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Guardian Relocation

In-State Moving Service, Out-of-State Moving Service,

About us

As a premier agent of Atlas Van Lines, we provide exceptional moving assistance whether our clients are moving across the street, across the country or across the world. We tailor moving programs to fit not only our customer's needs, but their budgets as well; all with our value-driven emphasis and expertise. Founded in 1972, Guardian has award winning offices in Indianapolis, Ft. Wayne, Columbus, OH and Memphis, TN. Additional DBA - Guardian Moving & Storage. Additional e-mails - [email protected], [email protected]. Additional contact name - Jay Fuson.

Business highlights

53 years of experience

Services we offer

Local, loading, long distance & international residential and commercial moving including packing, unloading & unpacking.

Amenities

Free Estimates

Yes

Accepted Payment Methods

  • CreditCard
Reviews
4.040 Reviews
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
70%
4
3%
3
5%
2
8%
1
15%
Showing 1-25 of 40 reviews
MaryAnn D.
Feb 2017
3.0
$4,500
We had our home furnishing stored with this company. From the beginning I felt as if they were in a rush to have us sign the contract because "this is our busy time of year." We did receive fairly quick responses to our questions when we were unclear about an issue. The actual packing & storage day should have gone better. The early morning team was very good, however when Taz left, it seemed as if it went down from there. One of my precious old curios was broken while he was trying to wrap it for storage. Surprisingly, when I asked what happened, the packer (can't remember his name) said "if he didn't leave on break, it wouldn't have happened." He basically blamed someone else for his incompetence. Unpacking day arrived and I requested a new team and they did a good job and listened to our concerns. Upon unloading our furniture, we found several pieces damaged. The office staff was kind, however, we were so disappointed with this company and would NOT recommend or use them again.

Maureen B.
Dec 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,650
Meeting with Ken Gottlieb initially went very well. He put my mother at ease, and he was very kind and genuine in his manner. He was glad to review and discuss the move with both of us, answer different questions, and provide written quote to both of us, too. He also discounted the initial price when we requested it to be lower. He was very accommodating. Moving day went well. The 3-man crew worked well together and were pleasant to be with. Upon arrival to the destination, the distance from the loading dock to her apartment was quite far, but the crew did not complain. They kept at it and worked hard - it was a long day for them, and they kept a positive and professional attitude. It was a successful day. I would hire them again!

Missy K.
Nov 2016
1.0
This was the most stressful moving experience I have ever endured. We contacted Guardian for an estimate to move large items (sofas, refrigerator, piano) We initially received an estimate from a representative who came out to our home to see the items that we were wanting to have moved. He assured us that he had been in the business for 30 years and was confident that they could move the items in about 4-5 hours at a cost of $145/hour. He assured us that dressers and refrigerators would be wrapped prior to moving to help prevent damage. After talking with several other moving companies, we decided to move forward with Guardian. The day of the move, the movers showed up at the home we were moving out of. They began by backing their box truck up our concrete driveway only to leave deep gouges into the concrete. They then began loading the items discussed during our initial walk through. When it came time to move our refrigerator and piano they had issues. We have a baby grand piano with player capability through an iPod. (The piano was delivered when we purchased it with the small electronic box on the bottom that does not need to be removed to move it.) They informed us as we are moving out on moving day that they are unable to move the piano, (which was the main reason we were hiring movers and we were assured by their representative they had LOTS of experience moving baby grand pianos on our initial meeting.) They said they would have to contact a third party mover to move the piano due to the "electronics" which would cost us another $230. We had no choice but to approve as we needed to move the piano. The Guardian office tracked down a company to actually come to move the piano... except they didn't move the piano. The third party company came out to our home and then left. I called the Guardian office asking why they were not moving my piano since I paid an additional $230. We were then told by Guradian that the 3rd party company was simply "servicing" the piano but Guradian was still going to move it as they "watched" to see how it went back together. (Keep in mind the electronics did not come off the piano.) This inspired little confidence in my trust in their ability to move our piano. Next, the Guradian movers the told us they couldn't move the refrigerator because they are not authorized to move refrigerators with "electronics" on the door. (It has an ice maker with touch screen selector). They said that they are not allowed to remove the doors in order to get the fridge out. We explained that Lowes delivered the fridge and there was no need to take off the doors to get it out of the door. Only the handles needed to be removed. They admitted they were not comfortable moving the fridge which again doesn't inspire much confidence in their ability to move our valuables. I then called the Guardian office to discuss this since the 3rd party mover had already left. The office in turn called the crew moving us. They decided to go ahead with moving the fridge after an hour of back and forth with the office. (Keep in mind we're paying by the hour here and a Guardian representative had seen all of these items prior to our move so it they should have been fully aware of what was involved.) The story doesn't end here. We had damage to walls and door frames to the home we were moving out of due to their carelessness and remember the concrete damage to our driveway. They destroyed my sons dresser by tipping it forward (it wasn't wrapped as they promised it would be) and letting the drawer smash to the ground. The drawer shattered and cannot be repaired. They dented the entire side of our less than 2 year old refrigerator by not placing a packing quilt over the dolly which left dents all over. They damaged the door frame in our new home. Lastly, they gouged our dresser on the top and on the drawers (it wasn't wrapped). To add insult to injury, what was supposed to cost us about $700 according to our estimate cost us over $1200 (and that was after they deducted 1 hour for the standing around waiting on the 3rd party.) We then had to file a claim for all the damages which VanLiner (their insurance company) has decided to reimburse us a whopping $288. Remember my sons dresser is destroyed beyond repair, our new fridge has been dented all over and our dresser is gouged beyond belief due to the carelessness of these people, not to mention the property damage at both homes. Please do yourself a favor and save yourself some stress on moving day and DON'T hire Guardian Relocation to move anything! We are based in the Ft Wayne market and used services there.

CHRISTOPHER M.
Jul 2016
4.0
The care that they took with our furniture, wall, doorways, etc. was EXCELLENT. Other than a few very minor wall smudges and furniture dents the guys took great care not to cause any damage. I do have a major complaint though and it is about the amount the move ended up costing me. Before the move I was quoted an amount for about 7 hours of work for three guys. The guys showed up in a truck that was not going to move the entire house in one trip unless it was packed tight and VERY efficiently. From the very beginning I could tell that I was paying by the hour because they were working slow. It also took THREE trips to get all of my stuff to my new house. It could have easily been done in two trips. So, my final cost was 50% MORE than what they originally quoted me.

Scott W.
Apr 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,600
unknown

Jared H.
Apr 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$120
The team from Guardian Relocation worked very carefully. The furniture was extremely heavy, but the team managed to get it upstairs without touching any of the walls or door frames. I highly recommend these guys if you need assistance moving in Allen County.

Jared H.
Mar 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$600
The three-man team that Guardian Relocation sent to help us move was excellent.  They arrived on time and worked quickly.  Because the house is brand new, it was very important to us that no one damage the walls or door frames.  When the team left we found only a very small nick in a door frame and a small gouge in a stair banister (hence, the just shy of perfect review), but that sort of damage is probably inevitable when you are moving heavy objects for hours.  Ken Gottlieb was great.  He showed up during the job, and he followed up when it was over.  I would definitely use this provider again.

MARA M.
Jul 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$8,000
My husband and I are relocating back to his home in the UK. After researching many overseas movers we chose Guardian Relocation. John, who does the survey and estimation, was very professional. He came to our house initially to see what kind of things we wanted to move - which was basically living room furniture, books, and household items. At that time, we hadn't pared down all of our things. After a giant purge of items, that was performed in order to sell our house and for moving, John returned and gave us a new estimate. All of our items would go in a ocean freight shipping container, but only take up less than half the volume. Which resulted in a smaller charge.
After our house sold much faster than we had anticipated, we moved up the moving date of our furniture. This was no problem, even though the spring and summer are the busiest times for movers.
Because it was an overseas move, Guardian's packers had to pack all of our things so that the customs forms would be properly completed. The crew who packed our house were friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable. It was clear that the crew leader had experience in these kind of moves. They packed everything in one day. As I said, we did not have much - some living room furniture, a queen-sized bed, household items, books/dvds, and clothing.
Guardian handled the transport from our house to the sea port, and our contact was then Emily, the overseas coordinator. Then Arpin International handled the overseas shipping via ocean freight. Originally, Guardian told us it would be 8-10 weeks shipping time. In reality it was about 6 weeks. The shipment arrived in the UK without incident and was delivered to my in-laws house by Arpin's overseas affiliate. The service included delivery and unpacking at the destination. All of our things arrived safely and nothing was broken or lost. Schelly, our contact at Arpin, kept us informed at all times and their affiliate also kept us informed of the customs process and delivery dates.
All in all, this was a painless and event-free move, despite the daunting prospect of overseas moving. Thanks to Guardian and their affiliates it was a great experience.


Janice M.
Jan 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
They were on time; they cleared-up all the mess, and were fast about it. The guys who showed up are great to work with and I would recommend them.

Andy K.
Dec 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$6,000
About the only complaint I had was that a few cabinets did not get completely cleared out, and I had to scramble to try to fit things into my car.

Kelly B.
Sep 2013
1.0
$1,125
After receiving the quote I advised we would pack as much as possible ourselves, but would confirm progress the Fri before since I had just had a baby and was unsure how much we would pack. Ops manager called Fri before and Teresa on Sat. I let them know minimal packing was needed. I informed ops manager and Teresa on Fri and Sat before that our stuff other than furniture were 95% moved. We were ready to move Monday and limited packing would be needed, therefore plan on sending the correct crew. The ops manager was unaffected by my concern. During my call w Teresa she indicated they have teams that do both packing and moving. I hung up w both feeling I had over communicated we had packed and moved 95%. The crew arrived w a truck containing packing supplies which allowed for no room for anything else. They were frustrated that they were not going to spend the HOT day inside packing. 1 of the crew members made comments that the builder who designed our 3 story townhome ‘should be killed as he hated moving people who lived in places like this’. I walked them through so they could see what was left to pack and move. I told them the kitchen and all closets minus the master closet were to be left alone as there were 1 off items not packed that I would prefer to move, I thought giving the rooms NOT to touch would make it simple. Everything minus what was hanging on the walls was to be moved. I called Teresa to let her know the crew arrived w the expectation they were going to spend the day packing. She too seemed surprised at this contrary to our conversation Sat. I told her we had deliveries and contractors coming to our new house the next day and had to move as we were not going to stay at a hotel that night w a newborn baby. W irritation the lead, Greg left to pick up a truck across town that was properly equipped. The rest of the team remained to wrap furniture and pack. At 12 the team was ready to depart for our new home. I walked the house to ensure nothing was missed. I found lamps, glass table tops and wall hangings that had been placed on the floor remained as well as a twin mattress. I assumed they were saving breakable items for last. I asked Greg about the items and he stated they would not be moving them. I asked why he said they did not have packing supplies to transport them. I asked where the packing supplies from that morning were, he said he brought them back to the facility when he switched trucks. I told him that didn’t make sense as there were items left to be packed. He said I had said the only thing left to pack was the master closet. I said no, I stated do not pack any of the closets EXCEPT the master. We never discussed specifics outside of not packing the master closet, kitchen, and anything on the walls, we left it that everything BUT those items were to be packed. He said I told him everything was already packed. I told him I was not going to argue and I called Teresa to resolve. I went outside and told her Greg was refusing to take all of the items as he no longer had the supplies to do so. She said to have Greg call her immediately. I advised Greg to call Teresa. Greg said, ‘Why do I have to call Teresa? I don’t have to call anyone.’ I said then you need to pack up the remaining items, he said he would not do so w/out the proper packing materials. I told him I didn’t expect him to move them w/out the proper packing materials, but they needed to go. He said he wasn’t moving them because I told him everything was packed. I told him again that was not what we discussed. I called Teresa again and told her Greg was refusing to call. She again asked Greg to call her and I advised him to do so and he continued to refuse. Teresa could hear Greg and me going back and forth. I told Greg we were the customer and paying by the hour and those items needed to be moved. He threatened to offload the truck and told my husband to control his wife when I said 1 obscenity which was not directed at him. I called Teresa and told her Greg was offloading the truck. She again advised me to tell him to call her or his boss Kevin immediately. He refused and was absolutely unreasonable and his crew was offloading the truck onto our driveway. I no longer felt comfortable having Greg in possession of my belongings. I called Teresa and told her I wanted a different crew. Teresa stated they did not have anyone available and the crew we had was to remain. She said she would send Kevin over to look at what was left. The crew left w our belongings for lunch. My husband and I remained to meet Kevin. We showed him the lamps, pictures, mattress, and a few boxes left to be moved. My husband and I w the assistance of Kevin moved everything to the 1st floor den so there would be no mistaking what was left. Kevin would send another crew the next day. At no point did Kevin apologize for his crew’s behavior. He stated they had never had a problem w Greg. We recounted the situation and I advised I did at the end say a curse word and Kevin exclaimed, that must have been the cause of Greg’s unprofessional and almost threatening behavior. I explained to Kevin that occurred well after Greg had become combative and insubordinate. Teresa asked me at one point what she wanted me to do when Greg was refusing to take the remainder of our belongings, I was astounded someone in her position did not have the wherewithal to rectify the situation. Kevin assured us he would be present the following day to ensure the move was completed.
My husband and I rushed over to the new house to meet the crew as we had been w Kevin for over an hour. We were surprised upon our arrival to the new house, which is 15 minutes from our old house that the crew had yet to arrive. We didn’t mind since we agreed everyone needed a break. They showed up after over 2 hours from the time of departure from the old house. I noticed most of the upholstered furniture was moved as is w/out any protection or wrapping. It was a hot day and it concerned me these guys dripping in sweat were carrying my baby’s mattress and nursing chair against their wet bodies w no protection. The wood furniture we had was only wrapped in shrink wrap; there were no furniture pads. This was concerning as this was one of the reasons we chose Guardian over some of the lower end local moving companies for which we had heard bad reviews. My expectation was that Guardian provided the best. The afternoon went w/out incident until the team was ready for me to sign the paperwork around 5pm. Sarah wanted me to sign the docs stating I had reviewed all of the furniture and found there to be no issues to either house or furniture. I stated I would not do so until I reviewed the old house and furniture. I did a quick walk through of my belongings as they appeared to be in a rush to get out and I found my triple cherry dresser had a mark on the front and the nursing chair to be soiled on the upholstery (more than likely caused by dirty hands and skin touching it as it contained no protective wrapping). I indicated those items on the paperwork. Knowing the crew is paid by the hour I asked Sarah for documentation of time and she acted surprised I asked for such a thing. She asked me what time they arrived and I said 9am. She wrote they took a 1 hr lunch. I advised her they were gone for over 2 hours; she said they get paid for travel and we agreed to 1.5 hours for lunch which I thought was generous since they were gone for over 2 hours and the time to travel from new house to old house is 15 minutes. A few minutes later 1 of the crew came into inside irritated and said; You realize we don’t get paid when we are @ lunch? I said, yes. He said now we are not going to get paid for the 30 minutes you added to our lunch. I said you were gone for over 2 hours. He said, travel time is paid for, did you expect us to teleport over here? I told him no, it only takes 15 minutes to get here and I don’t appreciate your sarcasm. He stormed out of the house. I did not tip a single person that day which is unlike me. The crew must have known that they weren’t going to
Response from Guardian Relocation
"[removed member name] All of us at Guardian Relocation are extremely sorry for your experience with our company. As you may see from other reviews, your experience is not typical of our service. We apologize for the miscommunication on our part as we should have verified acknowledgement to the appropriate department and person(s) that you had already packed most of your items yourself and we should have been prepared to do the actual moving a day earlier. Also, we apologize for the reaction of our crew as there is no excuse for bad behavior to our customers, no matter what and this has been addressed in its severity to each team member. As a goodwill gesture to you and to help speed the process along, we provided the second moving truck and additional crew member at no charge to you. Additionally, there was no charge to you for the second day of moving those few additional items. Again, our sincerest apologies to you and your family. Moving is not easy and our intention is always to eliminate much of that stress for our customers and it appears we failed you and we are all most sorry."

John H.
Aug 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$800
We hired them to move us from our home in Indianapolis to a new home in Fishers. We did all the packing prior to moving day. They came out to estimate the work and gave us an estimated cost before we scheduled. On moving day, they arrived right on time, and were very careful to cover carpets and flooring before starting. The 3 movers were all very professional and cordial. They worked quickly and efficiently and took great care with our belonging and the home. They were careful not to bang walls and doors in the process.
When they arrived at our new home, they walked through first to make sure they knew which rooms corresponded to the labels on the boxes. The unloaded quickly and again took great care with the belongings and surroundings. We were very pleased with their service and attitude.

William H.
Jul 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$4,700
We had a fairly short turn-around time. We hired them on June 25 and they moved us on July 12. We got 4 quotes, Atlas, Allied, Mayflower, and United. Atlas was the 2nd cheapest but we had a personal recommendation plus they had a AAA discount. We received a binding estimate which included a shuttle (see below)
They had to use a shuttle (which costs extra) because they couldn't get the semi into our neighborhood, but they did try first! They had arranged for the shuttle ahead of time (a U-Haul) and had to make 2 trips to load the semi. Because the move occurred during lunch and it was really hot, we provided sandwiches and cold drinks. They were really appreciative and very polite. Even in such hot weather, they worked very quickly, but carefully.
All three movers did remarkable work. They were courteous, careful, and punctual. They asked us to make sure that they had not missed anything. After they unloaded at the new house, they asked me to inspect the truck to see that they had unloaded everything. We had nothing missing and nothing broken. To be clear, we moved many of our valuable/breakables ourselves, but the rest all arrived in the same condition as it left. We have read some that people have had experiences with movers who were rude or who had negative attitudes. This were certainly not the case for us. Ali, Kelly, and Randy were really pleasant, and they really took the stress out of moving!

Michael S.
Jun 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
They were available on short notice. They have a professional and personable attitude. The move was done quickly. They also had an employee call in sick the day of the move and they had a replacement so I would have 3 workers arrive on time with the others.

Kari W.
May 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,000
They did a really good job. It felt like a local business. They were friendly and prompt, and they did a good job.

Jennifer M.
May 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$9,500
They were great to us. They sent out 5 guys to our house to help us move. The worked as a team, and they all helped pack our stuff and unload it. They were real nice and very professional. They were very careful protecting the house and our belonings.

ROBERT K.
Jan 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,100
They did a fantastic job. We were very happy with them. We liked everything about them. They were on time. They moved everything and nothing broke. They moved all of the boxes and stuff to the right rooms. They were a pleasure to work with. We will certainly call them if we are ever to move again.

Derek P.
Sep 2011
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$5,000
It was excellent. The attention to detail was great, nothing was damaged. They did what they said they would do.

Brent M.
Jun 2011
3.0
$2,000
I have conflicting feelings about this company. I wanted to give them a good review, but overall I feel that I was the one accomodating to the company's schedule and needs rather than the other way around. I also feel I was told conflicting information by different people in the company. The van drivers (I had different ones pick up and deliver my items) were the best part of the service. Very helpful, my items all arrived and were accounted for and pretty much all intact (my table had a nick in it). The initial paperwork was very impressive and informative and the initial quote was expensive but reasonable compared to others I received. But that's where the positive comments end. The person who gave me the initial quote was very nice but after he sent me the quote, I had to call him after he didn't respond to my email to move on with the process. Then he never returned my calls after I had signed the forms even though I said I had additional questions. I was given another rep in Ohio who was to be my POC throughout the process. I asked for delivery between June 1 and June 5 and when I was deciding between companies this was a major part of choosing the company (if they could meet this request). The initial rep said this was possible, but then I was given an expected delivery date through June 6. I specifically asked for it not to be on the 6th because that was the first day of my new job. They ended up delivering on the 6th so I had to take off my first day. I was clueless of the actual delivery date/time until Friday, June 3. I don't understand why the company didn't have a better idea of delivery date/time longer than 2 days before. The company had two and a half weeks from pick up to delivery...so not having enough time to do a 10 hour drive is not an excuse. I was also told by the initial rep that my end total would not be more than the estimate. We talked about possibly having to shuttle my stuff into the city but then he said he would take a look at google and let me know if that was going to happen. He never said it was likely. They ended up having to shuttle in my stuff which cost $300 more. I feel the paperwork is conflicting as was the information given to me. I have seen semis on my street since I have moved in. I don't think shuttling was absolutely necessary. Overall I felt that I had to be the one reaching out to get any information and that I was always accomodating the moving company's schedule rather than the other way around.

The name of the person that was moved that would appear on the Guardian Relocation records is Kristin Lion
Response from Guardian Relocation
"I have looked through our system and the Atlas system and I do not show any records of moving (Member Name). Please reach out to Rod Woodruff the General Managerme at 800-333-2663 x 1731. Guardian Relocation will certainly do what we can to address these issues. We pride our self on exceeding our customer's expectations."

RICHARD S.
May 2011
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Every time I move I use them because they are out of my home town. I have always found them to be wonderful. The people are great and they do a great job. I sent them to my daughter who wanted to move as well.

Sarah S.
Mar 2011
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
They were wonderful when moving everything into the house. They did a great job!

Brooke L.
Dec 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$300
My movers were fantastic! They showed up on time and got to work immediately. When I asked if there was anything I could do, they simply said "Sit back and relax!" They were incredibly courteous the entire process, and would not let my family or myself lift a single finger. The entire move (from pick up in Avon, to my apartment in Carmel) took about 3 hours. The biggest surprise of all? My sales rep was in the area and stopped by to make sure everything went well. I was incredibly impressed and will definitely be using them again the next time I move!

Eric T.
Aug 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,200
Everyone was friendly and professional - from sales to the moving team. Took great care to protect belongings and also protect floors/doorways, etc. Nothing was damaged and did not even find a scratch or a knick on anything. Moving team was great!

Danshera C.
Aug 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,600
The movers arrived about 30 minutes into the 2 hour window given on the day of the pickup. I could not get the office to ask the driver to call me when they left the local facility, however. My belongings arrived within (at the end of) the window given. Overall it was a good experience and the only frustration was trying to find out when the shipment was leaving and arriving, communication in that area could have been better, but it was a very smooth move. The movers and drivers were courteous and professional, making every effort to ensure that I was satisfied with everything they had done.

HENRI G.
Nov 2009
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
They assessed all of our furniture and items that we need to move. The service was excellent. The gentlemen that came was courteous and efficient.
Showing 1-25 of 40

Licensing

State Contractor License Requirements

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FAQ

Guardian Relocation is currently rated 4.1 overall out of 5.

Guardian Relocation accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard

Yes, Guardian Relocation offers free project estimates.

No, Guardian Relocation does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.

No, Guardian Relocation does not offer a senior discount.

No, Guardian Relocation does not offer emergency services.

No, Guardian Relocation does not offer warranties.