Moving Experience: Michelle’s Move with Mayzlin
With a mix of excitement and nervousness, Michelle, her fiance, and their two cats embarked on a journey from their home in Redondo Beach, California, to Bastrop, Texas. The move was prompted by her fiance’s career advancement, but it was also a chance for the couple to start a new chapter in their lives.
The catch? Michelle had never moved so much stuff cross-country before — her car included. Plus, they were moving some serious equipment like a 3D printer and table saw.
Michelle spent weeks looking for the right mover but kept striking out. Fortunately, an email from moveBuddha helped her decide in no time at all. She ultimately chose to go with Mayzlin Relocation, one of our picks for best long-distance moving companies. She picked U.S. Auto Transport for shipping her car.
Michelle’s decision to join the Better Moves Project was a game-changer. In exchange for a $500 moving stipend, she shared her honest thoughts on Mayzlin Relocation, the moving process, and car shipping. Learn what went well with her 1,500-mile move and what she would change if she had to do it all over again.
rating
4.9 / 5
89% of users select this mover
Move day takeaways for Mayzlin customers
- Communication: Michelle appreciated Mayzlin’s proactive, friendly communication, which put her at ease.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: Michelle paid $180 more than her quote. Her new apartment couldn’t fit the moving truck, so she had to spend a little more for long-carry fees.
- Professionalism: Mayzlin impressed Michelle with their punctuality, efficiency, and careful handling of her belongings.
- Timeliness: Michelle wanted her belongings to arrive ASAP and felt Mayzlin could have been faster, but she received everything within four days. That’s way faster than the 30 days most movers have to transport your stuff, so Mayzlin did a great job with this 1,500-mile move.
- Loss and damage: Minus some wobbly desk legs and a crooked lamp, everything — including a 3D printer and chop saw — arrived in perfect condition.
- Would Michelle use Mayzlin again? Yes! There are a few things Michelle would have changed — like the car shipping company Mayzlin recommended and their speed — but she is pleased overall.
Michelle needed help moving from Redondo Beach, California, to Bastrop, Texas
She only needed to move the contents of a one-bedroom apartment and garage, but Michelle was nervous about the big move. Not only did her little family need to move all of their stuff thousands of miles away, but they also had some expensive technology. Michelle and her fiance needed a mover who would take great care of their 3D printer, table saw, lathe, and chop saw.
Michelle also needed help shipping her 2018 Ford Fusion Hybrid from California to Texas. She’d never worked with a car shipper before and wanted to connect with a full-service mover with car shipping recommendations.
Michelle’s move at a glance
| Move date | March 1, 2024 |
| Moved from | Redondo Beach, California |
| Moved to | Bastrop, Texas |
| Distance | 1,500 miles |
| Move size | One-bedroom apartment |
| Moving company | Mayzlin |
| Moving quote | $3,150 |
| Actual cost | $3,330 |
Michelle got quotes from four full-service moving companies
Michelle spent three weeks looking for a mover, which was way more time than she wanted to spend on Google, the Better Business Bureau, and the U.S. Department of Transportation SAFER database.
After checking out dozens of reviews, she couldn’t tell which reviews were real or which moving companies were even legitimate. Fortunately, a moving company representative sent her a moveBuddha article about moving brokers after she requested a quote. It was exactly what she needed!
In a few clicks, Michelle got several quotes from movers rated highly by other Better Moves Project participants. It was so much easier than scrolling through Yelp that Michelle wished she’d started with moveBuddha from the beginning. She learned a lot about the moving industry and the moving process in general, which helped her ask the right questions.
From there, it was a matter of requesting quotes and choosing the best provider. Michelle hoped she could get solid quotes online, but she soon realized phone conversations were the best way to discuss her move and get more accurate pricing.
Michelle wasn’t sure what to expect regarding pricing, but all the companies’ quotes seemed fair for the job.
| Company | Estimated volume/weight | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| Mayzlin Relocation | 4,500 pounds | $3,150 |
| Piece of Cake Moving | 4,500 pounds | $4,900 |
| Golden Gate Moving | 4,500 pounds | $3,250 |
| American Van Lines | 4,500 pounds | $3,410 |
Michelle chose Mayzlin for their great service, good reviews, and affordability
Michelle wanted to work directly with a moving carrier if possible, which is what initially drew her to Mayzlin. They blew everyone else out of the water by providing a slightly cheaper rate, but the friendly customer service agent was the ultimate deciding factor.
Michelle felt at ease with Mayzlin from the first phone call. She was nervous about the big move and knew she would need a calm, professional team in her corner. Ultimately, she hired Mayzlin to handle loading, transportation, and unloading for the 1,500-mile move.
Her quote included:
- Mileage, gas, taxes, and tolls
- Detailed itemized inventory list on the move date
- Moving blankets to wrap and protect items
- Basic furniture assembly and disassembly
- A standard contents protection plan
- Stairs fee
- Family-owned, with locations covering the East Coast
- Full refund if you cancel within 7 days of your move
- Hands-on customer service
- 24/7 support
- Price-matching policy
She paid a 25% deposit when she signed the contract, with 50% due on loading day and the final balance due before unloading.
Mayzlin’s staff was accommodating and proactive in contacting Michelle leading up to the move. They didn’t tell her much about how to prepare for the move, so she relied on moveBuddha for tips and information.
She also needed help securing a car shipper for her second vehicle. Mayzlin doesn’t offer car shipping, but they recommended U.S. Auto Transport for the job. Eager to follow Mayzlin’s referral, Michelle got a car shipping quote for $775. The quote was for open transport, the most common (and affordable) option.
To prepare for the move, Michelle began decluttering for the move by selling and donating items she didn’t want to take to Texas. She packed everything herself, procuring lots of free moving boxes and packing supplies and spending plenty of time carefully packing her belongings.
Moving day was fast, but car shipping was stressful
Leading up to move day, Mayzlin customer service called Michelle to confirm her addresses and give her a rough timeline for pickup. After that, the quality assurance team called to review her inventory list and ask about any changes. They also gave Michelle an overview of how the process would work.
Mayzlin called Michelle two days before move day with a confirmed time, although she wishes she’d received the date a little earlier. We get that it’s convenient knowing when the movers will show up weeks in advance, but that just isn’t realistic in the moving industry. It’s normal to get a confirmed pickup time a day or two before.
On moving day, Mayzlin called Michelle when they were 45 minutes away and arrived on time at 10:20 a.m. The movers handled Michelle’s items well, wrapping bulky items in blankets before securing them in the truck. The on-the-ground team was great, and Michelle couldn’t have asked for a better moving crew!
It took just under two hours to load everything. While the movers worked, Michelle packed her van and prepped her car for shipping. She paid 50% of her invoice via Zelle, with the final amount due through Zelle on delivery day.
While working with the Mayzlin moving crew was easy peasy, U.S Auto Transport was another story. Michelle paid a deposit to secure the date, but the broker wasn’t reachable after they took her deposit.
She got a call out of the blue from a different rep at the company right before her reserved date, saying the rate would actually be double what they quoted — from $775 to $1,300. Nobody appreciates a bait-and-switch, but Michelle needed to get her car to Texas pronto. Annoyed, she agreed with the price hike.
The rep said the driver would call her the next day to pick up the car. Michelle was surprised when they called her at 9 p.m. that night to let her know they would be there in 10 minutes.
It was a confusing experience, but the timing worked out, so Michelle decided to just roll with it. The car shipping experience felt sketchy overall, but they did transport her car without any damage and everything showed up on time. Plus, they allowed her to transport 100 pounds of belongings in the car at no additional cost.
Delivery went smoothly
It took four days for Michelle’s belongings to arrive in Texas, which is incredibly fast. Michelle expected her things to be there faster, but it’s important to read the fine print in your moving contracts. Moving companies can take as long as 30 days to transport your items, so always plan to be without your stuff for at least a month.
She received a call 24 hours before the movers arrived and another call to check in a few hours before arrival. GPS shipment tracking wasn’t available, and Michelle wished she’d had access to a more convenient option for tracking.
When the truck arrived, there was an unexpected hiccup. The 18-wheeler was too big for Michelle’s apartment complex, so the crew had to park outside the complex and do long carry instead.
Mayzlin measured the total distance from the truck to the complex at $1 per foot of extra carry beyond 75 feet. This increased Michelle’s quote by $180, bringing her total to $3,330.
After paying the remainder of the balance through Zelle, the movers made quick work of unloading the truck. In just three hours, the movers had unloaded the truck and assembled Michelle’s furniture.
There was some damage to a desk and lamp, but all of Michelle’s belongings were there and in one piece. The damage was so minimal that she didn’t submit a reimbursement claim.
The car shippers also made quick work of their delivery. In fact, Michelle’s car arrived in Bastrop the same day she did! It took just two days for her car to arrive, which is super fast.
The downside is that the car shipper didn’t communicate at all. They simply called her when they were 30 minutes away, so the experience was a bit jarring. The last-minute price change stressed Michelle out, but aside from that, her car arrived in one piece.
U.S. Auto Transport’s inaccurate quote and lack of communication made Michelle’s move more stressful than it should have been. She wouldn’t recommend them as a car shipper and would go with someone else next time.
Our take on the move
Michelle wasn’t thrilled about price increases or turnaround times, but she had a great move!
We love that she requested quotes over the phone instead of insisting on online-only estimates. Online tools are great for ballpark pricing, but virtual or in-person estimates are the gold standard. Michelle lucked out with her phone estimates, which gave her some pretty accurate pricing for the Mayzlin job.
She wanted more notice from Mayzlin, but getting a pickup window two days in advance is very normal. If you’re working with a mover, you need to be ready at any time during the window they give you. Packing always takes longer than you think. Prepare ahead so you don’t have to scramble at the last minute!
It’s also unreasonable to expect your belongings to arrive within a day or two for a 1,500-mile journey, so manage your expectations. Even if your sales agent promises a very short turnaround, on-the-ground crews can sometimes take as long as 30 days to transport your items. Don’t pack anything you might need for the next month, just in case.
Michelle was afraid to work with brokers, but the reality is that many of the companies in the moving industry partner with other companies — and many of them are highly rated, too. She blames U.S. Auto Transport’s service issues on the fact that they’re a broker, but that isn’t accurate. This company just happened to give her a poor experience, but that wasn’t because they’re a broker.
Michelle went with a recommendation instead of researching car shipping companies. It’s always best to do just as much research into car shipping as you do selecting a mover. To get the best service, work only with highly-rated companies, like those on our list of the top car shippers.
The verdict
Michelle would use Mayzlin again, although she would pass on U.S. Auto Transport for car shipping. For their part, Mayzlin was communicative and gave Michelle an incredibly accurate quote.
She dings them on timeliness, although we think four days is super-duper fast. She also isn’t thrilled that Mayzlin’s car shipping referral didn’t work out.
Michelle didn’t know what to expect from the moving process, so this was a trial by fire. It was stressful, but overall, she’s happy with everything.
Her advice is to check resources like moveBuddha to educate yourself on the moving process and real people’s experiences. Packing is time-consuming, so get organized ASAP!
Here’s how Michelle rated Mayzlin’s performance on a scale of 1 to 5:
- Communication: 5
- Timeliness: 4
- Quote accuracy: 5
- Overall experience: 4
Do you have an upcoming move? Share your moving story with the Better Moves Project to earn a $500 stipend. Sign up now.
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