I hired Men on the Move to move from a townhouse to a single family home, across town. I wish that I could recommend these guys, but I can not. i received moving estimates from 3 companies, each of whom came to my townhouse to see what would be moved. Men of the Move was a little more expensive than 1 other mover, but seemed more professional and easier to get in touch with. The 3rd company gave a much higher estimate, in part because they estimated that the job would take 2-3 hrs longer than the lower 2 estimates. I negotiated a flat rate charge with Men on the Move, because I do not like surprises. Been there!
3 men showed up at the appropriate time. Two of the men were pleasant, but the job foreman had a chip on his shoulder from the get-go. He was very disagreeable. When he spoke to me, it was to assert that he wouldn't move something. Some of the time I argued with him, as I had already discussed my household goods with his boss (who gave the estimate). Additionally, this was not my first move. (Indeed, a professional moving company had moved these belongings just over a year earlier, for an inter-state move.) With respect to a floor lamp (no shade) I was told that they would take no responsibility if it were damaged. Not sure why it was a concern, as the lamp had moved with me thousands of miles without issue or incident. In a few cases, I learned that they would not move something by finding it left behind. In fact, when they had finished loading the truck they drove off without saying a word to me. Eventually they showed up at my new home. My greeting was to be yelled at to move my car - which was not in the way of their truck. (The foreman was venting his frustration on me because neighbors had cars parked on the street, which made backing up my driveway challenging.) When they finished and were about to leave, I asked about my boxspring that was sitting in the family room, rather than in the second floor bedroom. I was informed by the foreman that they made 2 attempts to get it up the stairs and were unable to do so. He said that the stair railing would likely need to be removed, but that they don't do that. When he asked for payment, I learned why he had been so bad-tempered all day. Upon arrival and looking at my household items, he determined that his boss had underestimated the time it would take them and thus that he would be out at least $200. He promptly called his boss to complain, but I guess that did not resolve anything. Given how I had been treated, I was not about to offer to pay them more than the contract price. However, I did feel badly for the 2 movers who assisted him.
I would not hire this company again, and would be wary of hiring a small local moving business in the future, given this experience. These guys are not what I would call professionals, in several respects. For example, they do not have the strength, stamina or expertise of the professionals I have hired for state-to-state moves (e.g. Atlas, Mayflower, United). Although the damages to my belongings were minimal, I credit my packing ability (well-honed over the years) and luck more than anything else.