CHELSEA MOVING & STORAGE INC

very professional, nice, easy to work with, nothing was broken or damaged, they were prompt and worked hard and made my move stress free

when I called for an estimate, I asked if tipping was customary--the answer was yes. I asked how to estimate a tip--and I was told that was up to me, based on service. I was also told that the rate was hourly, and the clock starts when the van leaves the headquarters. I forgot about that, and of course my van arrived late and I was told there was bad traffic. I was annoyed about that...and how would I be able to check in any case? they also told me that because there was no parking spot on my street, if they got a ticket, I would have to pay for it. well...if they had arrived on time, there would have been plenty of parking. as soon as the men to my apt, I showed them where my supplies were, including extra shrink wrap and tape were. they ended up using their own shrink wrap (that's fine--theirs was wider and better than mine) and their own tape (exactly the same as mine...and they charged me for it!). but the moving out proceeded swiftly. on the other end, they disappeared for an hour before arriving. I guess that was lunch, which I also was charged for. the moving in also proceeded swiftly. when it came time to settle up, I offered the team leader a 15% time ($120), which I thought was fair. his response was, "I would like to give each of my men $50." so then I upped it to $150. he shot me a look that indicated I had not yet reached appropriate amount. I added an extra $20 for him, as leader. now the tip is $170 (or 21%). he thanked me and then we were done.



when I unpacked my things, everything was in great shape. nothing was broken. so really I have no complaints. but there were those moments when things got shaky. they move people all the time. this was my first move with a real mover, not a bunch of friends and a U-Haul. I feel I should have been told up front what was expected from a tip. to find out at the end made it feel like extortion. being charged for tape, when I had my own, was a cheap trick on their side. and if you're going to charge me for a full roll, then have the decency to at least offer me the unused tape and shrink wrap! 

Overall the move went very well. The price we payed was more than I wanted to spend, but about a third less than the average quote I received. And considering that $200 of the $595 total was for packing materials, Chelsea Movers was much more affordable than the dozen or so other moving companies I researched; Though my partner and I were responsible for all the packing. In any event, our move was a fairly painless success. The crew showed up on-time and moved our boxes very quickly, carefully and efficiently. *BUT PLEASE BE AWARE that tipping the laborers is customary in New York's moving, storage and relocation industry. I was not aware of this beforehand and was caught off-guard when our 6' 3", 250 lbs foreman all but removed an extra 20% from my pocket. Even with the unexpected expense of gratuity, Chelsea movers was still under the average quote ... And they did do a very good job so I would use them in the future and recommend them to family, friends, and colleagues.

I was quoted an hourly rate of $95. and I was sure my job could be completed within 2 or 2.5 hours as I had everything packed and assembled in one spot. The truck was scheduled to arrive at 9. The three moving guys arrived approximately 25 minutes late due to traffic but were extremely courteous, quick and careful. But what I didn't realize, and wasn't told, was that the clock starts the minute they leave the garage. So I basically paid for 45 minutes of travel. They also liberally used 5 rolls of tape that I was charged for. And a wardrobe box, "to make things easier" -- which I was also charged for. When time came to settle, I was shocked by the cost. And then really galled when the head guy asked if I couldn't do better on tips.

They worked quickly but carefully. They showed up on time and were completely professional. Nothing broken, nothing scratched. Nice to see, too, that the same person who moved me five years ago was still working for them. They do make up for the slightly lower price per hour than most by nickel and diming you a bit on things like tape, parking, scrounging for better tips, but overall ends up about the same.

THEY HAD TO CARRY EVERYTHING DOWN THREE FLIGHTS OF STAIRS, AND I NEVER HEARD THEM COMPLAIN ONCE. THEY PUT ME AT EASE, AND I FELT LIKE IT WAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE. THEY WERE NICE AND RESPECTFUL. THEY WERE PREPARED WHEN THEY SHOWED UP.

THE CHELSEA MOVING COMPANY WAS A VERY GOOD SERVICE. I THOUGHT THEY HAD A REASONABLE PRICE. THEY PROVIDED A GOOD SERVICE FOR THE LITTLE PRICE I PAID. I WOULD RECOMMEND THEM.