SPECIAL FORCES MOVING

PLEASE stop and read before you decide to hire Special Forces Moving: My move took place on Monday, Aug 22nd. David Bridge (owner) came to my place in July and did an on-site estimate prior to my move. He called the day before the move to let me know they would be later than expected due to not having a truck and having to pick one up out of town. I didn’t realize he didn’t have his own truck and when I asked his workers they just shook their heads and said they didn’t really know what Dave was doing and didn’t want to say why he didn’t have his own truck. The truck that he sent was too small for my move. I didn’t realize that this was an issue until I looked out the window from the 3rd floor and noticed they kept removing items in and out of the truck to reorganize. After all the belongings were out of my condo, I was asked by one of the movers to use my SUV to move some of my belongings so that they would not need to make two trips with the moving truck. I also had to call a family member that was close by to fit some of my belongings in his truck as well. I watched John (Mover that was responsible for managing my move) place one of my favorite paintings (given to me by my parents for my college graduation) in the back of the truck without anything protecting it. When I asked him to wrap it he turned the picture around and said there is nothing to wrap it with and closed the back of the truck! This is when I started to get very nervous about my belongings. Damaged Items: $300 Painting damaged (mentioned above, put in the truck without being protected) Brand New 40” LCD scratched and tap marks all over entire left side Television stand scratched Lingerie Chest – The movers stripped the knobs off. Brand New Armoire from Jordan’s Furniture only 1 year old scratched 1 Dinner Plate 3 Moving Tubs 1 Pampered Chef Stoneware 4 pieces of Chatal Bakeware 2 Door Stoppers Missing Items: Tool box with tools Humidifier Piece Other Major Issues with the move: Damaged my belongings and didn’t handle with care on the truck or in my unit. Boxes were dropped off the truck when unpacking, damaging items Moving Tubs were dropped instead of placing on ground damaging items Movers didn't place all furniture where they needed to go. Will now have to hire someone or get help moving these pieces Length of move time was a lot longer than estimate due to size of the truck Items were stacked on top of delicate pieces and when this was brought to the mover’s attention he agreed that this was a mistake. My belongings were left in the elevator to travel to other floors unattended throughout the day Issues with David Bridge & John: John was rude to me and my family. He was unprofessional. David Bridge comes across as a nice guy but he will turn on you in a second. He came to my house the day after the move to pick up his check and look at the damages. We discussed the price that I was willing to pay for the move. He was not happy with it of course but he took the check and cashed it that day. He stated that he would be back the following week and would repair/replace the damaged goods (or have a plan as to when it would happen) and move the furniture that was not left in the proper place. Almost 3 weeks after the move I finally got David on the phone and he said he was not happy that I paid for only 5 hours of moving (which was in line with the on-line estimate and the 1 hour off for my inconvenience which David offered) and if I didn’t give him more money he would not be fixing anything. He was rude and unprofessional. When I mentioned something about the damage to my painting he screamed into the phone “Michelle that is a f-ing poster not a painting.” This company is overpriced, unprofessional and doesn’t deserve your business.

David came by my house to give an estimate promptly. He remarked on how "uncluttered" the house was and asked if we were minimalists. (We're not; we just hadn't lived in the house very long.) I received an estimate of $550 for moving and $420 for packing, for a total of $970. I replied to the estimate with a suggested date (a Monday) and didn't hear back until I checked in again 4 days later. The day of the move, two young guys showed up and promptly told us they didn't have enough boxes. This surprised us since the owner of the company had been by the house personally. Regardless, almost as soon as they arrived, the movers left again to pick up boxes in Arlington, and they said they'd be gone to get breakfast as well. They came back at 10:30 with Gentle Giant boxes, which seemed odd but fine. They'd been billed as professional packers, but they told us several times how much they hated packing. It showed. They wandered from room to room sullenly, never quite finishing a task, mixing books with vases and electronics and linens. Almost none of the boxes were labeled by room or contents. Several times, they asked if they really had to pack everything, and we explained that the walls were going to be taken down, floors refinished, etc., so it was necessary to pack every last thing. They grumbled about this and had to be asked to finish every room, which took many hours. Even after being asked, they still left things in cabinets and shelves, which caused issues for us later. We had already moved furniture ourselves to our temporary apartment, including a bedroom set, desk, 2 rugs, a kitchen table and chairs, and several kitchen items. Those items had been in the house when the owner did his estimate, so we were displeased that the movers said they couldn't fit all of our remaining belongings into the truck in one move. They had packed the truck very poorly, which turned out to be a bad omen for the storage unit. I gave the movers the address of the storage unit and verbally explained how close it was. It was only one block up and at the intersection of a major road. However, when I went to meet them there, they didn't arrive within 45 minutes, so I eventually called them. They claimed to have gone to the wrong Uhaul and said they were on their way back to meet me. I'd already rented a storage unit a size larger than recommended by Uhaul, but when the movers saw it they said no way. I had to go back and rent the largest unit in the building. Because of the way they packed it, they did end up using the full space. (To get into the unit later, we had to move the dining table out into the hallway each time.) They then told me they didn't think they could complete the move in one day, so I paid for after hours access to the storage unit and asked them to finish. The final price was $1200. The worst part was not the moving day itself but seeing the damage later. Just a few examples: * They stood a large carpet upright in the middle of the unit where it folded over and smashed a wood bookcase. * Our 42" flat panel was stored unwrapped between two sofas, one fitted upside down on top of the other. (Luckily, it survived.) * They dumped a box of truffles in with books and decorative items. My favorite? Finding a Christmas figurine with four chocolate truffles smashed into its face. * A beloved ceramic flower pot (part of a set) that I'd had since college was broken. It was in a box with the rest of the flower pots, all unwrapped and unprotected, with dirt everywhere. * Many belongings loose and unprotected and sitting on the floor, from cast iron pans to small lamps to mirrors and pictures. * Bags of trash stored. I haven't finished unpacking (just moved back), but I'm scared to find out what else has been mishandled. The kicker to all of this? They quoted $110/hour for 2 movers and $60/hour for 2 packers. At the end of the day, we were charged $130/hour for both services. On the plus side, they at least didn't charge us for their box pick-up time, and when asked, they removed the time they got lost going to the wrong storage unit. I had used this company before and had a fine move. The quality control seems to have gone way downhill.

I wouldn't use them again. Initially I had high hopes for this company as the owner seemed to have it together but I was quite disappointed. The movers themselves were nice guys but communication within the company was poor. They changed the time twice and then ended up being over an hour late because someone couldn't find the keys for the truck...?? Also, I had been told I would receive the 10% Angie's list discount but in fact did not. When I called to inquire about the discount, no one returned my call. I should have trusted my gut and used another company that was a bit pricier but professional and responsive. You get what you pay for I guess.

Did not respond to phone or email messages asking to quote on moving our home.

Called for an estimate and based on what I told him I was quoted about $850. I was very specific about having them pack everything in the dining room - dishes, glasses, serving pieces etc. and the living room had a whole wall unit with books and decorative items. They never actually came to look at what I wanted moved. A miscommunication on my part led to a misunderstanding as to the day they were to be here. However, they were very accommodating to my time constraints and were able move me on the day I needed. The movers were here on time but did not have the necessary boxes and paper to pack everything. They were gone approximately an hour to get everything they needed. These two men did an excellent job moving very heavy and large furniture. They were very nice and thorough. Things that I wasn't informed of : 1. I had to pay for every box used, 2. I had to put a deposit on the blankets used to protect the furniture (I have been told that I will get this check back if they move the furniture back which I intend to do). The time to pack and move was underestimated. Hope the time to move me back will be more inline with what I was told. One complaint is that they are a little hard to get in touch with. Several calls went unanswered but I did receive a response by email eventually.

I called Dave and talked with him while I was getting bids and trying to decide on a mover. He was extremely professional and gave some great pointers for ensuring that the move was quick, which would ultimately help save us money. Two movers were assigned for our move. They called, letting us know they would be late. They arrived about an hour and a half late, but immediately got to work. It started to rain, so some of our boxes and furniture got wet. Once at the condo, they unloaded the truck very quickly and were great about going through the house once everything was in and helping us position the heavy furniture where we wanted it. Our sofa would not fit. They put it in our car park and covered it, telling us they would likely be by the next morning or afternoon to hoist it over the deck (they need at least 3 people to hoist furniture). They were unable to come back until two days later. Dave, the owner, came himself and the job was done in no time. There were some scuffs on the couch from the ordeal, but all in all, nothing was broken and there was no other damage to our stuff.

David Bridge, the owner, and his colleague, Ron, kindly agreed to help me move, despite the fact that it was a holiday week-end and I was asking on short notice. They were organized and efficient and respectful of my possessions. They were also personable--very upbeat, even while contending with the hot and humid weather, the long walk to the loading dock and maddeningly slow elevators. I highly recommend them and intend to use them for my next move.

It went very smoothly, they took care of everything and we didn't have to worry about moving day. I would definitely recommend them (and have!) and will use them again in the future.

David and his crew did a great job with our move. They were extremely nice and helpful, and they did a fast and efficient job. Their price was very reasonable, and we would definitely use them again.

Over six years of moving things regularly with Special Forces, I once had a miscommunication about pick-up times, but literally have not had anything worse happen over probably 30 or so moves. A sterling record.

Not good...they never responded to my request for a quote.

These guys were professional and appropriately friendly (well, one was nice and friendly, the other was reserved, but not problematically so). My move wasn't done under the most comfortable personal circumstances, but they did not acknowledge the awkwardness of my situation; they just did their job. I really appreciated that; it put me at ease on a difficult day. They did break a lamp, but it wasn't realized until after they left. They seemed to take great care, and I suppose in a move, one small item broken is not a big deal. Their staying on to put my bed together for me was above and beyond; I might have slept on the mattress on the floor for several nights if they hadn't taken the time to do that.

Special Forces made an appointment for the same day (or perhaps it was the next day- very quickly anyways). They arrived on time, and completed the work quickly.

Special Forces did a very good job on our move. They were professional with a friendly attitude and were ready to work upon arrival. Our belongings were safely packed and everything made it to our destination intact. They took the time to ask questions when they were unsure about something and were happy to attend to any requests. I would recommend them to friends.

David Bridge came out several times for the estimate. We had initially wanted Special Forces (SF) to pack as well as move, but after seeing the place David noted "you have a LOT of stuff" and gave us an estimate which although fair, was a lot of money. He then gave us detailed and helpful advice about what we could do to reduce costs (i.e. clearly to pack as much as possible ourselves, but had suggestions about what to concentrate on and how to make the move go swiftly). He then came back out about a week later to revise the estimate, based on how much was packed up. On the day of the move we had a 4-person crew who were courteous, efficient and fast. Despite their speed nothing was damaged and they handled the job with aplomb. David and the crew were also sensitive to the fact that relations with the "outgoing" landlord were strained, and they kept as low key as possible. (No we were not sneaking out, but really wanted to minimize any unnecessary interactions with the landlord who lives on premises.) For those who care about such things, the crew (3 men, 1 woman) were remarkably fit. the guys in an "I could bench a small car" way and the woman in a "I might not be able to bench a car, but I could bench my own weight for about 50 reps straight" way. Well, maybe not even a small car, but the crew was professional yet friendly, listened to and carried out special requests (not that we had a lot of those) and just generally pleasant and helpful. David and the crew made what could have been (and often is) a nightmare experience into a smooth, controlled and even somewhat pleasant experience. Highly recommened and would use them again. We had a cross-Boston move, but they also do transcontinental moves, by the way.

They were 15 minutes late, but it was the morning of Sept 2nd, so what can you expect. A couple of the pieces of furniture were quite heavy, but they handled them with ease, and no damage to either the furniture or the property. They finished in less time (1.5 hrs) than estimated (2 hrs).

This time we had a friendly and professional two man crew. While they bill by the hour, these guys were hustling and never carrying just one box on a trip in. No damage to furniture or either location. Both movers were trustworthy and responsive. The movers even helped me build a case with my wife to claim the finished downstairs as a main room bonus. They were a few minutes late, but I'm not holding that against them, as they called in advance to let us know, as were were moving on labor day weekend, which is a busy one for moving trucks. While I'm glad we don't have to move again soon, I highly recommend Special Forces, good quality service and value.

Everything was done really quickly and efficiently. Nothing was harmed or broken. Even my plants made the move without any harm.

Thought it went well. The best part was that they were able to take on the job at the last minute during the very busy moving day of 9/1, and we were able to be completely moved in first thing in the morning so we had the rest of the day to unpack and get things organized.

Was very happy with Special Forces from start to finish. Just a positive experience all the way through. David came over to my apartment to give me an estimate as well as tips for packing given it was my first time hiring movers, both of which I liked. Estimate was very competitive, especially on travel time. The night before the move David called to ask if they could arrive at 10 AM rather than 8 AM as they had a crew member coming in from DC. The crew actually arrived closer to 10:30, but did call to say they would be late (none of this was a problem, as I had previously told them I was flexible on timing as long as it was a same day move). Three person crew arrived and did a great job getting everything out of my third floor apartment. The movers worked hard and were helpful and friendly, moving some things that I didnt want to take with me out to the alley for trash pickup and repacking a number of boxes that I hadnt taped correctly without any complaint. Arrived in Vermont and had everything unpacked from the truck with the bed, tv's, and entertainment center in place in just over an hour and were very friendly and responsive. The crew was very careful with my things, everything arrived in one piece, only damage to everything moved was scratched paint on my entertainment center which just needed about $4 of touch up paint to fix. The crew did a great job packing up and moving all of my electronics and framed things. We ended up slightly over estimate due to more time spent in Boston then expected (since some of my packing needed to be redone), but even with costs higher than estimates the price was easily below the second highest bid I had gotten for the job. Pricing was very straightforward and the crew made sure I agreed with all of their time estimates when computing the bill. Overall, Special Forces made moving day stress free and did an outstanding job. They were friendly, conscientious, hard working, and open to instruction. I am only in Vermont for a two year school program and will definitely look to use them for my next move. We've all heard horror stories about bad moves. I feel very confident that anyone that uses Special Forces will not experience any of these problems and will have an excellent moving experience. Thanks again.

In every case, the jobs were done to our complete satisfaction. The teams arrived on time and worked quickly and efficiently.

The experience was phenomenal. Special Forces is a small company so you deal directly with the owner and David cares a lot about making your move as stress-free as possible. From the quote he provides by walking through your house without taking any notes (he's done so many moves he just "knows" how long things will take), to the quality of his movers (they are athletes and they are very conscientious), to him pointing out any damage or suspected damage as he was unloading the truck (most of it was pre-existing damage, anything else he took care of). It was the best moving experience I've ever had.

The movers sent to my place were very friendly and respectful, and did their job efficiently - the two men worked well together. At the last minute (a couple of days in advance) I requested a special stop (a bit out of the way) to pick up large appliance (fridge) from retailer, and they happily agreed. This ended up not taking more than additional 45 minutes so did not affect the end cost significantly at all. They were also presented with logistical challenges getting my queen bed up the narrow stairs and my new fridge in the front door - both were situations that could have gotten me a little panicky (I don't deal with moving very well!) but the movers were very calm and quietly confident - I didn't even realize there were challenges until they had already been resolved! These guys saved my sanity, and if I ever move again I will use them for sure.

Overall, i'm happy with these guys. Punctuality was a minor issue.The truck showed up 1/2 hour late-but they did call to warn us. Also they had someone call in sick, so the third mover showed up 60 minutes late. That was all fine, they got the job done, and the time was all considered in the billing. They movers were skillled and careful--we haven't seen any damage yet (although most of the stuff is in storage, so we haven't really looked yet). I'll consider them for the next move.

Great experience. They were very friendly and professional. The reason I chose Special Forces was because when I was calling around for quotes, David seemed trustworthy. Several companies had under-quoted me to lure me in-- they had given me unrealistically low time estimates for the move so that I would choose them. But with Special Forces it was a flat rate and by the time I called them I could tell their rates were competitive and they were not under or over quoting me. Other movers sounded like tired old cigar-chomping goons on the phone when they gave me their quotes, but David sounded honest, energetic and ambitious. They were late to arrive for the pickup time, but they called me frequently to give me updates (apparently the elevator had broken at a different client's site). They also offered to give me a 10% discount because they were late-- something that I didn't ask for or expect. When they did the move itself they were speedy, skilled and polite. They asked me where I wanted everything and assembled the bedframe and rolled out the carpets. Great experience, I highly recommend Special Forces Moving.