Sterling Van Lines

Wonderful people friendly and caring service. On top of that, it is very reasonable.

I would recommend this company if you have a small load and are moving across country. It was painless, they were fast with communication, they gave frequent updates about arrival and pickup. Nothing was damaged, everything well protected. Price was good.
I moved from Chicago to Los Angeles and had a local moving company put all my stuff in a storage unit. Sterling then went and got all my stuff from the unit and brought it to me in California. I got everything one month after my actual move, which was reasonable. They did lose one thing (which was a cheap pegboard that I didn’t miss at all) that I don’t even really credit to being their fault. Mid-​contract I decided to give my bed to a friend and so when they got to the storage unit they were instructed to leave my bed and bed frame there, which they did. Unfortunately, they mistook the pegboard as being an item associated with the bed. Whatever… no big deal. They were great to adjust the load mid-​contract and charge me $ 400 less after the bed was taken off the shipment.
I’d use them again.

Many of the items we had shipped were broken — legs ripped off a table, a mirror damaged and the banker boxes were really banged up — hence a box of broken China. Oh and one box was missing on the truck, so they mailed it to me two months later. I was so upset by the condition of the items I signed that they arrived not noticing that I signed that they arrived in good condition. The driver definitely misled me regarding what to do with my broken items. STAY AWAY!

I see some bad reviews, but my experience was five star and I am the picky picky consumer ! They came to take my baby grand and handled it with kid gloves .
It was returned to me after storage and came back to my house in perfect condition and even help with the lid being loose which could have been dangerous to others if falling down. price was not cheap but fair! $ 850 from house and back !
Yes I would use this company in a New York minute! If one were to ask me!!!

My biggest regret of the year is using this company for my move.
This experience was terrible and honestly just made me sick to my stomach.
Nothing they told us was accurate and you have to call repeatedly to get any information about where all your belongings are and what is happening to them. The information from the actually company and the information from the driver were entirely contradictory and would have made it impossible for one of them not to have lied.
I didn’t feel they respected our business and when I got my things it was very clear they didn’t respect those either.
I can’t believe the treatment and lack of customer service and until the truck arrived I was very very afraid this business was a scam and I would never see my things again. We were told a truck came to MA (where I moved) once a month yet it took almost two months for them to show up and I was told that they «pushed me up» and it would have been longer. I don’t even want to think about how long it would have taken if I hadn’t been on top of calling and calling.
Because of this one company I will probably never have someone else help me move again and I hope this review saves someone else from the stress and anxiety Sterling put me through.

Woman on the phone was ridiculously rude and would not give me a quote and was being VERY condescending. She tried to tell me that a moving company would never pick up and deliver same day for a long distance (400 mile) move. Um… you are WRONG because I have had to do this move several times and have NEVER had issues not only getting a quote but having my belongings moved same day.

I am finally nearing the end of my 11 month experience with Sterling.
First I’d like to note, as others have, that the movers themselves do a great job and are competent and arrived on time.
Here are the reasons for my 1-​star review and why I will not be using this company again:
1. No online bill pay. This isn’t as relevant overall, but in 2015 I think I should be able to view and pay my bill online, rather than calling and dealing with personal emails. The statements should be able to be viewed online, and not just sent through snail mail.
2. Little notice or flexibility of delivery/​pick-​up dates. I was only notified a few days in advance of my scheduled pick up time and date. To better cater toward their customers, it would obviously be better for the customer to request a timeframe and for Sterling to be in communication with them to work out a time that meets both the company and the customer’s needs.
3. The time it takes for delivery. I had my items picked up on August 1^st in San Francisco and was told that they would arrive in Colorado between August 15-​September 15. As of September 13^th, I had not received my items and had heard absolutely nothing from Sterling regarding my order. When I called, I got no clear answers. They told me my things were *still* in California and hadn’t even left yet.
4. No transparency. After this ordeal, I decided I just wanted my items to be brought back to San Francisco. They told me that the items had been moved to storage in LA while they awaited delivery to Colorado, and that delivery back to San Francisco would cost as much as delivery to Colorado. Since the moving costs are based on distance, I don’t understand why a delivery from SF to SF would cost as much as a delivery to Colorado, and I find it unfair to charge me for the cost to and from LA. The cost should be based on your start to destination, as my original delivery cost was, not based on Sterling’s route and location of their storage facility.
5. Timing of estimates and hidden costs. I didn’t get my statement for the pick-​up charge until right after everything had been picked up. I had given Sterling information on the amount of things I wanted moved, flights of stairs, etc. Other companies send a representative to survey what you will be moving and give you an estimate. They didn’t even give me an estimate the day of until my things were loaded into the truck.
6. Inconsistent estimates. I ended up, for personal reasons, needing to keep my things at the storage facility until June. Fortunately, at least the monthly storage costs were clear and consistent. However, my the time I requested my things to be delivered, Sterling’s estimate was a few hundred dollars higher than what they had been telling me the delivery cost would be, even though my location, etc. remained the same. Again, no transparency. Then, once I got the estimate and requested my delivery, I was told that there would be additional charge for the handling out of the warehouse. It seems like this would be included under «delivery» and do not understand why this was not mentioned at all until I had made my request. Delivery costs are already high, and people need to plan their finances ahead of time. I’m very fearful that upon delivery, I will be hit with even more costs than Sandie’s delivery estimate.
Overall, this company has been making my life h*ll for the past 11 months. They have all my possessions and furniture and I’ve had to spend a good portion of my income paying them back. I realize that my financial situation and decision to have my things moved are my fault, not Sterling’s, but for the reasons listed above, the process of this move has been exponentially more frustrating. I still have no clue what my final costs will be once my things are delivered to me, and I’m very anxious that I will be broke afterwards, since I’m not hopeful that their projection will be in the range of the actual final costs.
It’s a lot to ask, but I’d appreciate being re-​compensated for at least a portion of the discrepancies and sporadic changes in fees.

After several other dud services, I came across Sterling to move some irreplaceable midcentury pieces. The staff was efficient and confidence-​inspiring that no damage would occur to these family heirlooms, and in fact, the move was quick, painless, totally great and everything got picked up and delivered flawlessly. Very much appreciated and recommended.

I was referred to Sterling Van Lines through a friend. First time using a moving company, I didn’t know what to expect but everyone i spoke to was very informative and acommodating.

The estimate was close to what I paid and the driver came on time. I feel that the service was great and professional. I was pleasantly surprised on how fast I moved in (wish I knew before when I used to DIY. Ugh.).

If I ever move again. I’ll call and use them for sure. Appreciate it guys.

I called numerous companies before deciding on Sterling Van Lines to move my apartment from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
Sandie was very responsive and a great help in coordinating moving dates around a holiday (I had a fairly slim window in which I could accomplish the move). The movers themselves are very competent, packaged sensitive devices (like my flat screen TV) very carefully, and did a great job tagging everything to make sure things were accounted for. Anything that I did not wrap securely enough, they took care of it themselves, rather than simply throwing it on the truck. Very appreciated.
The delivery truck arrived on the correct day, perhaps 2 or 3 hours late, which is still much better than the cable guy. The only furniture with light damage was the cheap stuff (be aware that anything DIY like IKEA or Target is probably going to suffer some wear and tear; this isn’t the mover’s fault, they just don’t handle migrations very well). All of my valuables and well-​made furniture made it without a scratch.
To anyone looking to move, please be aware that pretty much any moving company is going to give you a quote that is 20−30% cheaper than the final bill. The distance that movers carry furniture, whether they have to use the stairs or the elevator, etc., can make the price go up quickly. Always provide the measurements of ALL furniture and a list of highly fragile possessions in advance. If you can actually measure the distance from the moving truck to your front door, include that too. If you get a written quote that is explicit about *exactly* what the move entails, your are far less likely to be surprised by how much you are paying (this goes for any moving company, not just Sterling).
All in all, I would recommend Sterling Van Lines, and would use them again for a West Coast move.

Moved belongings from Minnesota to Massachusetts. Items packed by them were done well and arrived in good shape. Furniture items arrived without dings and marks. Marc was the mover on the Massachusetts end and he kept me informed of his arrival time and any deviations from schedule. He was quick, friendly and efficient.

I used Sterling to move a baby grand piano from California to Seattle.
Whoever at Sterling is supposed to notify people about pick ups and deliveries
is not doing their job.
I have had to call them repeatedly to get information.
However, the actual moving men seem competent.

What a refreshing experience! We had a small (30 cu ft) plus a 9′ unwieldy iron garden sculpture to move from Chicago to hilton head, sc. I contacted Sandie, the customer service rep who was professional, helpful and right on with her estimate and proposal. The pickup was by Dave, a seasoned pro, who deals with these small loads. He was great, keeping in contact starting a few days before pickup and delivery. Our goods arrived on time and in perfect condition, with no billing surprises. A truly honest, ethical company in an industry that could lend itself to abuse.

Just used Sterling Van Lines for a short move from San Gabriel to Pasadena. Everything went smoothly and quickly. Sergio and Ernesto showed up promptly at 8 AM as expected. They were friendly, efficient and competent. Thanks to them our moving day was as stress free as can be expected.
This is the fifth time we’ve used Sterling Van Lines for a short move and each time we’ve had no complaints. We will definitely use them again for our next move.

Very professional, and good communication. Everything arrived intact with no damage.

Jay, Doug & Sandie are great. I refer a lot of customers to them and have only heard good thing back! They have come through so often for customers that needed a mover that specialized in smaller moves its unbelievable.

Overall it was a decent experience. The price was a bit much and some of my boxes were torn up a bit, but the employees were all professional and no damage on my actual stuff. My main concern is with the strict timeline on when they could only pick up my stuff, along with an extremely vague delivery date. All they could tell me was around middle of the month, which is a bit frustrating if I have to travel for work not knowing the exact date. I was forced to follow their delivery times and hopefully they improve this. PS Sandie was extremely helpful through this whole process

Not bad as movers go

I have contacted them for prices and they are alway very polite and helpful!

First of all, the guys they have working for them are wonderful– kind, strong and competent.
However that’s where my compliments have to stop. My sweet mother passed and I hired this company to move her things from San Diego to Marin County.
First of all, they arrived without bringing any white paper– the paper you use to wrap china and other fragile items. Went looking all over town for some and finally brought back some free newspaper they found. what? They promise they would repack it all at the warehouse. What? That means handling it twice.
When the shipment arrived, Manny, the driver and main guy, was wonderful– and got things done very quickly, even with a second stop that meant a hike up 60 stairs to deliver things.
But wait– where’s the priceless tapestry? Not there… When I called, I was casually told to file a claim. What??? I don’t want to file a claim. I want my mother’s tapestry.
After several weeks of emotional phone calls, they did find the tapestry. Still won’t tell me where they found it. But wait… apparently some of my things got mixed up in another person’s delivery and some of their things are in my storage unit– which I wasn’t prepared to go through just yet. What???
Tomorrow I will ‘supposedly’ receive the rest of my shipment. You can be sure I’ll be back on here if I don’t.
Not sure what their problem is… but if you have a choice, perhaps choose another company.
What???