Imperial Movers Review

If you live in New York or New Jersey and you’re looking for an experienced moving team, you might be currently considering working with Imperial Moving and Storage. Imperial is a well-known moving and storage service provider operating throughout the major boroughs of New York City—but is their team the best option for your move?

We understand firsthand that no one wants to go into the moving process blind. In this article you will learn about Imperial Moving and Storage’s:

• Transparency
• Pricing
• Services
• Reputation

We’ve researched dozens of long-distance movers and evaluated their transparency, customer reviews and reputation, pricing and services, and even their industry and legal licensing to help you find and identify the best long-distance movers in the country. Here’s what we found.

Transparency

One of the first things that you’ll want to consider when you select a moving company to work with is the company’s licensing. Imperial Moving and Storage is very upfront with its licensing information, listing its USDOT number and its MC number directly on the first page of the company’s website. After verifying this information on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Company Snapshot tool, we found that Imperial Moving and Storage is properly licensed to complete all of the services it currently provides.

Imperial Moving and Storage can afford to extend this transparency to the remainder of its website. While most moving companies aren’t able to provide accurate quotes on pricing online, we were unable to find more information on the company’s damage policies and reimbursement stipulations. Information on hiring practices is also lacking when compared to competing moving companies, which can make hiring a moving company more difficult—especially if you’re moving with a family. 

Cost

Most movers do not offer flat rate moving services. Instead, moving companies will create a unique binding or non-binding estimate based on the type of items that you’re moving, where you’re headed, and any special services that you want to schedule in addition to your move. Factors like your moving date and even the type of building that you live in currently can also play a role in what you pay for your moving experience and your moving team.

Let’s take a look at a few examples of what previous customers of Imperial Moving and Storage paid for their local and interstate moves and compare them to the industry average prices for a similar move.  

As you can see, most customers who worked with Imperial paid close to the market rate for their move with Imperial. This can make Imperial a good choice for most moving jobs, especially if you live in New York City and you’re looking for a moving company familiar with parking and moving out regulations. Customers who paid a higher rate for their move often reported moving more furniture or heavy items during their move with Imperial. As is usually the case, being armed with the knowledge of what other customers paid for a move similar in distance and size to yours can help increase your bargaining power when it comes to choosing a moving company to tackle these tasks on your behalf.

Services

Imperial Moving and Storage is a carrier licensed with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Being a carrier means that Imperial Moving will provide you with the actual team of movers that will transport your household goods. Working with a carrier is different than working with a moving broker, as a broker arranges for transportation with a third-party company. This can result in quality issues between moving teams.

Imperial Movers offers a wide range of moving services that can help you get into your new home quickly and efficiently. Let’s take a look at a few of the services that this moving company can offer.

• Residential moving: Imperial is a full-service moving company that specializes in residential moving services. Because Imperial’s team is made up of New York residents, they offer local moving expertise on regulations and parking permissions, which can be very useful if you’re moving to or from a congested area of New York City (for example, Brooklyn or Manhattan).

Imperial moving includes loading, unloading, and transportation as its base services, as is the case with most competing full-service moving providers. This can help you avoid some of the most common moving injuries that you may see when you decide to move to your new home or new apartment on your own.

• Commercial moving: In addition to residential moves, Imperial Moving and Storage is also able to provide commercial moving services. Hiring a moving company to tackle your commercial moving needs is usually a good idea, as you may have a number of fragile pieces of equipment that you may need special packing or crating services for.
• Local NYC moves: If you live in New York City, you know firsthand how challenging it can be to find a parking spot for your own car—let alone a moving truck. In addition to interstate moves, Imperial Moving and Storage can also provide you with a comprehensive range of local moving services in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and beyond.
• Furniture moving services: If you’re moving an item like a coffee table, couch or dining room table, you likely need both specialized packing and unpacking services alongside a more careful and conscious moving process. Imperial Moving and Storage provides special services for furniture moving and packing, as well as a team of packers who are experienced in the ins and outs of furniture assembly and disassembly.
• Artwork and collectible moving: Moving with valuables and artwork comes with its own set of unique challenges. Imperial Moving and Storage’s team offers specialized services for moving things like paintings or antiques which require a higher level of care, attention to detail, and climate control.
• VIP moving services: If you’re looking for the most stress-free moving experience possible and you don’t have time to handle your own moving processes, you might want to consider utilizing Imperial’s VIP moving services. VIP moving services include an enhanced list of services, including cleaning, more personalized attention, a hand-selected moving team, and even lunch services on the day of the move. These specialized services can be particularly beneficial if you’re in the middle of a very busy move or if you’re looking for enhanced cleanliness during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• Piano moving: Most people who own a piano and need to complete a long-distance move decide to donate it because the process of moving a piano is so difficult and time-consuming. If you’re looking to move a piano, it’s always a good idea to hire a team that’s experienced in piano moving. Imperial Moving and Storage can provide you with a wide range of piano moving and crating services.
• Packing and unpacking services: One of the most challenging parts of the moving process isn’t moving day itself—it can be equally flustering to arrive at your home and find that some of your most fragile items have been damaged on the way to your new location. Imperial Moving and Storage can provide you with professional packing services that will lessen the chance that your things arrive at your new home with cracks and damage. Adding packing services to your move can be especially helpful if you have a large amount of glassware that you need to ship.

In addition to full packing services, you can also schedule a partial pack for your upcoming move as well. During a partial pack, Imperial’s team will provide you with only select packing services for your most fragile or awkwardly shaped items. If you wish to pack yourself on your own, you can also schedule only unpacking services from Imperial’s moving team as well. This can be beneficial if you believe that you can handle your packing on your own and you want to reward yourself with an easier unpacking process upon arrival at your new property on move-in day.

• Storage services: If your move-in and move-out dates don’t line up, there might be a period of time when you’ll need to keep your household goods in storage.  In addition to long-distance and local moving and packing services, Imperial Moving and Storage can also arrange a storage unit on your behalf. After loading your things into a self-storage unit, Imperial’s team will provide you with information on how you can access your storage unit and retrieve your things when it’s finally time to set up your new space. Imperial Moving and Storage owns and operates its own storage facilities, which means that the company’s representatives can personally attest to the cleanliness and security of each facility. These storage spaces are also open 24/7, which means that you can finalize your move at any time of the day or night.

If you’re preparing for a commercial move, you may need specialized storage services for documents or merchandise. Imperial Moving and Storage can provide you with long-term storage solutions for more fragile or valuable items.

• International moving services: Moving to a new country can be a major challenge that presents a wide range of additional obstacles over a long-distance move. Working with some of the best air freight and shipment carriers, Imperial’s team has experience relocating to Morocco, London, France, Puerto Rico, and Israel. Imperial even offers international storage services, and they can arrange both door-to-door shipments as well as door-to-port. We highly recommend that you work with an experienced international moving company when moving outside of the United States because these services allow you to focus on other challenges of becoming an ex-pat—like updating your passport and downsizing before your move. 

Reputation 

With the increase in moving scams occurring across the country, it’s now more important than ever before to think about the company that you hire to trust with your household goods. Though no one wants to believe that they could ever become the victim of a moving scam, the unfortunate truth is that these occurrences are more common than most people believe.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is an independent organization committed to helping consumers choose business owners who have an established presence in their area. The BBB has awarded Imperial with a “B+” grade. This indicates that the company has an established presence in the New York City area and that the company overall operates and advertises itself in an ethical manner. However, Imperial Moving and Storage is not currently accredited with the Better Business Bureau, which is a feature that many first-time movers look for when comparing customer reviews of their moving options. Imperial Moving and Storage has been providing moving services for more than 16 years, which is a positive sign when searching for a moving company.

One important thing to note before you consider working with Imperial Moving and Storage is that the company was recently cited by the Division of Consumer Affairs for completing moves without proper licensure. During the sting operation, movers who were completing moves within the state of New Jersey without approval from the Division of Consumer Affairs received citations and civil penalties of $2,500. Among the 29 movers cited in the sting operation, Imperial Moving and Storage did receive a penalty. While these oversights are not a guarantee that a business will provide you with subpar services, it’s important to know which businesses have a history of cutting regulatory corners before you choose where to spend your money.

Despite this, customer reviews of Imperial Van Lines are overall very positive when compared to other moving companies operating in the New York area. The company maintains an average rating of 4.31 out of 5.0 stars on its BBB profile, 4.4 out of 5.0 stars on My Moving Reviews, and 3.5 out of 5.0 stars on Yelp. Let’s take a look at what a few previous Imperial Moving and Storage customers had to say about the services that they received from the company in some of the areas that homeowners care the most about when selecting a moving company. 

Reputation for Value

One of the most common complaints that homeowners report when comparing pricing for various moving companies is the “bait-and-switch” tactic that’s unfortunately common throughout the moving industry. During a bait-and-switch scam, moving companies may provide users with 1 price during the initial estimation stage only to drastically increase the price on the day of the move to overcharge the homeowners.

Reviews of Imperial Moving and Storage’s pricing seem to be consistently positive across platforms. Most customers report that their estimate was in line with the price that they paid on the date of the move. While Imperial Moving and Storage’s pricing tends to be on the higher end of the spectrum, the importance of receiving a fair and honest estimate cannot be overstated.

This is my second move with Imperial and once again I could not be happier! Jubo and his team were impeccable, fully prepared for all Covid protocols, gloves, masks and booties. The move was done in less time than the estimate, the guys are such hard workers. I really appreciate everyone’s help throughout, I called the office several times needing to make changes and they were all so accommodating. I highly recommend the team at Imperial for any and all moving services! — Amanda O., Yelp, 01/14/2021, 5 stars.  

Was very pleased with how fast, safe and efficient these guys worked.  The team of 3, led by George, showed up on time and worked within the time that was budgeted for. I would hire Imperial for my next move. — Justin S., Yelp, 09/25/2020, 5 stars. 

Reputation for Efficiency 

Imperial Moving and Storage’s most common complements relate to its team’s moving efficiency. Most positive reviews praise the company for arriving on schedule (some movers even arrived early) and maintaining a friendly and positive attitude throughout the process.

Team George, Javier, Rodrigo team speed and efficiency! On time, very quick, very nice individuals. Wrapped all my furniture up neatly and protected everything I have. Using them to store my stuff as well as move it from storage to my new apartment. — Justin B., Yelp, 01/28/2021, 5 stars.

The whole process went super easy. I called, got a quote, the representative was very transparent, and he helped me organize my move. I moved from Washington Heights to Harlem and even though Imperial wasn’t the cheapest quote I got, I trusted my gut and my friend’s recommendation as well. When the guys showed up to move me, I was very relieved once I saw them with the masks, gloves, bootie. The truck was very clean as well. — Duson V., Yelp, 06/10/2020, 5 stars. 

Reputation for Handling with Care

One area where we’d love to see Imperial Moving and Storage improve its process is when it comes to handling and packing items with care. The most common complaint we’ve seen in negative reviews for Imperial is that items arrived scuffed, broken, or damaged. Though Imperial does seem to be consistent with offering apologies and reimbursement for damage, this is something that you’ll want to take into account when you consider which moving company you want to work with.

If I could  [give] 0 stars, I would. I used Imperial to move out of my apartment, and they seriously damaged my coffee table, stained my upholstered bed, broke my expensive standing mirror, and scratched my media console. The head mover also demanded we pay him additional cash (after we gave generous tips to each mover). Complete scam and so seriously disappointed in the customer service. — Megan L., Yelp, 03/05/2021, 1 star.

The team sent was in such a hurry. They packed my things very sloppy. Barley wrapped the furniture. Literally saw them throwing my things into the truck. They destroyed the legs on all my chairs. Broke a lamp and severely damaged a bookshelf. The team was not very nice and acted as if I was inconveniencing them. They also wouldn’t keep their masks on and wouldn’t stop saying covid is a “hoax”. I found this very unsettling as they also said they were not vaccinated. They also damaged my apartment which I then had to pay my building for. Overall I was very displeased with the whole experience. — Brianna M., Yelp, 07/01/2021, 1 star. 

Reputation for Reliability

Another area where Imperial Moving and Storage can afford to audit their internal processes is in the area of reliability. Though not the most common complaint that customers had about the company, many reviewers stated that their moving team failed to show up at the proper time. Some reviewers even claimed that their movers did not provide them with a courtesy call when they knew that they would be late.  

Day of the Move: The movers showed up 8 hours late (at 5pm) and were in our building until midnight moving our stuff out. This violated our building policy because you cannot move out after 4pm. We never thought this would be an issue since we had confirmation that they’d be there at 9am. To top it off, the driver blamed us and said that our printed confirmation of arrival time was wrong… ok. — Angelle S., Yelp, 04/03/2021, 1 star.

They were SO LATE that we had to spend our extra money to spend a night at a hotel. So, yesterday was our moving day. They said they will be at our house between 1-3pm. And we called them in the morning to check if everything was on the schedule and they said they were on track. At 3pm, no one is here. When we called, they said they will be here after 4….seriously? — Heera H., Yelp, 08/01/2018, 1 star.