Avoid this company at all costs. Deceptive and misleading.
Jeff Hicks
Submitted this review about
Northern Van Lines
Review made Live: 7/16/2012 12:02:00 PM
Beware of this company. Avoid at all costs. They use deceptive sales practices to obtain your business and do not deliver on any of their commitments. This is by far the worst customer service I have ever experienced.
I contracted Northern Van Lines to relocate my goods from KS to MD (~1,100 miles). After reviewing my full inventory with Josh Willey (salesperson), I was given a quote of $3,265. My revised costs at the end of this ridiculous ordeal were a little over $6,000! They intentionally give you a low estimate to obtain your business, fully aware that they will tack on incremental costs along the way.
I was told by the two movers (Preston & Enrique) on loading day in KS that my belongings would arrive in MD in "4-5" days. That was on June 27th. I did not receive my belongings in MD until July 13th. So, apparently when they say 4-5 days they really mean 16 days. I spent an enormous amount of money on hotel reservations in the meantime. Throughout this large gap in delivery, I was not able to reach ANYONE at Northern Van Lines to get any kind of update on delivery. Josh Willey will not call you back after he has taken your deposit at the time of the initial quote. He got your business and screwed you over in the process, and he hides from here on out.
Shelley was another useless Customer Service individual at Northern Van Lines. After a dozen or so messages left for her, she finally returned my call, only to be absolutely no help whatsoever. After I expressed my opinion of her company, she hung up on me.
The movers - Preston and Enrique. Preston looks like he is either homeless or was just released from prison. He lied to me the entire day he was loading (only to learn later). Enrique is a smooth character and will be evasive and elusive any time you ask him a question. Both of these guys are NOT to be trusted! If they show up at your house, request a different crew!
When my goods finally arrived in MD there were multiple damaged items. They are careless with your belongings and will just cram things anywhere to fill up the trailer. They didn't transport our dirt bike properly so gasoline leaked on our queen size mattress (they punctured the gas line). They also got that gas on their feet and tracked it onto the carpet of my stairs. They broke my children's $150 covered wagon. There were multiple boxes that were either crushed or had large holes or tears in them. We had several plastic totes that were cracked. We had several patio chairs and other metal items that have significant scratches on them. I could continue, but you get the point. They have no regard for the protection of your goods. The only reason they wrap some items is so they can charge you more (a ridiculous amount of $) for the wrapping and packing materials.
When the driver (Tal) arrived on July 13, he immediately approached me and told me that there would be a "Long Carry" charge because my home was a little too far from the road. I asked him how much, and he said he needed to call Dispatch (another group you can never get in touch with) to find out how much. I told him that if it was going to be a significant fee we were going to have problems, especially since we had been waiting so long for our goods. He smirked and said, "how about $250"? I told him that was unacceptable, and he literally started to haggle with me, which clearly tells me he was just going to pocket any extra cash I gave him. I told him we would discuss it at the end of the unload, and he agreed. After they were finished I showed him all the damage caused by the moving of my goods and told him I wasn't paying ANY extra fees for Long Carry or anything else. He was annoyed, but he could tell my patience was gone and he didn't push it. He's just another on a long list of shady characters from Northern Van Lines and their affiliates.
I could keep writing (yes, there are actually more negative comments), but my blood pressure is starting to elevate, so I think I'll stop here. Please spare yourself the headaches and DO NOT hire these delinquents. You WILL regret it. DO NOT believe the prices they tell you...it WILL go up.
Jeff H.
