Colonial Van Lines Reviews

The crew was really good. I'm happy that we got assigned who we did get assigned to because they were a really good crew that helped navigate the move quite well. The only thing is we ended up paying $750 more. So, I can't say that there was a benefit. We got our stuff, but I'm sure we would have gotten our stuff from anybody. I weighed most of my boxes, and then closer to the end of the move, we added a few more things, and it took our estimate over what we initially thought it would be.

The moving day worked very well. I spoke to someone early the day before who called and said that the movers would be coming about 10 o'clock the next morning. They were there around that time, and they were very efficient. Everything went very smoothly. Overall, Colonial did a very good job on both ends, and I was pleasantly satisfied. It was difficult to get ahold of anyone on the weekend, which was one of the issues that I had on the other end. There was no issue on the moving end, but at the drop-off, the communication wasn't great on that end. I did have to call a number of times. Then because it was a weekend, there wasn't really anyone to talk to that had the appropriate information. So, I had to wait until Monday.

My sister took pictures of the storage unit. It really wasn't accurate. Somebody called and gave me a quote, and I had the same concern. What happened was when Father and Son got there, they said it was more, and they ended up adding to it. So, the amount increased. We ended up paying more. At that point, we wanted it for sentimental reasons because it was my mom's furniture and my brother's. I was concerned about the confusion, and I called several people. But they rectified it, so I’m not gonna complain. Colonial adjusted the quote. They fixed it. I'm just grateful that it all worked out, and nothing was damaged.

There was an incremental fee that they wanted to charge us for delivery on a date certain, as opposed to a range of dates. And in the end, because of the way the pickup came and the way the driver was gonna be showing up, they didn't need to charge us that, and they actually took that off. So, the quote was pretty accurate.

On moving day, we had a driver who showed up when he was supposed to show up. I was a little surprised it was one individual as opposed to two, and it was a pretty big piece of furniture. But this short little 5’6” man was able to do a heck of a lot more than I would be able to do. He did a great job and packed everything. He moved everything carefully. The truck was well packed. And he was on time and did everything within the time frame that he said he was gonna do it.

However, I'm disappointed because at first, I was moving the bedroom furniture, a dining room set, and some TVs. But after talking with my family, they said I have all that where I'm going. So, I got locked into furniture and boxes. As I got closer to the move date, I updated it, so there was no furniture. I donated all my furniture. I just moved boxes. That locked me into a high rate of moving furniture and boxes when all I did was just move boxes. I overpaid for that. It got me locked into a tier that included furniture. When I dropped the furniture, I didn't move to a lesser tier. I stayed in the higher pricing tier. I moved 32 boxes, $3,200, so that's roughly a $100 a box to move.

The rep just kept the estimate the same. I told him I was a senior citizen, so he dropped $200. I got a senior citizen discount. But I feel I got a raw deal. But I made it at the time I could afford it. I didn't because a big ruckus, but I felt they took advantage. I could have added furniture on later on, since I was at the minimum. They said the minimum of that tier was 2,000 pounds, and I was well under 2,000 pounds. I could have added stuff without increasing the costs. However, I was too exhausted packing boxes, so I didn't add anything. I was just glad to get it over with. I could have added stuff that would have covered the minimum of the tier that I was in. But I was not in the right tier because I changed. I dropped the furniture, and they didn't adjust the price.

Try to renegotiate the price comparable to other companies. I could have cut a better price. I would put pressure on them to lower the price a bit more, stating that I had competitive offers that were less. But I didn't want to be surprised with add-on costs for gas or whatever. So, I felt good getting with them, that the price was guaranteed, it was paid. But I would do better at negotiating a more fair price if I changed the inventory.

My original pickup window was 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.on August 14th and I had specifically requested an early pickup because I needed to turn in my apartment keys and begin my drive to Oregon. The movers did not arrive until approximately 5:00 p.m. That delay put me in a terrible rush at the end of an already stressful moving day.

At pickup, I was told they were shooting for an August 18 or 19 delivery, something my daughter and I specifically confirmed with the person loading my belongings. My actual contractual delivery window was August 18 through August 31. I planned my move accordingly and even took two weeks off work, in part so I would have time to receive my belongings, unpack, and settle into my new home.

August 31 came and went with no delivery. My belongings were ultimately scheduled to be delivered on Saturday, September 5 — five days beyond the end of my contractual delivery window. During that delay, I received conflicting information about where my belongings were, whether a driver was available, and when my shipment would actually leave. I repeatedly had to initiate contact with Colonial Van Lines myself, and on multiple occasions I was promised updates or callbacks that never came. I also sent emails seeking information and updates and did not receive a response.

Even on the day my belongings were finally scheduled for delivery, the same communication problems continued. I was notified that my delivery was scheduled for Saturday, September 5, between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. I stayed home and planned my entire day around that window. Around 1:30 p.m., I contacted Colonial Van Lines for an ETA and was told I would receive a call back. That call never came. I then called the number that had sent me the delivery notification. Thankfully, that person did return my call and informed me that the driver had been delayed at an earlier delivery and that my new estimated delivery time would be approximately 6:00 p.m.

It is now 5:08 p.m. as I write this review, and I have received no further communication or confirmation from Colonial Van Lines, Father & Sons, or the driver. After waiting five days beyond my contractual delivery window, I am once again left waiting and wondering whether my belongings will actually arrive when I have been told they will.

I understand that delays can happen in the moving industry. What I do not understand or accept is the repeated failure to communicate with a customer whose belongings are already beyond the contractual delivery window. A simple phone call or text takes minutes. Customers should not have to continually chase a moving company for basic information about where their possessions are and when they can expect them.

This move has caused unnecessary stress from beginning to end. After booking so far in advance and trusting Colonial Van Lines with virtually everything I own, I expected professionalism, transparency, and reliable communication. Instead, this experience has left me feeling that once my belongings were picked up, I was largely on my own to track down information. At this point, I simply want my belongings delivered safely and in good condition so that I can finally put this experience behind me. Based on the experience I have had, however, I could not recommend Colonial Van Lines or Father & Sons for an interstate move.

The moving crew also did not take care in adequately protecting many expensive furniture items, which were damaged during the move including a cherry work desk, a living room couch and outdoor patio chairs. Prior to the actual move, we paid an additional premium to declare a higher value for our items hoping to protect ourselves from damages during the move. However, the higher coverage value comes with a $1,000 deductible.

The damage claims process required extensive information and photographs of the damaged items along with a bill of lading. Based on our calculations the damage to our furniture exceeded several thousand dollars. After carefully following the company's claims procedure, many months later we were offered a "settlement" of $450 with the attached requirement to sign a full non-disclosure agreement. We expressed our displeasure and declined the offer but received no further communications from the company. In our view, much of our dissatisfaction could have been avoided with better upfront communications,, particularly on realistic charges for the move. Needless to say, we cannot recommend this company for any interstate moves.

Before moving, I got rid of so much furniture and boxes, and I donated plates and silverware. I didn't have a lot of furniture, but I had 57 boxes. The movers did all that were left to be boxed, pictures, mirrors, bathroom things, bedding and China. Moving day took about four hours at most and it went very smoothly. They did everything. I didn't do anything but watch and pay. I recommended Colonial Van Lines when a friend asked me. She ended up using someone else, but I gave a good review.

The gentleman that came to my house with the truck from Glass City Movers was nice but was possibly intoxicated. He slurred his speech badly, and he wasn't walking steadily. He heavily smelled like tobacco. He must have just hired his own help. He hired two people. They met at my house. One of the movers asked me, "Is he intoxicated?” I said, "I have no idea. I don't know him. I hope he's not, but I don't know.” So, it was not just me that thought that. I said, “You're making me really, really nervous. Should I be nervous?” He said, “I don't know. Maybe you should call the company.” But I didn't want to mess up my move day. Also, I didn't know if he was or not, so I didn't wanna assume. At one point, I said, "Are you okay? Can you please sit down? I don't want you to fall.”

Thankfully, he wasn't the one that moved my items. Physically, he didn't pick them up. But he was the driver. It was two separate trucks. The one truck that picked me up was not the same truck that dropped me off. There were two different license plates and two different trucks. I was told that my items will not move truck to truck, but they were. That's why maybe some of my stuff was wet. Also, one of my tables is still missing. I emailed somebody the other night, because after I got all my items unpacked, I realized I was missing something. But no one has responded back to me.

Once Colonial moved all my stuff out and they left, and once I was in my car and driving here to Cincinnati, I got a call from them. They wanted to know how my move went. The woman on the phone said, "Oh no, no, no. He's not intoxicated. He just had a brain injury." That's unfortunate. But also, she said, “Everybody always thinks he's drunk.” I said, “Maybe give people a heads-up.” I was nervous. I didn't know. I was by myself. It wasn't the best first impression. And it was a different set of guys that delivered my items. They were fantastic. They were fast and conscientious, because I had just got all new floors put in and brand-new carpet. They were very aware. The first two movers were nice as well, but the second team was great.

When all of this was going on and I had the driver from Glass City Movers in my house, and I wasn't sure if he was intoxicated or not, I had my mom on the phone. She looked up Glass City Movers and said, "Oh my gosh. The reviews are not great.” I had no choice in that matter. That was disappointing for me. What I paid for Colonial Van Lines wasn't insanely expensive, but it wasn't cheap. I didn't pay for Colonial. I paid for some third-party, Glass City Movers. I didn't even choose that company. I could have found someone cheaper had I known that I wouldn't get Colonial. If I would have known that, I would have probably searched elsewhere.

We moved from Belmont, New Hampshire, to Ocala, Florida and the people that showed up in New Hampshire were very nice. They did a great job, wrapped and packed everything, and it went well. We made changes as we went along, and we weren't sure how it would go. We were trying to satisfy what we were doing with them. We had a delay because the house fell through, but it worked out very well. Any communication we had with them afterwards for any changes or things we weren't sure of, they were very accommodating and made it easy for us. We were very pleased with how everything worked out for us.

But overall, the service was great. People were responsive when I had questions. It was very organized. I was doing an out-of-state move and the representative that set up the move was very clear about the process. The paperwork was very clear as well. It was sent to me electronically and I liked the convenience of it. I received different quotes from different companies and Colonial seemed to have the most streamlined system out of everyone that I spoke with. It was a shared load and the rate was a little cheaper than I thought it would be for that type of move. They moved swiftly with things. They picked my belongings up, packed everything, and delivered them to my property in Maryland. Colonial is a very reputable company. They took care of my items and I didn't have anything broken.

Once Colonial got involved and the pickup took place, it went the way that one would expect it to. We were told what time the driver was coming down, then the driver contacted us within that reasonable amount of time, and we managed to get everything in okay. The things got here and nothing was damaged. The guys were also kind in putting it in, and we're doing very well. I'd advise people to do their due diligence. However, if they compare like I did, Colonial comes out to be the best choice.

Last minute, I ended up having the furniture delivered to my house and then hiring another moving company deliver the furniture to my daughter's apartment with a specific date and time. When I spoke to the dispatcher manager upon my request, he said he didn't know about the situation until 2 days prior to my move. To top it off, I emailed a letter to customer service and the company's owner Aldo DiSorbo and I never received a response back. DO NOT HIRE! No communication if you have an issue.

Yesterday, we sent Colonial a written request asking them to acknowledge that they are aware of the carrier’s Conditional rating, that we notified them of our concerns and requested reassignment because of those concerns, and that Colonial is proceeding with Purple Queen/Posh despite our request. As of this update, we have received no response addressing that specific written request or our concerns regarding the assigned carrier’s Conditional FMCSA safety rating. The representative who contacted my mother said our account manager would be reaching out. We hope our concerns will be addressed and that the remainder of the move goes smoothly. We will continue updating this review as the move progresses.

Original Review: IMPORTANT CONTEXT: Our move has not yet been completed. This review reflects our experience with Colonial Van Lines through the estimating, QA, and pre move process. I intend to update this review after pickup and delivery to reflect the remainder of our experience. I would strongly caution anyone considering Colonial Van Lines to pay very close attention to how their estimate is handled and to read the entire contract, not just the estimate summary.

Our experience started out well with Renee, who made us feel like we were going to be in good hands with Colonial. Unfortunately, that sense of security disappeared as we got further into the process. We have been honest and transparent about our inventory and boxes, and somehow that honesty has only seemed to bite us in the wallet. Our estimate has been changed three different times.

We also told Colonial multiple times that we were still in the process of packing and determining our final number of boxes. We did not pretend that our initial number was final and then suddenly reveal additional belongings at pickup. We have been doing our best to keep Colonial updated as we pack and as our inventory becomes clearer. Instead of feeling like that communication was appreciated, we have been made to feel as though our frustration with the resulting price changes is somehow our own fault because we continued updating the inventory. It is also important to understand that Colonial is not doing most of the packing. We are doing approximately 95% of the packing ourselves. They are not packing our entire household from start to finish, yet we are still dealing with substantial charges and repeated changes to the estimate.

The most frustrating experience has been dealing with Paul in QA. After we added 10 additional boxes, bringing our total to approximately 90 boxes, our estimate increased by roughly $1,000. Our boxes are a mixture of small, medium, and large sizes. When I questioned how 10 additional boxes could translate into approximately $1,000 more, Paul explained that the estimate was based on weight regardless of whether the boxes were small, medium, or large.

That explanation left me with more questions than answers. Ten additional boxes do not automatically contain the same amount of weight, particularly when they are different sizes. Yet somehow adding those 10 boxes resulted in an approximately $1,000 increase. Paul then told us he really was not trying to charge us more. Whether he personally intended to or not, our estimate was still approximately $1,000 higher.

What makes this even more frustrating is the language in Colonial’s own paperwork. The document is titled a “Binding Estimate for Services,” and another section states that the total cost will not exceed the estimated amount provided the customer has accurately described the items and services. Yet elsewhere, the contract says the estimated charges are not a guarantee of the final actual charges and may increase or decrease based on services, quantity of items, accessorial services, destination services, and/or shipment weight. It also lists additional weight at $1.74 per pound. For a customer trying to understand exactly what a “binding estimate” means and what could cause the price to change, I found this unnecessarily confusing.

What made the situation even more stressful was the pressure to sign. Paul was trying to rush my mother into signing the revised estimate because he said he had to leave at 18:00. We were told that if the estimate was not signed before he went home, Colonial would cancel our move. That did not feel like a reasonable amount of time to review a document involving thousands of dollars, especially when the estimate had already changed multiple times. Customers should be given adequate time to understand what they are signing without feeling threatened with cancellation.

What makes that interaction even more baffling is that Renee told us today that Paul was going to call and specifically told my mother not to answer until we knew what was left. Later, when my mother tried to explain to Renee that she had felt pressured by Paul to sign the revised estimate, Renee’s response was: “Well, I told you not to answer his call.”

That response was particularly frustrating. Paul is a QA representative calling on behalf of Colonial Van Lines about our move. My mother should not somehow be at fault for answering a call from the company she hired. More importantly, Renee had told her not to answer Paul’s call until we knew what items were still left, yet when my mother did answer and felt pressured during the conversation, that warning was used against her rather than addressing the concern. If there is a problem with how Paul communicates with customers, that is an internal Colonial issue, not something the customer should be expected to solve by refusing to answer the phone.

At one point during my conversation with Paul, I became frustrated and told my mother that we should just consolidate the boxes into fewer, heavier boxes: “If they break their ** backs, they break their ** backs.” I will acknowledge that the language was colorful and that I could have expressed my frustration differently. However, I was not swearing at Paul, insulting him, threatening him, or verbally abusing him. I was making a frustrated statement to my mother about consolidating our boxes. Paul nevertheless threatened to end the call because he “doesn’t like cursing.”

There is a significant difference between verbally abusing an employee and using profanity in a frustrated statement that isn’t directed at that employee. Moving is a stressful process involving thousands of dollars, people’s possessions, tight schedules, and a lot of uncertainty. I would expect someone working directly with customers in that environment to be able to distinguish between those two situations. Unfortunately, our latest interaction with Renee was no better.

We contacted her because we were unhappy with how the move was being handled and wanted to explain why. Rather than feeling heard, I felt as though our frustration was being treated as unreasonable because we had continued adding items to the estimate, even though, again, we had repeatedly communicated that we were still packing and trying to determine our final box count. During that conversation, Renee repeatedly tried to talk over me while I was attempting to explain our concerns.

I want to be completely fair about what happened next: I raised my voice. By the end of the interaction, I was yelling because I was trying to finish what I was saying without being talked over. I wish I had handled that differently, and I take responsibility for raising my voice. Renee then hung up on me. I can acknowledge that I should not have yelled while still believing that an unhappy customer should be allowed to finish explaining why they are unhappy. Being repeatedly interrupted while already frustrated escalated an interaction that did not need to escalate.

What bothered me most was the implication that our dissatisfaction was essentially our own fault because our inventory continued changing. We told Colonial from the beginning that we were still packing and figuring out exactly what we had. We have made a genuine effort to keep them informed rather than hiding additional items and surprising the movers on pickup day. There is a difference between explaining to a customer that additional inventory affects the price and treating that customer as though they have no right to be frustrated by repeated, substantial changes to the estimate. I also find the contrast with our initial conversations with Renee particularly disappointing. She initially made us feel reassured that we would be taken care of throughout this move. Once we actually became unhappy and tried to voice our concerns, our experience was very different.

Another thing I wish Colonial had been more upfront about is who may actually handle your belongings and how they may be transported. Our paperwork specifically names a separate company as the “Designated Agent” and states that Colonial may use agents or independent subcontractors on orders. It also says that unless you purchase exclusive use of the vehicle, your belongings may be temporarily stored, offloaded, reloaded onto a different vehicle, consolidated with other customers’ shipments, or transported by a subcontractor.

I do not necessarily have a problem with consolidated shipping. We understand that interstate movers may combine loads. We all know you are doing it. What I have a problem with is making basic information about the process feel difficult to obtain when Colonial’s own contract spells it out. Just be transparent with customers from the beginning about who may transport their belongings and how the process works.

The dates are another example of why I recommend reading every page carefully. Our estimate gives us an estimated pickup window of August 26 to August 28 and an estimated delivery window of August 28 to September 5. However, deeper in the contract, it states that these dates are not guaranteed without purchasing Premium Guaranteed Service and that Standard Service can allow a delivery period of up to 30 business weekdays beginning with the first date available for delivery. That is a pretty significant distinction for someone planning an interstate move.

And this is not a cheap move. Our current estimate is $7,473.69, including more than $1,300 in accessorial charges, one of which is a $998 shuttle charge. When customers are spending this kind of money, I do not think it is unreasonable to expect clear, consistent explanations about what they are paying for, who is handling their belongings, and when they can reasonably expect them to arrive, especially when the customer is doing approximately 95% of the packing.

Moving across state lines is already stressful and expensive enough. Customers should not feel like keeping a company updated about their inventory is something they will later be blamed for when they express frustration about the resulting price changes. They also should not be pressured to sign immediately, told their move may be canceled because a representative’s workday is ending, or repeatedly talked over when they try to explain why they are unhappy.

Our experience with Colonial before our belongings have even been picked up has involved three different estimates, an approximately $1,000 increase after adding 10 boxes, confusing language surrounding a “binding” estimate and weight based charges, unclear communication about consolidated shipping and subcontractors, a much broader contractual delivery timeframe than the estimate summary initially suggests, pressure to sign before 18:00 under threat of cancellation, being told by our moving coordinator not to answer the QA representative’s call until we knew what items were left and then having that warning cited when we complained about feeling pressured, a QA representative who nearly ended a call over profanity that was not directed at him, and a conversation with our moving coordinator that deteriorated to the point that she hung up while we were trying to explain why we were dissatisfied.

I am not claiming that I handled every interaction perfectly. I didn’t. I became frustrated, I used profanity in a conversation with my mother, and during my latest conversation with Renee, I lost my temper and yelled. I can own those things. But acknowledging my own behavior does not erase the reasons we became frustrated in the first place, nor does it change the pricing, contract language, repeated estimate revisions, pressure we experienced, or communication problems described above.

Renee initially made us feel secure about choosing Colonial Van Lines. Unfortunately, the experience that followed has done the opposite. For the amount of money customers are paying for an interstate move, clear communication, consistent answers, adequate time to review documents, transparent pricing, and the ability to express concerns and actually feel heard should not be this difficult to get.