If you have a small move and are only concerned with getting your belongings moved from point A to point B, you definitely should give Flat Rate Movers a call.
If you have a large move but are not too concerned about the condition of your belongings once they arrive at point B, you too should give Flat Rate Movers a call.
Otherwise, I recommend avoiding Flat Rate Movers! In summary, my wife and I have endured SEVERAL CROSS COUNTRY moves and this INTRA-STATE move was by far the absolutely worst! To be more specific, we have moved 4 times in 6 years and I have written over 180 Yelp reviews and this is the FIRST review ever written about a moving company!
The morning started off with a call stating that the crew would be arriving in approximately 20 minutes. What seemed like a few minutes later, 6 guys showed up on my doorstep seemingly eager to work. Brandon introduced himself as the Crew Leader and I provided a quick tour of our 4000+ Sq Ft house. Customary with every move, I took breakfast orders for the crew and 30 minutes later my wife arrived back with Mickey D's for the entire crew. The day of the move was absolutely scorching with shirt soaking humidity so I also informed the crew that I had bottled water in the fridge for their consumption.
After about an hour into the move, I noticed a door guard was used on the front door frame, but nothing on the door itself. What caught my attention was the sliver of paint that had already been scratched off the freshly painted door. Relieved to have caught this before more damaged was done, I asked one of the crew members to drape a furniture pad over the front door and he obliged.
Second attention grabber was their failure to cover up railings and banisters......very expensive railings and banisters I might add. As a result of their negligence, a HUGE gouge was left in one of the banister post.
Third attention grabber was their failure to use furniture pads on all the furniture as promised during the walk through estimate. I noticed furniture pads used on some items and shrink wrap on others. The logic wasn't clear as some furniture pieces that were obviously high-end were shrink wrapped whereas other obviously inferior furniture items were wrapped with furniture pads.
Fourth attention grabber came midway through the move when the Jekyll and Hyde behavior of the Crew Leader Brandon came into focus. He started out like the others, a mild mannered but energetic and motivated worker. However, mid-way through the move he was running through the house, damaging walls and door frames, yelling expletives at the basement fridge and making unprofessional "speeches" to the other crew members.
As the day went on, Brandon's bizarre behavior became more apparent. Evidently he wanted to prove his physical prowess to the other guys by moving a $550 each large and awkwardly shaped theater seat by himself. There were six seats total and the others used two men per seat. Not Brandon! I actually have pictures of him bumbling and stumbling with the seats from the basement to the truck. The walls took a beating as a result of Brandon's negligence.
After a few hours of Brandon's bizarre behavior I inquired with the other crew members and was told, "He's screwed up in the head". That much was obvious but why the sudden change? I was also told that Brandon was recently promoted to Crew Leader which is absolutely mind boggling considering there were two, maybe three other guys who demonstrated more leadership skills than him.
To make a short story long, I gave all the guys $10 a piece for lunch and tipped them all $40 apiece at the end of the move. If only I had a crystal ball to see what I would soon uncover in the days and weeks to come.
Their slogan is "Mad Ninja Skills", well lets see......
Damages:
Severely damaged walls (I patched and painted)
Severely damaged door frames (I patched and painted)
Deeply gouged banister
Missing bed hardware (found on moving truck three days later-couldn't use bed)
Missing mirror hardware (found on moving truck three days later-couldn't use bed)
Missing curio cabinet hardware (still nowhere to be found, had to purchase my own bracket)
Damaged dining room curio cabinet (hopefully insurance will cover, wouldn't have happened if it was PROPERLY WRAPPED)
Missing refrigerator hardware (can't use until replaced)
Refrigerator screws never screwed into screw holes - (sheer laziness)
Damaged bookshelf
Damaged file cabinet
I chose not to use a handful of local less expensive movers (yes I interviewed several) because I believe you get what you pay for. In this case I was wrong!!!!!
BTW it took 18 days for the owner Garith to send me a receipt. Secondly, when I send emails regarding damage repair, etc., he doesn't even respond!
Be sure to also read the Yelp "Not Recommended" reviews!!!!! Their name is changing to Black Belt Movers, either way PROCEED WITH CAUTION! read more