You Move Me Vancouver

It pains me to give You Move Me such a low rating as the actual moving experience was relatively hassle-​free, and the team who moved my stuff was hard-​working and fairly quick. However I was quoted $ 350 for the move and ended up paying $ 750 including tip. Paying more than double what I was quoted was a real shock and definitely way beyond what I had budgeted! Not ideal.

I wanted to like these guys because they were really friendly, but it’s ended up being a pretty frustrating experience. I was seriously underquoted and the communication is pretty lacking.
I used their moving and packing services because the basement suite I lived in flooded and I needed to get out as soon as possible, which meant I booked them only one day ahead of time, and my house wasn’t even a little bit packed when they came in. They also made arrangements for me with a storage facility they frequently do business with, to store my things until I can move into my new, less wet home.
When I phoned to book, I went over a list of everything I needed packed and moved on the phone, and was given an estimate of $ 950, +/​-​20%. I’ve never used movers before, but given they’d be packing and moving for me, this seemed pretty reasonable so I went ahead and made a tentative booking — my landlord had told me I would probably have to leave ASAP, I wanted to double check and make sure before I booked definitively. I was told as long as I confirmed by that evening, there would be no problems.
Over the next half hour, I missed four phone calls (my phone was sitting next to me, but I was in class so I couldn’t answer it). I’m a worrier, so when I get four calls in a row from a number I don’t recognize, my imagination starts to wander and I wonder what emergency it could possibly be. When I was able to listen to the voicemail that was left after the first call and realized it was just You Move Me calling to confirm my appointment, I was irritated. You would think after one or two phone calls, it would have been pretty clear that I wasn’t able to answer my phone, and leaving me a voicemail ensures I’ll call back when I can. Four phone calls is intrusive and beyond excessive.
The actual move went pretty well. I had a whole bunch of boxes stored from my last move, and the movers (who were very friendly) agreed to use them first to save me money on their boxes. There were a few small issues I had on the day, including my coat being packed (it was sitting out with my keys and purse, it seems fairly obvious that I might need it in the middle of winter, especially given they knew my things were going to storage) and a number of small things being left lying around for reasons I couldn’t comprehend (they could easily have gone into boxes). I also left for 15 minutes to get myself some lunch, and when I came back was informed all of my guitars had been packed into a large wardrobe box together. I really would’ve liked to be consulted on that decision — my guitars were mostly my late father’s and are very precious to me.
Once everything was packed up and in their truck, the more senior of the two movers told me he’d call me that evening with the final invoice number and to collect my payment. I accompanied them to the storage facility to fill out the paperwork for the locker, and with their repeated assurances that it was fine, I left them there to unload as I needed to get my dog from the person who was watching her for the day and check into the hotel I’m staying at until I can get into my new home.
I didn’t get a call that night. I didn’t get a call the next day. I tried phoning the next day, and didn’t get through. Finally, four days later, I got a call from the office asking how I wanted to settle up the invoice. I told her I hadn’t even seen the invoice yet, and she told me the final amount — $ 1357.06. Needless to say, I was frustrated and taken aback and asked why it was almost 50% more than I’d been quoted. She told me any number of small things could affect it, like a long distance from the house to the van (there wasn’t), stairs (there are none), and using more boxes than expected. When I went back two days after the move to tidy what I could, I was surprised to see that a lot of my boxes were still there and they had switched to using their own. I expressed as much to the woman on the phone, and she told me she’d get in contact with the team and call me back later that afternoon.
The next day I heard back from her and she told me she’d spoken with the men who’d done the move, and they told her they’d gone over the final invoice to me once they’d finished the job. She was surprised when I told her I had left them at the storage locker before they had finished unloading and that he had given me no such final number (apparently that’s not what he told her). She told me she could take the boxes off and give me a 5% discount, and asked if that would suffice. I told her it didn’t quite make up for the almost 50% jump over the original quote, and she told me she’d get her general manager to contact me.
That’s where it is right now. I’ll update to say how it resolves (and how well my things fared in the move once they’re out of storage), but I don’t think I’ll be using them again to move my things into my new home. It’s just bad business practice to promise «upfront rates» and charge this much over.

tl;dr version:
1. Very nice, super friendly staff
2. Quoted hourly rate is below actual rate
3. Quoted duration unrealistic
4. Lack of adequate tools for the job (time=money)
5. Tape residue on walls/​furniture
6. They give you a plant
7. Summary: Don’t let #1 fool you, #2−4 is very possible. #6 is meaningless, doesn’t make up for #2−4.
Long version:
We used YMM a few months ago. When I called to inquire about a quote, I was asked to go through each room and list all of my furniture. I also stated that I would have most of my stuff packed up in boxes, and explained which pieces of furniture needed disassembling/​reassembling (bed, Ikea PAX wardrobes, crib). The phone interview was pleasant, it made me feel as if I was in good hands. They quoted me an hourly rate of $ 130/​hr plus an estimated duration, which I felt was reasonable so I went ahead and booked them.
The morning of the move, the driver called to tell me that they were on their way. Three super friendly guys showed up, they started moving most of the packed stuff right away as well as some furniture. One of the guys was clearly a newbie/​trainee, as he asked many questions and was constantly told how to deal with certain issues. The main guy (driver) was disassembling my bed with an anemic electric screwdriver that was underpowered and constantly needed recharging. He kept resorting to a manual screwdriver. It came time to disassemble my wardrobe cabinets (Ikea Pax). He told me that they don’t take any responsibility for Ikea furniture, and I had to sign something to agree to those terms. I thought it was odd, since I clearly explained that these needed disassembly during the phone interview and they said nothing specifically about Ikea furniture. A bit annoying, but it was moving day. What was I to do?
He partially took apart the Ikea wardrobes before moving on to something else. I got tired of waiting for him to finish so I dove in and finished taking them apart myself.
About 2 hours in, the main guy said that it will go over the estimated time, and he wanted my blessing. Well I really don’t have a choice, do I? The elevators were booked in both buildings, and I had no choice but to finish my move that day. So I agreed. He then stated the hourly rate of $ 195/​hr. I told him I was quoted at $ 130/​hr, and he said that was the rate for two guys, and because there were 3 of them I would be charged the higher rate (despite one of them being a newbie/​trainee). Again, I was left with no choice but to agree.
When everything was packed up, we went to the new place. Just as they pulled up to the loading dock, there was another YMM truck there with two guys finishing up their job. Our main guy chit chatted with them a bit before telling me that they could help with my move once they were done, but that the hourly rate would go up significantly. I declined, stating that there is only one elevator and that I didn’t think they could work proportionately faster with 5 guys versus 3.
Once just about everything was unloaded, the main guy helped me put the furniture back together. I found my power drill and had him use that, since it was way more effective than his pathetic electric screwdriver. He made excuses as to why he didn’t have a power drill, but I largely ignored him because any person worth their salt would have tools appropriate for their profession. When he helped put one of my wardrobe cabinets together, he put one of the panels on backwards, so there is an unfinished piece facing outwards. I didn’t want to pay $ 195/​hour to have him fix his mistake so I told him to leave it as is.
When all was done, the price tag for my move was about $ 2000. The initial quote I received over the phone was just a bit over $ 1000, so basically I paid almost double. And that was with me doing quite a bit of work during the second half (move in). So if you don’t like surprises, expect to pay much more than they quote you.
To be fair, we do have a good amount of stuff: books, kitchenware, clothes, sports/​outdoors gear, but nothing out of the ordinary (we are definitely not hoarders). We moved from a 2+den with storage to a 3+den just down the street.
All the movers were super friendly, and on the day of the move I just wanted the moving process to end. So I was pretty agreeable to everything that day. It wasn’t until later that I put some thought into this experience that I find myself annoyed by You Move Me. The unrealistic lowball quote, the higher than quoted hourly rate, the lack of appropriate tools (unprofessional).
Stuff I noticed later:
— They left a tabletop leaning against a wall, and used a piece of balled up packing tape as a cushion. The balled up tape took some paint off the wall. It also left sticky residue on the tabletop.
— Black hand marks on many item, including walls.
— Used packing tape to wrap up table legs and shelves, which also left sticky residue.
Super friendly, but that alone won’t cut it next time. I will be using someone else next time.

Over Promised Under-​Delivered
We booked YMM for packing (day before the move) & moving from a 2 BR apartment. We’d gotten rid of some large items before the move so there was only 1 bed to move & no TV
Initial contact was positive. I booked online & received a quick response from YMM’s call centre, w/​a follow-​up call from the local office. Both people were professional & friendly. YMM’s internal communications seem poor. I had to correct our address & repeat the nature of our parking & building access for each person I dealt with
Before the move an ops manager came to see what we had & to provide a quote. We showed the entire place (incl. storage locker); it should have been clear how much we had. I later emailed him because there’d been no talk as to when the packers would start. He said we were booked for 9 am; I asked if it could start at 10 or 10:30 to accommodate our child care. He confirmed a 10:30 start
On packing day I heard nothing from YMM all morning. I called & learned we were booked for an 11-​to-​1 start window. There’d been no mention that packers are booked in 2-​hour windows. I called the ops manager, who said the packers wouldn’t arrive until 1 because they were far behind schedule; they were «slammed» & mornings were usually too busy
I’d contacted YMM 2 months before our move. We were flexible w/​our dates. YMM said it doesn’t do mid-​month discounts because it has the trucks & manpower to meet demand any time of month. As there was no advantage to moving mid-​month, I booked for the end of the month to suit our kids’ schedules. If I knew YMM couldn’t handle end-​of-​month I might’ve booked an earlier date
We had 2 packers; 1 relatively new guy did the kitchen & dining room (incl. a china hutch), the other did the rest. They were efficient & good about consulting with us during the work on specific items or other matters as they’d arise. The guy who did the kitchen did an excellent job. Everything was secure & not a single item broke — even the most fragile items. The other guy did a good job too. While his box construction appeared sloppy, when I unpacked it was clear how secure they were
On moving day YMM arrived promptly when expected, w/​an advance call to say they were on the way. The coffee they brought was welcome. We had 3 movers (incl. the ops manager). They seemed efficient, but later it seemed there was always at least 1 guy on his phone. As someone was always on the phone it felt like we only had 2 movers. When not on the phone they worked hard. A few times I even noticed 1 guy sprinting from the truck to our building for the next load, despite no need to do so
The move took a bit longer than expected. Things soured when I realized not everything made it to our new home. I was assembling a crib while the truck was being unloaded. I looked for my toolbox where I’d stored some pieces. A mover told me that they had to leave «a couple» things behind b/​c the truck was full; in fact, they moved some items in his own car (made me wonder about YMM’s insurance coverage for those items)
When we returned to our old flat we were shocked by how much was left behind, esp. since YMM had toured our place pre-​move & saw what we had. Worse was the carelessness with which things had been treated. As made clear at the start, many of these items required special care (e.g. expensive framed pieces & a mirror), but were left in a precarious state. A large framed wedding photo was left on the floor under some china. A laptop was left with several items strewn on top. I wasn’t happy with the excuse that the truck was too full to do the job, given the lengthy pre-​move visit. It was midnight before I finished the crib, which did not improve my mood about this
Late the next day the ops manager came by our old place to complete the job. I appreciated the initiative but it still bothered me that our things had been treated so carelessly
No items were damaged in the move. Several times movers pointed out damaged items & asked whether they were responsible. However, they were damaged before the move. These voluntary admissions assured me that if anything had been damaged YMM would quickly take responsibility & not try to hide the fact
There was damage to the doorknob to our old place & two 3-​inch gouges to a wall at our new place. Both times YMM quickly acknowledged the damage & took responsibility for repairs. The doorknob fix was subpar (our landlord re-​repaired it himself w/​o holding us responsible). The wall fix was good, w/​little indication that there’d been damage
YMM was quick to solve several problems, but many should’ve never occurred. It’s difficult to rate YMM higher given what was left behind & how it had been left. I would’ve been more satisfied had our expectations not been raised to believe we’d receive better than average service. YMM charges amongst the highest rates in the city but seemed no more dependable than others. YMM set the bar high, but did not reach that standard

I don’t write a lot of reviews on here, but I just had to for this.
We moved about a week ago now and things have been very hectic, but You Move Me was very VERY good during our move day.
I have had all sorts of stuff moved in to my place and they always ding the walls, but once these guys were done, not one wall was damaged and we went a LOT under budget from our initial estimate. Brian Tony and Nate were very good, very fast and didn’t mind helping us out with the small things like moving the drawers after they’ve been placed already. They were extremely kind, patient and very energetic!
I am DEFINITELY going to give these guys a call again the next time I need movers. I would also like to request Brian, Tony and Nate as well. You guys rock!

Not a big fan of moving but this one went great. Brandon, Chris and Sebastian were on time and had a coffee in hand for my wife and I. What a great start. Guys were professional and efficient.
Went from a 3 BDRM townhouse to a house. All said and done by 4 hours. Furniture was disassembled, wrapped, moved, unwrapped and assembled. Move went great with no stress.
Thanks Guys.

Moving is stressful. There’s no way around that, however, with the right team of movers, it can be a damn sight less.
We hired «you move me» as my girlfriend had used them previously. Normally, I’m a «hire a truck» kinda guy, but I took her word for it and I’m glad we did.
My first contact was with Shawn who called to give me an ETA and ask if I wanted a coffee (I declined, but a nice touch nonetheless). Then he and Tony were at my apartment in no time at all.
These guys were efficient! When not loading, they were literally running to the elevator to get more stuff to put in the truck. Everything was handled carefully and professionally.
Thanks again to Shawn and Tony for helping us move :).

These guys managed to change an initial negative experience into a really positive one.
Our actual moving experience with You Move Me wasn’t great. We did a local move with You Move Me in November 2014 from an apartment to a townhouse. The team that showed up to move us was very nice, but generally poor. There was a brand new team member that tried hard to look busy, but wasn’t very efficient. The team leader spent too much time trying to chat with us and not enough time hustling. But the third guy was great. On the whole, it was like we were paying three guys to do the work of two. In the end, even with us actively helping throughout the move, our move took longer than expected and cost us an additional $ 200 or so. But nothing was broken, and we’re busy folks, so I wasn’t going to make a big stink about it — not every move can be perfect.
I provided You Move Me with feedback via an online survey, after which one of their staff left me a voicemail message to say they’d like to do something to make us feel better about the whole experience — a nice gesture, and certainly not necessary. After trading voicemail messages 4 times, I was irritated with the whole process — they had my online feedback, so why couldn’t they just honor their original quote and refund me the difference?! I decided to just cut my losses and write a negative Unilocal review. At that point, I felt like they were wasting my time, which was frustrating given our move day experience.
So why am I giving these guys 4 stars? It’s how they handled my initial Unilocal review. Just hours after posting, the owner of the company contacted me directly to find out exactly what went wrong. He listened carefully to what I had to say. He also clarified for me that they had wanted to give me a refund without any additional hassle but couldn’t, because they needed my credit card number. So my irritation with the phone tag was misplaced — my bad on that.
In the end they honored their original quote. Sure, the refund of $ 200 was nice — but what was even nicer was having the owner of the company take my feedback seriously. Not every move can go perfectly, which is to be expected. But it takes a company that cares about its customers and reputation to do the sorts of things You Move Me did today in really trying to understand how to fix a negative experience.

Unfortunately, I never got as far as doing a move with the company. While shopping around I spoke to a very friendly person at their call center. She provided me with an estimate. I said I was still calling around comparing services and pricing and that I would call back to book them if wanted to go with them. The agent convinced me to book a job and assured me that I could cancel after at no cost if I decided not to go ahead. I agreed.
She also asked that if I found more attractive estimates that I give them the opportunity to adjusting their pricing to be more competitive. I agreed.
As asked of me, once I found more competitive pricing elsewhere I communicated by email to see how flexible they could be. I provided the name of a competitor and their estimate. To my surprise, they emailed back and told me that that the pricing was firm, but that they justify their higher rates by doing things others don’t such as giving me a cup of coffee and a plant. No offense, but I was looking for a mover, not a barista or a botanist. Why ask me to give them a chance to be competitive and then show no flexibility?
I emailed the call center agent who booked my job as well as the local guy who was overseeing the job to cancel, and asked for confirmation of the cancellation. I got no reply. I emailed the call center agent again a couple days later, asking again for confirmation of receipt. Again, no reply.
A few days later I phoned the call center to find out if the job was cancelled. It was not. The agent I spoke with apologized for the poor service I received. She offered to look into matter for me and see what she could do to keep my business, but frankly the ball had been dropped too many times up until then. I had already booked another moving company to do the job, and they were on the ball from my initial contact.
I should not have been asked to bring competing offers to them only to be told that their pricing is firm. I should not have had to go through that much trouble to cancel a job. That’s three cancellation emails to two separate people, and a phone call to a third! And ultimately I did all that to save THEM time and money. I could have easily forgotten about it after the first emails and then their movers might have showed up to find no job waiting for them.
I understand that mistakes happen with any business from time to time. I see from other reviews here that they do get it right and wow their customers most of the time. Unfortunately, that was not the case with me.

I had to move a few large items from my grandfather’s house to my house. The morning of the move, the main mover contacted me in advance to keep me informed about the schedule (traffic delayed him about 15 minutes). I was pleased with him letting me know early about this delay.
The biggest surprise that I had was the enthusiasm and professionalism that he had when we met. He was incredibly cheerful, attentive, and careful in entering the home and moving the large items. He was with two other employees who he led; he was just as friendly and encouraging to them as he was with me.
The three of them were swift in their move, and incredibly careful with not damaging the items or the home. I want to note that one of the items moved was an upright piano. I was hesitant at first having a «non-​piano-​moving» company move this piano. However, they took incredible care with moving it, first wrapping it in protective plastic, before moving it slowly and carefully with a dolly.
We traveled separately back to my home, and when they arrived, they were attuning themselves quickly with the construction of my building in order to get the items into my place easily.
In the end, the move was incredibly fast, and I was thoroughly impressed. We finished below the original time estimate, making the price less than initially quoted.
This is not my first move, but the first time I have hired someone. It was the rapport development and the friendly professionalism that makes this company deserving of this 5 star review for me.

Life savers! They were the only company available to do my move. Very professional, clean, nice guys. Shawn and James did an awesome job. They wrapped everything thoroughly and work incredibly fast. We were in shock by how these two skinny guys lifted giant furniture. We worked with them moving things and they always made sure we were lifting within our limits.
This company is great, we saw the owner on shaw tv talking about it. Great company values. The movers show up on time, and are happy to do the job
They costs a little more but are worth every cent. The invoice is clear and easy to understand. There is an initial fee for the truck arrival. At first i found it strange but they dont charge extra for shrink wrapping all your stuff, no charges for use of blankets. They have all the right gear.
Hire these guys!