FYI, Boost Express and Traditional Express Van Lines are the same. Owners and management for both companies are same. So do not have your business done with either of them.
This is the move from South Plainfield, NJ to Frisco, TX using Boost Express as my movers. It was scheduled for pickup on June 21st with delivery date earliest on June 26th, but likely between 5-7 days.
After doing some good research, I had around 7 movers come to my house and do a visual walkthrough and give a binding estimate. Justin was the salesperson estimator was Dmitri. I wanted to avoid the usual issue of "over the phone" estimates that change once the movers show up for your move. So on May 3, I had Dmitri give me the estimate and everything was agreed for the price of $3900 for the move from NJ to TX - this was for 1500 cu ft, per the estimate and this was for a FULL PACK move (they do everything, I do not have to even be there. My moving was scheduled for June 21st 2015.
That's when everything went downhill. I had a relative take care of my kids so they don't disturb them. On June 21st morning, a team of 3 people show up with the wrong estimate in both price quoted and the cubic feet. After wasting an hour of going back and forth on phone, Justin tells me they took the wrong printout showing the initial draft estimate, but everything is sorted out and we should be good. The 3 people start packing and I mention this is not enough for a 3 bedroom house with a finished basement.
Two of them were "new, under training" and 1 was experienced, as per their own words. I didn't mind that, but they would not be able to finish it on time the same day. They worked from 11AM till 1AM next day and it was not yet done all working in different rooms. After 1AM next day (14 hours of packing - they were working hard, the house was nowhere close to being complete.
In between the main foreman keeps telling me, Dmitri messed up the estimate and I have to pay more. And that the truck they got is not enough. When I pressed him about what was going on, I realized the manager Michael (Mike) is going to charge more money no matter what. Throughout the day I told him a few times to ask his company to send in couple more, so they can finish it up, but Lou the dispatcher, does not want to send anymore.
At 1AM, they give up after a phone call to Mike and say they are closing everything and going home. Just leaving me stranded there with my wife and all boxes and packing material/broken boxes etc in the house. And the packing was not done, just around 70% complete. I didn't even know what to say. And they said I need to cough up more money if I needed the packing to finish and move to TX, and someone else will be here tomorrow at 8AM to finish it.
I kept calling starting 8 and must have called Justin around 15 times until he called me back around 9:30. He acted like he didn't know anything and everything will be ok. He talked to the dispatcher and said they will be here at 11AM. I talked to Lou and he could care less. When my wife said this is not fair, we were supposed to be going to TX today, Lou just said "Well, then go, don't call me"!!! Ridiculous behavior. I told him to talk a bit nicer and asked him the time when the movers would show up. 11AM became 1PM. 1PM became 2:30.
So I went over to their office in Metuchen to find out what the heck was going on. Met Lou and he just blew me off. He didn't want to listen or help, just kept saying Dmitri gave wrong estimate, I need to pay more money. Let's talk to Dmitri then. Oh, he no longer works with us. How is that my fault?
He just says, wait and we'll come in 30 min to your house. More time passes by.
At 4:30 PM, Mike and Lou show up, again in a small truck, with new helpers (not the guys who were there the previous night). When you think the estimate is incorrect and less, why would you show up in the small truck again? Mike says the same story. I need to pay up more, Dmitri is an idiot and it is a lot more. I have to do 2 truck trips since it is a small truck. Well, why did you bring it? He says "do you want to move or not? Don't waste my time by talking and arguing about what is wrong etc. Pay $7000 for the move since it is more cubic feet. and tell me now. I can't help you more than that. " He does not really care about inconveniencing me, taking such a long time
I had to move because we had our closing on June 25th in TX. I can't wait and shop around again - who knows when I will get the date for moving with another company. Biting my lip, after a lot of back and forth, we agreed for $7000. So the moving finally resumes at 5:45PM. 4 people start moving and tagging things. At 6:30, 2 of them leave. I get really mad and called up Justin and say "you made me pay more for less people? I need to move and go to TX tomorrow and things are still not picked up".
The delivery was confirmed for within 5-7 days right after 06/26, but it didn't happen even after 10 days. They never called me or let me know about the delay. I kept calling them regarding this and 80% of the calls were never picked up. Even after I left voicemail they would not call back. After 10 calls, when Lou the dispatcher did pick up , he just gave me a day and blamed the driver and the day just kept changing like that. Finally it was delivered on 07/07, after 15 days. This was my worst nightmare making this move with Boost Express. None of them know how to talk and provide updates to the customer.
When it was delivered, it was just 2 people. The driver Alex said it will be 4 people to help, but later he said the other 2 might not come, so it will be just 2. They took a long time to get things into the house. I asked him when they picked up my stuff from NJ and he said just before July 4th weekend!!! So all this while, it was just lying in NJ and Lou was just lying to me.
They just dumped all boxes in the living room and in the garage, didn't even move it to the rooms for the few boxes we had labeled (like Study, Media, Master Bedroom etc). When I pointed out the damage to furniture, he said, well it travelled over a 1000 miles. Some glass items were not even shipped, some pots and pans were lost. Alex, the driver just said call the main office. They will try to find it. Given the way they have communicated (or lack thereof), I don't believe I will get anywhere with this. And I really can't stand talking to any one of them. They don't even pickup their phones or give a call back.
Please avoid avoid avoid this company and run elsewhere.
