture around the apartment or do anything else we needed. Derek followed up every step of the way and even after the move to make sure we were satisfied. I highly recommend them and wish they did the San Francisco Bay Area too since I could use their help up here. read more

I found 1st Choice Movers on Yelp and I am so happy I decided to use them. The posted reviews are correct and they are worth 5 stars. Asa, Zeth, and Juan did a great (and fast) job of moving items out of a storage unit, picking up additional furniture at a second location, and unloading everything at a third location. The guys put every piece of furniture where I wanted it and said to let them know if they could do anything else to help. They were very professional and polite. Derek was great and consistently (and quickly) answered my calls and emails. Thank you for the smooth move! I will be contacting 1st Choice Movers again for my next move, not to mention referring them to my friends and family. read more

Such a great experience with Jose and his team. They made moving seem fun - laughing and making jokes but totally respectful and worked really hard and quickly. Highly recommend. read more

I used this company just last Saturday for a move and I am very pleased. Edgar and Roy showed up right on time and proceeded to move all of the boxes out of my apartment and then the furniture. We made it over to my new place and they unloaded in half the time. They were fast and efficient and nice to work with. they finished in just under 3 hours. Correspondence with Derek was also great. Although he was very booked for the next 10 days, he fit me in, and I am so appreciative of that. Great company, will use again. After seeing how hard the guys worked, I definitely wouldn't want to move everything myself. read more

The great service they provided make the move in process so smooth for me. Aday and Sandy did excellent job helping me while being friendly, polite, and professional at the same time. They are passionate and motivated about their work. I would definitely recommend my friends. read more

With just a few emails and follow up phone calls and no supervision, Stan and his helper drove up to Carmel ca, carefully packed everything and delivered it to Scripps Ranch in less than 36 hours. Very professional. I am impressed with their service and would recommend them to any one considering a move. read more

This company is supper porfessional and honest and hard working. They made a really bad experience with another moving company have a great ending. I booked thru craigslist (sdmovers), they called the morning of our move to let us know that they were delayed due to truck issues. I called around for hours everyone was booked, when I got a hold of Derek he made it happen!!! Thank you guys you were awesome!! read more

I had to choose a mover recently, and the one that stood out was 1st Choice Movers in terms of such a huge number of 5 Star Reviews. Also, when I looked through the photos of their moving operations, I noticed a lot of photos of them taking a lot of care of the things they were moving. So when I contacted them regarding my interest in having them be my movers, I already had a favorable impression of them. This impression was made stronger with my interactions with the owner, Derek, who did me the courtesy of stopping my house to assess just much I had to move. Derek was both nice and professional in his manner, and he recommended to me that I order 3 dozen moving blankets from Amazon at a much less expensive price than anywhere else, and which proved to be the exact number I needed to properly cover my furniture. And before the actual move, Derek sent me an email spelling out exactly how many men (4) and how many trucks (2) would be moving my furniture and possessions, and what the minimum price would be, and what a typical move might cost in total as per number of hours, driving time, etc., which was nice to see for its transparency and directness as per no surprises on the potential cost of the move. On my moving day, I was actually surprised to see 5 men instead of 4, and was told that Derek had decided to throw in an extra man and at no extra charge! That was my first pleasant surprise. My second and largest pleasant surprise, however, was to see just how incredibly fast, efficient, and careful Jose, Daniel, Evan, Farahon, and Jorge were in covering my furniture pieces with the blankets and wrapping them with huge rolls of plastic wrap, and expertly packing them in the moving trucks. Also. with all 5 men working so quickly, the entire interior of the home, the garage, and backyard were cleared of everything that had to be moved in what seemed like no time! Also, since I was driving from San Diego to Chula Vista, I thought that it would take them a while to get there--but no, they arrived at my destination only a few minutes behind me! They then unpacked everything equally quickly and efficiently! My third pleasant surprise with these wonderful movers was my bill for the move--it was much lower than I expected given all the care displayed by these movers in packing and moving my furniture and prized possessions. I consider myself a "value" shopper in all things, and I have never had a better value in any purchase than what I got from 1st Choice Movers! So I do recommend them highly on the many levels I have accurately described in this review. read more

I decided to move to a new neighborhood and since it's not an official military move, I knew if I wanted help it was going to cost me. Truth be told, I didn't have the time or patience nor did I want to pack and move my own stuff. These guys packed, moved, and delivered my belongings to my new address this past Wednesday and Thursday. Christine and Victoria (I forgot the last lady's name- I'm so sorry) did a very good job packing and labeling my belongs. Paul, Max, and Carlos not only moved my belongings expeditiously to a 3 story townhome (putting up with a lot of stairs), they asked me where I wanted everything and reassembled everything back the way it was originally. Everyone was super professional. I wouldn't say it was super quick as moving takes time, but I felt as though the ladies that packed and the gentlemen that moved definitely moved with a purpose. Lastly was Derek. He is the person that I set up everything with. I was very impressed by his email etiquette, he was super responsive and the quote he gave me was pretty spot on. Which is important, because I didn't want to go broke or be surprised by the bill at the end. I too read all of the reviews and I support them wholeheartedly, whether you have a big or small job like mine everyone will be super respectful and professional. I recommend the ladies and gentlemen above that helped me. Thank you guys so much, I really appreciate everything. read more

I used these guys when we moved into our current house. It was my first experience hiring movers, I had moved many times before and did it myself which ends up being an all day and into the late night hours affair. Derek's guys got us done in just over 3 hours. They didn't stop working from the moment they arrived, until the moment we were done. We had a 3 man team moving our stuff, and they were able to delegate tasks to one another very well. They made a minor ding in one of the walls carrying a heavy dresser up some stairs, and when I let Derek know about it he had somebody come after we were moved in to fix it. Accidents happen, no big deal. What's really impressive is how Derek handled it. Excellent customer service. Beyond reproach. Unfortunately, I need to move again, so I contacted Derek. To my dismay he's fully booked on my move date. Even though he couldn't help with my move this time around, he was gracious enough to refer me elsewhere, and also answered questions I had regarding his rate. read more

These guys were simply awesome. Moving is one of my least favorite things to do in life, right up there with buying a car or doing taxes. I had a ABF/UPack trailer that needed to be packed for a move to Colorado. I found Derek here on Yelp, and was impressed with all the 5-star reviews. He offered a very fair quote considering all the stuff my wife and I had accumulated. He showed up with 3 hard working guys to pack up our 2br house, including a piano, and a garage full of extra furniture and boxes. The move took 5 hours, and the guys barely stopped for a break. They meticulously shrinkwrapped all my furniture, then wrapped them like Christmas presents in moving blankets, then even shrinkwrapped the blankets over each piece. I'll be stunned if anything arrives with even a scratch. Derek himself organized the truck like an epic game of tetris. Boxes were stacked up to the ceiling, and all the furniture and loose items were pieced together so that everything was tight and secure, and he managed to take up the least possible amount of space in the trailer (you pay per foot). Everything was tied down with rope and ratchets, and they also put the plywood barrier in place. ABF can be difficult to schedule, especially if you live somewhere where you can't park the trailer overnight. I ended up changing the move time and date on Derek three different times, and each time he was able to accommodate. The trailer was supposed to be delivered between 8am and noon, and actually showed up at 7am. We had a 1pm appt scheduled for the movers, but I called him up and he had his guys over to start working by 9:30. They finished at 2:30, and the truck was picked up shortly after. I can't offer enough praise for Derek and his amazing crew. I only wish I could hire them to unload the trailer once it arrives in CO. read more

I highly recommend 1st Choice Movers. Top notch service AND reasonably priced. I have moved a LOT and this was by far the best experience yet. On time, quick, flexible when things didn't fit and needed to go back to storage and all handled by two good guys I was happy to spend 1.5 hours with. Thanks Derek!!! read more

They came earlier than schedule - move fast with great attitude. Highly recommended. I will definitively call them again. read more

I would highly recommend booking Derek if you need help moving... very professional and trustworthy. He arrived on time and had all the necessary equipment (shrink-wrap, blankets, etc). I had many heavy boxes but they were handled with care and not one thing was damaged in the move. His prices are reasonable and straight-forward... no shady business! read more

After my sister gave rave reviews of 1st Choice Movers, I chose them as well for my move. They came prepared with all the necessary covers for furniture and big items. I was disappointed that a desk was dismantled incorrectly and the parts to reconstruct the desk were lost so I had to reorder them. They were overall professional and I would use them again. Edit as of 1/23/14: After my initial review, the owner, Derek, contacted me to discuss my concerns about the move. He was very professional and did everything to address these concerns and make it right including offering to have one of his guys come out and reassemble our desk once we receive the new parts. It is rare to receive this kind of customer service and I have already referred my coworker who is moving to use 1st Choice Movers. read more

Since I generally do not write reviews, I still want to express my disappointment, although it's 6-weeks after the move. I do not recommend 1st Choice Movers! The hours I was charged to complete the move was excessive, and it appeared to me and my daughter that the 3 men certainly did not hustle, but wasted time. It appeared their objective was to use the maximum time quoted, although Derek explained to me the move generally does not take as long as the "max quoted." I did phone Derek with my complaints shortly after the move but was not able to talk to him, so left a detailed message. Some instances where I was over-charged for time were: at "start time" I found the movers wandering around searching for my apartment, but I was charged for the delayed start; enroute to the destination apartment they stopped at a shopping center for beverages, etc, on time charged; and, again they could not find the destination apartment and phoned me from the opposite end of the complex, so I needed to go out to find and direct them, on time charged. Although protecting/wrapping furniture and various items is necessary, it was taking/wasting too much time, so my daughter and I took items to our cars, lamps, TV's, end-tables, chairs, potted plants, bagged linens, and other odd items (not boxed) to assist with the move. I requested not to remove legs from a fragile, antique table - but they did. I needed to remind them to put the legs back on just before they were leaving, which ended up with 2 table legs unevenly attached - so I needed to fix. Also, many of the boxes were not handled with care and damaged from the move. Attempting to not prolong this review with more details, my major complaint is for the number of hours I was charged for this move. Other quotes for this move, and similar or longer distance moves (more than 3.5 miles) in the recent past, were not as many hours. At the minimum. I was over-charged for 1-2 hrs. for this move. read more

What a pleasure to do business with 1st Choice Movers. Lyle, Robert and Salwan were awesome, they took the worry right out of a stressful situation. They were on time, very businesslike and professional. They took care of all of my furniture like the experienced movers they are. I can't be happier and would highly recommend 1st Choice to anyone needing to move their belongings. So friendly and made me very comfortable... thanks again guys! read more

Derek and Peter were on time, professional, and honestly the fastest and hardest working movers I've every worked with. I gave them a nightmare move - and they did it with a smile. I have used 4 other moving companies in San Diego, and will never use anyone else after working with Derek. read more

This was my first time hiring movers and I must admit that I was very skeptical because I've heard horror stories about items being damaged and companies ripping people off. I am very happy I went with 1st choice movers because they got everything done very fast and the guys were very polite and professional. I informed Derek that I needed them to be extra careful with my furniture since it wasn't cheap and it would need to be hauled up 3 flights of stairs and they definitely took time (but not too much) to make sure everything arrived safely at its destination and without a scratch! Will definitely hire them again and recommend them to anybody who needs an awesome moving service! read more

I chose 1st Choice Movers due to their great rating on Yelp. Best choice ever. Not only was Derek thorough about information in his e-mails, he also got back to me quickly. I move every year and usually only deal with a truck and 2 movers. 1st Choice has a truck and 3 movers which makes the process a whole lot more efficient. They didn't even charge more even though I had two drop off houses. I had Ray, Carlos, and Zeth helping me out and they were super nice and got the total job done in 3 hours. Next time I move, I am definitely calling 1st Choice Movers. read more

Derek and his team (Roy and Peter) were awesome. Prior to and after the move, Dereks communication was completely on point. Upon arrival, all 3 of them were very professional and handled their duties within the time constraints we agreed upon. On top of that, the whole team was chill, funny, and overall good people to be around during the stressful time of moving. They did a great job working with a somewhat unprepared and spontaneous move. No complaints - they were fast, efficient, and handled their business like champs. Great prices, and coming from someone who has moved 10+ times since 2004 and been around plenty of movers - these guys are who you want to have moving your stuff! Anyway, all in all, if you need to move, stop reading this review and give 1st Choice a call. End of story- you won't regret it. read more

These guys are awesome!!! Our move was on the 4th (sorry for the late review!) I was immediately impressed that they showed up right on time and were super cool and very fast. Not a single thing was damaged in the move! If I could, I'd rate them 10 stars and wouldn't hesitate to use them again. We really couldn't recommend them enough and appreciate the great service! Thank you! read more

I feel the need to give a quick positive review for 1st Choice Movers and Derek specifically, for what I feel is above and beyond good customer service. Less than an hour ago (after 10PM PST) I sent a quick message requesting help with my move, Derek responded almost immediately to give me a heads up that they are booked for 8/15/2014, but then referred me to someone else who may be able to help. This is just a great way to do business and really reflects on the quality of service you will receive. read more

My daughter and I moved from Pacific Beach to Clairemont and we were desperate for help. We looked on Craigslist which is not something I would normally do however as I said, we had no one to help move. I emailed Derek through his ad and he got back to me within the hour. The movers ....Jessie and Peter, were on time, were fast, and took great care of our belongings. They had to move our stuff up a flight of stairs and not once did I feel like this was a problem for them. The guys were great and I would use this service again. read more

Derek and his men are wonderful. This was the first time I've ever hired movers an nd it was great. They showed up right on time and were ready to work! They are fantastic and very professional. They are the right choice when looking for movers. read more

We called First Choice based on the Yelp Reviews and must say the reviews hold truth. Derek was communicative from the start, he was kind to fit us into their booked schedule and kept us informed throughout the day. Ryan and Dylan were professional, quick, and friendly. Our move went smoothly and we now proclaim we'll never move on our own again! Thanks First Choice!! read more

These are the only movers I will ever book. I am pretty detailed oriented and timely. And, I appreciate it when I reserve a service that the company goes out of their way to meet my needs. 1st Choice Movers "gets" me to a "T". I initially contacted Derek in March 2015. I did not wind up moving until November. From my first communication with him, I knew his company was the only one moving our family. His response time was amazing. His level of customer service was exactly what I wanted. Whether I contacted him by phone or email, he answered me immediately or within the hour (during reasonable business hours, of course). His replies are that of old school business accommodation and manners (e.g. "Whatever we can do to make it work for the customer, we will do."). Ronnie, Yusef, and Jo moved us. They were AMAZING! They worked non stop until the job was done. They were exactly what the doctor ordered. They arrived 20 minutes early. They were extremely professional, thorough, and interested in making sure my husband and I were happy. They made a very difficult project seem like a piece of cake. They moved us from a three-bedroom town home to a two-bedroom apartment, on the forth floor (Casa Mira View). They moved at the speed of light and NEVER took a break. We did not know that the company would be so equipped. They came with extra boxes, in case they needed to help pack, plenty of padding, and wrapped all our furniture. We did them the favor of having everything packed and staged in our garage (with the exception of the big furniture), so they could streamline the process. As well, we moved 30 miles away. When it was all said and done, they finished the whole job in less than 6 hours. Honestly, that was record timing, based on travel and logistics. As well, they set up our furniture and were more than happy to help us with whatever we asked. These guys are machines! They not only met our expectations, they exceeded our expectations! From my first phone call, to every drop of furniture being moved into our new place, 1st Choice Movers made us feel like royalty. We will NEVER move ourselves again, without them. read more

I was very disappointed. They didn't put some of the boxes in the right rooms like what it says on the box. They are not being cautious they almost broke my glass door and scratch my wall. I will not be using or recommending them that's for sure . read more

Derek and another guy showed up early and did a great job! Ours was a nightmare move that required pushing all my heavy furniture up a steep ramp to the truck. We grossly underestimated the length of time it would take to move (our fault not theirs) and they never complained despite the move being 4 hours not the 2 hours we booked! The truck was also a size too small for all the furniture and boxes and Derek somehow managed to squeeze every item in. First Choice saved our move! They never took a break, worked extremely hard, and the prices were very reasonable. I would recommend Derek and First Choice to anyone looking to move. Also all of my belongings arrived in the same condition and nothing was damaged. read more