Beefcake Moving & Storage, Inc.

Fair, fast no damages. a little late as they come from the Valley and I am in OC.

Hector, Daryl and Joe busted their rears all day for my move from LA to Bakersfield. Wrapped and packed everything that needed it (TVs, couches, furniture). All was done in a fast-​paced, professional manner despite being pretty hot in the house with no a/​c. Being the first time I didn’t move by myself, I didn’t know what to expect. These guys set the bar pretty high and I definitely recommend them. The cost seemed competitive as well.

Summary: If you’re looking for an inexpensive move of a one or two bedroom well-​packed set of items, these guys are pretty good.
I chose Beefcake because they have a discretionary pricing model which distinguished them from other moving companies. I needed a long distance move from San Diego to San Francisco at very short notice (within the week). I wanted discretionary pricing (e.g. priced by the item) because I kept all of my boxes for my TV, dishes etc., and knew I could minimize the number of items to be moved.
Positive:
— Discretionary pricing model was ideal for my situation
— Agents were very responsive and easy to deal with on the phone
— Good customer service
— They jumped on the opportunity and didn’t waste time
— Movers were fast and efficient
— Time windows for pickup and delivery were reasonable
Would be ⁵⁄₅ but…
— Movers were a bit too hasty at times and I was worried about the walls (e.g. wrapped mattress and box spring up together and had to shove it through one hallway. I didn’t notice marks but it was risky, e.g. I might be wary of moving a piano if I had one)
— Discretionary pricing has potential for «nickel and diming» — I was worried that items such as ironing boards etc., weren’t easily classified and the costs might add up. The movers WERE reasonable, but if you want peace of mind, go with a flat-​rate service

We were a local move, just doors away. With that said, I almost think that was even harder as everything was walked to the new place. With that said it was a GREAT moving experience. They were right on time. The guys let no grass grow under their feet, constantly moving, working their butts off. They were a pleasure to work with and very respectful of our belongings and of us. The move was flawless and seamless. I would highly recommend them.

I recently moved from LA to Oregon and had Beefcake do the move. I solicited 6 estimates from movers and gave all of them the same list of items to move. Beefcake was the lowest. There were a couple other estimates not far from the Beefcake one and several hundreds higher.
They don’t give you an in person estimate you give the a list of your items and they quote from it. I asked several times what happens if the actual number of boxes is a bit higher or lower than the estimate and they said they’d call the day before to confirm. The only problem with this is that inevitably there are a few items more than what you think you have 24 hours ahead of the move. A couple other movers called this out and specifically said they don’t get too picky. As long as its in the ballpark of the number I estimated they’d honor their quote.
I should have taken that as a sign.
When the guys arrived (btw they were nice enough, and 2 of the four looked like they knew what they were doing) they almost immediately started adding charges. I quoted a king sized bed… but the foreman said the headboard is not included. A charge. They counted about 5 more boxes than I had counted the day before. A charge. They had to pack a couple small pieces of marble on end tables. Big charges.
When it was all said and done, I paid nearly $ 500 (almost 20%) more than the «binding» estimate I had the day before.
The stuff arrived well enough in Oregon, not much damage, but it was a hassle sorting out where they were going to unload. I gave the movers a contact number when I booked the move for the City to arrange for delivery since only they would know when it would be arriving, but they left it to me to sort out. Unfortunately, with 24 hours notice of their arrival I couldn’t get a permit required so any tickets for parking were on me too.
The upshot of all of this is they did an okay job… but be warned that the extra charges on the day of the move if you are not SPOT ON with what you are moving add up quickly. Also, for what its worth, when I asked if the estimate goes down if we have less than the number given to them 24 hours ahead of the move the answer was no. So guess high folks if you want these guys to do your move… last minute charges get ugly.

I would not move with Beefcake.
Good: Loading Crew
Bad: Sales Team, Pricing, Organization
Starting with the good: the loading crew was professional, efficient, and friendly.
On to the bad: I was given a binding quote of about 1K and set up a day to move. I was not given any more information. In my mind a binding quote means that that is the amount that I will pay.
When all was said and done I ended up paying about 500 dollars more in packing materials and labor for the crew. I thought all of that was included when I filled out the inventory of my things and spoke with the sales rep, but it was not.
Any part of furniture made of glass will cost you big time. Each piece of glass was required to be packed in a crate. Each crate was 90 dollars. You can imagine how that could get expensive quickly. Large crates are something like 150. These are SIGNIFICANT costs that should be discussed up front and the sales team should do a much better job of estimating the price. Giving a binding quote and then ending up demanding 50% more in cash on the day of the move is not acceptable to me. This was my first time moving in California, but when I moved in Texas, I was given a price and I paid it.
The sales representative also never discussed when my things would actually be delivered. Since no date was discussed I assumed it would be the same day it was picked up. When I talked to the manager he said that was a reasonable assumption. The problem is, I called Beefcake the day before my move to make sure everything was set up and in line. It was only THEN that they informed me that delivering my things would take 7 – 21 business days. This is something that needs to be planned for. I set up the appointment a month in advance and that should have been discussed the FIRST time we spoke, not the day before the move.
To their credit: I spoke with the manager and after I was about to cancel my pickup and look for another company, the manager said he could guarantee that my things would be delivered early the next week. That time frame is reasonable, but 21 days is not. If it would have taken 21 days I should have been notified of this far in advance.
In conclusion: those doing the actual labor were good to work with. Their business and logistics side is terrible
***Update*** I had almost forgotten about this travesty when a manager from Beefcake commented on this review saying they have discussed this with me offline. Yes, I had gotten a call almost a year ago when I first posted this review asking if there was anything they could do to make it right. I asked for some of my money back. They said they would discuss it with the partners and get back to me. What a step in the right direction, I thought.
They never got back to me.
Updated but the one star remains for exceptionally poor customer service.

I wish I had known it would be this good before I started the move. I spent way to much effort stressing about it!
I had an amazing experience with Beefcake! And I am NOT a person who uses the word «amazing» often. This was for a one bedroom apartment from Los Angeles to North Orlando area.
First, Gabbie was very patient with me changing my list a few times. I did not have someone come out but instead just listed my items. My total ended up being only about $ 80 more than the estimate after you take off the long carry charges. Before you get upset… ALL moving companies charge for elevator and long carry (more than 75ft). They knocked off the elevator charge and one of the long carry sections. Also, I knew the estimate was under because I had added a few boxes and miscellaneous things. I was just hoping it was within $ 300. Be prepared to go over your estimate. You always think you have less than you do and the last «few things» end up being a lot more than it looks like it will be.
Second, the origin movers were on time and very hard working. Yeah, for long haul you don’t pay by the hour but it doesn’t mean you want to spend all day doing it. These guys were fast but careful. I believe their names were Sean (manager but might be wrong on this name), Ishmael, and George. They wrapped my stuff very well and even the delivery mover commented at how great the stuff was wrapped. It sort of sucked that I lived downtown LA because parking enforcement came by and told them to move their truck. The manager said no problem and moved the truck. He didn’t add any additional charges for further long carry. They ended up putting all my stuff downstairs and then getting the truck again at the end.
Third, I did have to call to arrange the delivery. That’s because I had no idea where I was moving to, meaning which apartment or even exact town in the area. You get one month storage so no big deal. The 21 days (by law) doesn’t start until you give them a delivery address so I was prepared to go without my stuff for 2 – 3 weeks. I think I called and gave them the address on a Monday. My stuff was delivered Thursday night! I was NOT AT ALL expecting it that fast! In fact, my mom was coming over to help unpack so I had to re-​arrange to go get her sooner. lol A good problem to have. The delivery mover Lehran (I know I didn’t spell that right!) was also fast. He was very friendly and polite (as were the pickup guys). His helper was a bit young, inexperienced, and slow but still hard working and careful. I did get charged for long carry at destination but again it was reduced to less than it should have been and again, I knew it was well more than 75 feet.
Fourth, and most importantly, ALL my stuff was accounted for and in perfect condition! I thought my espresso machine was broke during the move because one side was popped out. Lehran easily fixed it though. I asked my friend in LA who had packed the machine and he said «No, it was broken already because I even mentioned it to you.» Oops!
Anyway, not sure why all these good reviews are filtered but I’d definitely 100% recommend Beefcake Movers! If I had the opportunity to use them again, it would greatly reduce the stress of my move! I’ve moved like 10 times in the past 8 years so I know what I’m talking about.