May 7, 2020 A week ago today, I was reunited with my belongings from the United States. Many thanks go to a team of individuals at Gentle Giant Moving Company in Boston, Doug Wiviott at Rainier Overseas Movers near Seattle, WA, and Jennifer Sloan at European Relocation Services in Marseille, France. They all worked smoothly and responsively together; each hand-off along the way was well coordinated. I never once felt as if I was working with separate companies. Thanks to the careful packing of the team of Gentle Giants in Boston, first in February 2019 when they packed and moved me (using a crane at times) out of my condo in Charlestown, Massachusetts, into their storage warehouse, and then, almost exactly a year later, when they packed my belongings into a container to be shipped to France, everything arrived intact. Not one chip, crack, not even a light bulb (which unfortunately turned out to be unusable here in France!) was broken! Doug and his team at Rainier were incredibly easy to work with over the Internet, extremely responsive and clear in their communications. Both Doug and Jennifer patiently guided me through the lengthy documentation process required for international shipments by governmental, transportation and customs officials. They made that complicated process which could have been a nightmare fairly easy. Doug made sure the container arrived on time for loading by Gentle Giant, arranged for the container to be loaded on the ship in Boston, and then worked with Jennifer to organize delivery in France. Though his work behind the scenes was invisible to me, except for our frequent email correspondence, Doug provided exceptional and, in my opinion, most reasonable service! Of course, no one could have expected the coronavirus epidemic which began to seriously spread into France and the United States just as the ship was scheduled to leave Boston. Nor could anyone have foreseen that the French government would pass restrictions on moving companies just before the ship arrived in Le Havre. I am ever so thankful that Jennifer, a patient, supportive and caring American, who speaks perfect French, was there to handle the unexpected twists and turns required for unloading the container, for arranging for unplanned-for storage in a warehouse in Paris, and then for further managing the delivery of my belongings by her crew to my apartment in Dieppe. Those arrangements required Jennifer and her team, by now working remotely because of the lock-down in France, to get in touch with their crew in Paris, as well as with the building's management and with city officials here in Dieppe. Jennifer kept in communication with me all along the way, all the while working to keep additional expenses to a minimum. The final step of the move required an outside lift since the elevator to the 5th floor (6th floor in the USA) was too small. The crew arrived at the expected time, providing me advanced notice as I had requested, with all required notifications and paperwork. The move-in went very quickly. Every member of the 4-person crew was most professional, quite good-natured, pleasant to work with and very tolerant of my attempts to communicate in French. They unpacked boxes as requested, re-assembled my dining room table, sofa and other furniture, and went to great lengths to make sure that everything arrived in good condition and that I was satisfied As the lift and truck drove away and I looked at the boxes that remained to be unpacked, I could only be extremely grateful for all the arrangements Jennifer, who checked in again during and after the move, had made and for the incredible team of wonderful people involved in making my move to France as smooth as it could have been and at very reasonable cost- despite all the difficulties along the way! read more

In December 2022, my wife was diagnosed with cancer, we moved from Guam to Seattle for treatment. Throughout 2023, she courageously went through all her required treatment. However, in the latter part of the year, doctors advised us, the treatment wasn't working and she had months to live. On January 10, 2024, my loving wife and best friend of 32 years, and the mother of our two sons passed away. During the last few months of 2023, I searched out moving company's for quotations to ship our household goods and car back to Guam. I narrowed my search to two company's Rainier and Navis. Both company's provided me with reasonable quotes, as I thought, for door to door service with Navis being the cheaper of the two. When the time came for the move, Rainier wasn't available on the day I needed, whereas Navis was, so of course I went with them. They came and their movers were nice respectful young and rather quick about the job. Everything was going well, as I thought. After returning to Guam, and laying my wife to rest. I called Navis to find out the status of my goods. It was at that time, I discovered that the quote they provided me was not door to door, but door to the port on Guam. So apparently, I was responsible to transport a 20ft container from the port to my house. And adding further insult, he told me that my goods required a bigger container, and the cost would be $16,500 and it still would not be door to door delivery. I told him there were many transport companies on island he could have coordinated with but he claimed he called and emailed but never received any responses. So despite all my sadness and depression of losing my wife, and having limited funds, I reached out to a local company named De Witt. They told me they never received a call or emails from anyone from Navis. They then advised me to call Rainier Movers, as they were a company who they have done business with for years and never had any issues. So I called Rainier again and spoke with Chuck Crosslin. I am not sure what his title is with the company, but today he is my Guardian Angel. I explained the whole situation to him and within a week, he fixed everything. Here's the most ironic part of it all. Navis charged me only $2,900 for the work they did, while Rainier charged me the difference, to pick up my goods from Navis and to ship it to Guam, all for the same price of what they originally quoted me for. So where and what was that extra $6,000 plus charge for. In ending, me and my sons are now at peace, albeit bittersweet, knowing that our household goods that contain all of our furniture that my wife picked out, to include all of her personal effects, that we can receive and hold onto as special memories, of their mother, my wife and best friend. Thank you and God Bless you Mr. Chuck Crosslin, our Guardian Angel. And Rainer Overseas Movers. read more

We moved from Walla Walla in rural Washington State to Duns in rural Scotland. Rainier were selected by our local mover to handle the international piece. It was a great choice as they did a superb job. I dealt with Don Arroyo throughout. He was incredibly responsive to every call and email. I was particularly concerned about ensuring our goods were adequately insured and he was very patient with me, answered every question and never made me feel like a nuisance. Our move started in November 2021 when the COVID chaos at the Ports around the world was at its height. Other movers we had contacted did not even want our business as it was too difficult to find ships or estimate costs. Don found us our ship. Then it was canceled so he found another one. Then the original ship came back and with less than 48 hours notice he managed to collect our stuff from storage in Walla Walla and onto the ship in Seattle. And he didn't worry me about any of that fire drill - just worked with the local mover to collect the stuff and get it to the port. Denise Arroyo in the Rainier office gave me the number of my container and a website so every so often I tracked my container (it enjoyed a few weeks R&R in Panama.) We weren't in a rush as we had to buy a house and we knew that the journey was going to take a while as the port chaos was continuing. But I can honestly say that once the goods left my house in Walla Walla I stopped worrying about them. Our next hurdle was UK customs and storage. Rainier's UK agent was professional and communicative, but Don was still my point person if I needed anything. He was still answering every call or email despite the 8 hour time difference. Thankfully everything went smoothly so i didn't need to reach out other than to confirm a couple of details about UK storage. We got through customs quickly. The VAT on our wine was as per estimate. Our stuff left our house in WA on November 25, 2021. It was delivered to our new home in Scotland on October 3, 2022. Everything was there. A couple of pieces had minor damage but this was due to the original mover not Rainier (and it was so minor we are not making a claim as it was under our deductible.) There were so many points where things could have gone wrong but thanks to Rainier and their UK agent, nothing did. The costs were also as quoted despite rising energy and gas prices around the world. After this I WILL NEVER MOVE AGAIN! But if I did, I would use Rainier in a heartbeat. read more

I used Rainier Overseas Movers to ship over 2,000 pounds of personal belongings halfway around the world, and I honestly could not be more impressed. Shortly after my initial inquiry, I was contacted by Don Arroyo, who guided me through the entire process from start to finish. Don took the time to clearly explain what was required, what documents I needed, and how everything would work to ensure a smooth and successful move. What truly stood out was his responsiveness -- every single question I had was answered quickly and thoroughly. In an age where you expect delays and silence, Don was consistently prompt, helpful, and reassuring. On collection day, the crew arrived and packed everything quickly, carefully, and professionally, creating a detailed inventory that I was able to submit to HMRC, allowing me to avoid paying import duty. This, too, had been clearly explained in advance by Don, which made what could have been a stressful process feel straightforward and manageable. Throughout the shipment, I was kept informed of progress and expected delivery dates. While there were a couple of minor delays (which are understandable given the scale of an international move), I was genuinely blown away by how quickly my belongings ultimately arrived. On delivery day, Christopher (and another team member whose name I unfortunately didn't catch) arrived and unloaded everything into my ground-floor storage in under 30 minutes. Once again, they were professional, efficient, and extremely helpful. To say that I am thrilled is a massive understatement. Given the sheer logistics of shipping household goods across the planet, I am genuinely astounded by how smoothly everything went, how well I was taken care of, and the fact that everything arrived intact. I cannot recommend Rainier Overseas Movers highly enough. If you're considering an international move, you will be in exceptionally good hands. read more

Rainier Overseas Movers, Inc. My husband and I are so happy with the outcome we had with Rainier Overseas! We want others to benefit from their service, as moving is one of the biggest challenges, and the most stressful, in life, and guess what? We didn't just move locally, we moved far far away, all the way from Fortworth, Texas to Melbourne, Australia!!! This was a massive relocation for us. This was the first time we shipped our personal belongings from shore to shore, and I must admit, it was very scary. We spent hours googling and researching, almost getting caught to scammers, because we wanted to keep the costs down as well as get the most reliable shipper. Everyone knows, shipping is costly, and finding a honest reliable shipper is almost impossible, as the trade is fraught with trickery. Finally, after much researching, we decided to go with Rainier as our shipper, and Armstrong Movers as our mover. Doug Wiviott , the Director at Rainier was absolutely amazing. He was patient and understanding and even though our shipment wasn't the biggest, he took his time explaining the whole process to us. When we asked him to pick Armstrong for our movers, he obliged us and worked with us. He gave us the most competitive rate, and took the pressure off us all the way through. Our goods arrived in Melbourne without any drama, just in time for us to settle down peacefully! You are on this site because you are looking for a shipper and/ or mover. We are doing this review so we can save much of your time, and help to minimize the stress of moving, and confidently say to you that you can't go wrong with Rainier Overseas, because Doug Wiviott and his staff are different, in that they are a business with integrity, efficiency and professionalism. They are courteous, and will support you from the beginning to the end. read more

I had the pleasure of working with Rainier Overseas Movers, specifically Chuck Crosslin and his outstanding team, for our move from Kansas to Italy, and I couldn't be more impressed. From start to finish, their service was exemplary. One of the standout aspects of our experience was the invaluable advice they provided. Chuck and his team offered insights that undoubtedly helped us avoid potential pitfalls throughout the process. Their expertise was evident, and it gave us great peace of mind knowing we had professionals guiding us every step of the way. Even when we encountered a change of plans on our end, Rainier Overseas Movers demonstrated incredible flexibility. They pivoted seamlessly, accommodating our needs without any fuss. Moreover, their offer of long-term storage at a reasonable rate was a lifesaver, providing us with the flexibility we needed during a transitional period. When it came to the actual move, every member of the team was consummately professional. From packing our belongings to delivery, their attention to detail was evident. I'm thrilled to report that not a single item was damaged during transport, a testament to their meticulous handling and care. Another commendable aspect was their timeliness. Rainier Overseas Movers delivered on their promises, ensuring that our belongings arrived promptly and in pristine condition. Overall, I cannot recommend Rainier Overseas Movers highly enough. Chuck Crosslin and his team are true professionals who go above and beyond to provide top-notch service. If you're looking for a reliable and efficient moving company, look no further than Rainier Overseas Movers. They made our international relocation a smooth and stress-free experience, and for that, we're incredibly grateful. read more

To begin with the conclusion to our experiences, and those of others I have read on various sites: if things go wrong, you are on your own with this company. To begin with, we were told our belongings would arrive in about 6 weeks - it was longer than that before they even left the States. The company whom Doug had contracted with to receive our goods, ShipCo, turned out to be incompetent. They took so many weeks to get the correct paperwork together that the port authorities ended up inspecting our shipment, with several more weeks of delay. We asked Doug if he could correspond with ShipCo for us, and he replied that he did not have a contact, despite being the one to contract with them. He basically added, sorry, but we were on our own. When our shipment was eventually released (with a much larger bill than we had been told to expect), despite being told by Doug that ShipCo would arrange delivery, they told us they were unable to do so, and we had to hire a van and enlist friends to collect our belongings. On opening the crate, we discovered that Rainier had not protected items of furniture as promised, with some resulting damage. All in all, it was about 5 months from delivering our shipment in MS to receiving it in our apartment. To sum up, this is the worst business transaction we have ever been involved in. It may be true that in general reviews are positive, but the fact is that you are taking a big risk on the consequences if things do go wrong. I cannot recommend this company. read more

We used Rainier Overseas Moving to transport our household effects from Florida to Paraguay. From start to finish it was a great process mainly because of Don Arroyo - who was our liaison from start to finish. Having moved before we knew that it was important to obtain several quotes but it was clear that Don's knowledge of the complexities of an international move made a key difference. Rainier wasn't the most inexpensive quote (nor were they the most expensive!) - but we firmly believe you get what you pay for. Our move was organized within a few days and the pick up went super smoothly. Don was a support 100% of the time and made sure we were kept in the loop on shipping times etc. With an international move you have a large number of moving parts as your household effects may be handed off from one vendor to another. Normally this would be very nerve-racking but Rainier has such a good set of vendors that this was not an issue. Suffice to say everything was delivered safely into the house in Paraguay. Having moved a number of times both domestically and internationally I can say that this was the easiest and least worrying of all our moves. I would 100% use Rainier again and they have our highest recommendation. Sincere thanks to Don and all the team read more

My wife and I are so incredibly grateful to have found Rainier Overseas Movers. Director of International sales Don Arroyo was absolutely SUPERB on so many levels. His attention to detail, calm demeanor, availability and all around knowledge regarding our case was just wonderful. It was always a pleasure to communicate with him. Don apparently has over 30 years in international moving and boy does it show. We had to process our move from the USA to the UK just one week prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, needless to say a little added stress to our situation. Don was such a calming influence and informative presence as things progressed. Our eventual destination was a rather remote one in Scotland and everything arrived without any issues at all. "Thanks" again Don Arroyo, you are very very good at what you do . . . a real asset to Rainier Overseas Movers!! We will not hesitate to utilize Don's services at a future date should the need arise. Indeed anyone considering an international move should look no further than Rainier Overseas Movers!! read more

Chuck Crosslin stewarded us through the process of shipping our household goods from Seattle to Berlin. Communication was thorough and prompt during the months preceding the move, and throughout the months until it arrived. Their sub-contractor Mitchell did a very professional, efficient and friendly safe packing of all our goods. It was an unexpectedly pleasant experience with both companies; though we were well-organized and prepared which no doubt also helped. Through no fault of anyone in this process, the shipping took a bit longer due to the Panama Canal water level problems. Despite the delay Chuck stayed in touch, as did the European company handling the move on the continent, Gosselin. Everything arrived and not a thing, china, photo lenses, crystal, lamps, art work - was damaged in any way. It was beautifully packed to fully protect the contents. I couldn't recommend Rainier Shipping and Chuck Crosslin more highly. Extremely satisfied with the experience from beginning to end. read more

I used Rainier Overseas Movers to move some furniture and household goods from the San Francisco Bay area to Bath England this past week. Prior to the moving date I had several email and phone exchanges with Rich, who was attentive, knowledgeable and caring in his informative replies. I felt at ease in working with this company and felt as if I was getting personal attention for this unusual (for me) move. Each step of the way, Rich was there to answer any questions I had -- sometimes even over the weekend. I feel complete trust in the company's competence and its fairness in pricing. It is rare to feel as if a vendor really cares about the client's customer experience, but in working with this company, I felt I was working with someone to make my move simple and smooth -- someone who honestly cared that I got the service I needed in a timely manner and at a high standard of quality. Rich exceeded my expectations. Many thanks to both Ranier and to Rich for an excellent moving experience. read more

This was our 14th move both domestic and inter-continental in our life, and I have to say that this was our "best" move in spite of dealing with three different companies. From start to finish, from the first visit and estimation by Bob Lane, and the pick-up by two Gentle Giant movers in Nashua, NH,, the exchange of emails with Gentle Giant, Rainier (both in the US), and ERS (in France), concerning the transport and customs clearance, to the delivery in Paris by two movers, the professionalism of all involved, the attention to our comments and concerns during the pick-up and delivery, and the fact that there were no breakage... Everything was done superbly without a hitch... Everybody at Gentle Giant, Rainier, and the delivery in Paris were very polite and took a lot of care with our items. Please forward our thanks to all the individual employess of all three moving companies involved with the pick-up, shipment, clearance, and the delivery... They deserve our thanks and appreciation. read more

Rainier moved us from Austin, Tx to Quebro, Panama. It was seamless. The crew that unloaded our storage unit in Austin onto the container was fabulous. All items wrapped, stamped and documented. The crew here in Panama that met the container in customs got it out and on a semi in 2 days. Brent here in Panama was prepared for Central American roads and had a flat bed truck follow the semi loaded with the container in case the hills in our development were too big for the semi to climb. Indeed they were but Brent was prepared and it took two loads to get our things onto the smaller truck and delivered to the house. Our house isn't dried in yet so Brent had the guys divide our things into the center of 3 different rooms, put blue tarps around each pile and then shrink wrapped it with plastic. Our things are protected from the weather and construction can continue around the piles. I can't believe how east Rainier made this international move. This company is FANTASTIC! read more

We had an old (not antique) wooden card table to move from Nîmes, France, to Perry Hall, MD. Not easy to find anyone interested in such a small job, but a former relocation colleague of mine suggested Renier and put me in touch with them. The service throughout was completely professional. I was at the location in France when the truck from Marseilles came to pick up the table and pack it. I watched the agent wrap it in three interlaced layers of cardboard and bubble wrap plus enough wrapping tape to stretch half the distance to Marseilles. He then put it on a pallet to protect it during the move. It arrived in Maryland in exactly the same state it left France, plus a little trans-Atlantic dust. The only reason I did no give five stars is that it was very expensive. The service was excellent; agents stayed in touch with me throughout. I cannot complain at all--you get what you pay for. read more

We moved from the US (New England) to Australia in 2022. We interviewed multiple international movers and selected Rainier OS. It was a great decision. David Wiviott was our move coordinator. He was excellent, addressed every issue that arose in a timely manner and kept us well informed along the way. The two Rainier local partner companies for pickup (in New England) and delivery (in Australia) were excellent too. They were timely, well organised, and very accommodating to our requests. Shipment was a 20 foot container with household items. Everything went relatively smoothly (considering the supply chain crisis) and all shipped items arrived in good condition. Rainer OS made the international moving experience as smooth as possible considering international conditions. We would highly recommend Rainier OS. read more

I recently worked with Rainier Overseas Movers for an international move from the U.S. to China, and I'm very grateful for how smoothly everything came together. From the beginning, Doug and the team were responsive, helpful, and easy to work with, which made a complicated process feel much more manageable. The shipment arrived on time and in good condition, and the coordination between the U.S. and China teams was seamless. It was clear throughout that there was strong communication behind the scenes, which gave me a lot of confidence during the move. International relocations can be stressful, but this experience was handled professionally and with care. I really appreciate the support along the way and would happily recommend Rainier to others planning a similar move. read more

I was in contact with Don Arroyo for my move from Toronto to Berlin. Don was incredibly considerate and helpful, flexible and empathic to the needs of a move, and always responsive and available to answer every question I had. He provided the best tips regarding storing my luggage in a way that would eliminate costs. Further, Rainier's insurance options are among the best that movers provide. Rainier's website is full of resources for those making cross border moves, and you can really tell from all their touch points that they want to help. While I did not ultimately proceed with Rainier due to the logistics of my move, I hold them in high regard because they operate with good faith, transparency and are clearly very experienced with cross-border moves. read more

I recently used Rainier International Movers for my relocation from Albany, New York to Aix-en-Provence, France for a position with ITER, and I was very pleased with the experience. Doug was outstanding throughout the process, maintaining excellent communication and working with me to find a solution that fit my budget. The local moving crews on both the U.S. and France sides were professional, courteous, and accommodating to all of my needs. Most importantly, everything arrived safely, on time, and without any damage. Moving internationally can be stressful, but Rainier made the process smooth and straightforward. I would gladly recommend them to anyone planning an international move. read more

We used Rainier Overseas (and their wonderful agent, Don Arroyo) to ship a container from the US to New Zealand. Our container arrived last month, and thanks to Don's help, patience, and effort, the unpacking process felt like a breeze. As someone who was initially apprehensive about shipping overseas, his professionalism and reliability were truly reassuring. Don kept us informed every step of the way, the process was seamless, and the price stayed true to the initial quote. Should we ever need to move again (hopefully not anytime soon), he's be the first person we call. Thank you, Don, for making what could have been a daunting experience a smooth and stress-free one. read more