I hired Starving Students to move us from one 2-bedroom house to another just two blocks away. The representatives on the phone were all very nice, and were understanding about the fact that, because of a problem with the landlord, I couldn't confirm until the last minute as to which day we would be moving. I was told that we should take care of the "little stuff" and they would move the big stuff. They gave me an hourly rate and said they would send 2 movers.
I have moved 30 times in my life, and have never dealt with movers who didn't also pack. My understanding was that we would pay the hourly rate until we were done with the move, and that they would do whatever was needed. Not. They did arrive on time, but seemed stunned at the amount of furniture that had to be moved, despite the fact that I had given a very detailed list of times to the phone reps, and despite the fact that we had hired some neighborhood guys to move all the outdoor furniture and plants that had been on that list. They were also very unhappy that I wasn't done packing (I had packed at least 3/4 of what needed to be moved, and assumed that they would help with the kitchen stuff and books). Not. They started filling up the truck while I packed frantically, then stood around watching me pack even though they could have been filling the truck with smaller items (baskets, lamps, etc) that didn't need to be put in a box for a 2-block move. My husband went out and hired a day worker to help them, and they still complained.
After making several cracks to me about waiting until the last minute to pack, they called their supervisor who told them that I had made the reservation 2 weeks ago and they were just going to have to take the furniture and leave the other stuff behind. And out they went, leaving lamps, mops, and lots of other things for my husband and the day worker to move later.
I will say that they did not damage any furniture, and that they did a good job of putting our shelf system back together correctly.
As far as payment goes, they charged us $560 for 5 hours, which I thought was fairly reasonable. At the beginning, though, they told me that they were going to reserve $1800 on my credit card, but I refused to let them do. Added to their cost were the day laborers who did part of their job, and the aggravation of having to listen to them complain. If they don't want to work, they shouldnt't be in this business. And they certainly shouldn't be expecting the customer to do most of the work.
I will not use them again.
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