1st Choice Movers

Most Recent Comments

• January 2023 by bad7117
  Probably the cheapest but you get what you pay for. They were moving my stuff into a storage unit and it basically looked like they just threw everything into a haphazard pile making it a huge mess I had to painstakingly rearrange. I mean the disorder made absolutely no sense. Like the movers were high or just really stupid!
• July 2022 by karriean1974
  I have used 1st Choice Movers several times to move. I continue to go back to them because Ron and Gail are always so kind, helpful and professional. In this day and age I respect that since so many others are rude and inconsiderate. They are one of a kind and I would recommend them to anyone!
• June 2022 by Justin Egge
  TL;DR: by a 3-time customer of 1st Choice Movers (1CM): read the reviews, spot the trends, and go elsewhere. You may pay more, but you'll avoid significant stress and runaround.Context: we contacted Ron (owner, 1st Choice Movers) 7 weeks prior to move. Ron visited the property to assess the job and quoted a 4-man, 2-truck, 1-day effort. We moved from a 4b/2b home to another home 10 minutes away. Ron was courteous and responsive. This was our third time hiring 1CM, though our first working directly with Ron on site. This review is long; the intent is to provide objective detail allowing readers to spot trends with other reviews.Move day: Ron confirmed the night prior that the truck would arrive between 830-9a. Between 9:10 and 10:52a I received three calls from Ron with ‘running late’ commentary; culminating in a 15-minute call because “Siri took (Ron) to the wrong place”. The team arrived at ~11:05a, bringing 1 truck and 2 laborers (half the team). The move was not completed, requiring an additional half day. 95% of boxes were packed/sealed and furniture disassembled before the team arrived which should have expedited the process.The team ultimately composed of Ron (usually stays in the truck), an experienced mover I’ll call Dave, and a trainee I’ll call Bob. Bob had an attitude issue, spending significant time arguing with Ron on loading order and lacked experience with large items. While I appreciate Ron’s willingness to step in, he is in his later years. I was billed for 3 laborers and received 2.5 at best (.75 trainee + .75 age 50+). This is not an ageist comment but a pragmatic observation; moving is a labor-intensive job. To illustrate, Bob nearly lost a freezer down a flight of stairs; if not for Dave I’d have insurance liability and a damaged home. Dave advised that Bob wasn’t ready, but Ron ignored. There’s a difference between basic trade skill, and honing said skill through experience. Bob lacked the former.I loaded my truck 3 times out of concern for the item’s wellbeing and/or lack of room in the moving truck (improper packing). I escorted the team to the new home, sitting in a McDonalds parking lot while they ate lunch, over concern of them becoming lost again. I cancelled business appointments the following day to accommodate the additional half-day. I hired 1CM because it was medically unwise for me to be involved, yet ended up participating heavily regardless.The next week I called Ron to discuss a way we could both “win”. The team was 2 hours late, had half the crew, overcharged for trip fees, and took +1/2 day to complete the job with my involvement. Ron became defensive and combative. I explained that I didn’t want 1CM to take a loss and for us to find a compromise, but Ron was more interested in winning an argument. FYI my professional occupation is corporate contract mediation. Ron interpreted my attempts to compromise as aggressions; the conversation turned to Ron yelling over me and employing emotional levers (guilt trip, shame, gas-lighting) to shut me down. I stated my only recourse was to share my experience and was told “that was a threat.” After this, I can state that Ron is one of the most unprofessional individuals I’ve worked with. 1st Choice is experiencing staffing issues, though the cost/stress of those burdens are not the customers to bear – they are 1CM’s because 1CM is in the business of moving.This review is long; Ron will likely retort with an equally long response as appears the trend. To head off what is to come: I did not enter the moving truck, I did carry many items to staging areas, re-organized / re-wrapped poor work, and loaded/unloaded my own truck 3 times. I will close by stating that 1CM requires you sign a contract and provide payment before starting the day of, while leaving cost details blank. This is predatory at best as 1CM can charge any amount and the signor would be legally obligated to pay. It speaks to the business practices 1CM employs, and the need to secure payment up front due to what I imagine is a recent trend of unhappy customers.
• February 2022 by Stella Mendoza
  It took 12 hours to move us 3 miles. We were moving from a 2 bedroom apartment to a home. We had been told 3 men would be enough but only 2 showed up. After a 2-3 hours of hardly any movement Ron brought on 2 more guys since he said we had more stuff than anticipated. We had to work along side them to keep things moving, it was so ridiculous. As it was starting to get dark I asked if we should call it a day and have them come back the next day to finish. Ron refused and said they had enough time. The problem was they were tired and moving slower, slamming down boxes marked fragile and just done. So in the end they broke so many things. An antique vanity that Ron glued together for us, an adjustable bed frame that needed screws to fix that he never replaced (we found two screws at home store to fix ourselves), numerous glass items in a few different boxes that he said were not sufficiently bubble wrapped and a ceramic sculpture piece that was awkward shaped that we had wrapped in a box with part of it exposed so that it could be visible to show care needed. They never told us when they obviously broke items but left it for us to find. He kept saying he had all this experience and things break in moves so 60 cents per pound is the refund you get for items broken. They wound filling our garage in the end instead of putting items into their designated spots. So much for hiring movers so I didn't have to move things myself. Well I would never recommend this company as they are well past their prime if they ever had one. We moved across country with just a pod and not one thing broke! Then hired them to move 3 miles with so much damage. Please save yourself the frustration and find a different moving company. I wish I would have.
• November 2021 by Bill M.
  Good experience. They showed up when they said they would, did a good job and the final bill was exactly as estimated. What more can you ask for?
• August 2021 by Sadie Connolly
  Edit to add*** Do Not HireSpoke with Ron after I posted my review. I can now attest to the other reviews I have seen. Job was quoted (day of, Ron saw the work) for 5 hours and it took over 8 hours, with shortcuts. Spoke with Ron, apparently reviews are only given "to destroy a company's reputation." I explained that my review was given based on the work/service I received, had the work been good, I would have posted that. Ron raised his voice with me, stating that he would not be backed into a corner because of a bad review. He did not want to make up the time worked or provide a reduced rate as he stated that he wasn't going to be forced to do something based on a review.Mediocre experience would not recommend. I have hired movers before so I have an idea of how the process should go. I hired 1st Choice a year ago for a last minute job. Two guys came that time and worked very hard. This year my experience was not so good. As many other reviews have noted, there was a lack of effort and I over paid for the service provided. I hired three movers for this move. I was going from a 2 bedroom, one office, townhome to a single family home. In addition, I also had a trailer at the new home to be unloaded. Everything was packed and ready to go when the movers arrived. After viewing the townhome, loading the truck was quoted by Ron to take approximately 2-2.5 hours. It turned out to be over 4 hours in loading. After getting the guys started, Ron left the site. Two of the workers took 4 breaks in the first 4 hours. I was not planning to do any work that day with the exception of un-assembling and re-assembling 1 bed frame. I had to help out so much that I was unable to do that. One of the workers talked for over 50% of the day. I had to pay the full rate regardless. A second trip was need to “not pack the truck unsafely” per Ron’s inspection. I was not charged for a second trip rate, but I did have to pay for that additional 30 minutes of drive time. Total job time should have been approximately 5 hours, and it was 8 hours. Most of my items were not able to be moved to the rooms/space where I had labeled or would have expected them to be. I now have a 2 car garage packed full because I was unwilling to pay for additional time for mediocre work ethics. To sum up my experience, one worker asked what “bath” meant in reference to a label on a box. While their quote for the job seemed very reasonable, the lack of work effort made it a much more expensive choice in the end.Edit to add* I reached out to 1st Choice by email two days after my move and again 3 days later. They have not responded to my email requesting to make things right by the customer so I am choosing to post my review.
• July 2021 by Sadie C.
  Mediocre experience would not recommend. I have hired movers before so I have an idea of how the process should go. I hired 1st Choice a year ago for a last minute job. Two guys came that time and worked very hard. This year my experience was not so good. As many other reviews have noted, there was a lack of effort and I over paid for the service provided. I hired three movers for this move. I was going from a 2 bedroom, one office, townhome to a single family home. In addition, I also had a trailer at the new home to be unloaded. Everything was packed and ready to go when the movers arrived. After viewing the townhome, loading the truck was quoted by Ron to take approximately 2-2.5 hours. It turned out to be over 4 hours in loading. After getting the guys started, Ron left the site. Two of the workers took 4 breaks in the first 4 hours. I was not planning to do any work that day with the exception of un-assembling and re-assembling 1 bed frame. I had to help out so much that I was unable to do that. One of the workers talked for over 50% of the day. I had to pay the full rate regardless. A second trip was need to "not pack the truck unsafely" per Ron's inspection. I was not charged for a second trip rate, but I did have to pay for that additional 30 minutes of drive time. Total job time should have been approximately 5 hours, and it was 8 hours. Most of my items were not able to be moved to the rooms/space where I had labeled or would have expected them to be. I now have a 2 car garage packed full because I was unwilling to pay for additional time for mediocre work ethics. To sum up my experience, one worker asked what "bath" meant in reference to a label on a box. While their quote for the job seemed very reasonable, the lack of work effort made it a much more expensive choice in the end. Edit to add* I reached out to 1st Choice by email two days after my move and again 3 days later. They have not responded to my email requesting to make things right by the customer so I am choosing to post my review.
• February 2021 by James Redmond
  HORRIBLE SERVICE - READ THE REVIEWS! - I blame myself for not reading the reviews, I could have avoided an awful experience. My experience is almost to a T what others have mentioned below. I had a small office to move, Ron came to quote the move and with his "25+ years of experience" he managed to under quote the 1200 sq ft office move by more than double! Impressive. Quote was for $700-$900 max, and they charged my card three times (also signed my name for me, nice) for a total of $2,000. The moving team was extremely slow and mind you they arrived very late and started the job at 4pm after a full day of work (great I pay full rate for a few guys running on fumes)They didn't even finish the job of putting the furniture back together, as Ron said they would. Office furniture was left in pieces and I had to pay another company to assemble it. When I got back to the office, I gave Ron a call expecting him to be apologetic and eager to find a resolution, as my conversations with him up to this point had been great. He took a defensive tone and flat out denied any wrong doing - it was very obvious that he has this conversation on a weekly basis. He's not counting on return customers, just wants to rip people off when given the opportunity. When I told him I was not happy about the service he provided, he responded with "You're not happy? Oh do you think I'm happy?" ..... No? These are the kind of people who should not be in business. Avoid this company at all costs. Plenty of other good moving companies in the area.Service: Local moving
• January 2021 by Zachary Fenno
  1st Choice Movers really helped us out in a pinch. We were able to book them for the day after new years with only two days advance notice. They arrived early, packaged everything nicely, and got everything unloaded expeditiously. My partner oversaw the entire process and kept saying how good they were after the move was completed. Would definitely recommend them again. Thanks!
• January 2021 by Ryan Berg
  What a great bunch of guys to work with. Ron the owner is a nice and friendly guy to work with. Best price in town. I will repeat in the future. Ryan B
• November 2020 by Brian Melendez
  I have hired 1st Choice about a dozen times in the past couple decades -- sometimes for big moves like moving hundreds of boxes from my professional office to my home office, sometimes for smaller projects like getting oversized furniture upstairs. They're my go-to movers, and they have always done a good job for me, and handled my furniture with good professional care.
• October 2020 by James R
  HORRIBLE SERVICE - READ THE REVIEWS! - I blame myself for not reading the reviews, I could have avoided an awful experience. My experience is almost to a T what others have mentioned below. I had a small office to move, Ron came to quote the move and with his "25+ years of experience" he managed to under quote the 1200 sq ft office move by more than double! Impressive. Quote was for $700-$900 max, and they charged my card three times (also signed my name for me, nice) for a total of $2,000. The moving team was extremely slow and mind you they arrived very late and started the job at 4pm after a full day of work (great I pay full rate for a few guys running on fumes)They didn't even finish the job of putting the furniture back together, as Ron said they would. Office furniture was left in pieces and I had to pay another company to assemble it. When I got back to the office, I gave Ron a call expecting him to be apologetic and eager to find a resolution, as my conversations with him up to this point had been great. He took a defensive tone and flat out denied any wrong doing - it was very obvious that he has this conversation on a weekly basis. He's not counting on return customers, just wants to rip people off when given the opportunity. When I told him I was not happy about the service he provided, he responded with "You're not happy? Oh do you think I'm happy?" ..... No? These are the kind of people who should not be in business. Avoid this company at all costs. Plenty of other good moving companies in the area.
• October 2020 by Derek Gilley
  Bad experience. Was told arrival would be 9AM and didn't get there until 2PM. I understand that things carry over longer then expected from time to time... however, we were lied to about there 'arrival' 5 times. After our belongings sat in the front yard for 5 hours waiting on them to arrive they finally showed up with an extra mover. Thought they might be giving us a discount on the 3rd mover because of the tardiness... boy was I wrong. They then told us we had to pay an $60 an hour for the 3rd guy or he would simply sit on our property and watch the others work. So after realizing that we really had no other option and after the owner told us it would actually be faster to have the 3rd guy, we agreed. SLOWEST MOVERS EVER! Considering we had everything besides 2 couches and a TV already moved out of the apartment and sitting right by the parking lot waiting to be loaded you'd think it would be pretty straight forward 2-3 hour move... NOT with this company. One mover was more interested in telling jokes with another busy hitting on my sister in-law. Ended up taking the same exact amount of time they quoted previously but at the higher rate. They most certainly don't get the idea of customer service... they simply put the 5 hour delay as a risk you take when you hire them and that's not right. I understand things happen but the owner took no responsibility for the late arrival. If you tell someone your arriving at a set time... then you do it. If you quote the time it should take then try to be accurate. I feel like with all the people in a pinch right now due to evictions and job losses that they get people backed into a corner knowing full well they have no other option but to stick with them. Its honestly sad to hear that this man has been in business for 24 years... and has to be given a business lesson by someone half his age. Needless to say... we would highly recommend going with someone else.
• October 2020 by Mark G.
  Efficient, wrap and prepare items like chests & tables to prevent damage, provide wardrobe boxes, and have a "can-do" mentality that's helpful on what's normally a very stressful day. Have used them twice, and will use them / recommend them for any future move.
• September 2020 by Derek G.
  Bad experience. Was told arrival would be 9AM and didn't get there until 2PM. I understand that things carry over longer then expected from time to time... however, we were lied to about there 'arrival' 5 times. After our belongings sat in the front yard for 5 hours waiting on them to arrive they finally showed up with an extra mover. Thought they might be giving us a discount on the 3rd mover because of the tardiness... boy was I wrong. They then told us we had to pay an $60 an hour for the 3rd guy or he would simply sit on our property and watch the others work. So after realizing that we really had no other option and after the owner told us it would actually be faster to have the 3rd guy, we agreed. SLOWEST MOVERS EVER! Considering we had everything besides 2 couches and a TV already moved out of the apartment and sitting right by the parking lot waiting to be loaded you'd think it would be pretty straight forward 2-3 hour move... NOT with this company. One mover was more interested in telling jokes with another busy hitting on my sister in-law. Ended up taking the same exact amount of time they quoted previously but at the higher rate. They most certainly don't get the idea of customer service... they simply put the 5 hour delay as a risk you take when you hire them and that's not right. I understand things happen but the owner took no responsibility for the late arrival. If you tell someone your arriving at a set time... then you do it. If you quote the time it should take then try to be accurate. I feel like with all the people in a pinch right now due to evictions and job losses that they get people backed into a corner knowing full well they have no other option but to stick with them. It's honestly sad to hear that this man has been in business for 24 years... and has to be given a business lesson by someone half his age. Needless to say... we would highly recommend going with someone else. At least I know it's not just me after reading all of the customer complaints about the nonsense the owner spews... HEY RON... YOU WORK FOR THE CUSTOMER... NOT THE OTHER WAY. Paid almost double what we were quoted to move 15 miles...