American National MoversReviews of americanationalmovers.com

I hired American National Movers for an interstate move from New York to San Diego under a signed, binding flat-rate contract for $10,000, which explicitly stated I was paying for a dedicated, direct truck and that "shared load moving does NOT apply." This turned out not to be true. The driver told me directly, more than once, that he had made unscheduled stops elsewhere in San Diego before reaching me. I feel I was misled into paying a premium for a direct, dedicated service I never actually received. After the move was already underway, the company also invoiced me an additional $1,500 "fuel surcharge" which did not appear in my signed contract. My delivery was promised in writing no later than September 3rd with 48 hours' notice. That date came and went with no communication. A revised delivery window was also missed the following day, with the truck arriving after 10pm and disturbing my neighbors. At final delivery, the driver arrived alone and had to source two people on the spot, reportedly from Craigslist, to unload my belongings; one appeared to be under the influence. My furniture arrived unwrapped and scratched, despite the contract promising standard padding and protection, and several items, including live plants, were damaged from being packed together carelessly. When I raised the damage with a manager, he denied any responsibility. I would not recommend this company for an interstate move. I paid for a direct, dedicated service and did not receive one.

22 calls. 4 texts. 0 response. I felt more like a stalker than a customer that paid $11k to move my entire life across the country. TLDR: • Contract terms called for a $3,000 downpayment, balance due on delivery. Movers required 50% of balance due before loading. Cash. • Contract terms called for one of two specific delivery dates. Movers preferred faster (most would be happy with), which couldn't work for us. They did not start loading the truck as they tried to get a hold of the company. After an hour, they agreed. Calls & texts to the company went unanswered until the last call. • Contract did not state payment would be made to a third party. We had to pay the moving crew (individual names), not to American National Movers. As such, I cannot submit to my company for reimbursement. • Agent told me they'd have a credit card terminal for final payment. It wasn't in the contract, but that wouldn't have mattered. • Movers were professional, careful, courteous, and knew what they were doing. They were tipped appropriately. HOW IT STARTED: charming banter and clear, prompt communication from C***s during the contract phase, along with explanations that addressed the poor reviews I read on the BBB website. I signed the contract and paid the deposit via credit card. C***s promised he'd have the movers bring a credit card reader - I needed to charge the move in order for it to be covered by my company. That was verbal, not in the contract. (SPOILER ALERT - contract terms are meaningless to this company). MOVING DAY: Movers arrive on time. They were not in a branded moving truck. Instead, it was two guys with a rented Penske truck. That didn't bother me initially, but I can see how it would others. I comment how we'd see them on July 24. They stopped dead in their tracks "we'd like to deliver in 3 days; the contract is first available." No, I explained, the contract states to deliver on July 24 or 25. They didn't start loading the truck. 22 CALLS AND 4 TEXTS LATER: The mover, who also could not reach C***s, decided he'd honor the contract. I understand his frustration. He could have picked up another job in between. I wasn't flexible, I wanted what I contracted for. When C***s finally did pick up, he had an attitude - that he had "handled it." SURPRISE: The mover wanted 50% of the balance due, in cash, to proceed (ironically, one of the BBB complaints I addressed with C***s). I didn't have $4k cash. The contract said the balance is due upon delivery. Loading stops again. I call, again, but this time a woman answers. She explained they need that money for gas and lodging, and that somebody should have told me that. Understandable, but not what I contracted for, and nobody told me that. She's looking into it and will get back to be ASAP. (That's sarcasm. I never heard back.) Mover agrees to Zelle. I'm not comfortable pre-paying 64% of the total to two guys in a Penske truck, but I have no choice. THE END: The movers showed up on time. Our belongings were intact. Of course, I had to pay the remaining $4k via Zelle before they would unload the truck. I can't submit for reimbursement because I paid two random entities with nonsensical names than the moving company. The names didn't imply a moving company. He was unable to provide receipts. SO, I'm out $8k. None of what I've written is subjective, and it cannot be argued. I'm sure C***s will reply that the outcome, a move that got my belongings cross-country unscathed, is what matters. He's not wrong, ultimately that's what matters. The other parts were simply reflective of a poorly run organization. p.s. Many review services allow a company to filter reviews to only show 4 stars or higher.

7/3 Update: Here's how they've tried to "resolve" this. On July 1, a company representative offered me a $500 credit "as a resolution." The condition was in the same message: "In return, we ask that you remove the reviews." I declined. I told them I won't take down a truthful review, and that if $500 was a genuine gesture for a genuinely bad experience, they should process it regardless of what I do with my review. Their reply told me everything. Instead of honoring it, they argued that a one-star review isn't fair "based solely on a delivery delay." It isn't based solely on a delivery delay, and I never claimed my price went up. As of this update, with my reviews still up, the $500 has not been processed. Draw your own conclusion about whether it was ever "genuine" or just the price of my silence. I still don't have my belongings, and I'll update this the day they actually arrive. 7/1 Update: The company replied to my review, so let me answer it, because most of it is deflection. They hide behind "shared load." Their own signed contract says shared-load delivery averages "5 to 12 days." I'm at four weeks. That's more than double their own number, not a rounding error. They cite a "21 business day window." That number is nowhere in the contract I signed, which says 5 to 12 days and an 8 to 15 day ETA. It appears to have been invented after the fact. And their reply contradicts itself: in one paragraph the 21-day window supposedly "has not passed," and in another they say delivery "should take place within approximately 7 business days." Pick one. They say there was nothing deceptive about the pricing. I never said there was. My complaint is the Venmo payment to a stranger, which they don't address, and my project manager (I think the owner who uses a fake name in his emails) denying a delivery date he put in writing. They say they don't actually service shared-load moves and it's the carrier's responsibility. I contracted with American National Movers. I paid American National Movers. Their name is on my signed estimate. You don't get to take someone's money and then wash your hands of delivering their belongings, especially when the handoff to another company was never disclosed when I booked. They say staff are available to answer and return calls. I have called, texted, and emailed the office, the project manager, and the carrier over and over. Their own office told me they couldn't reach the carrier either. 6/30: TLDR: Three missed delivery dates, half my money collected over Venmo to a stranger, and total silence. Still don't have my stuff. Hired American National Movers for a partial-load move from Florida to San Diego, around $3,600. Pickup on June 2 went fine, which makes sense, because that's the part where they collect your money. After that it fell apart. I was told my first available delivery date was June 15, a date my project manager put in writing himself. Then it became a June 21-23 window. Both came and went with no delivery and no warning. Then I was told June 29. That passed too. Three promised dates, zero deliveries. Once they had my deposit and half the balance, communication died. Calls, texts, and emails to the office, the project manager, and the carrier all went unanswered. Complete radio silence while a stranger holds everything I own. A few things that should have been red flags: half the payment was collected by Venmo to a random personal account, which no legitimate company does. And when I asked about the June 15 date the project manager set in writing, he acted like he never said it. I have no belongings and, for stretches, no way to reach a single human being. Do not use this company.