Services - FlatRate Moving
In-state moving
International moving
Out-of-state moving
FlatRate Moving Photos
More like FlatRate Moving
Recommended Reviews - FlatRate Moving
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos

Worst moving experience of my entire life - they asked for bribes, broke our stuff, and charged an exorbitant amounts avoid at all costs.
8 years ago
I purchased a quick in and out ~20 block move in Manhattan for one bedroom's full of boxes and furniture. They charged me $525 for it. The salesman, Jose Buzzi, told me the movers would arrive at 1 PM. What he really meant was a 1-3 PM window of arrival. This was not made clear over the phone. During the day of the move my movers ran late due to traffic. Understandable, but dispatch was not helpful at all in providing updates. They consistently gave me wrong estimates, which kept me waiting for hours more than I had to. At 2:30 I was told they would arrive in 45 minutes. At 3:30 I was told they were 10 minutes away. If I had known their team would arrive at 4:15 I could have spent a few hours at Starbucks reading a book instead of sitting in an empty apartment. They also refused to negotiate with my apartment management company to extend my move-in timeslot, causing me a good deal of grief as my new apartment was picky about scheduling and I had to beg the lady over the phone. The movers themselves were professional and apologetic. They worked fast and managed to keep all my stuff intact besides a small box for a figurine which they dented. For my inconvenience I was offered a $50 discount which I did not receive on my credit card bill. If this company makes good on this last promise I may update my review. Otherwise I'm hesitant to recommend a company with communication skills this poor. read more
8 years ago
If I could give zero, I would. They ARE scumbags and cheats. José, the foreman of my move was nasty, demanding and, in the end demanded a 15% tip. Boxes were piled to the ceiling and, I spent $1,000 to get people to help me get them down. They even piled 4 boxes in front of the bathroom door. They should pay me for pain and suffering!! They also cheated me out of a promised discount. Broken furniture, stolen or lost designer clothing; A full length mirror and bookcase were taken. I submitted a claim for $3,000 with receipts and photos in the beginning of July, 2018. It is almost September. They say I'll get $312 ( !!!!!) but I have yet to see it. The salesperson, Adam Robb, lives in a fantasy world if he thinks this is an honest and good company. read more
6 years ago
The movers were SO incredibly helpful during this really stressful time. It was quick and they were SO NICE. Will definitely be going to them for any of my moving needs in the future. read more
6 years ago
TERRIBLE COMPANY. USE ANYONE ELSE EXCEPT THIS COMPANY. I don't know how often other need the services of a professional moving company but for me it is an infrequent need which means it's even more important for the company you hire to get it right. I hired them to remove furniture from apartment whilst some renovations were undertaken. They did some major damage to the floors and walls on the move out. I reported it to the Sales Rep but since I was replacing the floor and having other work done I wasn't going to file a claim however I asked when they bring my furniture back could they take precautions. And this is where the fun starts. They arrived 3 hours late. The first 3 items they brought back in were badly damaged. They went on to damage a brand newly installed floor. They dirtied newly painted walls with hand prints, dirty blanket marks and furniture collisions. Finally they did not bring back all the items. The delivery crew did not have an inventory so they did not even know what was missing. It's taken weeks for FlatRate to provide me the inventory and thankfully due to my buildings security camera system I'm able to show them items they removed that they have not brought back to me. The handling of this by FlatRate has been astonishingly terrible. Their ability to communicate is unbelievably poor. They succeed in all the wrong categories for a professional moving company : Property Damage - Yup Lost Items - You bet! Damaged Items - Yup Customer Service - Non existent Punctuality - 3+ hours late Do yourselves a favor use another company. This company is too much of a headache. read more
9 years ago
Still fighting with Flatrate months later, they're trying to DOUBLE CHARGE me for something I ALREADY PAID FOR! They ignored my numerous calls to discuss this, they're RIPPING ME OFF. Not happy! BEWARE! The estimator said my desk and TV were included in the move, when the movers showed up, they refused to take them unless I paid a few hundred extra $$$! I called the estimator to complain, he told me to call accounting, I did, they ignored me. TERRIBLE customer service. I regret going with this dubious company. Added note: This was a cross country move. The crew in LA was very courteous in contrast to the nightmare in NYC. I regret tipping the NY crew. read more
10 years ago
They showed up on time, charged us exactly what they said they would and kept our stuff secure in storage for what ended up being a year. Here's the important thing, that caused me to write this review. When our items came back, we noticed that there was damage to some of them. I contacted Flatrate and had a response from a senior executive, hours after writing an email.....on New Year's Eve, no less. Within a few weeks they took the steps to repair the damage that some of our things had sustained. These guys are the real deal, and I would recommend them to anyone looking for an honest, responsible moving company that will also store your goods and be responsive if you encounter any problems along the way. read more
7 years ago
If I could give a zero star rating, I would. I have used FlatRate in the past with no issue. Perhaps the company's growth has outpaced its ability to provide the same level of actual moving service and customer service...but there is no way I would use this company again. I paid a considerable amount for packing and moving services. The packing team was almost 4 hours late on packing day. While one of the actual packing guys was nice enough, the packing was hasty and not organized in the way it would have been had they shown up on time. And with only two guys showing up (the original team ditched), they were here for almost 6 hours. They also ate some food without asking first. On moving day, the following day, the movers were late. No one picked up at the number for headquarters and dispatch had me on "hold" for 30 mins at a time (I had to call back at least 3 times) as they tried to figure out what was going on with the truck. Given my initial experience with this company, I am incredibly disappointed by the service and customer treatment this time. I'm pretty irate actually and would never use or recommend FlatRate moving again. I would also strongly urge anyone reading this review to select a different moving company. The service was that bad. As I write this review, I am sitting in my broiling NYC apartment still waiting... And they just cancelled the move...on the moving day! They didn't even call me to tell me. I only found out after calling again! Never use this company. Save your money and time. Use OM Moving. Then the truck and movers finally show up and... the driver hits a car that was parked and took off the front bumper. That really just happened. read more
5 years ago
STAY AWAY!! These guys are complete crooks. I spent $10K on a move including storage fees. We had tables, antiques and lamps broken/damaged. Everyone is very nice when booking but when it came time to file a claim -- at first they accepted it, but it has now been 2 months of calls, follow up emails, asking for managers... I reached out to literally everyone but nobody calls back (try it -- call the customer service number 8667669858 and you will encounter a voicemail which is a black hole). So when you call sales they pick up promptly, but when you have a problem customer service will not call you back. Don't be fooled by these guys -- let it be a warning to you all. If you look at previous reviews people have complained about the same thing. Flatrate has the audacity to respond to such reviews by saying "sorry, we want to hear from you, please call customer service". Where nobody calls you back. This is not even a bad joke, they are cheats. As a next step I'm left with no choice but to send a legal notice. Do yourselves a favor and go with Piece of Cake or Moishe's. They have a better reputation. Again, I spent $10K on my move and they won't even call me back, for things they broke! You decide. read more
5 years ago
We just had the worst moving experience with flat rate. It seems that they can't keep up with the demand and their due diligence has slipped. They utilize independent contractors and they can bring along whomever they see fit into your home. The "movers", of which one was pregnant, took 12 hours for a two bedroom apartment, damaged about 50% of our furniture and walls in our new home. They didn't utilize mattress covers and our foam mattresses are soaking wet. Can't get Flat Rate to even call us back. read more
5 years ago
The mover who came to my apartment tried to intimate me because I am a female and asked me multiple times how much I would tip him and his partner, because he said I left items off my move list. When I let him know I was uncomfortable he called in to report every single small item of mine he could see to the company, leaving me with an extra $300 charge. I filed a complaint and was told i would receive a refund but it has been two weeks and the company won't answer my phone call or emails. read more
7 years ago
If you decide that moving isn't stressful enough, then pick this company to really amp up the stress. They can treat you to a maze of bureaucratic incompetencies including messing up your move date, not sending the correct number of trucks, lying about having fixed problems, having no point person to communicate with throughout the process, and having the most inane website portal for your move. I absolutely regret using this trash box of a company; I actually hate them. The movers were, for the most part, the only saving grace. Too bad FlatRate pays them peanuts. read more
6 years ago
"All inclusive upfront" "All prices are inclusive of any additional labor" "You'll never wonder what stairs cost" Really? During my move, the mover realized something would need to be carried down the stairs - this should not be a big deal as I told my rep Brian D. that there would very likely be things that do not fit in the elevator and need to be carried down the stars. However, the mover did not expect to have to carry anything down stairs. midway through a stressful move day, I was told by the lead mover, who was unable to effectively communicate with me, something about "pay more" and he seemed very pissed off. I then received a phone call from Flatrate telling me that in addition to my "Flatrate" $2100 guaranteed quote, I would need to pay an additional $1600 for the items that would need to be carried down the stairs, but she would lower it to $1000. That is a 77% increase from the original quote she would lower to a 48% increase?!?!?!?!? She told me that no amount of stair carrying was included in my original quote - if that was true, then shame on Brian D. for not including it when I disclosed it to him. However, I should not be held accountable for his mistake. The menacing tactic from their on site team-lead and manipulative phone call from their client service woman while I was mid-move - quoting me a totally random dollar amount based on nothing - a completely assumed addition to the stair walking with zero assessment of what actually needed to be carried down the stairs. In the end, there was very little stair carrying of not heavy objects -but long objects that could not be angled into the elevator. I calculated that for the long but low weight items they actually ended up carrying down the stairs they were charging $50 per walk down the steps or $1000/hr. That is unjustifiable in any situation. Having assessed exactly what was carried down the stairs, I feel the additional charge to be completely is unjustified. I spoke with Brian N. from customer service the following day and he agreed to refund the additional charge and told me that I would see the refund within 10days. Its now 21 days later and several follow up emails and phone calls. Nobody responds to email, its challenging to get somebody to pick up the phone - and when they do they hang up on you after tone policing you. Yes, I am pissed off! You have essentially levied an incorrect charge to my account and not put it back after 21 days (16biz days). The level of unprofessionalism is staggering - only to be beat out by their kindergarten level client interaction skills. IT seems the entire vibe there is to pass the buck to the next person who then offers no help. Somebody called O'Brien D. hung up on me when I tried to get additional information from him about what he was going to do to ensure my money is refunded. He felt I was yelling at him and clearly is unable to handle a person pushing him for additional information. Pretty thin skin for a Quality Assurance person. Bottom line, I would 100% NOT recommend Flatrate. Moving day is stressful enough. To be dealing with a 77% increase in pricing call mid-move when there has been 1) badly assessed original quote 2) no assessment whatsoever about what might actually need to be carried down the stairs and then 3) promising a refund and not getting it more than 11 days after it was promised is NOT WORTH IT. They deserve the low reviews they have here. If you did do a move with Flatrate, I would highly recommend trying to speak with Frankie - as she seems to be the only person there with integrity. But I still do not have my refund. read more
7 years ago
wow. In the process of looking around for a moving company and made the mistake of contacting FlatRate for a quote. The guy I spoke to should absolutely be fired. He was incredibly unprofessional and spent the duration of the 5 minute call swearing and complaining about the first person I spoke to for not having gotten certain information from me prior to transferring the call. Needless to say this is a hard no for me. read more
6 years ago
DO NOT USE FLAT RATE!!!! I cannot stress this enough. I paid for a cross country move and this inept company sent me all the wrong stuff. Literally none of the stuff in their truck was mine. I lost an entire months worth of rent because of these people. Here's the best part, its IMPOSSIBLE to get anyone on the phone who can actually help you if you ever have an issue. So again, DO NOT USE FLAT RATE. They put minimal efforts into their jobs and don't care about the customer. ZERO STARS!!! read more
6 years ago
I never write reviews but this was truly OUTSTANDING. I used them as a referral from a friend but of course you never know what the service will be like depending on the movers. I had Pablo Santos and Ricardo Munez as my movers who were COMPLETELY brilliant. Having moved 6 times, I can wholeheartedly say this was the best move i've ever had - they even showed up early to help!! Really really wonderful, can't say enough good things about these two movers. p.s. Happy Birthday Pablo! read more
5 years ago
This is the worst moving company I have ever used. Do not use them. They took almost 12 hrs to "pack" a 1 bedroom apartment and we had to do most of the packing ourselves because they were so useless. They were rude and incompetent. Afterwards, the company was a nightmare in terms of customer service. It took many many follow ups over several weeks to hear back about anything. I have no idea if my stuff will even arrive when I need it to and in one piece. This was a move from CA to NY. My friend also tried to use this company and they did not even show up on their scheduled move-out day. Use literally any other company -- this is absolutely the worst experience I have ever had. read more
5 years ago
I used FlatRate Moving at my sister's recommendation, but I had a nightmare experience with them. There are so many movers in New York that I don't think it's worth the chance that you get a team like the one I did. I've detailed the issues below, but the short version is that they caused about $1,100 in damage and FlatRate Moving reimbursed me for less than a quarter of the value. I provided credit card statements and product links, and I explained the slew of other problems, but they told me that it's my cost to bear. I've already warned 4 friends who are moving this summer, and will advise anyone looking for movers to go somewhere else if they are looking for a professional, competent team. -- Though my arrival window was from 1-3, the movers showed up at 10 in the morning. I spoke with customer service and was told them would return during the actual appointment. -- When the movers returned, the foreman was very unpleasant. Right when he walked in the door, he started giving a speech about tips. I told him not to worry, and then he still continued because he wanted cash, rather than a tip through the app. Considering he hadn't even started the job, I found this unprofessional and generally in bad taste. -- He also complained that the building was a walk-up, even though it was 2 flights of stairs and disclosed prior to the moving day. He also complained that my boxes were too heavy, and complained that too many boxes contained books. He also took issue with the fact that my desk and dining table needed to be taken apart to fit out of the door, but I would have thought that most people require this service. The foreman also made awkward comments to his colleague about his manliness, which seemed better left unsaid. -- The foreman removed his mask and as this was prior to the CDC's recent guidance, it made me uncomfortable since we were strangers and of course, we were indoors. -- When he said they were finished moving things out, I had to remind him of items that he had missed. He also gave me a hard time about a few small items (stick vacuum, two-step stepladder, 10 liter garbage can) because they were not on my inventory. I showed him an email that I had sent to the company about the extra items, and the acknowledgement email that these items were fine to include. He said the person I emailed didn't know anything because he was just a customer service representative and not present on the moving day. I asked who else I was supposed to tell, if not the person who had taken my inventory. As I was clearly annoyed, he finally agreed to take the items. -- I left the apartment at 2.30, when the foreman said they were finished. When I got to the lobby, I saw all of my possessions scattered on the sidewalk rather than loaded into the truck. -- I arrived at the new apartment at 3, but the movers did not get there until 5.30. I called twice during this period. The first time, the foreman said that they had gotten lost and the second time, he said they were nearly there, though they didn't arrive for another 40 minutes. I was very stressed because I had communicated to FlatRate and the actual movers several times that my reservation for the service elevator was from 4-6. -- When they came up to the apartment, they told me that they had broken a bottle of wine. I had labeled every fragile box as "Fragile" on each side of the box, and the boxes containing wine also said so on the outside. I also included arrows on every side of the box showing which side needed to be up. As they were moving boxes into the apartment, they were moving fragile boxes opposite to the arrows -- upside down, on their sides, etc. so it's no wonder that my things were broken. -- They also told me that they broke a leg off of my marble desk. I spoke with customer service, who said they would repair the leg for free. The day before it was supposed to be re-delivered to me, FlatRate called and said the desk was damaged beyond repair because they had also cracked the marble top. Needless to say, marble is not particularly fragile and I was entirely confused how they managed to destroy the desk so completely. This item was over $950 and they only reimbursed me $139 - 60 cents for each pound it weighed and an extra $100 as a "courtesy." I had showed them the original credit card statement, the link to the product, and the cost of the replacement order to prove its value. They declined to increase the reimbursement and ignored my 3 requests to speak with a supervisor. -- When I unpacked, I also saw that they had broken a marble wine rack. Again, not particularly fragile and it was wrapped in bubble wrap anyway to prevent scratching. It was a pile of rubble when I opened the bubble wrap. -- FlatRate also refunded me $125 for all of the issues I experienced during my move. As long as this review seems, I haven't even included all the problems I had, but I am out of pocket for over $800... read more
10 years ago
What a joke. I used Flat Rate moving a year ago. When I did this it was a relatively easy process except the movers showed up they were combative and actually when they moved me into my new apartment they broke a $1 lighting panel, but instead of telling me about it the mover kicked it under the refrigerator. I am moving again now, and I would have never even written this review except for the way their "sales people" handle e-mail exchange with me. They quoted me a price for my move and when I asked why my new move was roughly $330 more expensive than the first time I had moved with them (with far less furniture), they couldn't explain to me why the price had changed so drastically. Then the sale rep continued to mock me via e-mail. As a sales professional myself, I was pretty appalled with this level of customer service. Happy to read others have had a good experience with them but I would much rather use: - Great Movers - Empire Movers - Katz Moving All cheaper than Flat Rate and customer service was PRIMO! read more
7 years ago
flatrate movers flatrate losers!! are the worst!!!!don't do it!! the rude crew who took my antique chandeliers whilst we were moving and placed them in storage kept no record of them . when we went to collect them they had lost over $34,000! of chandeliers and refused to reimburse us the full amount! despite a phone call from them to to say they were going to "do right' they have not!! do not use them for storage. its a shame the new move crew we had were lovley and professional movers but the management stinks!! only work with them if you can afford to have your stuff 'fall of the back of a truck'!! read more
5 years ago
They sent me a contract for a FLAT RATE price (you know, hence the name?) which I signed, the day of the move the movers showed up an hour early which was very stressful--I called the dispatch twice to ask them to come back when we agreed and when I would be ready; dispatch said they would do so, the guys were never contacted according to them--worth noting the guys were subcontractors and did not actually work for Flat Rate and this review is really not a reflection on them. They were nice and mostly helpful but left a box behind. Then I was charged 45 dollars more than the FLAT RATE I was guaranteed, per my contract. I have yet to be refunded despite being told by their customer service 5 weeks ago I would receive the refund within 10 days. They will be hearing from my attorney. Save yourself the trouble. read more
6 years ago
Do not use this company under any circumstances! We hired Flat Rate Movers and were led to believe that we had paid for and were purchasing full coverage for our entire move. They damaged or lost many of our thing. Our representative told us, much to our shock, that he only included full coverage on a portion of our move. Eight boxes of our things were lost or stolen without a trace. Several items of furniture were damaged beyond repair. We made a claim to the company for a total of $4,570. The company offered us $500 as a full settlement. We appealed this and they have denied our appeal after weeks of asking. They may be cheap, but the long term cost may be very high. They are simply terrible! read more
7 years ago
DO NOT BOOK FLAT RATE, EVER! To say our move was a disaster is a total understatement. What should have been a happy day of moving into our new house, turned into a 15 hour ordeal in which myself, my husband and my father in law became part of the crew moving our house. To start off, Flat Rate only sent 4 movers for what should have been a 6-8 person job. Upon arrival, the foreman immediately said he didn't think all of our things would fit in the van they brought. This was alarming as we had an in person estimate done with one of their sales guys. I called Flat Rate to find out what would happen if it didn't fit and got no real answer from the person I spoke to. Several hours later, I realized that we were not going to make it with the two trucks, so I called again to ask for another truck and more people as things were moving very slowly. I was told by dispatch that they were working on it and they would call us back. The foreman also called several times to ask for more help and a third truck, he also told me dispatch would call me back. Not only, did we never get any additional help, but we also never got another truck and I never heard a word from dispatch. We have two young children (5 & 7) who had to eventually get to bed and camp the next day, which I was very worried about as we were hours behind schedule. At a certain point, I had to give up calling, roll up my sleeves and help the movers otherwise we were never getting out of there. At 3:30 the crew discussed the items from our garage that didn't fit (which was considerable; a deck box, an outdoor play house, 6 bikes, and NUMEROUS other things) and said we would drive the 1 hour to our new house and a truck would go back to pick up the other items. Which meant we would be down to two guys for 3-4 hours between 7-11pm! I very much appreciated the crew's willingness to work OT to get our stuff into the new house, but there is just frankly no way they should have been put in the position to make that call. They should have had help and an accurate estimate that would have allowed us to avoid a third trip. Oh and in case you're wondering, the inventory list flat rate has, matched our exactly. At 9:30, one of the bedrooms was finally ready and so I created a makeshift sleepover for the two kids and put them to bed on mattresses without sheets. After MANY MORE HOURS, we finally finished at 1am. The crew said they had to report back to work at 7am, which was unfathomable to me as they still had to get back, clear out the truck and get home themselves. The movers were very nice guys and to be honest, we felt bad for them that they had to deal with this, it was absolutely awful. Because of Flat Rates horrible planning, we felt compelled to give the movers an enormous tip that I would not normally have given had things not gone until 1am. The next day, we placed several calls to dispatch and were made to wait on 15+ minute holds before being told the manager would call us back. Naturally, we never received a call back. We did however receive a text from Flat Rate asking how our move went and to leave our comments here, so I had to oblige. I have never in my life been compelled to write a bad review for a company, so this is a first for me. Our experience with Flat Rate was absolutely the worst experience with any movers or customer service company period. DO NOT BOOK FLAT RATE. read more
5 years ago
These movers were absolutely fantastic they were friendly available extremely careful in packing and loading my materials and in unloading on the other end I could not be happier with their service they were simply fantastic read more
7 years ago
The packers and movers were great. No damage to items and they were timely and efficient. HOWEVER. The customer service was atrocious! No one did an onsite or video of how much stuff we had. We were spot on for furniture items, but because no one saw the amount of stuff we had, they underestimated the number of boxes we'd need and we ended up being charged 30% more than they quoted us for a long distance move. No apologies, no return phone calls, no NOTHING. I WAS a multiple time repeat customer, but I will never use or recommend them again. Such a shame... read more
5 years ago
Flat rate has the worst customer service ! Do not recommend !!! They were late in delivery, promised a credit and then nothing total bait and switch to mitigate in the moment ! read more
5 years ago
Cancelled the same day as the move. Horrible experience. Do not use this company. Completely ruined my move and cost me thousands to find another company last second. read more
5 years ago
ZERO STARS!!! https://lnkd.in/e_iCK7-g LOVE IT OR TWEET IT! Don't EVER use FlatRate Moving when you are moving. I had the WORST experience with them when I moved on July 15th. AND NOT ONE person from their company has picked up the PHONE to APOLOGIZE STILL!!! NOBODY ANSWERS THE PHONE THERE EITHER. 1. They were 2 Hours Late the day the came to my apartment to pick up my belongings. 2. They said my belongings would be stored in an indoor secure facility. THEY WERE left in the moving truck in an OUTDOOR parking lot for 3 nights in extreme heat and pouring rain and the truck LEAKED all inside and all over my things. ALL WET BOXES and DAMAGED /DESTROYED 2 Mirrored Pieces of furniture that they ONLY had wrapped in blankets/No protection at all and an irreplaceable Buddha statue that was a special gift. 3. The minute the movers walked into my apartment it REEKED of MARIJUANA. UNACCEPTABLE and UNPROFESSIONAL. Do that on your own time. 4. Could not reach anyone on the phone during any of the stress going on on both the move out day and move in day. It was AWFUL and the WORST customer service I have ever experienced. 5. They are REFUSING to compensate me for the 3 nights they had a leaking truck hold my things. I did not sign any contract agreeing to have my things sitting OUTDOORS let alone in LEAKING Truck. Not to my mention the $1000 value of the 3 things they DESTROYED. So because they have ignored me since that day, I thought it would be best I shared my experience immediately so others do not suffer the way I have. FlatRate Moving You should be ASHAMED of yourselves. read more
7 years ago
Our moving experience was excellent. Bernardo G. of E97 Elite group of Flat Rate showed up at 8:30am with 4 people who were ready to go! They walked through the 3 bedroom apartment and made a plan for the move. They worked efficiently and carefully and there were absolutely no issues. They offered to move or fix anything we had, even if it was not on the list. They took apart the Queen size bed and put it exactly back together within a short period of time. We ever put things in storage and they wrapped the chairs and met me at the storage unit to place the items in our unit. The four men that came to move us were friendly, courteous and professional. We would HIGLY recommend them as a top moving service! read more
6 years ago
TLDR: Do not choose FlatRate. I chose them because they were recommended by a close friend who'd had a good experience. So a "good experience" seems possible, but is a crap shoot: You do not want to be on the losing end. You could receive an extremely unprofessional, negligent, incompetent FlatRate team that significantly damages your furniture and takes +12 hours to move a 650 sq foot apartment (2BR) 1-mile away, with everything already boxed up. That could be followed by a year-long attempt to get a disinterested and insensitive customer service and incompetent claims department to take responsibility and respond appropriately to the horrible experience, instead dodging your calls, giving you misinformation and refusing to compensate you for the equal value of your items that their teams damaged in your move. I'm sure there are good and bad experiences with every mover. But I'd like to believe that if I could go back in time a year, and had the benefit of reading a review like this among all the mixed reviews, I would have chosen a different mover. Good luck and be well. read more
9 years ago
Overall great move experience. They were very well organized, contacted and confirmed move details multiple times via email and by phone. They handled the paperwork with my building directly for insurance which was nice. Move team was quick, professional and had us moved 1 bedroom NYC to a 2 bedroom NYC move done in appr. 5 hours. I also like that they guarantee the price so you don't get the sticker shock after moving. Their final bill actually came in a bit lower then the price they quoted (still no cheap but I did comparison shop and the quotes were pretty much inline with others) read more
5 years ago
I cannot get anyone to call me back regarding my appeal claim. I have emailed and called Brian Nalty, head of customer service, on NUMEROUS occasions over the past month and he does not respond. The appeals department will not provide information regarding the qualifications of the service provider for the repair quote. I have antiques that require an experienced craftsman. Neither sales, nor customer service return calls and this is an incredibly frustrating experience. read more
3 years ago
Where do I begin? How about the minute the foreman walked into my apartment and complained vociferously that this was a bigger job than he expected and it would "cost extra" ("flat rate" be damned). Nevermind I took pictures of every item (other than boxes) and gave dimensions (including length, width and height). I even checked the box agreeing to pay for insurance in case they broke anything. They broke the molding off some antique furniture, and the foreman told me to "get some crazy glue" to fix it (nevermind I insured against this) They were also not able to fit the couch out the door (same one it was delivered through), and the foreman asked if they assembled it in my apartment (who does this?). The couch was included in the "fixed" price of the move, and I still paid for it (note the total number of boxes was considerably less than I actually packed but it was a "flat rate"). I was told a carpenter would need to disassemble the couch, which would cost another $300 (paid in advance). He came the next day, sized it up, and sailed it out the door in about 15 minutes (no disassembly required). I was told they would refund the extra $300 which they never did (and lied to the credit card company after very long stall tactics). I've moved enough times (Philly to Florida to Connecticut to the financial district to Greenwich Village) to know movers generally suck (other than "Darling Movers" from CT to NYC in 2003), but I found this to be a particularly bad experience. I did try to call Ryan Darling (his real name), but he long since moved on from the moving business. read more
This is my 57th review and I pride myself on being fair and even handed. While I have not always been delighted with the services I have received, I have never called a company deplorable- nor would I do so lightly. I was having my apt painted and floors redone so needed to have my furniture removed, hence my call to Flat Rate. I carefully planned the timing of the painters, flooring install, and the movers (even allotting a few days"wiggle room") as I was having people over for Passover and Easter. The first group of movers pick up my furniture to bring to Flat Rates' warehouse in NJ. A little over a week later, they were to be returned. The second group of movers arrive and were almost finished, when I was advised that there was "a problem." I accompany him to my lobby where I find my very expensive side buffet, upside down with the back leg and adjoining area smashed to pieces. He admitted this was his fault and that it occurred days before when loading my furniture from the warehouse into the truck. I asked why someone from Flat Rate didn't call me prior to delivery? He was instructed to deliver it broken, and to advise me to file a clam. This was the first red flag- Flat Rate was aware they damaged my furniture and yet, for some inexplicable reason, felt no obligation to let me know beforehand? I called customer service immediately and assumed they would be as concerned as I was. I assumed incorrectly - their response was "oh, sorry -fill out the form and send it back to us". I filled out the form, included photos, and a receipt which shows the cost of the piece.They also ask for the weight - which is absurd. Not sure about all of you, but I can't for the life of me remember when I weighed a piece of my furniture. Clearly another red flag. Saying I was devastated about the damage that Flat Rate caused would be an gross understatement. Just to clarify, if this were a piece from Crate & Barrel, sure I would be upset, but we are talking about a piece that was bought as an investment, and over $6,900. Since I was aware of the value, I opted for their insurance which was to cove me for $10,000. I receive an ambiguous email from their Customer Service Dept - I say ambiguous as it was signed "customer service" (no actual name of a person to follow-up with). They tell me to contact "their vendor" All Furniture Services so they can come and assess the damage. AFS arrives three days later - the guy tells me how great he is, and that he can "fix it" Fix it? Even if AFS were miracle workers and could "fix it", the piece would no longer have the same value. To add insult to injury, I needed to call 20 people to tell them to find alternative arrangements for the holidays as I now have a large piece of furniture sitting in my kitchen, and my kitchen furniture in my living room, so clearly I cannot have people over- another big thank you to Flat Rate from my friends & family whose holiday plans were cancelled the day before! I then receive an email to advise that my claim is now "closed". They have graciously decided to offer me $250.00 as a "courtesy". So Flat Rate just damaged a $6,900 piece of furniture, and their idea of settling my claim is to offer me $250.00? They said I can have it repaired by AFS for $450.00. As per Flat Rate, I have a $500.00 deductible so while they state that they will "repair or replace any damaged furniture", in actuality, you are the one who pays for the repair. I am far from obtuse so what am I missing here? I still have the broken piece of furniture in my kitchen (where their men promptly dumped it) and my apartment looks as though I just moved-in, instead of just being redone. Flat Rate is not disputing that the caused the damage - so the big question is why would any reputable company not take responsibility and offer to replace the piece? They are under the misconception that an offer of $250. will cover my inconvenience Inconvenience doesn't even begin to describe what I have been through - all due to Flat Rates' negligence. They have decided to wash their hands of the matter, I on the other hand have not. I called Customer Service to ask for the name/email address for someone on their management team. Nope sorry - "we cannot provide that information" I work in management for one of the largest privately owned companies in the U.S. We gladly provide contact info for anyone in our company. Why? - because any company with integrity actually WANTS to hear from their customers -whether for a compliment or complaint. That is what good companies do. That is what ethics and good business practices are all about. Clearly Flat Rate has none. read more
13 years ago
Wow! I've never met such rude and obnoxious movers! As a designer, I am constantly obtaining quotes to move a mansion full of high-end and custom furniture all over the country, and NEVER has a mover demanded that I call them (only to say exactly what my email stated), been interrupted constantly, and then been "forced" to provide my exact address so they can assess my goods. When I told them that I wasn't comfortable providing my address at the moment, but since they had the city and state, it should be sufficient for an estimate, the lady on the other end started telling me that I'm naive and I didn't know how these things work. All in all, if you're thinking about using FlatRate, do yourself a favor and DON'T. They also refuse to address any comments and concerns. With the popular of social media and companies always reaching out to you and your complaints, this is a big red flag... Sounds like they don't care about you (and your stuff), just your money. read more
Kudo's to Nina C. for her highly detailed and well written review of FlatRate. Her review was what led me to go with FlatRate as my moving company of choice. Link to Nina's review... http://www.yelp.com/biz/flatrate-moving-new-york#hrid:xAwLUbnjTpm6mKdxbM3jaQ Moving is a stressful thing... Whether it's packing, organizing, discovering stuff you didn't know you owned (and questioning why you are in possession), it's serious business. All jokes aside, who wants to do heavy lifting of unbalanced objects when you're already putting in 8 hours a week in the gym? Leave the back breaking stuff to the pros! After having organized & packed all of our belongings, the difficult part of moving boxes up and down 13 stories, renting a van, purchasing liability and property damage insurance, and refueling the rental vehicle made the entire process a nightmare. Luckily, hiring FlatRate resolved most of these issues as the moving & shipping of our personal belongings would be rendered their responsibility. After calling FlatRate Moving, I was introduced to a Relocation Consultant named Mark Soules. Mark was extremely instrumental in organizing the details of our move. His thorough detailed questioning ranging from # of stories in the building, # of objects moved, moving locations, and approximate room size of moved items helped with accurately computing a highly competitive quotation. The best part about the discussion with Mark was there was no pressure to immediately finalize the offered quotation. Mark was also highly informative of their limits of insurance offered for any property damages observed during the move (to both the moving facilities and personal possession items). Furthermore, Mark's rundown of how the move was going to take place outlined his knowledge of the operation. His extensive display of professionalism made the decision to go with FlatRate an easy one. From the 4 business days leading up to the move, Mark was in frequent contact to finalize the exact # of items transported as well as my decision on the preferred form of payment. The constant follow ups made for a smooth moving experience. In many ways, the client relationship and frequent follow ups conducted by Mark renders praise of FlatRate's business model in serving the needs of the customer in going above and beyond what's required. Moving day arrived and the movers showed up on time. Both of the movers were extremely professional with their introductions, instructions on paper work provided, and how the process would proceed. The movers possessed all of the moving accessories ranging from dollies, packing tape, blankets, and plastic covers for mattresses. The movers took no more than 45 minutes to removal all objects from our location and onto the moving truck. This is generally unheard of and speaks wonders to the movers' expertise and experience. Although the transition was slightly delayed, the movers were in frequent contact to inform me of their location. I received 4 calls during the transition period informing me of their status. Once arriving at the new location, the movers were quick to transport all objects from the moving truck into the new abode. Furthermore, the movers replaced the bed frame, box spring, and mattress in its original form. The entire moving in process took no more than 30 minutes. Needless to say, a hefty tip was rendered to both the movers for their excise level of communication and courtesy rendered towards our personal possessions. I am certain I will move again within the next 2 to 3 years. If so, I'll be assured to call Mark & FlatRate Moving again. The ease of using their service made the move better than I could have imagined. read more
6 years ago
HORRIFIC experience! DO NOT USE THIS company! Unfortunately I had to move due to an unexpected emergency & this terrible company was the only one available for the move & now it makes sense why... because no one wants to put their valuable & investments in these careless peoples hands. It has been a complete nightmare of an experience from the moment the movers arrived to my apartment in NYC, they were late ( after I had emphasized on the fact that I was on a strict schedule due to a flight) I paid for them to pack my items, however all that was down was my valuables being DUMPED into random sized boxes, the movers were seen on camera by my doorman smoking a joint out by the truck instead of packing my belongings, they didn't seal any of the boxes prior to removing them from my apartment and they said this is common practice, due to their negligence with time management I was forced to leave several items behind and still missed my flight, I then received unexpected charges did additional boxes which was caused by the unprofessional movers dumping random items in boxes instead of properly packing, I was charged over $300 in additional fees, I then paid for storage in Manhattan meanwhile the placed my items all the way up in the Bronx, I went to check on my items and the place was FILTHY, my boxes were covered in dirt & rodent feces!! Finally I called to have my items shipped to the final destination and I was given a 5date range March 1st- 5th. I didn't hear from anyone so I called on the 4th for an update and they said they changed the delivery and weren't sure when my items would arrive, then a week later I received an email saying my items would arrive the next day which was exactly one week after the original date! The movers arrived on Friday March 12th... my couch was ruined with filthy hand marks all over them, my designer lounge chair was ruined, my mirror was shattered, two lamps were shattered, my nightstand was broken, my headboard is broken, my Chanel bag was shoved into the bottom of a box and needless to say RUINED! A set of kitchen supplies all shattered, my Chanel sunglasses missing. I have called and emailed over 11 times and currently on hold as I type this and not one person has returned my call! I plan to submit a claim with the BBB and intend to file a complaint with the NY Attorney General's Office of Consumer Protection, but also felt compelled to write this review to save anyone that is planning a move from this NIGHTMARE!!!!! This place is a complete scam please save your money, time & personal valuables by not using them!! I have attached one photo for now but will be more than happy to share the rest! P.S I would give them ZERO stars but can't on here read more
13 years ago
Well, here we go. Sorry to be the bad guy. I'm currently filling out claims forms with Flat Rate Moving and its looking to be adding up to $2000 in damage after a long distance move from Providence, RI to Los Angeles, CA. This was for a cross country, one bedroom move, with FRM providing one month of free storage. I realize that these huge moves come with their risks, but the damage that we experience was clearly a product of negligence and irresponsibility. Upon arrival in Los Angeles, multiple boxes had clearly seen some EXTENSIVE water damage. Boxes were crushed, deformed, and ripped due to the soaking they received somewhere along the way. The boxes contents (books, household items, and clothes) were not only musty and damp, but had extensive mold damage throughout. Blue, black, green, grey 0 you name the color mold and it was present. Whoever handled these boxes could easily seen their state and made a report, or took note. Some boxes had been clearly opened, checked on, and re-wrapped with shrink wrap. I held a grey hoodie up the sun - and it almost had a tie-dyed appearance from the difference colors of molds. I am NOT happy with the move. While I'm half way through their claims process, I can easily say that I wont be using Flat Rate again and now understand why their price seemed so competitive to other movers (Oz Moving, PODS, Door To Door, Allied). Very disappointed to lose items that meant a lot to us. Please consider different companies if going cross country or when using their storage. UPDATE: 10/31/13 - Flat Rate has contacted me twice since my claims was put in. I have contacted them 7 times, with TWO of those being a voicemail or email, both extremely vague and uninformative. If you are trying to get a hold of Marilyn in claims, get ready for the phone to ring off the hook. Supposedly my settlement has been completed, but they wont tell me the amount, how I can expect it, or how I follow up after I receive it. This is insane, and this company should have a C rating with the BBB. read more
14 years ago
LONG DISTANCE (NYC to SF Bay area) + ONE BEDROOM APT 5 star items: - Professional handling: on the day of the moving day, three movers arrived right on time. They were very professional. Handled our belongings very well. Wrapped our furniture with such care and delicacy that I was ashamed of how I used to move my own belongings. My furnitures turned into a gigantic cocoon after they packed it with blankets and saran wrap like things. I was very satisfied with the movers that I gave them huge amount of tips. - Quick loading: We were moving out of 1 bedroom apt and everything (79 small box to large furniture items) was moved out of the apartment in 3 hrs in the morning. 3 star items: - Extra cost1: Because I gave an estimate of how much stuff I would have (instead of having someone visit and estimate), I *really* under estimated. Probably around 100 cu ft. I was charged extra $126 dollars on top of my original quote which I thought was reasonable. I was neutral about this. - Extra cost2: On the day of moving, I was informed that if 18 wheeler cannot access my new place during delivery, there is some extra cost, because they would have to move my stuff from a 18 wheeler to a smaller truck (I think this was either $125 or $250, will double check). This should've been explained to me well when I was getting a quote in the first place, but this wasn't really a huge deal. I found an apartment that meets all their delivery standards. I also later on found out that this was written (in different terms) in the contract which I didn't read understand at the time. So, neutral. 2 star items: - Ridiculously long delivery window or Extra cost3(?): When I called the long distance dispatch agent to schedule my delivery, they gave me **8 DAYS** window. (this is a joke, right?). During any of these days, I will need to be able to receive my delivery. The driver will give me 24 hours notice before the day of the delivery. If I call 2 days before the start of this 8 days window, they will give me 3 days window. If I want to schedule the delivery on a particular day, it will result in **$500 DOLLARS** This really pisses me off. Before my belongings arrive, I would want to stay at some inn which may cost me easily around $500, plus I would have to take a day off if the delivery happens on a weekday. So, it is really a tough call to decide if I want a fixed delivery date (weekends) in advance or not. Tips: When you are asking for a quote, make sure to ask the agent about any unexpected cost during the delivery. I sure didn't do this and this caught me by surprise. Disclaimers: Many reviewers ahead of me mentions how their stuff was still left in a warehouse in the city of their departure. It is written in the contract that until delivery address is provided to the long distance dispatch team, belongings are kept in a warehouse near the "Pick up" location. Hence, figure out where you want your belongings to be delivered at least 2 weeks in advance of when you actually want to move in to your new place. Then, call the dispatch team *fast*. ------------ Sequence of events: 03/30/12 Moved out, start road trip 04/26/12 Arrived in CA 04/27/12 Figured out an address for my new place, called long distance dispatch team and was notified that the earliest delivery window is 5/10~5/17 (14 to 21 days later) 05/02/12 Asked NYC office when my stuff will be loaded, my agent informs me it will be Thursday (5/3/12) 05/03/12 Received an email from storage dept in Brox. saying that I will be charged for until 5/8/12. (I assume that this is when my stuff will finally be loaded to the truck? My agent gaave me the wrong info?) 05/04/12 Received a confirmation email that my stuff will finally be loaded from Bronx storage (When? 5/8?) 05/08/12 I made a phone call and was informed that my stuff will arrive btw 5/12~5/14 5/11/12 Received a phone call from the driver: delivery will happen on 5/12 5/12/12 Items received ------------ The department that I actually dealt with for long distance move: - NYC office (5 stars) - Bronx, NY storage dept (5 stars) - long distance dispatch dept (3 stars a) for not giving me a definitive date until the last minute b) 2 scratches on my furniture) - 2 Delivery persons (4 stars, they were nice, handled my items with good care) read more
13 years ago
Just wanted to quickly point out that they were astronomically expensive for a move from NYC to SF. The movers themselves were actually very friendly, fast, and easy to work with. That part was all fine.... After my items arrived in SF, it took me a few days of intense frustration and looking through everything I packed, but I discovered that somewhere along the way, someone working for them STOLE a laptop I had in one of my boxes. No amount of money can compensate for this, as it had years of personal information, pictures, music, documents, and artwork that can now never be retrieved. Be VERY careful what you put in those boxes and expect that there are thieves working for this company. read more
16 years ago
As we prepared for our long distance move from Brooklyn to Austin, Texas... I was nothing short of terrified. Researching movers proved to be not unlike watching horror movies. Except in this case, the horror film's sequel would be starring you. Then, thanks to yelp we found two prospective movers: FlatRate Moving and A Better Tripp (based out of Houston). Both had stellar reviews, but FlatRate came in slightly less expensive after a in house estimate by Dean. We were more comfortable going with someone local and an in person estimate. Prior to the move, Dean checked in with us often and made adjustments to our inventory and cost as we sold things and changed what we were moving. We were given a move date and were told the movers would arrive between 9-9:30am. A few days before the move (Feb 28th), the long distance department called and confirmed our details and gave us a window (March 6th-13th) during which our things would arrive in Austin. The long distance moving truck would call 24-48 hours in advance to give us the specific delivery time. The day of the move it was raining. At 8:30 the movers called and said they'd be arriving closer to 9:30. They arrived at 9:20am. The movers were all very nice and respectful. We were all quite shocked at how well everything was wrapped. Every single item (including the one's we packed) was wrapped in plastic wrap and then taped by the moving crew. Our lamps, electronics, pictures, and TV were packed by the moving crew. All the furniture was wrapped heavily in moving blankets and then in plastic wrap. Each piece was then numbered and added to a physical inventory. There was a slight miscalculation in the initial moving estimate. Our TV was actually 15 cubic feet instead of 10 after packing by the crew and my bed was 65 cubic feet instead of 45. In addition, we ended up having a few more things than were on the quote, so in total we were over by 50 cubic feet (about $350 extra). We spoke with Dean and was happy to find that there was no arguing or battle. We split it down the middle. They ate their extra 25 cu feet and I payed a little more for mine. We then embarked on an epic road trip which involved stops along the eastern seaboard and the southern united states. Thanks to FlatRate's long distance team and constant communication and updates, we were able to spend our time having fun vs worrying about getting to Austin and waiting. They called us on the 6th and said they would arrive on Thursday the 10th. We then immediately booked it to New Orleans and raged at Mardi Gras until Ash Wednesday. On the 9th, they called and said they would be at our new apartment on the next day at 11am. The next day they were pulled in at 10:55am and patiently waited while we got our keys and finished paperwork. Turns out they were two cousins from Chad and we talked about all the stops they made on the way to us. They were probably the nicest movers I've encountered. Every item that came into the house was checked off of the detailed inventory the original movers created as we packed. Their supervisor called and made sure that we were happy with everything before they took off. In the end, everything made it here exactly as it left Brooklyn. Not one scratch, nick, or dent in anything aside from a crappy $10 box fan that we didn't pack properly. TL;DR: This was the best moving experience I could have hoped for and worth every dime. read more
More info about FlatRate Moving
New York, NY 10010
Kips Bay
Directions
Visit Website
https://www.flatrate.com
Payment methods
Does FlatRate Moving take credit cards?
Yes, FlatRate Moving takes credit cards.
Outdoor Amenities
Does FlatRate Moving have parking?
Yes, FlatRate Moving has parking options. Private Lot Parking, Street Parking
FlatRate Moving Reviews in Other Languages
Ask the Community - FlatRate Moving
Review Highlights - FlatRate Moving
“They were both extremely experienced as evidenced by their efficient and careful packing of our things.”
Mentioned in 30 reviews
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
2,044 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
8 years ago
Update 2: The company made everything right yesterday and finished the move, so I am updating to 2 stars. I will update once I receive payment, should be about 2 weeks. Thank you for correcting this situation! Update: If you have a bad experience with this company, leave a bad Yelp review--it is the only way they will contact you. I received a call from customer service directly after posting, and they were very nice and helpful. They are giving me a partial refund and sending over another truck to finish the move this evening. I agreed to update my Yelp review, and I have removed names. Original review: FlatRate Moving is a SCAM--they did not complete my move, lied, and will not return my calls! This whole move has been a disaster, and the movers lied to my face. The company will not return my calls, nor will the lead mover. I spent $1360 to move one bedroom from Queens to the Bronx, and an additional $300 in tips, and for that amount of payment they won't even dignify me with a call for incomplete service. I'm sure if the move goes well, it's great--but if it doesn't, THEY WILL NOT RETURN YOUR CALLS. First I called on Friday during business hours to update my inventory, as I decided to leave some of the furniture behind, and I had mistakenly told them that it was 4 flights when it was really 2; so I wanted to update this information, but I could not get a hold of anyone. Saturday morning, May 26th, for some reason my card was not going through, so they asked me to go to the bank and get a cashier's check. My lead mover's manager told him he was not permitted to move until I returned. I apologized for the inconvenience and pointed out the things that needed to be moved, which was very clear and all was listed on the inventory. At this point I was happy with the service and not concerned. Then the lead mover called me while I was at the bank and said that he trusted me and would meet me at the new apartment. Had he waited as he was legally instructed by his manager none of this would have happened. My roommate called me when they were getting ready to leave and said that they hadn't packed everything. The lead mover told me that it was just the futon which they were unable to move, and I figured that I didn't care about it. No big deal. So I met them at the new apartment, they were very careful with my things and efficient, so I tipped them each $100. I noticed that some boxes were missing, but they said they had everything and were not able to return. It turns out they WERE able to return, because he said, "We made a big mistake and forgot your bed frame, so we need to go back for it." Great. I'm still happy at this point. I reminded them of a large box (that was with the other boxes) in the living room, a mirror, and 5 boxes in the closet. They said they would make sure they got them. They came back with the one large box and told me that they had already packed the boxes from the closet. I gave them the benefit of the doubt. I returned to my apartment the next day to finish cleaning and found an entire van's worth of boxes that they had not moved, plus a very small nightstand that they had moved out of the bedroom but not to the truck, and a small bookshelf that I had clearly asked them to move and was clearly in the inventory. I called the lead mover and the company and left multiple messages (again during business hours), but nobody returned my calls. Finally I started texting the lead mover and threatening to make formal complaints, at which point he was motivated to call me back and told me he would return the following evening (yesterday, Monday) at 6:00 with his own van to complete the move. Great. I can understand a mistake and was grateful he was willing to correct it. He said he'd call on the way over. So I show up early and wait until 7:30, called and texted multiple times, but he was a no show--he didn't even call to cancel. At this point I have an entire van's worth of furniture and boxes that were not moved, the company will not return my calls, I don't have a car, and I am out $1660 for moving from a one-bedroom to a one-bedroom, both within NYC. Fortunately I have a friend with a van, and I am going to pay him $100 plus dinner to help me finish moving tomorrow evening after work. In summary the company did not complete the job, lied, was then a no-show, and will not return my calls. I can understand if they were to call me back and apologize and give me a partial reimbursement (or better, finish the job), but for the amount I paid and no phone call? Totally unprofessional. BIG SCAM, save your money and go elsewhere. At this point I do not expect anything from them because they are liars who do not follow through on their word. Stay away! I lost a lot of money! This was not an innocent mistake, because my roommates SHOWED them the remaining boxes and they refused to pack them. read more
11 years ago
This is my 57th review and I pride myself on being fair and even handed. While I have not always been delighted with the services I have received, I have never called a company deplorable nor would I do so lightly. I was having my apt painted and floors redone and needed to have my furniture removed for the duration, hence my call to Flat Rate. I carefully planned the timing of the painters, flooring install and the movers; (even allotting a few days of "wiggle room" just in case) as I was having people over for both Passover and Easter. The first group of movers picked up my items to bring them to Flat Rates' warehouse in NJ. A little over a week later, they were to be returned. The second group of movers arrived and were almost finished when I was advised that there was "a problem." The mover asked me to accompany him to my lobby where I found my very expensive side buffet, upside down with the back leg and adjoining area smashed to pieces. He admitted that this was his fault, and that this actually occurred days prior as they were loading my furniture from their warehouse into the truck. I asked why someone from Flat Rate didn't call me prior to delivery? The mover indicated he was instructed to deliver it broken, and to advise me to file a clam. This was the first red flag- Flat Rate was aware that their men damaged my furniture and yet, fir some inexplicable reason felt no obligation to advise me of same. I called their customer service dept immediately and incorrectly assumed they would be as concerned as I was. Their response "oh, sorry - can you please just take some pics, fill out the form and send it back to us." I filled out the form, included photos, a receipt which clearly shows the cost of the piece.They also ask for the weight of the piece which I think is absurd. Not sure about all of you, but I just can't for the life of me remember when was the last time I weighed a piece of my furniture. Clearly another red flag. Saying I was devastated about the damage that Flat Rate caused would be an understatement. Just to clarify, if this were a piece of furniture I purchased from Crate & Barrel, sure I would be upset, but we are talking about a piece of furniture that was bought as an investment and was over $6,900. Since I was aware of the value, I opted for their insurance which valued my property at $10,000. I then receive an ambiguous email from their Customer Service Dept - I say ambiguous as it was signed "customer service" which indicated that I needed to contact their vendor, All Furniture Services, so they can assess the damage. All Furniture arrives three days later, the guy tells me how great he is, and that he can "fix it" Fix it? Even if All Furniture were miracle workers and could "fix it" the piece would no longer have the same value. To add insult to injury, I needed to call 20 people and tell them to find alternative arrangements for the holidays - so another big thank you to Flat Rate from my friends & family whose holiday plans were cancelled the day before. I then receive an email to advise that my claim is "now closed" and they would like to offer me $250.00 as a "courtesy compensation" So Flat Rate just damaged a $6,900 piece of furniture, and their idea of settling my claim is to offer me $250.00? They also advise that I can have it repaired by All Furniture Services for $450.00. As per Flat Rate, I have a $500.00 deductible so while they state that they will repair or replace any damaged furniture, in actuality you are the one who pays for the repair. I am far from obtuse so what am I missing here? I am now sitting with the broken piece of furniture in my kitchen (where their men promptly "dumped" it) although it belongs in my living room. My apt looks as if I just moved in instead of having just been redone. And while the damage was due to Flat Rate's negligence, they have now washed their hands of the matter and feel that an offer of a $250.00 check will cover my inconvenience ( It cost more than $250. to have the piece professional cleaned). Inconvenience doesn't even begin to describe what I have been through and again, all due to Flat Rates' negligence. They have decided to wash their hands of the matter, I on the other hand have not. My next call was again to their customer service, to ask for a name/ email address for someone on their management team. Nope sorry - we cannot provide that information. As someone who works in management for one of the largest privately owned companies in the U.S., we have no issue providing contact info for anyone on our Executive Management Team. Why - because any company with integrity actually wants to hear from their customers -whether for a compliment or a complaint. That is what good companies do. That is what ethics, integrity and good business practices are all about. Clearly Flat Rate h read more
11 years ago
This is my 57th review and I pride myself on being fair and even handed. While I have not always been delighted with the services I have received, I have never called a company deplorable nor would I do so lightly. I was having my apt painted and floors redone and needed to have my furniture removed for the duration, hence my call to Flat Rate. I carefully planned the timing of the painters, flooring install and the movers; (even allotting a few days of "wiggle room" just in case) as I was having people over for both Passover and Easter. The first group of movers picked up my items to bring them to Flat Rates' warehouse in NJ. A little over a week later, they were to be returned. The second group of movers arrived and were almost finished when I was advised that there was "a problem." The mover asked me to accompany him to my lobby where I found my very expensive side buffet, upside down with the back leg and adjoining area smashed to pieces. He admitted that this was his fault, and that this actually occurred days prior as they were loading my furniture from their warehouse into the truck. I asked why someone from Flat Rate didn't call me prior to delivery? The mover indicated he was instructed to deliver it broken, and to advise me to file a clam. This was the first red flag- Flat Rate was aware that their men damaged my furniture and yet, fir some inexplicable reason felt no obligation to advise me of same. I called their customer service dept immediately and incorrectly assumed they would be as concerned as I was. Their response "oh, sorry - can you please just take some pics, fill out the form and send it back to us." I filled out the form, included photos, a receipt which clearly shows the cost of the piece.They also ask for the weight of the piece which I think is absurd. Not sure about all of you, but I just can't for the life of me remember when was the last time I weighed a piece of my furniture. Clearly another red flag. Saying I was devastated about the damage that Flat Rate caused would be an understatement. Just to clarify, if this were a piece of furniture I purchased from Crate & Barrel, sure I would be upset, but we are talking about a piece of furniture that was bought as an investment and was over $6,900. Since I was aware of the value, I opted for their insurance which valued my property at $10,000. I then receive an ambiguous email from their Customer Service Dept - I say ambiguous as it was signed "customer service" which indicated that I needed to contact their vendor, All Furniture Services, so they can assess the damage. All Furniture arrives three days later, the guy tells me how great he is, and that he can "fix it" Fix it? Even if All Furniture were miracle workers and could "fix it" the piece would no longer have the same value. To add insult to injury, I needed to call 20 people and tell them to find alternative arrangements for the holidays - so another big thank you to Flat Rate from my friends & family whose holiday plans were cancelled the day before. I then receive an email to advise that my claim is "now closed" and they would like to offer me $250.00 as a "courtesy compensation" So Flat Rate just damaged a $6,900 piece of furniture, and their idea of settling my claim is to offer me $250.00? They also advise that I can have it repaired by All Furniture Services for $450.00. As per Flat Rate, I have a $500.00 deductible so while they state that they will repair or replace any damaged furniture, in actuality you are the one who pays for the repair. I am far from obtuse so what am I missing here? I am now sitting with the broken piece of furniture in my kitchen (where their men promptly "dumped" it) although it belongs in my living room. My apt looks as if I just moved in instead of having just been redone. And while the damage was due to Flat Rate's negligence, they have now washed their hands of the matter and feel that an offer of a $250.00 check will cover my inconvenience ( It cost more than $250. to have the piece professional cleaned). Inconvenience doesn't even begin to describe what I have been through and again, all due to Flat Rates' negligence. They have decided to wash their hands of the matter, I on the other hand have not. My next call was again to their customer service, to ask for a name/ email address for someone on their management team. Nope sorry - we cannot provide that information. As someone who works in management for one of the largest privately owned companies in the U.S., we have no issue providing contact info for anyone on our Executive Management Team. Why - because any company with integrity actually wants to hear from their customers -whether for a compliment or a complaint. That is what good companies do. That is what ethics, integrity and good business practices are all about. Clearly Flat Rate h read more
11 years ago
This is my 57th review and I pride myself on being fair and even handed. While I have not always been delighted with the services I have received, I have never called a company deplorable nor would I do so lightly. I was having my apt painted and floors redone and needed to have my furniture removed for the duration, hence my call to Flat Rate. I carefully planned the timing of the painters, flooring install and the movers; (even allotting a few days of "wiggle room" just in case) as I was having people over for both Passover and Easter. The first group of movers picked up my items to bring them to Flat Rates' warehouse in NJ. A little over a week later, they were to be returned. The second group of movers arrived and were almost finished when I was advised that there was "a problem." The mover asked me to accompany him to my lobby where I found my very expensive side buffet, upside down with the back leg and adjoining area smashed to pieces. He admitted that this was his fault, and that this actually occurred days prior as they were loading my furniture from their warehouse into the truck. I asked why someone from Flat Rate didn't call me prior to delivery? The mover indicated he was instructed to deliver it broken, and to advise me to file a clam. This was the first red flag- Flat Rate was aware that their men damaged my furniture and yet, fir some inexplicable reason felt no obligation to advise me of same. I called their customer service dept immediately and incorrectly assumed they would be as concerned as I was. Their response "oh, sorry - can you please just take some pics, fill out the form and send it back to us." I filled out the form, included photos, a receipt which clearly shows the cost of the piece.They also ask for the weight of the piece which I think is absurd. Not sure about all of you, but I just can't for the life of me remember when was the last time I weighed a piece of my furniture. Clearly another red flag. Saying I was devastated about the damage that Flat Rate caused would be an understatement. Just to clarify, if this were a piece of furniture I purchased from Crate & Barrel, sure I would be upset, but we are talking about a piece of furniture that was bought as an investment and was over $6,900. Since I was aware of the value, I opted for their insurance which valued my property at $10,000. I then receive an ambiguous email from their Customer Service Dept - I say ambiguous as it was signed "customer service" which indicated that I needed to contact their vendor, All Furniture Services, so they can assess the damage. All Furniture arrives three days later, the guy tells me how great he is, and that he can "fix it" Fix it? Even if All Furniture were miracle workers and could "fix it" the piece would no longer have the same value. To add insult to injury, I needed to call 20 people and tell them to find alternative arrangements for the holidays - so another big thank you to Flat Rate from my friends & family whose holiday plans were cancelled the day before. I then receive an email to advise that my claim is "now closed" and they would like to offer me $250.00 as a "courtesy compensation" So Flat Rate just damaged a $6,900 piece of furniture, and their idea of settling my claim is to offer me $250.00? They also advise that I can have it repaired by All Furniture Services for $450.00. As per Flat Rate, I have a $500.00 deductible so while they state that they will repair or replace any damaged furniture, in actuality you are the one who pays for the repair. I am far from obtuse so what am I missing here? I am now sitting with the broken piece of furniture in my kitchen (where their men promptly "dumped" it) although it belongs in my living room. My apt looks as if I just moved in instead of having just been redone. And while the damage was due to Flat Rate's negligence, they have now washed their hands of the matter and feel that an offer of a $250.00 check will cover my inconvenience ( It cost more than $250. to have the piece professional cleaned). Inconvenience doesn't even begin to describe what I have been through and again, all due to Flat Rates' negligence. They have decided to wash their hands of the matter, I on the other hand have not. My next call was again to their customer service, to ask for a name/ email address for someone on their management team. Nope sorry - we cannot provide that information. As someone who works in management for one of the largest privately owned companies in the U.S., we have no issue providing contact info for anyone on our Executive Management Team. Why - because any company with integrity actually wants to hear from their customers -whether for a compliment or a complaint. That is what good companies do. That is what ethics, integrity and good business practices are all about. Clearly Flat Rate h read more
11 years ago
This is my 57th review and I pride myself on being fair and even handed. While I have not always been delighted with the services I have received, I have never called a company deplorable nor would I do so lightly. I was having my apt painted and floors redone and needed to have my furniture removed for the duration, hence my call to Flat Rate. I carefully planned the timing of the painters, flooring install and the movers; (even allotting a few days of "wiggle room" just in case) as I was having people over for both Passover and Easter. The first group of movers picked up my items to bring them to Flat Rates' warehouse in NJ. A little over a week later, they were to be returned. The second group of movers arrived and were almost finished when I was advised that there was "a problem." The mover asked me to accompany him to my lobby where I found my very expensive side buffet, upside down with the back leg and adjoining area smashed to pieces. He admitted that this was his fault, and that this actually occurred days prior as they were loading my furniture from their warehouse into the truck. I asked why someone from Flat Rate didn't call me prior to delivery? The mover indicated he was instructed to deliver it broken, and to advise me to file a clam. This was the first red flag- Flat Rate was aware that their men damaged my furniture and yet, fir some inexplicable reason felt no obligation to advise me of same. I called their customer service dept immediately and incorrectly assumed they would be as concerned as I was. Their response "oh, sorry - can you please just take some pics, fill out the form and send it back to us." I filled out the form, included photos, a receipt which clearly shows the cost of the piece.They also ask for the weight of the piece which I think is absurd. Not sure about all of you, but I just can't for the life of me remember when was the last time I weighed a piece of my furniture. Clearly another red flag. Saying I was devastated about the damage that Flat Rate caused would be an understatement. Just to clarify, if this were a piece of furniture I purchased from Crate & Barrel, sure I would be upset, but we are talking about a piece of furniture that was bought as an investment and was over $6,900. Since I was aware of the value, I opted for their insurance which valued my property at $10,000. I then receive an ambiguous email from their Customer Service Dept - I say ambiguous as it was signed "customer service" which indicated that I needed to contact their vendor, All Furniture Services, so they can assess the damage. All Furniture arrives three days later, the guy tells me how great he is, and that he can "fix it" Fix it? Even if All Furniture were miracle workers and could "fix it" the piece would no longer have the same value. To add insult to injury, I needed to call 20 people and tell them to find alternative arrangements for the holidays - so another big thank you to Flat Rate from my friends & family whose holiday plans were cancelled the day before. I then receive an email to advise that my claim is "now closed" and they would like to offer me $250.00 as a "courtesy compensation" So Flat Rate just damaged a $6,900 piece of furniture, and their idea of settling my claim is to offer me $250.00? They also advise that I can have it repaired by All Furniture Services for $450.00. As per Flat Rate, I have a $500.00 deductible so while they state that they will repair or replace any damaged furniture, in actuality you are the one who pays for the repair. I am far from obtuse so what am I missing here? I am now sitting with the broken piece of furniture in my kitchen (where their men promptly "dumped" it) although it belongs in my living room. My apt looks as if I just moved in instead of having just been redone. And while the damage was due to Flat Rate's negligence, they have now washed their hands of the matter and feel that an offer of a $250.00 check will cover my inconvenience ( It cost more than $250. to have the piece professional cleaned). Inconvenience doesn't even begin to describe what I have been through and again, all due to Flat Rates' negligence. They have decided to wash their hands of the matter, I on the other hand have not. My next call was again to their customer service, to ask for a name/ email address for someone on their management team. Nope sorry - we cannot provide that information. As someone who works in management for one of the largest privately owned companies in the U.S., we have no issue providing contact info for anyone on our Executive Management Team. Why - because any company with integrity actually wants to hear from their customers -whether for a compliment or a complaint. That is what good companies do. That is what ethics, integrity and good business practices are all about. Clearly Flat Rate h read more
16 years ago
EDIT (March 6): I spoke to Vicky, head of customer service at Flatrate Movers, this week. She saw my yelp review and called me to get more details. I was impressed by the proactive response and her interest in my experience. She assured me that what I described below is not the normal experience, and they have spoken with the movers to remediate the situation. I'm happy now to recommend Flatrate to others, b/c clearly customer satisfaction is their priority. (March 2) We wanted an up-front amount to budget for moving costs, so flatrate seemed ideal. Plus, we investigated 3 other companies and all the quotes seemed to be in the same ballpark. Flatrate got the edge for excellent sales service in assuring us *everything* was included such disassembly & reassembly, extra packing and padding for all the furniture and breakables, and taxes + tolls + expenses. Plus, I thought they might be motivated to work efficiently since there was no hourly rate. I was quoted $950 for *everything* and was told that 4 guys would show up, and it would take around 4-5 hours. We had a 1-br apt on the 2nd floor, and we moved to a 3rd floor walk-up apt. Basic inventory includes bed, 2 dressers, large 8ft ikea wardrobe, couch, 2 desks, 4 chairs, dining table, 2 elfa storage units, 4 bookshelves, 3 large clay planters and @ 30 boxes of stuff. Couple of things to note here: - we told the sales rep that we were moving to a 3rd floor walk-up - we initially forgot to include the 3 clay planters in our inventory list, and we emailed the sales rep 4 days prior to the move to be sure and include these So on the day of the move, we were ready with all the boxes packed and labeled. Our arrival window was 1-3pm and the moving truck arrived at 3pm with 3 movers, apologizing for the delay b/c of problems with the previous move. The foreman was clearly ready to get going since they work on commission and not an hourly rate, as he explained to us several times that day. However, one guy had to sit in the truck the whole time so we only had 2 guys to pack up our apt. The planters were the first thing the foreman complained about - "it's not my responsibility... if anything happens to them, it's not my responsibility b/c that's not on my inventory sheet. That is going to cost you extra." We discussed this for a few minutes, and decided that since we did email the sales rep about the planters, we would be ok for insurance purposes. They moved the planters but didn't add anything to the cost. The movers got everything into the truck in about 2 hours, except for the large ikea wardrobe. That was the next complaint from the foreman... "it's not my responsibility." According to the foreman, he felt like the wardrobe was too risky to move and it would likely break and it wasn't his responsibility, as he kept repeating. We did remind him that it was included in the quote - the disassembly and reassembly in fact - but he was adamant it wasn't his responsibility. Since he was so sure it would not survive the trip, we decided to leave the wardrobe to the next tenant. In hindsight, I guess he wanted to leave it b/c it would take too long to handle and he was in a hurry to finish for the day. So we left the wardrobe - the largest piece of furniture, and likely a chunk of the price quoted. When we arrived at the new apt building, the foreman balked at the walk-up. Apparently, he was not told that the stairs were double flights instead of a straight flight of stairs. We didn't know we had to explain the stairs to the sales rep when we got the quote, but we told him it was a 3rd floor walk-up and it was written on the foreman's papers as a 3rd floor walk-up. The foreman kept balking - "this will cost you extra, someone will have to pay us for this, it takes extra time." So he called flatrate headquarters and talked to them for a while, and then handed the phone to us. We explained that we said 3rd floor walk-up but we didn't know we had to give details about the flights. A few minutes after that call, another rep from flatrate called us again. After much discussion, we were told that sales would have to call us later in the week to discuss how this might impact our final price. We were very upset to hear this since we had left the largest piece of furniture back in the old apartment, with no complaint about getting a refund, and we had been accurate in describing everything in our move. Sales never asked for details like how many stairs are in each flight, etc. That said, the movers worked very hard to get everything upstairs in 2 hours. They finished the day around 8.30pm, so it was about 4 hrs of work and 1.5 hr of transit time. We tipped them 17% on the original cost even though the large wardrobe was left behind. The foreman then took a box of cookies on the counter without even asking me if he could have any - cheeky! read more
8 years ago
We used FlatRate Moving to move our things from a home in Colorado and our home in NYC to our new place in Philadelphia. To put it simply, everything about this move was completely unprofessional and mismanaged. We could not be more disappointed in the lack of service and the aggravation caused at every turn and it ended with our furniture (worth $7k) being delivered broken and a refund of $450 for move that cost just shy of $10k. We submitted a claim and an appeal to the verdict with all information documented with pictures and explanations in powerpoint. Bottom line, a move is stressful enough so you need to work with experienced professionals you can trust. I highly recommend avoiding FlatRate. Here is an outline of our experience: 1) COLORADO PICK UP: After flying from NYC to Colorado explicitly for the confirmed October 27 pickup, the van didn't show in the first few hours of the window. We called FlatRate and were told A) there was no pickup scheduled for that day despite the fact that we had confirmation emails not only from a FlatRate employee but also their automated system and B) the pickup would have to be scheduled later in the week on a day we were no longer in Colorado. After spending time talking with 2 different people at FlatRate, a supervisor told us that the automated system had sent us a pickup confirmation in error and that was a common mistake. He said, "We don't know why it does that, but it does. I'm sorry." This still didn't make any sense to us because despite any malfunction of an automated system, we had written confirmation from our sales rep we had been working with. Additionally, FlatRate had already charged our credit card the day before which only happens when the pickup is confirmed. After making it clear that we were unable to come back on any other day and supervise the items being packed, the supervisor made arrangements for a truck to execute pick up that day. Our whole day was spent re-organizing the move for the planned date and then waiting for the truck to show up. A fundamental error such as the pick up day and window being incorrect (after a human and automated confirmation) is absolutely unacceptable, especially when you live out of state and are taking the time to fly in specifically for the move. 2) PHILADELPHIA DELIVERY: On the receiving end in Philadelphia, the Colorado shipment also proved problematic. We emailed our sales rep and Dejon Reid (VP of Sales!) multiple times to coordinate the delivery date and received confirmation for Nov 19-20. I reached out to both gentlemen on Nov 8 and again on Nov 13 to advise them that the Philadelphia Police Department was only able to give us a parking permit for the delivery truck on Nov 19 so that is the date we needed to lock in. We never heard back from either. On Nov 14 we received an email from an employee saying that our shipment was enroute and there were no delays. On Nov 16 we received an email from the Long Distance Department confirming the shipment was still enroute and the current estimated delivery window was Nov 17-20. With no further information and no response from our sales rep or the VP of Sale about locking in Nov 19, we were forced to call FlatRate on Nov 18. The representative said, "I don't have Nov 19 confirmed and will inform you once we have a date available" implying we had no prior communication with FlatRate about the delivery date whatsoever. We were frustrated beyond belief: how was there no record of the Nov 19-20 window that the VP and the sales rep confirmed and now we were being told there was actually no date on the books at all? We explained the entire situation to the representative who had to escalate our situation only to come back and confirm Nov 19 an hour and half later. I understand that it is difficult for FlatRate to confirm exact dates and times but it should be noted that on Oct 31 the sales rep confirmed a delivery date of Nov 17th via email; so, if he could do it once, why could it not be confirmed again two days LATER than the original planned date and if it couldn't be confirmed why wasn't that communicated to us? Also, we were extremely disappointed that we were emailing with a VP at their company who never responded to our emails after Nov 8 and let our move fall through the cracks to again be dealt with by us, the end customers. 3) CLAIM PROCESS: The claim process was just as bad as the rest of this experience. Filing the claim and then waiting 2 months for FlatRate to tell us they would give us $450 for the $7k worth of items that were damaged was insulting. We then filed an appeal. We were continually told they were still looking into it every time we followed up. Months later still no answer. This is customer service at its worse. If you do decide to use FlatRate, please make sure to get the highest insurance possible. read more
12 years ago
Rating between 2 - 3 stars was debatable. Flat Rate was referred to me by one of my graduate school classmates that had success moving from NYC to MIA. Unfortunately, my experience was not as smooth. I believe generally they are 4/5-star, but my experience was the outlier which I feel no other person, especially someone not covered by corporate expense should endure. On a positive note, the email or phone responsive of the Flat Rate office team is great as is the speed in which items are packed/unpacked, loaded/unloaded by the on-site movers. Also, the paperwork is well laid out. However, the negative is a lack of organization to pack/unpack boxed contents; as well as my move was scheduled against my preferred timing, leading to both inconvenience and inefficiency of delivery plus some of my furniture arrived with damages and all furniture had dust. Also at the end of the first 3-month storage period, I was notified my monthly storage fee would double. I had to refute such gouging and eventually I agreed to a more a nominal increase, but an increase all the same which I found unscrupulous as nothing in original contract said rates could change. It was agreed to in writing and verbally that I would be alerted 48 hours before delivery. Instead not only was it only 24 hour notice, Flat Rate Long Distance decided to proceed with the move on a date when I had tight availability and that my building management could only assign 2 hours use of elevator even though we both requested the day after which was free availability. The movers were there a total of 3 hours and 45 minutes. Given the poor scheduling, I had to take a conference call so I was preoccupied for the first 2 1/2 hours of the move. For what remained, it was difficult to direct the movers due to the missed time and so many items being in my apartment that were brought up to adhere to the 2 hour elevator limit. Also, due to the poor packing of my boxes, and being that I have so many items, it was difficult to properly place items for two reasons, first, the boxes were not detailed in labeling. For instance, books in boxes were labeled to the correct room, but there was no labeling of which shelf, and left to right, based on how it was setup before packing it up. Therefore, without me overseeing, the books were unpacked and haphazardly placed on shelf, mostly back to front. This created aimless work for the movers and extra work for me in completely reorganizing. Second, all furniture had dirt which led me to question were my items not stored wrapped; the dust was caked on. I received no heads up beforehand that this may be the condition they arrive in to prep so unpacking was futile as all furniture had to be thoroughly wiped and sanitized. Given the dust, why would Flat Rate not recommend that I cancel unpacking given their expertise of what condition lengthy stored items might arrive in? Also, many boxes had a mix of items just thrown in without regard for the protection or delicacy of the items, i.e. shoes with lingerie, kitchen items with linens, light fixtures with hair products. I have a lot of things and this move wasn't easy on both ends, however, my contract wasn't just for transporting items, but also fees for packing and unpacking. Including $500 cash tip for the movers on both ends, I absolutely feel jilted. To add insult to injury, a handful of furniture items were delivered scratched with gashes in the wood that were not there prior and two pieces off hinge. Additionally, right after my pickup, I reached out to my booker that the movers left two picture hangings on wall that I specifically asked to be packed; to this date I've received no response, apology or compensation. My Dirt Devil vacuum and Black & Decker drill are missing; as well as the moving blanket I borrowed from a friend seems to have been accidentally taken during unpack. The only thing that got me through the delivery was how great the foreman was. I really wish the packing had been done better so that they could have unpacked better and helped me more because they had such great attitudes. Unfortunately, I had to release them as it was futile due to hapless packing and dirt on the furniture. Plus what they were unpacking actually was creating work. Moving is a strain enough as it is, even more so as a single woman, and without a company covering long distance and the long storage expenses. I am hoping that Flat Rate does the right thing with reparations for the claim and photo documentation I submit. Should you select Flat Rate, please be proactive to ensure you do endure the damages and occurrences I had. Photos are posted to show above. read more
11 years ago
Rating between 2 - 3 stars was debatable. Flat Rate was referred to me by one of my graduate school classmates that had success moving from NYC to MIA. Unfortunately, my experience was not as smooth. I believe generally they are 4/5-star, but my experience was the outlier which I feel no other person, especially someone not covered by corporate expense should endure. On a positive note, the email or phone responsive of the Flat Rate office team is great as is the speed in which items are packed/unpacked, loaded/unloaded by the on-site movers. Also, the paperwork is well laid out. However, the negative is a lack of organization to pack/unpack boxed contents; as well as my move was scheduled against my preferred timing, leading to both inconvenience and inefficiency of delivery plus some of my furniture arrived with damages and all furniture had dust. Also at the end of the first 3-month storage period, I was notified my monthly storage fee would double. I had to refute such gouging and eventually I agreed to a more a nominal increase, but an increase all the same which I found unscrupulous as nothing in original contract said rates could change. It was agreed to in writing and verbally that I would be alerted 48 hours before delivery. Instead not only was it only 24 hour notice, Flat Rate Long Distance decided to proceed with the move on a date when I had tight availability and that my building management could only assign 2 hours use of elevator even though we both requested the day after which was free availability. The movers were there a total of 3 hours and 45 minutes. Given the poor scheduling, I had to take a conference call so I was preoccupied for the first 2 1/2 hours of the move. For what remained, it was difficult to direct the movers due to the missed time and so many items being in my apartment that were brought up to adhere to the 2 hour elevator limit. Also, due to the poor packing of my boxes, and being that I have so many items, it was difficult to properly place items for two reasons, first, the boxes were not detailed in labeling. For instance, books in boxes were labeled to the correct room, but there was no labeling of which shelf, and left to right, based on how it was setup before packing it up. Therefore, without me overseeing, the books were unpacked and haphazardly placed on shelf, mostly back to front. This created aimless work for the movers and extra work for me in completely reorganizing. Second, all furniture had dirt which led me to question were my items not stored wrapped; the dust was caked on. I received no heads up beforehand that this may be the condition they arrive in to prep so unpacking was futile as all furniture had to be thoroughly wiped and sanitized. Given the dust, why would Flat Rate not recommend that I cancel unpacking given their expertise of what condition lengthy stored items might arrive in? Also, many boxes had a mix of items just thrown in without regard for the protection or delicacy of the items, i.e. shoes with lingerie, kitchen items with linens, light fixtures with hair products. I have a lot of things and this move wasn't easy on both ends, however, my contract wasn't just for transporting items, but also fees for packing and unpacking. Including $500 cash tip for the movers on both ends, I absolutely feel jilted. To add insult to injury, a handful of furniture items were delivered scratched with gashes in the wood that were not there prior and two pieces off hinge. Additionally, right after my pickup, I reached out to my booker that the movers left two picture hangings on wall that I specifically asked to be packed; to this date I've received no response, apology or compensation. My Dirt Devil vacuum and Black & Decker drill are missing; as well as the moving blanket I borrowed from a friend seems to have been accidentally taken during unpack. The only thing that got me through the delivery was how great the foreman was. I really wish the packing had been done better so that they could have unpacked better and helped me more because they had such great attitudes. Unfortunately, I had to release them as it was futile due to hapless packing and dirt on the furniture. Plus what they were unpacking actually was creating work. Moving is a strain enough as it is, even more so as a single woman, and without a company covering long distance and the long storage expenses. I am hoping that Flat Rate does the right thing with reparations for the claim and photo documentation I submit. Should you select Flat Rate, please be proactive to ensure you do endure the damages and occurrences I had. Photos are posted to show above. read more
12 years ago
Rating between 2 - 3 stars was debatable. Flat Rate was referred to me by one of my graduate school classmates that had success moving from NYC to MIA. Unfortunately, my experience was not as smooth. I believe generally they are 4/5-star, but my experience was the outlier which I feel no other person, especially someone not covered by corporate expense should endure. On a positive note, the email or phone responsive of the Flat Rate office team is great as is the speed in which items are packed/unpacked, loaded/unloaded by the on-site movers. Also, the paperwork is well laid out. However, the negative is a lack of organization to pack/unpack boxed contents; as well as my move was scheduled against my preferred timing, leading to both inconvenience and inefficiency of delivery plus some of my furniture arrived with damages and all furniture had dust. Also at the end of the first 3-month storage period, I was notified my monthly storage fee would double. I had to refute such gouging and eventually I agreed to a more a nominal increase, but an increase all the same which I found unscrupulous as nothing in original contract said rates could change. It was agreed to in writing and verbally that I would be alerted 48 hours before delivery. Instead not only was it only 24 hour notice, Flat Rate Long Distance decided to proceed with the move on a date when I had tight availability and that my building management could only assign 2 hours use of elevator even though we both requested the day after which was free availability. The movers were there a total of 3 hours and 45 minutes. Given the poor scheduling, I had to take a conference call so I was preoccupied for the first 2 1/2 hours of the move. For what remained, it was difficult to direct the movers due to the missed time and so many items being in my apartment that were brought up to adhere to the 2 hour elevator limit. Also, due to the poor packing of my boxes, and being that I have so many items, it was difficult to properly place items for two reasons, first, the boxes were not detailed in labeling. For instance, books in boxes were labeled to the correct room, but there was no labeling of which shelf, and left to right, based on how it was setup before packing it up. Therefore, without me overseeing, the books were unpacked and haphazardly placed on shelf, mostly back to front. This created aimless work for the movers and extra work for me in completely reorganizing. Second, all furniture had dirt which led me to question were my items not stored wrapped; the dust was caked on. I received no heads up beforehand that this may be the condition they arrive in to prep so unpacking was futile as all furniture had to be thoroughly wiped and sanitized. Given the dust, why would Flat Rate not recommend that I cancel unpacking given their expertise of what condition lengthy stored items might arrive in? Also, many boxes had a mix of items just thrown in without regard for the protection or delicacy of the items, i.e. shoes with lingerie, kitchen items with linens, light fixtures with hair products. I have a lot of things and this move wasn't easy on both ends, however, my contract wasn't just for transporting items, but also fees for packing and unpacking. Including $500 cash tip for the movers on both ends, I absolutely feel jilted. To add insult to injury, a handful of furniture items were delivered scratched with gashes in the wood that were not there prior and two pieces off hinge. Additionally, right after my pickup, I reached out to my booker that the movers left two picture hangings on wall that I specifically asked to be packed; to this date I've received no response, apology or compensation. My Dirt Devil vacuum and Black & Decker drill are missing; as well as the moving blanket I borrowed from a friend seems to have been accidentally taken during unpack. The only thing that got me through the delivery was how great the foreman was. I really wish the packing had been done better so that they could have unpacked better and helped me more because they had such great attitudes. Unfortunately, I had to release them as it was futile due to hapless packing and dirt on the furniture. Plus what they were unpacking actually was creating work. Moving is a strain enough as it is, even more so as a single woman, and without a company covering long distance and the long storage expenses. I am hoping that Flat Rate does the right thing with reparations for the claim and photo documentation I submit. Should you select Flat Rate, please be proactive to ensure you do endure the damages and occurrences I had. Photos are posted to show above. read more
11 years ago
Rating between 2 - 3 stars was debatable. Flat Rate was referred to me by one of my graduate school classmates that had success moving from NYC to MIA. Unfortunately, my experience was not as smooth. I believe generally they are 4/5-star, but my experience was the outlier which I feel no other person, especially someone not covered by corporate expense should endure. On a positive note, the email or phone responsive of the Flat Rate office team is great as is the speed in which items are packed/unpacked, loaded/unloaded by the on-site movers. Also, the paperwork is well laid out. However, the negative is a lack of organization to pack/unpack boxed contents; as well as my move was scheduled against my preferred timing, leading to both inconvenience and inefficiency of delivery plus some of my furniture arrived with damages and all furniture had dust. Also at the end of the first 3-month storage period, I was notified my monthly storage fee would double. I had to refute such gouging and eventually I agreed to a more a nominal increase, but an increase all the same which I found unscrupulous as nothing in original contract said rates could change. It was agreed to in writing and verbally that I would be alerted 48 hours before delivery. Instead not only was it only 24 hour notice, Flat Rate Long Distance decided to proceed with the move on a date when I had tight availability and that my building management could only assign 2 hours use of elevator even though we both requested the day after which was free availability. The movers were there a total of 3 hours and 45 minutes. Given the poor scheduling, I had to take a conference call so I was preoccupied for the first 2 1/2 hours of the move. For what remained, it was difficult to direct the movers due to the missed time and so many items being in my apartment that were brought up to adhere to the 2 hour elevator limit. Also, due to the poor packing of my boxes, and being that I have so many items, it was difficult to properly place items for two reasons, first, the boxes were not detailed in labeling. For instance, books in boxes were labeled to the correct room, but there was no labeling of which shelf, and left to right, based on how it was setup before packing it up. Therefore, without me overseeing, the books were unpacked and haphazardly placed on shelf, mostly back to front. This created aimless work for the movers and extra work for me in completely reorganizing. Second, all furniture had dirt which led me to question were my items not stored wrapped; the dust was caked on. I received no heads up beforehand that this may be the condition they arrive in to prep so unpacking was futile as all furniture had to be thoroughly wiped and sanitized. Given the dust, why would Flat Rate not recommend that I cancel unpacking given their expertise of what condition lengthy stored items might arrive in? Also, many boxes had a mix of items just thrown in without regard for the protection or delicacy of the items, i.e. shoes with lingerie, kitchen items with linens, light fixtures with hair products. I have a lot of things and this move wasn't easy on both ends, however, my contract wasn't just for transporting items, but also fees for packing and unpacking. Including $500 cash tip for the movers on both ends, I absolutely feel jilted. To add insult to injury, a handful of furniture items were delivered scratched with gashes in the wood that were not there prior and two pieces off hinge. Additionally, right after my pickup, I reached out to my booker that the movers left two picture hangings on wall that I specifically asked to be packed; to this date I've received no response, apology or compensation. My Dirt Devil vacuum and Black & Decker drill are missing; as well as the moving blanket I borrowed from a friend seems to have been accidentally taken during unpack. The only thing that got me through the delivery was how great the foreman was. I really wish the packing had been done better so that they could have unpacked better and helped me more because they had such great attitudes. Unfortunately, I had to release them as it was futile due to hapless packing and dirt on the furniture. Plus what they were unpacking actually was creating work. Moving is a strain enough as it is, even more so as a single woman, and without a company covering long distance and the long storage expenses. I am hoping that Flat Rate does the right thing with reparations for the claim and photo documentation I submit. Should you select Flat Rate, please be proactive to ensure you do endure the damages and occurrences I had. Photos are posted to show above. read more
11 years ago
Rating between 2 - 3 stars was debatable. Flat Rate was referred to me by one of my graduate school classmates that had success moving from NYC to MIA. Unfortunately, my experience was not as smooth. I believe generally they are 4/5-star, but my experience was the outlier which I feel no other person, especially someone not covered by corporate expense should endure. On a positive note, the email or phone responsive of the Flat Rate office team is great as is the speed in which items are packed/unpacked, loaded/unloaded by the on-site movers. Also, the paperwork is well laid out. However, the negative is a lack of organization to pack/unpack boxed contents; as well as my move was scheduled against my preferred timing, leading to both inconvenience and inefficiency of delivery plus some of my furniture arrived with damages and all furniture had dust. Also at the end of the first 3-month storage period, I was notified my monthly storage fee would double. I had to refute such gouging and eventually I agreed to a more a nominal increase, but an increase all the same which I found unscrupulous as nothing in original contract said rates could change. It was agreed to in writing and verbally that I would be alerted 48 hours before delivery. Instead not only was it only 24 hour notice, Flat Rate Long Distance decided to proceed with the move on a date when I had tight availability and that my building management could only assign 2 hours use of elevator even though we both requested the day after which was free availability. The movers were there a total of 3 hours and 45 minutes. Given the poor scheduling, I had to take a conference call so I was preoccupied for the first 2 1/2 hours of the move. For what remained, it was difficult to direct the movers due to the missed time and so many items being in my apartment that were brought up to adhere to the 2 hour elevator limit. Also, due to the poor packing of my boxes, and being that I have so many items, it was difficult to properly place items for two reasons, first, the boxes were not detailed in labeling. For instance, books in boxes were labeled to the correct room, but there was no labeling of which shelf, and left to right, based on how it was setup before packing it up. Therefore, without me overseeing, the books were unpacked and haphazardly placed on shelf, mostly back to front. This created aimless work for the movers and extra work for me in completely reorganizing. Second, all furniture had dirt which led me to question were my items not stored wrapped; the dust was caked on. I received no heads up beforehand that this may be the condition they arrive in to prep so unpacking was futile as all furniture had to be thoroughly wiped and sanitized. Given the dust, why would Flat Rate not recommend that I cancel unpacking given their expertise of what condition lengthy stored items might arrive in? Also, many boxes had a mix of items just thrown in without regard for the protection or delicacy of the items, i.e. shoes with lingerie, kitchen items with linens, light fixtures with hair products. I have a lot of things and this move wasn't easy on both ends, however, my contract wasn't just for transporting items, but also fees for packing and unpacking. Including $500 cash tip for the movers on both ends, I absolutely feel jilted. To add insult to injury, a handful of furniture items were delivered scratched with gashes in the wood that were not there prior and two pieces off hinge. Additionally, right after my pickup, I reached out to my booker that the movers left two picture hangings on wall that I specifically asked to be packed; to this date I've received no response, apology or compensation. My Dirt Devil vacuum and Black & Decker drill are missing; as well as the moving blanket I borrowed from a friend seems to have been accidentally taken during unpack. The only thing that got me through the delivery was how great the foreman was. I really wish the packing had been done better so that they could have unpacked better and helped me more because they had such great attitudes. Unfortunately, I had to release them as it was futile due to hapless packing and dirt on the furniture. Plus what they were unpacking actually was creating work. Moving is a strain enough as it is, even more so as a single woman, and without a company covering long distance and the long storage expenses. I am hoping that Flat Rate does the right thing with reparations for the claim and photo documentation I submit. Should you select Flat Rate, please be proactive to ensure you do endure the damages and occurrences I had. Photos are posted to show above. read more
11 years ago
Rating between 2 - 3 stars was debatable. Flat Rate was referred to me by one of my graduate school classmates that had success moving from NYC to MIA. Unfortunately, my experience was not as smooth. I believe generally they are 4/5-star, but my experience was the outlier which I feel no other person, especially someone not covered by corporate expense should endure. On a positive note, the email or phone responsive of the Flat Rate office team is great as is the speed in which items are packed/unpacked, loaded/unloaded by the on-site movers. Also, the paperwork is well laid out. However, the negative is a lack of organization to pack/unpack boxed contents; as well as my move was scheduled against my preferred timing, leading to both inconvenience and inefficiency of delivery plus some of my furniture arrived with damages and all furniture had dust. Also at the end of the first 3-month storage period, I was notified my monthly storage fee would double. I had to refute such gouging and eventually I agreed to a more a nominal increase, but an increase all the same which I found unscrupulous as nothing in original contract said rates could change. It was agreed to in writing and verbally that I would be alerted 48 hours before delivery. Instead not only was it only 24 hour notice, Flat Rate Long Distance decided to proceed with the move on a date when I had tight availability and that my building management could only assign 2 hours use of elevator even though we both requested the day after which was free availability. The movers were there a total of 3 hours and 45 minutes. Given the poor scheduling, I had to take a conference call so I was preoccupied for the first 2 1/2 hours of the move. For what remained, it was difficult to direct the movers due to the missed time and so many items being in my apartment that were brought up to adhere to the 2 hour elevator limit. Also, due to the poor packing of my boxes, and being that I have so many items, it was difficult to properly place items for two reasons, first, the boxes were not detailed in labeling. For instance, books in boxes were labeled to the correct room, but there was no labeling of which shelf, and left to right, based on how it was setup before packing it up. Therefore, without me overseeing, the books were unpacked and haphazardly placed on shelf, mostly back to front. This created aimless work for the movers and extra work for me in completely reorganizing. Second, all furniture had dirt which led me to question were my items not stored wrapped; the dust was caked on. I received no heads up beforehand that this may be the condition they arrive in to prep so unpacking was futile as all furniture had to be thoroughly wiped and sanitized. Given the dust, why would Flat Rate not recommend that I cancel unpacking given their expertise of what condition lengthy stored items might arrive in? Also, many boxes had a mix of items just thrown in without regard for the protection or delicacy of the items, i.e. shoes with lingerie, kitchen items with linens, light fixtures with hair products. I have a lot of things and this move wasn't easy on both ends, however, my contract wasn't just for transporting items, but also fees for packing and unpacking. Including $500 cash tip for the movers on both ends, I absolutely feel jilted. To add insult to injury, a handful of furniture items were delivered scratched with gashes in the wood that were not there prior and two pieces off hinge. Additionally, right after my pickup, I reached out to my booker that the movers left two picture hangings on wall that I specifically asked to be packed; to this date I've received no response, apology or compensation. My Dirt Devil vacuum and Black & Decker drill are missing; as well as the moving blanket I borrowed from a friend seems to have been accidentally taken during unpack. The only thing that got me through the delivery was how great the foreman was. I really wish the packing had been done better so that they could have unpacked better and helped me more because they had such great attitudes. Unfortunately, I had to release them as it was futile due to hapless packing and dirt on the furniture. Plus what they were unpacking actually was creating work. Moving is a strain enough as it is, even more so as a single woman, and without a company covering long distance and the long storage expenses. I am hoping that Flat Rate does the right thing with reparations for the claim and photo documentation I submit. Should you select Flat Rate, please be proactive to ensure you do endure the damages and occurrences I had. Photos are posted to show above. read more
11 years ago
Rating between 2 - 3 stars was debatable. Flat Rate was referred to me by one of my graduate school classmates that had success moving from NYC to MIA. Unfortunately, my experience was not as smooth. I believe generally they are 4/5-star, but my experience was the outlier which I feel no other person, especially someone not covered by corporate expense should endure. On a positive note, the email or phone responsive of the Flat Rate office team is great as is the speed in which items are packed/unpacked, loaded/unloaded by the on-site movers. Also, the paperwork is well laid out. However, the negative is a lack of organization to pack/unpack boxed contents; as well as my move was scheduled against my preferred timing, leading to both inconvenience and inefficiency of delivery plus some of my furniture arrived with damages and all furniture had dust. Also at the end of the first 3-month storage period, I was notified my monthly storage fee would double. I had to refute such gouging and eventually I agreed to a more a nominal increase, but an increase all the same which I found unscrupulous as nothing in original contract said rates could change. It was agreed to in writing and verbally that I would be alerted 48 hours before delivery. Instead not only was it only 24 hour notice, Flat Rate Long Distance decided to proceed with the move on a date when I had tight availability and that my building management could only assign 2 hours use of elevator even though we both requested the day after which was free availability. The movers were there a total of 3 hours and 45 minutes. Given the poor scheduling, I had to take a conference call so I was preoccupied for the first 2 1/2 hours of the move. For what remained, it was difficult to direct the movers due to the missed time and so many items being in my apartment that were brought up to adhere to the 2 hour elevator limit. Also, due to the poor packing of my boxes, and being that I have so many items, it was difficult to properly place items for two reasons, first, the boxes were not detailed in labeling. For instance, books in boxes were labeled to the correct room, but there was no labeling of which shelf, and left to right, based on how it was setup before packing it up. Therefore, without me overseeing, the books were unpacked and haphazardly placed on shelf, mostly back to front. This created aimless work for the movers and extra work for me in completely reorganizing. Second, all furniture had dirt which led me to question were my items not stored wrapped; the dust was caked on. I received no heads up beforehand that this may be the condition they arrive in to prep so unpacking was futile as all furniture had to be thoroughly wiped and sanitized. Given the dust, why would Flat Rate not recommend that I cancel unpacking given their expertise of what condition lengthy stored items might arrive in? Also, many boxes had a mix of items just thrown in without regard for the protection or delicacy of the items, i.e. shoes with lingerie, kitchen items with linens, light fixtures with hair products. I have a lot of things and this move wasn't easy on both ends, however, my contract wasn't just for transporting items, but also fees for packing and unpacking. Including $500 cash tip for the movers on both ends, I absolutely feel jilted. To add insult to injury, a handful of furniture items were delivered scratched with gashes in the wood that were not there prior and two pieces off hinge. Additionally, right after my pickup, I reached out to my booker that the movers left two picture hangings on wall that I specifically asked to be packed; to this date I've received no response, apology or compensation. My Dirt Devil vacuum and Black & Decker drill are missing; as well as the moving blanket I borrowed from a friend seems to have been accidentally taken during unpack. The only thing that got me through the delivery was how great the foreman was. I really wish the packing had been done better so that they could have unpacked better and helped me more because they had such great attitudes. Unfortunately, I had to release them as it was futile due to hapless packing and dirt on the furniture. Plus what they were unpacking actually was creating work. Moving is a strain enough as it is, even more so as a single woman, and without a company covering long distance and the long storage expenses. I am hoping that Flat Rate does the right thing with reparations for the claim and photo documentation I submit. Should you select Flat Rate, please be proactive to ensure you do endure the damages and occurrences I had. Photos are posted to show above. read more
12 years ago
Rating between 2 - 3 stars was debatable. Flat Rate was referred to me by one of my graduate school classmates that had success moving from NYC to MIA. Unfortunately, my experience was not as smooth. I believe generally they are 4/5-star, but my experience was the outlier which I feel no other person, especially someone not covered by corporate expense should endure. On a positive note, the email or phone responsive of the Flat Rate office team is great as is the speed in which items are packed/unpacked, loaded/unloaded by the on-site movers. Also, the paperwork is well laid out. However, the negative is a lack of organization to pack/unpack boxed contents; as well as my move was scheduled against my preferred timing, leading to both inconvenience and inefficiency of delivery plus some of my furniture arrived with damages and all furniture had dust. Also at the end of the first 3-month storage period, I was notified my monthly storage fee would double. I had to refute such gouging and eventually I agreed to a more a nominal increase, but an increase all the same which I found unscrupulous as nothing in original contract said rates could change. It was agreed to in writing and verbally that I would be alerted 48 hours before delivery. Instead not only was it only 24 hour notice, Flat Rate Long Distance decided to proceed with the move on a date when I had tight availability and that my building management could only assign 2 hours use of elevator even though we both requested the day after which was free availability. The movers were there a total of 3 hours and 45 minutes. Given the poor scheduling, I had to take a conference call so I was preoccupied for the first 2 1/2 hours of the move. For what remained, it was difficult to direct the movers due to the missed time and so many items being in my apartment that were brought up to adhere to the 2 hour elevator limit. Also, due to the poor packing of my boxes, and being that I have so many items, it was difficult to properly place items for two reasons, first, the boxes were not detailed in labeling. For instance, books in boxes were labeled to the correct room, but there was no labeling of which shelf, and left to right, based on how it was setup before packing it up. Therefore, without me overseeing, the books were unpacked and haphazardly placed on shelf, mostly back to front. This created aimless work for the movers and extra work for me in completely reorganizing. Second, all furniture had dirt which led me to question were my items not stored wrapped; the dust was caked on. I received no heads up beforehand that this may be the condition they arrive in to prep so unpacking was futile as all furniture had to be thoroughly wiped and sanitized. Given the dust, why would Flat Rate not recommend that I cancel unpacking given their expertise of what condition lengthy stored items might arrive in? Also, many boxes had a mix of items just thrown in without regard for the protection or delicacy of the items, i.e. shoes with lingerie, kitchen items with linens, light fixtures with hair products. I have a lot of things and this move wasn't easy on both ends, however, my contract wasn't just for transporting items, but also fees for packing and unpacking. Including $500 cash tip for the movers on both ends, I absolutely feel jilted. To add insult to injury, a handful of furniture items were delivered scratched with gashes in the wood that were not there prior and two pieces off hinge. Additionally, right after my pickup, I reached out to my booker that the movers left two picture hangings on wall that I specifically asked to be packed; to this date I've received no response, apology or compensation. My Dirt Devil vacuum and Black & Decker drill are missing; as well as the moving blanket I borrowed from a friend seems to have been accidentally taken during unpack. The only thing that got me through the delivery was how great the foreman was. I really wish the packing had been done better so that they could have unpacked better and helped me more because they had such great attitudes. Unfortunately, I had to release them as it was futile due to hapless packing and dirt on the furniture. Plus what they were unpacking actually was creating work. Moving is a strain enough as it is, even more so as a single woman, and without a company covering long distance and the long storage expenses. I am hoping that Flat Rate does the right thing with reparations for the claim and photo documentation I submit. Should you select Flat Rate, please be proactive to ensure you do endure the damages and occurrences I had. Photos are posted to show above. read more
11 years ago
This is my 57th review and I pride myself on being fair and even handed. While I have not always been delighted with the services I have received, I have never called a company deplorable- nor would I do so lightly. I was having my apt painted and floors redone so needed to have my furniture removed, hence my call to Flat Rate. I carefully planned the timing of the painters, flooring install, and the movers (even allotting a few days"wiggle room") as I was having people over for Passover and Easter. The first group of movers pick up my furniture to bring to Flat Rates' warehouse in NJ. A little over a week later, they were to be returned. The second group of movers arrive and were almost finished, when I was advised that there was "a problem." I accompany him to my lobby where I find my very expensive side buffet, upside down with the back leg and adjoining area smashed to pieces. He admitted this was his fault and that it occurred days before when loading my furniture from the warehouse into the truck. I asked why someone from Flat Rate didn't call me prior to delivery? He was instructed to deliver it broken, and to advise me to file a clam. This was the first red flag- Flat Rate was aware they damaged my furniture and yet, for some inexplicable reason, felt no obligation to let me know beforehand? I called customer service immediately and assumed they would be as concerned as I was. I assumed incorrectly - their response was "oh, sorry -fill out the form and send it back to us". I filled out the form, included photos, and a receipt which shows the cost of the piece.They also ask for the weight - which is absurd. Not sure about all of you, but I can't for the life of me remember when I weighed a piece of my furniture. Clearly another red flag. Saying I was devastated about the damage that Flat Rate caused would be an gross understatement. Just to clarify, if this were a piece from Crate & Barrel, sure I would be upset, but we are talking about a piece that was bought as an investment, and over $6,900. Since I was aware of the value, I opted for their insurance which was to cove me for $10,000. I receive an ambiguous email from their Customer Service Dept - I say ambiguous as it was signed "customer service" (no actual name of a person to follow-up with). They tell me to contact "their vendor" All Furniture Services so they can come and assess the damage. AFS arrives three days later - the guy tells me how great he is, and that he can "fix it" Fix it? Even if AFS were miracle workers and could "fix it", the piece would no longer have the same value. To add insult to injury, I needed to call 20 people to tell them to find alternative arrangements for the holidays as I now have a large piece of furniture sitting in my kitchen, and my kitchen furniture in my living room, so clearly I cannot have people over- another big thank you to Flat Rate from my friends & family whose holiday plans were cancelled the day before! I then receive an email to advise that my claim is now "closed". They have graciously decided to offer me $250.00 as a "courtesy". So Flat Rate just damaged a $6,900 piece of furniture, and their idea of settling my claim is to offer me $250.00? They said I can have it repaired by AFS for $450.00. As per Flat Rate, I have a $500.00 deductible so while they state that they will "repair or replace any damaged furniture", in actuality, you are the one who pays for the repair. I am far from obtuse so what am I missing here? I still have the broken piece of furniture in my kitchen (where their men promptly dumped it) and my apartment looks as though I just moved-in, instead of just being redone. Flat Rate is not disputing that the caused the damage - so the big question is why would any reputable company not take responsibility and offer to replace the piece? They are under the misconception that an offer of $250. will cover my inconvenience Inconvenience doesn't even begin to describe what I have been through - all due to Flat Rates' negligence. They have decided to wash their hands of the matter, I on the other hand have not. I called Customer Service to ask for the name/email address for someone on their management team. Nope sorry - "we cannot provide that information" I work in management for one of the largest privately owned companies in the U.S. We gladly provide contact info for anyone in our company. Why? - because any company with integrity actually WANTS to hear from their customers -whether for a compliment or complaint. That is what good companies do. That is what ethics and good business practices are all about. Clearly Flat Rate has none. read more
11 years ago
This is my 57th review and I pride myself on being fair and even handed. While I have not always been delighted with the services I have received, I have never called a company deplorable- nor would I do so lightly. I was having my apt painted and floors redone so needed to have my furniture removed, hence my call to Flat Rate. I carefully planned the timing of the painters, flooring install, and the movers (even allotting a few days"wiggle room") as I was having people over for Passover and Easter. The first group of movers pick up my furniture to bring to Flat Rates' warehouse in NJ. A little over a week later, they were to be returned. The second group of movers arrive and were almost finished, when I was advised that there was "a problem." I accompany him to my lobby where I find my very expensive side buffet, upside down with the back leg and adjoining area smashed to pieces. He admitted this was his fault and that it occurred days before when loading my furniture from the warehouse into the truck. I asked why someone from Flat Rate didn't call me prior to delivery? He was instructed to deliver it broken, and to advise me to file a clam. This was the first red flag- Flat Rate was aware they damaged my furniture and yet, for some inexplicable reason, felt no obligation to let me know beforehand? I called customer service immediately and assumed they would be as concerned as I was. I assumed incorrectly - their response was "oh, sorry -fill out the form and send it back to us". I filled out the form, included photos, and a receipt which shows the cost of the piece.They also ask for the weight - which is absurd. Not sure about all of you, but I can't for the life of me remember when I weighed a piece of my furniture. Clearly another red flag. Saying I was devastated about the damage that Flat Rate caused would be an gross understatement. Just to clarify, if this were a piece from Crate & Barrel, sure I would be upset, but we are talking about a piece that was bought as an investment, and over $6,900. Since I was aware of the value, I opted for their insurance which was to cove me for $10,000. I receive an ambiguous email from their Customer Service Dept - I say ambiguous as it was signed "customer service" (no actual name of a person to follow-up with). They tell me to contact "their vendor" All Furniture Services so they can come and assess the damage. AFS arrives three days later - the guy tells me how great he is, and that he can "fix it" Fix it? Even if AFS were miracle workers and could "fix it", the piece would no longer have the same value. To add insult to injury, I needed to call 20 people to tell them to find alternative arrangements for the holidays as I now have a large piece of furniture sitting in my kitchen, and my kitchen furniture in my living room, so clearly I cannot have people over- another big thank you to Flat Rate from my friends & family whose holiday plans were cancelled the day before! I then receive an email to advise that my claim is now "closed". They have graciously decided to offer me $250.00 as a "courtesy". So Flat Rate just damaged a $6,900 piece of furniture, and their idea of settling my claim is to offer me $250.00? They said I can have it repaired by AFS for $450.00. As per Flat Rate, I have a $500.00 deductible so while they state that they will "repair or replace any damaged furniture", in actuality, you are the one who pays for the repair. I am far from obtuse so what am I missing here? I still have the broken piece of furniture in my kitchen (where their men promptly dumped it) and my apartment looks as though I just moved-in, instead of just being redone. Flat Rate is not disputing that the caused the damage - so the big question is why would any reputable company not take responsibility and offer to replace the piece? They are under the misconception that an offer of $250. will cover my inconvenience Inconvenience doesn't even begin to describe what I have been through - all due to Flat Rates' negligence. They have decided to wash their hands of the matter, I on the other hand have not. I called Customer Service to ask for the name/email address for someone on their management team. Nope sorry - "we cannot provide that information" I work in management for one of the largest privately owned companies in the U.S. We gladly provide contact info for anyone in our company. Why? - because any company with integrity actually WANTS to hear from their customers -whether for a compliment or complaint. That is what good companies do. That is what ethics and good business practices are all about. Clearly Flat Rate has none. read more
11 years ago
This is my 57th review and I pride myself on being fair and even handed. While I have not always been delighted with the services I have received, I have never called a company deplorable- nor would I do so lightly. I was having my apt painted and floors redone so needed to have my furniture removed, hence my call to Flat Rate. I carefully planned the timing of the painters, flooring install, and the movers (even allotting a few days"wiggle room") as I was having people over for Passover and Easter. The first group of movers pick up my furniture to bring to Flat Rates' warehouse in NJ. A little over a week later, they were to be returned. The second group of movers arrive and were almost finished, when I was advised that there was "a problem." I accompany him to my lobby where I find my very expensive side buffet, upside down with the back leg and adjoining area smashed to pieces. He admitted this was his fault and that it occurred days before when loading my furniture from the warehouse into the truck. I asked why someone from Flat Rate didn't call me prior to delivery? He was instructed to deliver it broken, and to advise me to file a clam. This was the first red flag- Flat Rate was aware they damaged my furniture and yet, for some inexplicable reason, felt no obligation to let me know beforehand? I called customer service immediately and assumed they would be as concerned as I was. I assumed incorrectly - their response was "oh, sorry -fill out the form and send it back to us". I filled out the form, included photos, and a receipt which shows the cost of the piece.They also ask for the weight - which is absurd. Not sure about all of you, but I can't for the life of me remember when I weighed a piece of my furniture. Clearly another red flag. Saying I was devastated about the damage that Flat Rate caused would be an gross understatement. Just to clarify, if this were a piece from Crate & Barrel, sure I would be upset, but we are talking about a piece that was bought as an investment, and over $6,900. Since I was aware of the value, I opted for their insurance which was to cove me for $10,000. I receive an ambiguous email from their Customer Service Dept - I say ambiguous as it was signed "customer service" (no actual name of a person to follow-up with). They tell me to contact "their vendor" All Furniture Services so they can come and assess the damage. AFS arrives three days later - the guy tells me how great he is, and that he can "fix it" Fix it? Even if AFS were miracle workers and could "fix it", the piece would no longer have the same value. To add insult to injury, I needed to call 20 people to tell them to find alternative arrangements for the holidays as I now have a large piece of furniture sitting in my kitchen, and my kitchen furniture in my living room, so clearly I cannot have people over- another big thank you to Flat Rate from my friends & family whose holiday plans were cancelled the day before! I then receive an email to advise that my claim is now "closed". They have graciously decided to offer me $250.00 as a "courtesy". So Flat Rate just damaged a $6,900 piece of furniture, and their idea of settling my claim is to offer me $250.00? They said I can have it repaired by AFS for $450.00. As per Flat Rate, I have a $500.00 deductible so while they state that they will "repair or replace any damaged furniture", in actuality, you are the one who pays for the repair. I am far from obtuse so what am I missing here? I still have the broken piece of furniture in my kitchen (where their men promptly dumped it) and my apartment looks as though I just moved-in, instead of just being redone. Flat Rate is not disputing that the caused the damage - so the big question is why would any reputable company not take responsibility and offer to replace the piece? They are under the misconception that an offer of $250. will cover my inconvenience Inconvenience doesn't even begin to describe what I have been through - all due to Flat Rates' negligence. They have decided to wash their hands of the matter, I on the other hand have not. I called Customer Service to ask for the name/email address for someone on their management team. Nope sorry - "we cannot provide that information" I work in management for one of the largest privately owned companies in the U.S. We gladly provide contact info for anyone in our company. Why? - because any company with integrity actually WANTS to hear from their customers -whether for a compliment or complaint. That is what good companies do. That is what ethics and good business practices are all about. Clearly Flat Rate has none. read more
11 years ago
This is my 57th review and I pride myself on being fair and even handed. While I have not always been delighted with the services I have received, I have never called a company deplorable- nor would I do so lightly. I was having my apt painted and floors redone so needed to have my furniture removed, hence my call to Flat Rate. I carefully planned the timing of the painters, flooring install, and the movers (even allotting a few days"wiggle room") as I was having people over for Passover and Easter. The first group of movers pick up my furniture to bring to Flat Rates' warehouse in NJ. A little over a week later, they were to be returned. The second group of movers arrive and were almost finished, when I was advised that there was "a problem." I accompany him to my lobby where I find my very expensive side buffet, upside down with the back leg and adjoining area smashed to pieces. He admitted this was his fault and that it occurred days before when loading my furniture from the warehouse into the truck. I asked why someone from Flat Rate didn't call me prior to delivery? He was instructed to deliver it broken, and to advise me to file a clam. This was the first red flag- Flat Rate was aware they damaged my furniture and yet, for some inexplicable reason, felt no obligation to let me know beforehand? I called customer service immediately and assumed they would be as concerned as I was. I assumed incorrectly - their response was "oh, sorry -fill out the form and send it back to us". I filled out the form, included photos, and a receipt which shows the cost of the piece.They also ask for the weight - which is absurd. Not sure about all of you, but I can't for the life of me remember when I weighed a piece of my furniture. Clearly another red flag. Saying I was devastated about the damage that Flat Rate caused would be an gross understatement. Just to clarify, if this were a piece from Crate & Barrel, sure I would be upset, but we are talking about a piece that was bought as an investment, and over $6,900. Since I was aware of the value, I opted for their insurance which was to cove me for $10,000. I receive an ambiguous email from their Customer Service Dept - I say ambiguous as it was signed "customer service" (no actual name of a person to follow-up with). They tell me to contact "their vendor" All Furniture Services so they can come and assess the damage. AFS arrives three days later - the guy tells me how great he is, and that he can "fix it" Fix it? Even if AFS were miracle workers and could "fix it", the piece would no longer have the same value. To add insult to injury, I needed to call 20 people to tell them to find alternative arrangements for the holidays as I now have a large piece of furniture sitting in my kitchen, and my kitchen furniture in my living room, so clearly I cannot have people over- another big thank you to Flat Rate from my friends & family whose holiday plans were cancelled the day before! I then receive an email to advise that my claim is now "closed". They have graciously decided to offer me $250.00 as a "courtesy". So Flat Rate just damaged a $6,900 piece of furniture, and their idea of settling my claim is to offer me $250.00? They said I can have it repaired by AFS for $450.00. As per Flat Rate, I have a $500.00 deductible so while they state that they will "repair or replace any damaged furniture", in actuality, you are the one who pays for the repair. I am far from obtuse so what am I missing here? I still have the broken piece of furniture in my kitchen (where their men promptly dumped it) and my apartment looks as though I just moved-in, instead of just being redone. Flat Rate is not disputing that the caused the damage - so the big question is why would any reputable company not take responsibility and offer to replace the piece? They are under the misconception that an offer of $250. will cover my inconvenience Inconvenience doesn't even begin to describe what I have been through - all due to Flat Rates' negligence. They have decided to wash their hands of the matter, I on the other hand have not. I called Customer Service to ask for the name/email address for someone on their management team. Nope sorry - "we cannot provide that information" I work in management for one of the largest privately owned companies in the U.S. We gladly provide contact info for anyone in our company. Why? - because any company with integrity actually WANTS to hear from their customers -whether for a compliment or complaint. That is what good companies do. That is what ethics and good business practices are all about. Clearly Flat Rate has none. read more
11 years ago
This is my 57th review and I pride myself on being fair and even handed. While I have not always been delighted with the services I have received, I have never called a company deplorable- nor would I do so lightly. I was having my apt painted and floors redone so needed to have my furniture removed, hence my call to Flat Rate. I carefully planned the timing of the painters, flooring install, and the movers (even allotting a few days"wiggle room") as I was having people over for Passover and Easter. The first group of movers pick up my furniture to bring to Flat Rates' warehouse in NJ. A little over a week later, they were to be returned. The second group of movers arrive and were almost finished, when I was advised that there was "a problem." I accompany him to my lobby where I find my very expensive side buffet, upside down with the back leg and adjoining area smashed to pieces. He admitted this was his fault and that it occurred days before when loading my furniture from the warehouse into the truck. I asked why someone from Flat Rate didn't call me prior to delivery? He was instructed to deliver it broken, and to advise me to file a clam. This was the first red flag- Flat Rate was aware they damaged my furniture and yet, for some inexplicable reason, felt no obligation to let me know beforehand? I called customer service immediately and assumed they would be as concerned as I was. I assumed incorrectly - their response was "oh, sorry -fill out the form and send it back to us". I filled out the form, included photos, and a receipt which shows the cost of the piece.They also ask for the weight - which is absurd. Not sure about all of you, but I can't for the life of me remember when I weighed a piece of my furniture. Clearly another red flag. Saying I was devastated about the damage that Flat Rate caused would be an gross understatement. Just to clarify, if this were a piece from Crate & Barrel, sure I would be upset, but we are talking about a piece that was bought as an investment, and over $6,900. Since I was aware of the value, I opted for their insurance which was to cove me for $10,000. I receive an ambiguous email from their Customer Service Dept - I say ambiguous as it was signed "customer service" (no actual name of a person to follow-up with). They tell me to contact "their vendor" All Furniture Services so they can come and assess the damage. AFS arrives three days later - the guy tells me how great he is, and that he can "fix it" Fix it? Even if AFS were miracle workers and could "fix it", the piece would no longer have the same value. To add insult to injury, I needed to call 20 people to tell them to find alternative arrangements for the holidays as I now have a large piece of furniture sitting in my kitchen, and my kitchen furniture in my living room, so clearly I cannot have people over- another big thank you to Flat Rate from my friends & family whose holiday plans were cancelled the day before! I then receive an email to advise that my claim is now "closed". They have graciously decided to offer me $250.00 as a "courtesy". So Flat Rate just damaged a $6,900 piece of furniture, and their idea of settling my claim is to offer me $250.00? They said I can have it repaired by AFS for $450.00. As per Flat Rate, I have a $500.00 deductible so while they state that they will "repair or replace any damaged furniture", in actuality, you are the one who pays for the repair. I am far from obtuse so what am I missing here? I still have the broken piece of furniture in my kitchen (where their men promptly dumped it) and my apartment looks as though I just moved-in, instead of just being redone. Flat Rate is not disputing that the caused the damage - so the big question is why would any reputable company not take responsibility and offer to replace the piece? They are under the misconception that an offer of $250. will cover my inconvenience Inconvenience doesn't even begin to describe what I have been through - all due to Flat Rates' negligence. They have decided to wash their hands of the matter, I on the other hand have not. I called Customer Service to ask for the name/email address for someone on their management team. Nope sorry - "we cannot provide that information" I work in management for one of the largest privately owned companies in the U.S. We gladly provide contact info for anyone in our company. Why? - because any company with integrity actually WANTS to hear from their customers -whether for a compliment or complaint. That is what good companies do. That is what ethics and good business practices are all about. Clearly Flat Rate has none. read more































