Empire State Moving

They were there on time and they were really nice and I was very happy. They explained everything that was going to take place and they prepackaged a few items for me.

They are consistently professional, disciplined and customer service oriented...and their estimates incredibly accurate! I have moved countless times over the years and Moving Man Inc is the single best moving company I have ever dealt with, they invest the prep time, and everyone, from the front office to the personnel on the trucks are personable, reliable, and go beyond the basics in every job. With kids underfoot and inadequate prep on our part, these teams approach their jobs with focus, humor and care.

I called for an estimate for a short move next door. The gentleman was very pleasant and professional. He quoted me $100 per hour for three men with an estimate of 3.25 hours for the move (that in actuality took about an hour), but an additional $204 in incidentals such as travel time, tolls, fuel surcharge, materials, etc. I just thought this was too much to pay for such a short move so I decided against hiring them. There are certain things that people moving need to be made aware of besides just the cost of the move (eg. $25 for various packing materials-- 3 rolls of tape for the couch). They were very nice and understanding, though. The manager that I spoke to was very open to the feedback and suggestions that I game him when I told him why I didn't use him. I really appreciated him listening to me.

Badly. See above. If you use them DO take the extra insurance!!! As I said above, most things were packed extremely well. Unfortunately, it was the most valuable and delicate ones that were not. The estimates were bad, and the follow up customer service was non-existent.

My need for the movers was canceled. It had nothing to do with the company. If I had proceeded with my plan, I would have used them.

They gave a very acceptable estimate. They were fine about waiting until I was ready (some months), and them they picked up furniture and boxes at my apartment, then at my storeroom, and then took some of the furniture to DC. It worked very well, and although i thought it seemed complicated, they were very reassuring about how simple it was. It went very smoothly, they were nice, and the price was excellent, exactly as estimated. The price for storing the few remaining pieces in their storeroom is very low. I would recommend Moving Man, Inc. highly.

From the estimate to the performance they worked with great experience.

They were excellent. They were very helpful and professional.

Horrible, looking now to find a way to move in 5 days!!!

On the days of the packing and moving (they were different days) they came on time and they did, overall, a good job. They were efficient and professional. The final bill was several hundred dollars below the estimate which was a pleasant surprise. Overall I was quite satisfied. A handful of items didn't fare well during the move but that would be my only complaint.

We couldn't have been more pleased. From start to finish, the three guys from Moving Man did a great job.

I asked all important questions before the move. Were the materials clean? Will the truck be neat (reason: to make sure that I could inspect it at the end, to make sure everything was removed). I was assured that this would be the case. How does tipping work ? I was told that it was totally up to me. I asked about the team which had been assigned to me. The person who answers the phone said he didn't know who it would be, but, he said, in effect that, if people aren?t good, they don't get to stay with the company. The movers arrived on time, and were initially very pleasant. I was, however, somewhat concerned, beginning at the time the actual work started, because one of the movers dropped my CD cabinet early in the process (it fell forward and was chipped, with damage to a drawer - once I tried to use it, the drawer fell out). Since the piece was not expensive, and I was planning on replacing it with a larger CD cabinet (which I no longer need, since so many of my cd?s were lost the day of the move), I initially decided not to pursue this issue. The reaction of the manager and his assistant was to say they have to tell the mover who dropped it to be more careful. (Not even an apology, which struck me as very strange at the time.). Given this start to the process, I decided that I should keep as close a watch as possible during the move. My prior apartment was on the second floor, so I ran up and down the stairs to watch over things, as they were filling up the truck. The first time I got downstairs, I noticed that the boxes were being 'tossed' into the truck. Once I came downstairs, they began to be more careful. Everything was put in the truck and nothing was left outside at that point. They carefully packed my mattress in plastic, so I didn't worry about it after it at the time - I thought it was safe and secure. All communication was with the team leader and his assistant (the assistant was the most helpful person). The other three worked very hard, and didn't appear to have time for conversation. I tried to make requests to them, but I didn't receive an answer. I want to believe that this was because they were concentrating on their work. They got to the new apartment, a city block away, and I went upstairs to help organize the placement of the furniture and boxes. I could not go up and down the stairs this time because the new apartment was on the 8th floor, and I simply couldn't watch out for my things. It turned out that the boxes didn't fit in the new apartment, so, at my suggestion, the assistant (most helpful) mover worked with the other movers to ask them to empty all the wardrobes, put the clothes on sofabeds, and get the large boxes out of the apartment. Again, the most helpful mover, also assisted me in reassembling the computer, to make room for everything else. The bed was carefully assembled by one of the movers. I thought he did a very good job (it's a platform bed, with slats). At the end, the team leader said 'We did a good job for you' and I tried to comply accordingly concerning the tip, although given several issues which came up during the move, I wasn't sure that it was such a good job and, certainly, taking into consideration the loss of the boxes and the damage to the mattress for a total of approximately $2000, I now know that this is not the case. My tip is not included, above, in the cost estimate. I understand that the team leader didn't know himself about the losses at that point - the mattress, which can not longer be used, or the lost boxes (the missing boxes could have been left between floors, or left in the truck, or they were left unguarded and therefore taken by someone else). The move ended badly for me. There is no way of knowing how the coils in the mattress were ruined. I called the company I purchased the mattress from. The mattress should not be bent, it should not be put on top of other items, and, if stored against the wall, it should not have other items against it. I don't know how the coils were damaged. I only know that, prior to the move, I had a mattress I was very happy with; in fact, the most comfortable mattress I've ever hard, and now, I can not use it at all. The coils now "pop" when you try to sleep on the mattress. The mattress jumps when this occurs, and the popping noise is loud. The large box which was lost contained one-third of my entire cd collection (approximately 50 cds). Another box, containing dishes, was also lost. When I researched the CDs, I found that several of them are extremely rare, and very costly to replace, if you can find them at all. My loss for the CDs is therefore approximately $1,200. Others can be replaced for approximately $15 each, and others for less than $15. Two of the items in the box with the dishes had sentimental value, as my mother had given them to me. Basic prices are fair, but, considering the extent of my losses, this was, on the contrary, an extremely expensive move. Since the move was the equivalent of a city block, the extent of the damage/loss is shocking. No one paid the least attention to me though, for example, when I asked for special care for 3 boxes. I kept reminding them (they kept starting to put the boxes with the other items which were being transported downstairs), and they put the boxes in the front of the truck ? unevenly, with one end higher than the rest of the boxes (since they were fragile, this could potentially damage the contents)- I saw this happen, and asked them to set these particular boxes straight. I think one of main problems, was that the truck had many items inside which had nothing to do with my move. I always find that it is critical to be able to check inside the truck at the end of a move. I could not do that at all, because of all the other items which were piled in the truck when I looked inside. Given this situation, the fact that two boxes are missing is not surprising (perhaps they were left in the truck and, since the 'moving man' label was on the boxes, delivered to someone else, in a subsequent move). Two days after the move, I called the company to inform them that I thought one large box was missing. I happened to get a member of the team ? the one who had been the most helpful during the move, in fact (he said he was in the office on a Saturday unexpectedly), and he assured me that nothing was left in the truck. I believed this, and tried not to worry about it, and I unpacked, on weekends, little by little, until I finished all the boxes, 4 weeks later. Then, once the unpacking was completed, I realized that I was correct in the first place, and the large box was missing. The smaller box that also was missing, contained the dishes. The experience has been very difficult. I am still concerned, in fact, that other items will eventually be discovered as lost as well. I have moved several times, and I was the least concerned, initially, about this move, as it was an extremely short move. Had I moved a greater distance, additional precautions would have been called for and I definitely would have taken these precautions. I have an email from one of the employees in the company stating that the manager has seen this issue before [with a mattress], and would therefore not need to send a representative to assess what happened to the mattress, that the adjuster would contact me directly. I was subsequently contacted directly by the adjuster, without a visit from another representative to view the damaged mattress. The brochure the company gives to potential customers (I received mine at the time of the estimate) indicates, among other statements: 'If you want your moving company to send movers who are well-mannered, hardworking, and who put your interests first?Choose MOVING MAN, INC.' I can definitely say that my interests were not put first; in fact, judging by the way things turned out, my interests were not sufficiently considered. At a minimum, the area of the truck where my belongings were to be stored should have been empty, to permit proper care and watch to be given to my items. And when you note that they had to go only the equivalent of one city block, it's extremely shocking to see the damage done to my mattress, and the extent of my losses. Rebuttal to Moving Man, Inc.'s response to my complaint. 1) I was quite shocked when I read the company's response to my complaint. During the process, I attempted to be extremely fair, and to give the benefit of the doubt wherever possible. I will not resort to accusations, as has been done in the company?s response to me. Given their statements, however, I will provide more detail as to what occurred that day, than I had done in my original report. 2) I have been accused of making 'suspicious' complaints and it was implied that the complaints are 'not legitimate'. Further, it has been implied that my demands are 'outrageous'. I have been accused of making a 'money grab'. When I made the claim of $500 verbally to the General Manager, I was taking into consideration the mattress alone. That amount did not include anything for the CDs, the dishes, or the cabinet. The claim for the mattress was in the original form I completed and gave to Moving Man on July 14th. $500 or even $1,000 is a reasonable request for a mattress. Although I realize that replacement cost would not be covered, just original cost, a mattress may be considered a basic need. I can't afford to buy a mattress now, and have therefore not replaced the one that was ruined. I can't use it, so I use a small replacement instead. 3) I have moved goods from Florida to New York and to Paris, France and back and I've never lost anything, nor has anything ever been damaged. This was a one block move, and I paid approximately $1,200 for the move, including $200 for the deposit, suffered $2,000 in losses, and paid a few hundred in tips. My past experience explains my shock at what happened during my June 17th move. 4) I did not think it would be necessary to do inventory control before and after the move. The General Manager said that this option is in the brochure. I would not have seen the need for this for a one block move. I expected a great deal more care to be taken of my belongings. The inherent risks of a longer move simply did not exist. 5) I added the $200 gratuity to the bill due to an obligation I felt to do so, not due to satisfaction with the move. When I originally called and asked about tipping policy, I was told that this was totally at my discretion. However, the team leader and I began to discuss this, he indicated that 20% was standard. I tried to comply with this, although I had reservations about how good the job had been based the fact that the CD cabinet was dropped early in the move. That was the only damage I knew about, up to end of the move. When the team leader told me that I had the right to make a claim on the item (he was in the apartment when the accident occurred), I decided not to do this because the item was not expensive. I did, however, lose some confidence after that, and made an extra effort to run up and downstairs during the first part of the move (I moved from the 2nd floor of the first building) to watch over my belongings. In addition to the $200 on the credit card, I added some cash ($60 in cash and two jars of coins, with, according to my own estimate, approximately $40). That was all the cash I had at the time. The team leader and his assistant explained that gratuities by credit card delay receipt for the movers, so I tried to partially split the funds. Prior to the explanation, I didn't think it would matter if the tip would be in the form of cash or credit card. 6) The statement by the general manager, that 'I was satisfied with ? services' was not the reason for the gratuity. I generally feel that people who work hard (and they certainly did this, given the amount of items to be moved) deserve a tip. I simply gave the movers the benefit of the doubt as to the results. It is true that 'I made no objections at that time'. I had absolutely no way of checking through every box, to see if everything was there and in good condition before the movers left, nor would I have 'tested' the bed, to see if it was still ok. I have never heard of anyone checking such items or issues before tipping. The gratuity was based on the hope and trust of professionalism on the part of the movers, that everything would be intact. 7) On Saturday, June 19, 2010 (two days after the move), I did indeed call and put Moving Man on notice, that I believed one large box was missing. I spoke to one of the movers from my team (it happened to be the assistant, who was the most helpful during the move, so I felt confident about the result of our discussions). He explained that he was in the office unexpectedly. I expressed my concerns about the box, and asked if it could have been left in the truck. He said that nothing was left. I felt very relieved, and continued to unpack (approximately 130-140 boxes) over the next four weekends. I put the claim in for the mattress, in writing on July 14th, and then called on July 19th, to explain that two boxes were indeed missing (I hadn't noticed the missing dishes right away). Of course, it is reasonable to understand that people can not unpack such a volume of items very quickly, and a month is a very reasonable time period, in my opinion. I asked if the truck could be checked (the general manager explained that the truck was going to Chicago that day (July 19th) for a job, and that everything had been emptied out prior to the trip). Apparently, nothing was found (or my things had already been given to another customer ? the Moving Man or Wheaton label was on my boxes, so this could have occurred by then as well. Of course, there are other possibilities as to what could have happened to my belongings ? they could have been left on a landing during the move. I don't know what happened). The dishes were not a matter of great concern, from a monetary perspective, but the box with over 50 cds was very serious to me, given the expense involved. The notice concerning the lost cds was posted online, along with the rest of my report, prior to my receipt of the letter containing the first offer for a settlement, dated August 4th, and received a few days later, and based on the mattress claim on July 14th. Moving Man received notice of the posting. 8) I witnessed the packing of the mattress in plastic ? this was done well. I did not see the location of the mattress in the truck, and I didn't worry about it. I thought it was protected from damage in the plastic. 9) I could have gone straight to Angie's List, but I decided to try to resolve the problem amicably with the General Manager. To that end, I called, and called back, several times. I also called previously, as stated by the General Manager, once I discovered the extent of my losses. 10) I agree with the General Manager that I was upset during my calls. As described above, this was a financially devastating experience. I am still shocked by the extent of my losses. 11) I understand that the warranty (10 years) on the mattress covers normal use. I know that the General Manager thought I should go back to the company to make a claim under the warranty. However, immediately upon learning that a move had taken place, it would be logical to expect the warranty not to cover the problem, as the company from whom I purchased the mattress might reasonably state that the move was the only intervening change to the status of the mattress from the time it worked well, to the time, following the move, when it could no longer be used. (the exact problems are described fully in my report). I clearly have no claim under the warranty. 12) The General Manager stated that I was inconsistent in my statements. In this statement, I feel that I have provided the reasons, and the background, behind my claim. 13) The most severe inconsistency on the part of the company was : on July 15, 2010, I received an email stating that there was no reason after all for a planned home visit to see the item, as the general manager had basically seen the mattress issue before, so the adjuster would call me directly. This is exactly what happened, so this was obviously the company?s point of view. The adjuster called me and there was no home visit for an assessment. Then, by letter dated August 4th, the statement by the same person who had written the earlier email, said that they didn?t know how the coils were damaged. First, they understood how this could occur, and suddenly they didn?t understand how it had happened. 14) Actually, based on the company?s email of July 15th, Moving Man should have warned me that the mattress should have special protection, since they were, apparently, aware of issues which could cause damage to the item. If I had been made aware of this before the move, I would have done whatever was necessary to preserve my mattress.

Moving Man did an excellent job. They performed an on site estimate, dropped off packing materials and moved everything within a week. Everyone I dealt with, both on the phone and in person, was friendly and professional. The move itself was quick and free of stress. In the end, it took less time and cost less than was originally estimated.

Move was perfect in every way from the office staff to the two men who did the move. They were on time, were careful packing, moving and unpacking. Would use them again in a heartbeat

We have only gotten as far as an estimate, then a revised estimate. Dates for all services have been chosen.

I found them on Angie?s List, and they did an excellent job. There was some minor damage to some of our furniture. The driver who did the delivery said that they would send someone to our house to assess the damage and deal with some repairs, but they never did get back to us on that. Except for this problem, everything was fine. I would use them in the future, if necessary.

I was very nervous to hire a mover and got about ten estimates. This one was the least expensive, the estimater seemed honest and knowledgeable, and the rave reviews on Angie's list clinched it. The whole experience probably would have been agreeable had they provided what was promised. The move required four men and a truck - almost every estimate I got agreed on that part. However, only three men showed up. I was told by the foreman of the job that not only would they be able to handle it, but it would cost me less money - which it did not. The men who were there - particularly the person who worked in the apartment, worked extremely hard all day long. They appeared to be skilled at what they were doing and they were prompt and courteous. But, as you might guess, it took several hours longer than it should have. They just barely got all of the boxes into my unit before the service elevator shut down (at 5, like they were told, but then acted surprised when the time came). And then they basically ran out... leaving behind a piece of furniture that was not put back together (feet were off), less unpacking than I had expected and, when everything was unpacked - a few broken items and an armoire that just doesn't shut right (they must have put a lot of heavy weight on top of it because it now has a slight sag on the top). So, like I said at the outset, if there were four men like there should have been, I'm sure this move would have gone quite well - but, there were not and even though the guys there worked extremely hard, it didn't go like I would've wanted it to go. I did not complain to the company - I'm just glad it's all over. Follow up report: I am adding this to the report I previously submitted because it has taken me this long to finally open up all of the boxes that I moved and I have discovered MORE broken objects and shoddy work. The only things I paid for them to pack were my clothes and my pictures - I finally got around to taking my pictures out of the box and discovered that EVERY single piece of glass was broken - a few clear across. All I can say is - you really do get what you pay for - so, choose your movers VERY carefully....and don't chose these guys.

They were prompt, efficient, and took excellent care of all of my stuff (and there was a TON of it). On the day they were set to arrive, they were supposed to show up between 4-7 p.m. They showed up at 4 p.m. on the dot and completed moving everything in by about 10 or 11. They were tireless and amazing and did everything I asked without objection or complaint. I had not a single item of damage. They packed everything smartly, including pegs for bookshelves with the shelves, wrapping everything in plastic to protect it all from rain. I couldn't believe the total cost was only $3500, including an 7-8 hour drive to deliver everything. I had a ton of stuff. They were amazing. The price was about $600 more than estimate, but that was due to a misunderstanding that I wanted them to pack my china. My fault -- not theirs. And the fact that it was only $600 more was a minimal issue. The total cost was still way less than I expected.

The crew was very responsive. They were friendly and respectful and packed my delicate porcelains, crystal and china with the utmost care. Even my huge array of plants was transported without a single branch being broken and they were very helpful in putting boxes where they were supposed to go. I would definitely work with them again.

We had used Moving Man for a short move within Manhattan in the summer of 2008, and had a good experience so we chose to try them for a longer move. They were very responsive about providing an estimate and delivering the packing materials. Although the apartment is small, we had lots of clothing and kitchenwares. We did pack those ourselves, which undoubtedly reduced the expense. The pickup went very smoothly. They arrived on schedule and worked quickly. The proposed delivery dates were a Monday or Tuesday, and my only minor quibble is that we had to call a couple of times to get a firm day and time. It would have been nice if they had been more proactive and let us know as soon as the delivery was scheduled. The delivery was again on schedule and went without a hitch. Everything arrived intact. The company reduced the cost of the move from the estimated cost when they discovered that two small pieces of furniture did not have to be included - a nice, professional response.

These folks were great. On each job, they came on or under their estimate. We thought the prices were fair. The job was expertly done with no damage to speak of in a whole lot of moving. They disassembled and reassembled furniture as needed; removed a door when needed to get an item in. In fact, in one case one of the guys fixed the door of a cupboard that had long been broken, leaving the piece in better condition than it had been before.

I was happy with their services and would use them again in the future if need be.

Rep came by and gave good, detailed estimate. Wanted to see everything including our storage lockers that could be moved. The original estimate was $500 less than the final price because there was some extra packing that wasn't anticipated - seems reasonable on a move this size. Day before the move they came with 3 packers to do as much of the apt as possible (a 4th person would have been much better). Move day there were 6 ppl but the move out of our place took longer than anticipated because they hadn't packed enough the day before. Entire move day lasted 9-7:30. Unpacking was supposed to be included but when they had setup all the big stuff they said "here's the bill, call if you want to schedule unpacking". Overall I thought they did an ok job but would have liked the unpacking to have been completed.

My daughter was moving apartments from Astoria to Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and the decision to move was made with short notice. While some of the other Moving Companies rated highly on Angie's List were not able to schedule the move when we needed it, Moving Man was able to squeeze us in with only 4 days of notice. The crew showed up at 3 PM, right in the middle of the time window they gave us, and they were able to complete the move in 3 hours (+ 1 hr. travel time), about 1/2 hour and $50 less than had been quoted. The move was complicated by a movie crew shooting scenes on the street directly outside the Astoria apartment, which we had little advanced warning about! The Moving Man crew adapted to that and still got the apartment emptied out fairly quickly. All of them were very pleasant and professional, despite the hot and sticky day on Saturday. We had done a lot of preparation work, packing almost everything ourselves before the crew got to the apartment, to save the additional time and cost before we were "on the clock." The 3 man crew + truck cost $100/hour, which seems pretty typical from the small number of quotes we got. We would recommend Moving Man highly for those in the New York City area.

The movers were delayed slightly on each end by traffic in the Lincoln Tunnel. When they brought the goods, they were quick to point out a broken post on an antique bed frame and gave me the information to file the repair claim. The workers were hard-working and courteous, especially driver Miguel Collado.