Maya Van Lines

Please start with our images. They are far more powerful than my words.

I have rarely stayed in the same place for more than 2 years, and unfortunately have moved far too often. My wife is a military brat and knows this life as well. I have moved within the same city, nationally and internationally. I have moved myself, recruited friends and family, hired movers and drove myself, as well as hired moving companies to take on the bulk of the work. Maya Van Lines has been the most destructive and careless movers I have ever seen or worked with.

In August of 2019, my wife and I moved from Atlanta to Phoenix. Maya Van Lines by far had the best price and though some reviews warned us of “you get what you pay for”, there was enough positive reviews to give me peace of mind. Again, I had never seen the type of destruction and packing that I experienced with Maya.

When the truck arrived in Phoenix and the back door opened, my heart dropped when I saw what Maya had done with our possessions. If you have ever seen a truck that has crashed on the highway, with boxes that have been thrown all of the road, our items looked like this and then were quickly tossed back into another truck. Entire boxes were smashed and ripped open. Items and pieces of items were falling out of boxes, as the heaviest items sat on top of the mountain that was our things. As items began to be pulled the truck, the chaos became clear. There was no method or care, only negligence.

PLEASE LOOK AT OUR IMAGES. Wardrobe boxes were smashed to half their size. My wife lost 75% of her clothes. We had boxes that fell apart, leaving kitchen appliances and items out in the hallway of our building. Antique heirloom chairs that had their leg snapped right off. Artwork and frames that were broken and dented. Books that were crushed and their spines snapped. Furniture that was drug, leaving deep scratches. And a ton of small things that were just destroyed or lost.

To summarize, Maya quoted us without coming to our home. There charged an additional 25% than what they quoted. The driver in Phoenix argued with me about delivering our items even though we had a loading dock in our building. They charged me another $150 because of the distance to the door even though they just had driven 2000 miles. In Phoenix, they hired movers off craigslist that morning. Our items were covered in dust, like they had been stored for years. They left us with at least $12,000 worth of damaged items. Some items are irreplaceable. Their claims procedure is designed to discourage use and at times unusable (It would not allow me to upload images of the damage).

Please stay away from Maya. It is not worth the frustration, pain, and loss to save a little on the move. Please do not put yourself through this.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2500

We hired Maya Van Lines to coordinate our move from Atlanta to Iowa. We contacted them in May 2016 to move in June 2016. We were moving an 8,500 sq ft residence and a family of 7, 950 miles. First, we are experienced movers, moving every 3-4 years. I have NEVER experienced such an uncoordinated, unprofessional move. The estimation process was fine. Raphael assured me they could handle a move of this size and distance. Leo assured me of their professionalism and accuracy of their estimates etc. The first issue occurred when Leo contacted me to move 8 days prior to what we had agreed upon. When I couldn't accommodate this, my move unraveled. The packing was unprofessional with many boxes unlabeled or mislabeled, breakable items packed with heavy ones, all my furniture was disassembled (some of it was not able to be reassembled), Too much damage and breakable to list. Packing estimate was off. It took an extra 8 hours (we would have missed our flight), they wanted to leave items at our house in ATL when they wouldn't fit on the truck. We were told our belongings would be packed onto the semi-truck and driven straight to Iowa. Our items were put in a warehouse in ATL for 2 days before being shipped in 2 semitrailers arriving 4 days after packing completed and 6 days after completion. Iowa moving crews were not professionals but men who appeared down on their luck and homeless. Second truck was not even driven by Maya employees but outsourced to guys from Miami who appeared to be in Eastern European mafia and threatened to dump my stuff in the driveway (not even bring it into the house) and said they would not assemble anything (remember, packers took the legs, arms, table tops, everything apart). Lost screws, stripped holes, broken furniture, pictures, ceramics etc. My kitchen table laid on the kitchen floor for 2 days disassembled. Leo does not remember conversations, so I recommend recording everything and confirming in writing. Raphael over promises and under-delivers on every aspect. I found out afterwards they had never done a move of this size/distance. This was by far the most stressful, damaging, poorly managed move that I still PAID FULL PRICE FOR!! For more than $30,000 I expected much more in all areas. Hold onto your payments..these guys are shady at best.

Service cost: $30000

What a great move! I've lived in Georgia for most of my life and was very nervous to begin with about moving my family so far away. When I started looking for movers we couldn't believe the amount of moving companies that there actually is. After doing weeks of research we finally decided that we would go with Maya Van Lines. On the day of pick up they arived on time and prepared for a full service move. The pick up was completed in no time, and I have to say the professionalism in which they handled and packed our belongings realy provided me peace of mind. The men on the truck again were very kind and professional . I received my ites unflawed. After so many weeks of receiving estimates I wasn't sure if we made the right decision, how ever they proved us to be right! I would refer them to anyone of my family or friends! Additionally, Iris and everyone else that we worked with at Maya Van Lines was absolutely fantastic. Incredible customer service!!

Service cost: $8950

When seeking a moving company, I did a ton of due diligence. I read all of the regional and national DOT warnings, questions to ask, how to contract, etc. The experience began without a hitch. My pick-up was uneventful; however, the delivery was nothing short of a disaster.

The delivery of my items arrived at 7:00 p.m. on a Saturday night. There were only two guys - The driver and one mover. They were EXTREMELY unpleasant and stated that they just wanted to get the job done and over! When asked questions, I received no answers and was completely ignored. I found out the guys were not Maya employees.

I live on the coast on pilings and items that belonged upstairs were not moved up and items that should have stayed on the ground level were brought up. They did not provide me the opportunity to check off items per my agreement. I was instructed to "just check off items" to confirm the same number of items.

When I contracted the move I was advised that all items would be delivered and set up as they were found on pick-up. The movers left furniture, rugs, and appliances completely wrapped in tape and blankets and turned over on or left upside down in the middle of the house. I sent pictures and was told that the two guys were terminated by the company for which they worked. So, the actions warranted termination but no compensation to me. All I have continued to ask for is a partial refund for the services on the delivery end.

To date, I have requested monetary consideration since half of my move was incomplete and a disaster. I still have a refrigerator/freezer sitting outside and have had to move VERY heavy items myself. When I called (3-4) times I was told that someone 80+ miles away could come during evening hours after their construction job. The "someone" was not bonded or insured. I requested that someone from Maya Vanlines come and complete the move per contract. Maya touts that ALL OF THEIR MOVERS ARE THEIR EMPLOYEES. No such luck. They left it with me that they "tried to help me". I was then contacted by a man to assist and was a no-show. Then they offered to send another unlicensed "handyman" afterhours since he had a day job.

The "run around" and excuses have been as tiring as the mess I was left with to deal with myself. Don't believe the rhetoric and know that the contract you sign has no guarantees. The industry really needs some serious help for consumers.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4000

I am obliged to share some details of my recent experience with Maya Van Lines for a cross-country move from Georgia to Washington. We agreed to pay Maya >$15,000 to move our belongings from two storage lockers in Atlanta, warehouse for a month and then move to a newly constructed house in NW Washington. The team of five workers Maya sent to unload our lockers and pack their truck showed up at the scheduled hour, brought proper equipment and did a good and careful job.

Maya’s handling of the pickup was the only good part of my dealings with them. Thereafter, the shipment date was repeatedly delayed without notice or consultation. While the truck carrying our belongings was finally en route, I tried repeatedly to contact the driver using the phone number Maya provided to coordinate the delivery date. Despite numerous attempts to reach him, the driver did not call me during the final five days of the move. My wife and I were left waiting for a promised delivery on Sunday and thus missed an opportunity to make plans to enjoy a beautiful weekend in our area.

Maya appears to have no systems in place to track and report progress on their long-distance moves. The driver did not answer his phone for days on end, nor did he have voicemail or email for receiving messages. I sent increasingly urgent emails to Maya’s corporate office. My notes seeking helpful information went unanswered. Management’s unwillingness to become involved compounded my frustration with their driver’s failure to communicate.

My frustration during the transportation stage was nothing compared to what I experienced when the truck finally arrived. At 5:30 pm on Monday, I got a text message telling me the moving van should arrive between 10:00—2:00 on Tuesday. My request to narrow or update the ETA was ignored. At 10:57 am on Tuesday, I received a text alerting me that the van would arrive at 11:20. Over my protest, the driver insisted that I pay $150 in cash on top of a cashier’s check for nearly $8,000 before they would start unloading.

Rather than being met by a local crew of professional movers that Maya had promised, at 11:00 an itinerant worker hired from Craig’s List arrived. Another casual worker appeared as well as one experienced mover comprising a hastily assembled crew of three plus the driver. One of these three men (wearing soft, loose fitting shoes) left a few hours later. He was replaced after a while by three new laborers, only one of whom spoke English. This ragtag group worked for a couple of hours. Then, at 7:00 pm, three of the itinerant workers left expecting and receiving tips. Three of the workers did stay until ~8:30 pm when they stopped, even though the job was unfinished.

Unlike when a crew of experienced workers led by a capable supervisor emptied our storage locker, the move-in was handled in a totally unprofessional manner with a complete lack of organization and no leadership. This motley crew did not have a clue about what to do. The driver hired by Maya refused to take any responsibility for managing the effort. He said his back hurt and that his job is to drive the truck, not move stuff. To my astonishment, he asked me to manage the move. Needless to say, I was not qualified, willing or able to manage a complex unloading and move-in for which I had already paid Maya a premium price to perform.

There appeared to be only one experienced mover working that day with absolutely no organization about how to stage and move our belongings. No one checked-off the inventory sheet of items compiled when Maya took our goods. We subsequently discovered that two large boxes belonging to another customer were delivered to our house. At this point, we have no way of knowing whether any of our belongings were sent somewhere else.

There surely must be a system that experienced movers use to unload, stage and distribute belongings with an appropriate and comfortable role for the owner. I saw nothing of the sort. A friend, who was there for support and to bring refreshments for the crew, observed a laughable lack of organization. The whole thing was a day long amateur hour.

Here are some examples of the problems we observed:

• No one had scissors or knives to cut open the tape and cardboard, so they used keys instead.
• No one kept a record of what was delivered so the inventory that was prepared upon pickup is useless.
• No one had the straps that other professional movers use to lift heavy and bulky items. Some of these items had to go up or down stairs. Without the straps, the workers faced a greater risk of back injury and the walls and floors of our new house suffered more damage.
• Each item was handled multiple times. First, the items were taken from the truck and set on the gravel driveway. Then, some of the items that interfered with traffic patterns were relocated elsewhere on the gravel. Then, without any apparent method or order, the large driveway got jammed and some items were lifted again and moved into the house where they were stacked in the garage or near the stairs creating yet another bottleneck. Only then were the items brought to my attention to identify where in the house an item belonged.
• When the workers finally did carry items into a room, they did so with little attention to efficient placement. About one-quarter of the boxes were left in the wrong room leaving substantial rework for me.
• So far, I have observed damage to at least four pieces of furniture, including three antiques.
• Without an inventory we cannot tell for sure, but so far we know that legs for a table and wire shelves were not delivered.
• Since we are moving into a brand-new home with high quality, pre-finished laminate bamboo floors, I asked Maya’s people to take care and protect the walls and floors. Repeatedly, their workers placed items on the floor and then shoved gravel covered boxes or blankets into place scratching the new bamboo flooring. Repairing this damage will be difficult and expensive.

To add insult to the dreadfully awkward situation, one of the crew members -- who had been working hard for over eight hours -- got into a nasty altercation with a neighbor who came to complain about the truck idling all day near his house. (The driver had some excuse, which I did not understand, about why he had to keep the truck running all day.) I have not seen my new neighbor since the move, but it will take me a long time, if I ever can, repair the damage to neighborly relations resulting from the insults exchanged.

I paid Maya Van Line a premium price for a professional move. This move-in experience did not in any way reflect the quality they promised in their marketing materials. While Maya may have built a good reputation doing local moves, their lack of processes, communications and organization in the way they handled this cross-country move fell far short of any customer’s reasonable expectations.

I asked the company to honor their brand promise by refunding a portion of the charge attributed to delivery. I paid for a professional move and instead got an incredibly stressful clown show on our move in day. The company has refused to consider my claim outside of the industry dispute resolution process, which will take some time to complete. It will be telling if Maya will pay for the damage to our house and belongings plus negotiate in good faith a reasonable discount to reflect their dreadful delivery day. Unfortunately, I will have to spend hours filling out paperwork and wait weeks to find outgo through the industry dispute resolution process to make a claim.

I will post again to report on whether Maya Van Lines handles this in an honorable way.

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Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $15900

My experience with Maya was initially very positive. In calling around and talking to people as well as looking at online reviews as well as the "Trust Dale" approval I though this would be an easy experience, at least as far as moving goes.

The ladies I dealt with in the office were a pleasure to deal with throughout the entire process for the things that they could handle. The movers who loaded up our things couldn't have been better. They were quick, efficient and tidy.

Once the items left our possession is where things get testy. I got a call the week before our arrival stating they would be at our location in 30 minutes. I informed them that no one was there and they said it was a mistake. The week of our move there was radio silence and it took me repeatedly calling to find out that "they were understaffed" and couldn't make the delivery. It took call after call and emails to find out where our things were.

At no point did the dispatch call us to let us know when they were coming. This was a huge issue at parking permits were and building superintendents needed to be aware so they could reserve the elevator. When we finally got a time, they missed the window and showed up 45 minutes late. They looked at the building and immediately wanted to charge the 75 foot fee even though they hadn't seen where the unit was. Once they started working they were far better outside of a couple of needless comments.

Our things are worse for the wear. Lots of scratches on things that didn't have scratches. Water damaged furniture that is warped and or now peeling. The lids of plastic tubs are all wet. And once piece that they didn't unwrap before they left is soaked as well as the box inside it.

This company may be great for a local move, but I wouldn't trust them with anything where their actual crew isn't doing the move.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Flat Service cost: $2450

I was initially overwhelmed with the amount of responses I received from the inquiry I placed online. After reviewing information with a few representatives, I needed to do research on the companies. The conclusion I came to from that process was that Maya Van Lines was the company that seemed to provide customers with the most positive moving experience even though their price was higher compared to the estimates I was getting from others, but I felt more comfortable with the business model they use. In the end the move went smoothly. They did a fantastic job handling our belongings and we even saved money in the end. All our belongings arrived on time and with no hint of damages. We are now settled in our new home and want to thank everyone at Maya Van Lines.

Service cost: $7800

Couldn't say more good things about our experience moving with Maya!We were moving from Atlanta to Dallas, from a 2 bed condo to a townhouse.  Heard back from the estimator, Leo, incredibly quickly, and he came out to give me a bid the next day.  The bid was based on an inventory list (rather than weight), and was fairly reasonable for full packing, delivery, and reassembly.  The estimate actually stayed true to the final cost, which I have never had happen before.Leo was always incredibly prompt to respond to any questions I had (within a matter of hours), and was incredibly flexible all around.  For example, we were supposed to move on a Sunday, but due to last minute issues with my condo association, had to change the date to Saturday (just two days beforehand).  They were incredibly accommodating and were able to change their schedule around to meet mine.The packers were very professional and speedy (had about 5 people working), and per our request, started before we were able to arrive.  Everything was incredibly well packed and had no issues with damaged furniture at all. Even with a move halfway across the country, my things arrived in 3 days.  The driver kept in contact regularly, gave me a four hour window to deliver, and even accommodated my request to come at the end of that window.  Since they are still a relatively small company, they used another moving company to unpack the items, with the driver leading the effort.  The other company was equally as great though - they had to carry my stuff up an incredibly steep driveway and then up three flights of stairs and put everything together perfectly.  They even rearranged my storage room to fit all of the extra stuff, which I expected would have taken up two rooms (but they managed to get it all into one).  All in all - everyone was incredibly friendly, flexible, speedy, and careful with my stuff through and through.  Could not have asked for a better moving experience!!

Service cost: $4550

I was so impressed with Maya Van Line Moving Company and its employees.  I was so stressed about moving but I was put at ease the very first time I spoke with the salesperson. The movers was on time and very professional when they arrived.  They worked very fast and secured all my belongings carefully. When arrived at the new location they unload quickly and also hooked up all appliances, beds etc. in a timely manner, they also went beyond the call of duty and help me secure my front door. Thanks Maya Van Line Moving Company.

Service cost: $416