You could do a lot better - Low Quote Attractive but not hel

My girlfriend and I relocated from Santa Barbara to Virginia. I thought I did a lot of research and found some positive reviews for this company and we chose them because their estimate was very low. We are not professional movers and I am assuming if you are reading this you aren't either. When the mover arrived he underestimated the amount of our load by a significant amount. In a way, not the company's fault but we tried to explain what we items we had to the best of our ability and the person quoting us on the phone didn't help us much in coming up with a realistic estimate.



When actually packing the contract states that they will wrap your items in blankets. Be very careful because that is not what needs to be done. You need to bubble wrap everything and pack them into boxes very solidly, because your items are going to be loaded and unloaded a couple times. A TV for example needs to be wrapped in a blanket or significant amount of bubble wrap then boxed up in order for Lighting to assume responsibility, so basically they insist that you pack your items this was. In short you need to spend a significant amount of time packing your items before you have them pick them up (Boxed Mattresses, Boxed paintings mirrors, boxed everything). We thought we did a good job and thought when the company wrapped the items in blankets that would be enough. Our experience is moving across town and that is what you need to do. This is not the case, it is necessary to package the items exceptionally well. Be careful, if Lightning does it for you, you will be charged very high fees, for example putting a Mattress in a box was about $75. All in all we were charged about $900 to pack. Once again not exactly Lightning's fault, but the fees were pretty ridiculous.

Working with the driver proved frustrating as well. They promised the items on Sunday then moved it to Monday, OK fine, it was still under the 14 days promised. Then on Monday there were more delays and instead of showing up between 11:30am 3:00pm as promised they showed up around 7:00pm - it's cold and dark in Virginia and not exactly how you want to spend your day, waiting is not fun. We live in a large apartment building so there were extra charges for the walk to the apartment, they do 50ft for free - 50 feet is NOT a long distance), then charge an additional $75 for each additional 50ft. Once again, it's in the contract so we should have known, but the 200ft walk cost us another $225 cash - so we added a trip to the ATM before they started unloading the truck.



Most of our stuff made it OK, so the packing was necessary. A couple things that were just wrapped in blankets were broken, but nothing major. We helped them unwrap the items because it was getting late, but the guys were OK helping out. We finally finished at 10:30 pm and at that point we had to deal with all the trash. They were willing to bring it downstairs but not dispose of it. I am not sure how many of you have dumpsters so keep this in mind.



All in all not a disaster but I would encourage you to look around and make sure you don't make the same mistakes we did.



Good luck

F-d by Lightning Van Lines

I was F-d by Lightning Van Lines.



The first thing theyll brag about is their A rating with the Better Business Bureau. But in my experience, they only got the job half right and as we all remember from school, 50 percent is an F.



F also stands for false as in the move specialist telling me from the get-go that it would take about 8 to 10 days for them to deliver my stuff across the country. In most cases, thats generally how long a move of this size takes, is essentially what he told me when we met in early December.



I should note here: You couldn't fill even a one-bedroom apartment with what little I asked LVL to move. So youd think this move would be quick and easy, especially since I was paying them $1,500 in cash ... Lightning Van Lines, I said to myself as I began comparing movers. Now, this company MUST be fast.



So now, F also stands for false advertising, too. These guys having Lightning in their name is like Black Angus hanging a sign out front that shouts, Vegetarian Buffet! ... No restaurant operator on Earth would indulge in such absurdly false advertising. But considering how slow they were with my move, Lightning Van Lines seems to have no such shame.



Actually, I should take a moment to acknowledge and commend Lightning Van Lines for suckering me with the oldest trick in the book: sweet talking me to such a level of assurance that I signed on the dotted line the second they handed me the pen and presented me with the contract.



Eight to 10 days ... I took his word for it. But here's what is actually written in the paper work:



General Delivery Schedule:

We guarantee delivery within 14 business days.

*Delivery schedule begins from the first date you will be ready to accept your shipment.



I moved from San Jose to Baltimore for a job, after being 6 mos. out of work. I arrived on Dec. 26, not knowing a single soul in the snow-buried city. A lifelong Californian. So I already had enough to deal with.



Well, given the average delivery range of eight to 10 days but it can take up to 14 days, the move specialist cautioned he advised that we schedule the movers to come pack up my things and take them away on Dec. 15. That should allow plenty of time for my stuff to arrive around the time I do.



Unfortunately, two mitigating factors sabotaged this well-thought-out plan:



1) Even though they took everything away Dec. 15, a full week went by before they hit the road with it. In other words, they wasted 7 days right off the bat just sitting on my stuff instead of beginning the delivery. Meanwhile, I was at home in an empty room, sleeping on an inflatable pool mat.



2) Per the paper work quoted above, the clock on the 14-day delivery window didn't begin anyway until Dec. 27 ... There are up to 14 business days from the mentioned date for delivery, stated the actual contract that was presented to me.



But that's NOT what the moving specialist told me all along. From the start, it was 8 to 10 days, with a maximum of 14 ... Thats why I agreed to the Dec. 15 pick up, even though it would mean being without my stuff for more than 10 days! I lived out of a suitcase all Christmas week. But I felt like that was a small price to pay because I'd be giving them enough time to have my stuff in Baltimore when I get there.



So I went and signed the minute they whipped out the contract. But in my defense, I should properly set the scene to give this critical moment context: The supervisor of the moving crew who came out on Dec. 15 didn't present me with the contract until about half to two-thirds of my stuff had been packed up and put in their truck. So, even if I had gone against my trusting instincts and scrutinized the wording of the contract, would I have told them: Whoa, hold on guys! I'm not OK with this ... Bring back everything you have just spent the last hour wrapping and boxing up!



Don't think so.



Another smart move on their part: They placed that crucial clause after a bunch of routine disclaimers that required nothing more than my initials. OK, so we need you to initial here, here, here, here ... the supervisor went on as his crew hauled off the last of my things. So I scribbled my way through them in mental auto-pilot mode.



So, theres the 50 percent they got right: being vague enough in the beginning with their verbal pitch to hook me in and then acing both the timing of the presentation of the contract, and putting the clause in an inconspicuous place. So I ended up initialing that strategically embedded clause and gave them free reign at that point to take their sweet time once they drove off with all my stuff.



One last note: When they finally did arrive on Jan. 3, both my vacuum and my fancy wireless printer were broken.



So let's review: pick up was Dec.15; 14 days for delivery = Dec. 29; I arrive Dec. 26; they arrive and dump everything on me the eve before my first day at work after 6 mos. being jobless. Got just 3 hrs. sleep.



Lightning Van Lines: Fail!

VERY BAD STAY AWAY!!!!

Great customer service when taking my order but when it came to the actual moving part that's where the problems started. 1st the moving truck was supposed to be at my home between the hours of 10 am to 1pm but did not get there till just after three in the afternoon. Being that this was my last day in california I had a plan to go do some sight seeing but because they showed up late it screwed that idea all up. So I accepted that and just went on. When they did finally get there they were just sitting in their truck eating lunch in the parking lot of my apartments when i asked why they were so late they told me that they simply could not find the apartment, (pretty hard to do if you're inside truck eating lunch if you ask me) anyways when they did get inside my place thay asked me to sign their paperwork before ever really looking at what all I had to be moved. Keep in mind the paperwork was still blank at this point when he asked me to sign. We were told at booking that we would be able to follow the truck to the weigh station, so that we would know what amount to expect to pay for our items. We quickly found out that this was also a lie because the movers would not be going to a scale at that time.





Recently, we picked up our items. This was also a disaster. We had informed the company when we made our reservation that because we lived in Canada, we would be picking up our items at a parking lot in a nearby U.S. border town. This was a huge issue for the driver. He seemed unable to agree with us on a place for drop off of items. When we finally agreed on a Wal-Mart parking lot, he was very late in arriving. First he said that he would be there at 7am. Then he said 9:30am. Finally he arrived at about 11:30am. Prior to pick up of our items, we had packed all of our belongings in large plastic tupperware - style bins. They were large 18 gallon bins. We figured this would be the safest place for our belongings. Were we ever wrong. When we met with the moving truck, we were horrified to see that many of our belongings were strewn all over the trailer and numerous bins were cracked and broken up. They had been hastily mended back together using duct tape. Sarcastically, the driver told me, "Well, you try riding back here for 3000 miles and see how you feel."

To save space, we decided to pack our clothing in large vaccum sealed space bags. We were told this was okay. When we looked in the truck, we found that almost all of the bags were torn and what looked to be manhandled. Also, our clothing was all over the trailer.





All in all, this was a very bad experience. We are glad it is over, but we will never use lightning van lines again.

Horrible experience

Let me start off by saying if it were possible to give them a lower rating I would. I have moved at least 6 times in the past 7 years with work and this was absolutely THE WORST moving company I have ever used. First what they quoted me on the phone was not what it actually turned out to be when they arrived. On the phone they tell you there is a charge for driving time and it is doubled. Well we were moving 3 minutes away from our old apartment which I told them on the phone and once they arrived they said it was a minimum of a 1/2 hour, each way which means they charged us for an hour of service that was actually 6 minutes total. They moved very slow, they damaged almost every piece of wood furniture that we owe. When we got to the new place and had all of the boxes moved in they sad they were not going to have time to our bed and our daughter's crib back together. One of the main reasons I hired movers was because we needed professionals to do this for us. They did end up staying to put them together but of course we were charged (which is to be expected) the part that killed me is they put our bed together incorrectly and when I went to put our daugther in the crib I noticed the front was only screwed in on the top and not the bottom. For those of you with baby's you know this is extremely dangerous. I called them about this and their reponse was they weren't supposed to put the crib together anyway because of a prior mishap they had that seriously injured antother infant!!! I tried to find something positive to say about them but couldn't . I never write negative reviews but this is without a doubt necessary. I will definitely go back to our old moving company Atlas Van Lines (they are wonderful!).

Negative review

Let me start off by saying if it were possible to give them a lower rating I would. I have moved at least 6 times in the past 7 years with work and this was absolutely THE WORST moving company I have ever used. First what they quoted me on the phone was not what it actually turned out to be when they arrived. On the phone they tell you there is a charge for driving time and it is doubled. Well we were moving 3 minutes away from our old apartment which I told them on the phone and once they arrived they said it was a minimum of a 1/2 hour, each way which means they charged us for an hour of service that was actually 6 minutes total. They moved very slow, they damaged almost every piece of wood furniture that we owe. When we got to the new place and had all of the boxes moved in they sad they were not going to have time to our bed and our daughter's crib back together. One of the main reasons I hired movers was because we needed professionals to do this for us. They did end up staying to put them together but of course we were charged (which is to be expected) the part that killed me is they put our bed together incorrectly and when I went to put our daugther in the crib I noticed the front was only screwed in on the top and not the bottom. For those of you with baby's you know this is extremely dangerous. I called them about this and their reponse was they weren't supposed to put the crib together anyway because of a prior mishap they had that seriously injured antother infant!!! I tried to find something positive to say about them but couldn't . I never write negative reviews but this is without a doubt necessary. I will definitely go back to our old moving company Atlas Van Lines (they are wonderful!).