For over half a century, the Craig family has provided dependable, affordable, full-service moving solutions throughout northern Virginia, Washington DC and Maryland. Someone actually took the time to return your tie downs; from Hawaii no less. The efforts of your team were superb in my recent pack. Out in Woodbridge, VA. Everything arrived in perfect condition in Honolulu. Thank You for the great service: service deserving of returning your equipment with our heartfelt appreciation. They did work hard for a long time.
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Our growing family of professional moving technicians and support staff are always available to help plan your next move. To make moving as painless as possible we are happy to provide you with a free quote for whatever bundle of services you may require. Whether it be a simple apartment or a condo move, single family or business relocation, storage or corporate transfer, it is as easy as sending us an email or by calling one of our trained service reps.If you have a particularly large or complex move, we can first assist you by having one of our moving counselors visit you at your home or office to provide you with a more detailed quote and breakdown of what we offer.
Reviews (18)
Barbara R.
Feb 03, 2022
I used Craig Van Lines to move from VA to MI in May and June. My items were picked up at the end of May, stored by them for about three weeks, then moved to MI in June. I would never use them again and I'll explain why. The estimate went well and was done in person. The price was similar to other estimates and I went with this company after reading reviews.
I was told that my items (five bedroom house) would be loaded into crates, then stored in those crates and later delivered in those crates. I was also told that the crew would be the same in VA and MI. On the day of the move, the first group of three young men showed up an hour early. They said they were there to start the inventory. This was at 8:00 am.
They went around the entire house and put stickers on everything and started the written inventory list. About an hour later, the rest of the crew showed up and began loading into crates which were inside a large semi-truck trailer. Things seemed to be going well and they were carefully filling the crates. Later in the day, a box truck arrived because they realized our items would require more than the eight crates in the trailer. Things took forever and it was 8:00 pm before they left.
At that point, they unhitched the trailer and left it in the court and told us they would be back the next day to pick it up. I was given a copy of the written inventory which I signed without reviewing. It was late and we still needed to get dinner and check into a hotel. I had been told they'd be loaded by about 3:00 so it was much later than expected.
We were told by neighbors, that the trailer sat in the court from Saturday when it was loaded until the following Tuesday. It was not stored in a secure climate-controlled facility as promised and having the trailer in the middle of the court was inconvenient for the neighbors. Three weeks later, the box truck arrived on the scheduled day 90 minutes late.
We asked him where the semi-truck was and we were told to call the office. We called and found out that the other items wouldn't be delivered for several days. When they opened the box truck, it was jam packed with our items, all loose and not secured. Everything had been removed from the crates and haphazardly packed into the truck without proper padding.
When the truck door was opened, my husband watched a fragile box slide from the top of the truck and fall 15 feet to the driveway. Inside, two frames were damaged along with the glass shattered even though they had been bubble-wrapped and padded. (They didn't cover the damage because I packed it.) One boxed marked fragile had a picture frame bust through the side from the inside.
Another had a huge puncture hole. Due to the mishandling of items, every piece of furniture was damaged. That's not an exaggeration. Every single piece had rub marks, scratches, or cracks. A new metal bed frame had the paint rubbed off and scratches down to the bare metal. A new white cabinet had black rub marks and the paint rubbed off a corner.
I will try to include photos with this review. We did not get extra insurance because we figured the cost of the insurance plus the deductible would almost cover a replacement. It never occurred to us that every single item would be damaged. After negotiation, they sent a reimbursement equal to about 5% of the moving cost. That check didn't cover the cost of the new bed frame.
On the inventory, their employee had marked that every single piece of furniture was damaged in some way and I didn't notice it on the inventory list until I filed the claim. I had two new pieces of furniture that were spotless and I had photos to prove it but somehow on the inventory they were damaged. On top of that, several items were lost due to their mishandling: pieces of two lamps, a box of wire mesh for gutters, a packed kitchen box, a sleeping bag, etc.
My list of damaged and lost items is endless. Every time I looked at one of my scratched pieces of furniture I get upset all over again. At this point, the only undamaged furniture we own we've bought since the move. Regardless of what the inventory says, only a few items had scratches before the move, my antique cabinet doors closed, and my china hutch doors were not broken. Do not use this company.
I was told that my items (five bedroom house) would be loaded into crates, then stored in those crates and later delivered in those crates. I was also told that the crew would be the same in VA and MI. On the day of the move, the first group of three young men showed up an hour early. They said they were there to start the inventory. This was at 8:00 am.
They went around the entire house and put stickers on everything and started the written inventory list. About an hour later, the rest of the crew showed up and began loading into crates which were inside a large semi-truck trailer. Things seemed to be going well and they were carefully filling the crates. Later in the day, a box truck arrived because they realized our items would require more than the eight crates in the trailer. Things took forever and it was 8:00 pm before they left.
At that point, they unhitched the trailer and left it in the court and told us they would be back the next day to pick it up. I was given a copy of the written inventory which I signed without reviewing. It was late and we still needed to get dinner and check into a hotel. I had been told they'd be loaded by about 3:00 so it was much later than expected.
We were told by neighbors, that the trailer sat in the court from Saturday when it was loaded until the following Tuesday. It was not stored in a secure climate-controlled facility as promised and having the trailer in the middle of the court was inconvenient for the neighbors. Three weeks later, the box truck arrived on the scheduled day 90 minutes late.
We asked him where the semi-truck was and we were told to call the office. We called and found out that the other items wouldn't be delivered for several days. When they opened the box truck, it was jam packed with our items, all loose and not secured. Everything had been removed from the crates and haphazardly packed into the truck without proper padding.
When the truck door was opened, my husband watched a fragile box slide from the top of the truck and fall 15 feet to the driveway. Inside, two frames were damaged along with the glass shattered even though they had been bubble-wrapped and padded. (They didn't cover the damage because I packed it.) One boxed marked fragile had a picture frame bust through the side from the inside.
Another had a huge puncture hole. Due to the mishandling of items, every piece of furniture was damaged. That's not an exaggeration. Every single piece had rub marks, scratches, or cracks. A new metal bed frame had the paint rubbed off and scratches down to the bare metal. A new white cabinet had black rub marks and the paint rubbed off a corner.
I will try to include photos with this review. We did not get extra insurance because we figured the cost of the insurance plus the deductible would almost cover a replacement. It never occurred to us that every single item would be damaged. After negotiation, they sent a reimbursement equal to about 5% of the moving cost. That check didn't cover the cost of the new bed frame.
On the inventory, their employee had marked that every single piece of furniture was damaged in some way and I didn't notice it on the inventory list until I filed the claim. I had two new pieces of furniture that were spotless and I had photos to prove it but somehow on the inventory they were damaged. On top of that, several items were lost due to their mishandling: pieces of two lamps, a box of wire mesh for gutters, a packed kitchen box, a sleeping bag, etc.
My list of damaged and lost items is endless. Every time I looked at one of my scratched pieces of furniture I get upset all over again. At this point, the only undamaged furniture we own we've bought since the move. Regardless of what the inventory says, only a few items had scratches before the move, my antique cabinet doors closed, and my china hutch doors were not broken. Do not use this company.
Thavy F.
May 03, 2021
Anyone thinking of doing business with Craig Vanlines, I urge you to think again. Complete bait and switch "non-binding" estimates. I told them exactly what I wanted on walk through and my bill ballooned $900 on delivery. When I questioned the new bill it was a 4 month response time to demand payment within 10 days. Absolutely get it in writing or don't do business with these people. I recommend not even bothering and just hire 2 Marines and a truck. At least they are honest. Please share with your friends before they rip them off too.
Lionel C.
Jan 07, 2021
I have used this family owned Moving company Craig Van lines. I use them for my business to move all the furniture out of one model store it for four months. When it came back both on the pick up and delivery again the movers on the truck were unbelievable, careful and on time. Even more impressive when they brought it back after Storch nothing was broken and very organized to go in the rooms to limit extra labor once they were gone. I have recommended him to many friends as well as clients and will always use them in the future! Thank you Craig's
Andrew N.
Oct 27, 2020
Craig Van Lines added $140.00 to their initial estimate after I booked them. After I called them to book, they sent over the final paperwork for me to sign. Luckily, I saw they increased the price on the paperwork from their initial estimate. When I asked why the price went up for no reason, I was told it was to pack TVs and Fred must have forgot to include it on the initial estimate.
They stated they always charge to pack TVs. I asked them to honor their initial estimate that was given a week prior since it was their error and I was told no. After giving me the run around for an hour, the front office worker told me they would to talk to Fred about honoring their initial estimate and they would get back to me immediately. After I didn't hear from them for 48 hours I canceled and went with a different company. I would never reccomend them.
They stated they always charge to pack TVs. I asked them to honor their initial estimate that was given a week prior since it was their error and I was told no. After giving me the run around for an hour, the front office worker told me they would to talk to Fred about honoring their initial estimate and they would get back to me immediately. After I didn't hear from them for 48 hours I canceled and went with a different company. I would never reccomend them.
Phyllis W.
May 01, 2020
Our words can not adequately express our gratitude for the moving services provided by Fred Craig of Craig Van Lines during this Covid-19 pandemic. From the home visit to assess the household goods needing to be shipped, to office scheduling, and packing & loading, it all went smoothly and without a hitch. Pricing was very competitive and fair. The crew sent to pack and load the truck were stellar - respectful, extremely patient and helpful, conscientious, and pleasant to work with.
They took great care throughout the entire process, including being prepared with masks and gloves to maintain a safe environment in our home. They were very impressive! Fred's willingness to deliver the household goods to Long Island City, NY during this time clearly demonstrates the outstanding customer service he provides to our community.
Everything arrived without a scratch. It was clearly a risky job from a health standpoint, but everyone we had contact with in the company made us feel like it was business as usual. Fred took an enormous weight off our shoulders. We will always be grateful for the positive experience and outstanding service you provided us.
They took great care throughout the entire process, including being prepared with masks and gloves to maintain a safe environment in our home. They were very impressive! Fred's willingness to deliver the household goods to Long Island City, NY during this time clearly demonstrates the outstanding customer service he provides to our community.
Everything arrived without a scratch. It was clearly a risky job from a health standpoint, but everyone we had contact with in the company made us feel like it was business as usual. Fred took an enormous weight off our shoulders. We will always be grateful for the positive experience and outstanding service you provided us.
P. B.
Aug 01, 2019
The Best. I moved 13 times in 27 years when I was in the Army and by far this 14th move was the best. It was local and we did put everything that could go in a box, in a box. The crew was professional, great sense of humor and quick. They loaded and unloaded a 5 bedroom house in 7 hours. I highly recommend them.
Gina S.
Jun 14, 2019
Craig Van lines has been nothing less than exceptional with its professionalism, customer service, and communication prior to and during the move of both my sons from two different apartments into one apartment across state lines. They were particularly understanding and flexible when we had to change the moving date twice. I have three kids and have moved them several times to college, a military move, and a job relocation. Craig Van lines actually honored the accurate estimates that were provided.
This was extremely important to me since I had used other moving companies that had provided low estimates but then indicated additional charges just prior to the move or after the move. This was not the case with Craig Van lines. I would highly recommend this company and its employees entrusting them with furniture and personal belongings. There were no damages to any of the furniture upon inspection after the move. They made what is normally a very stressful time stress free for me and my kids.
This was extremely important to me since I had used other moving companies that had provided low estimates but then indicated additional charges just prior to the move or after the move. This was not the case with Craig Van lines. I would highly recommend this company and its employees entrusting them with furniture and personal belongings. There were no damages to any of the furniture upon inspection after the move. They made what is normally a very stressful time stress free for me and my kids.
C. H.
Oct 03, 2018
DO NOT USE this company if you value your property, honesty and good service and experience. Moving is stressful enough as is and when it comes to time to finally move and settle into your new home, the last thing you need is a company that will ruin even that final hurrah. We hired this company after the owner came into our home and walked through the house and gave us an estimate after a very detailed conversation.
He said they would 'naturally' shrink wrap our furniture to protect it as well as the cost would not exceed the estimated amount. He recommended two vans and 4 men so that the move can be faster and efficient with the movers not having to spend too much time trying to organize everything to fit in one truck. He seemed very straightforward and professional and even thought the quote was as high as the rest, we decided to go with them.
On moving day the movers came in and said they were not asked to move the family room down stairs or anything in the garage where we had items in storage containers ready to go, except for an exercise machine that was there and packed boxes. And if we wanted to move out the full basement and the garage the cost would exceed the quoted amount. The movers also advised us that they were not moving TVs, glasses on the coffee tables and the china cabinet etc.
So I asked to speak to the owner and after multiple attempts we were told he was too busy to speak with us and also when someone from the office finally spoke to my husband they told him the owner would call. Its been 2.5 weeks since we moved, that call never came. So after I asked the movers repeatedly to leave our house, they would not but instead started making concessions and negotiations, I decided that we wanted to get this nightmare over with and I let them start moving items since they now would apparently move the entire house, as would be expected when you are moving.
Our furniture was moved unwrapped. Our dressers were moved out drawer by drawer, they told me it would take at least 12 hours to move and not the estimated 8 hours which was supposed to be conservative, and I already thought was extremely long for four men. They also told me that they had to move our furniture that way because it was IKEA stuff and would break.
Our furniture is not from IKEA. Whatever though. Our daughter's dresser drawers were damaged and they hid the broken railings so we did not see them until later when wondering why the drawers were not working right. Some items from the other dressers were damaged too but i can live with that. It would be nice if they did not try to hide that they broke something.
And finally, when the house we were moving out of was finally empty the movers mentioned they will grab a quick lunch on the way to the other house 15 minutes away. An hour later my husband calls to find out if they are still at the old house with me since they had not made it there. I finished wrapping up at the house drove to our new house with some things in my car and they had not made it still.
This is now an hour and a half. My husband calls the office and the lady tells him they told me they were getting lunch! i did not know more than 1.5hrs of the time in the estimate was for lunch! BOTTOM LINE - DO NOT USE if you have options. DO NOT USE if you want integrity and efficiency from a company, as well as the respect of a company you will pay a couple thousand dollars at the end of that day. That much headache should not come with that kind of a price tag. Humphrey
He said they would 'naturally' shrink wrap our furniture to protect it as well as the cost would not exceed the estimated amount. He recommended two vans and 4 men so that the move can be faster and efficient with the movers not having to spend too much time trying to organize everything to fit in one truck. He seemed very straightforward and professional and even thought the quote was as high as the rest, we decided to go with them.
On moving day the movers came in and said they were not asked to move the family room down stairs or anything in the garage where we had items in storage containers ready to go, except for an exercise machine that was there and packed boxes. And if we wanted to move out the full basement and the garage the cost would exceed the quoted amount. The movers also advised us that they were not moving TVs, glasses on the coffee tables and the china cabinet etc.
So I asked to speak to the owner and after multiple attempts we were told he was too busy to speak with us and also when someone from the office finally spoke to my husband they told him the owner would call. Its been 2.5 weeks since we moved, that call never came. So after I asked the movers repeatedly to leave our house, they would not but instead started making concessions and negotiations, I decided that we wanted to get this nightmare over with and I let them start moving items since they now would apparently move the entire house, as would be expected when you are moving.
Our furniture was moved unwrapped. Our dressers were moved out drawer by drawer, they told me it would take at least 12 hours to move and not the estimated 8 hours which was supposed to be conservative, and I already thought was extremely long for four men. They also told me that they had to move our furniture that way because it was IKEA stuff and would break.
Our furniture is not from IKEA. Whatever though. Our daughter's dresser drawers were damaged and they hid the broken railings so we did not see them until later when wondering why the drawers were not working right. Some items from the other dressers were damaged too but i can live with that. It would be nice if they did not try to hide that they broke something.
And finally, when the house we were moving out of was finally empty the movers mentioned they will grab a quick lunch on the way to the other house 15 minutes away. An hour later my husband calls to find out if they are still at the old house with me since they had not made it there. I finished wrapping up at the house drove to our new house with some things in my car and they had not made it still.
This is now an hour and a half. My husband calls the office and the lady tells him they told me they were getting lunch! i did not know more than 1.5hrs of the time in the estimate was for lunch! BOTTOM LINE - DO NOT USE if you have options. DO NOT USE if you want integrity and efficiency from a company, as well as the respect of a company you will pay a couple thousand dollars at the end of that day. That much headache should not come with that kind of a price tag. Humphrey
Lola S.
Jul 16, 2018
Craig Van Lines moved us about 100 miles away to the Charlottesville area. They were amazing. The estimate was accurate and the final price ended up being slightly less the original quote. The crew was very careful with all of our furniture and very polite young men. They worked quickly and efficiently. I would recommend them to anyone and I honestly can't believe the 1 star yelp reviews.
Cb K.
May 28, 2018
My elderly mother used this company to move her things cross country in early March. Promised delivery was sometime between April 15-30. Her shipment still hadn't arrived as of May 29. Seems like she's gotten the run around about when this shipment would arrive. I hope that Craig will make things right in the end. If he does, I will change my review. As of now, I can't recommend them.
Jcl G.
Apr 12, 2018
Before I engage any significant service provider, I check the yelp reviews, starting with all the one stars. I want to know the worst that can happen. The 1 star reviews of Craig left me scratching my head, give my recent 5 star (+) experience with them. My interaction was excellent from start to finish. The estimator (the owner) showed up on time, gave an estimate that was half of some of the others I contacted and got the crew to my house at the appointed hour.
I had packed a lot of items myself, but those I could not get to (mostly wall hangings) were expertly and quickly boxed and loaded. I had a 2-stop delivery at destination (the first stop being timed on an hourly basis), which they accomplished quickly and, if anything, undercharged me for the time expended. The personnel at both packing and unload were terrific people with whom I enjoyed interacting during this stressful time.
Everything got where it was going safely and intact. The final cost was well below the initial estimate. Not sure why some others had a lousy experience. Up to company to figure out the common denominator for that. But I've moved both far and near 12 times in the last 15 years. This was as good an experience as one could hope for.
I had packed a lot of items myself, but those I could not get to (mostly wall hangings) were expertly and quickly boxed and loaded. I had a 2-stop delivery at destination (the first stop being timed on an hourly basis), which they accomplished quickly and, if anything, undercharged me for the time expended. The personnel at both packing and unload were terrific people with whom I enjoyed interacting during this stressful time.
Everything got where it was going safely and intact. The final cost was well below the initial estimate. Not sure why some others had a lousy experience. Up to company to figure out the common denominator for that. But I've moved both far and near 12 times in the last 15 years. This was as good an experience as one could hope for.
Alex A.
Mar 16, 2018
My friends and I were moving a couple miles down the road and while we packed up everything that would fit into a sedan, we wanted to get a quote for the remaining beds, couches, etc. We told them that our requested moving date would be this Saturday, so they came to evaluate on Friday. After checking the house and giving a quote, he checked with his team and found that they couldn't get a truck out to us until Monday, which makes one wonder why they would even come out to do the quote in the first place. I'll never use this company again. Luckily, we were able to secure Around Town Movers.
A great guy named Leon took our estimate request, noted our moving date, and were able to schedule movers for us on that date instead of having us fruitlessly waste our time with Craig Van Lines. Don't get jerked around-- go with a company that won't leave you hanging out to dry.
A great guy named Leon took our estimate request, noted our moving date, and were able to schedule movers for us on that date instead of having us fruitlessly waste our time with Craig Van Lines. Don't get jerked around-- go with a company that won't leave you hanging out to dry.
Lisa S.
Jan 04, 2018
We had a great experience with the packing and moving. However, we have had trouble resolving a billing issue (still outstanding). We entered into a not-to-exceed order for service contract for packing (to include all necessary material) and moving of our contents. Prior to the packers arriving, we requested our 20 free boxes (as indicated on the site) and also additional boxes to pack some of our contents on our own.
We only used some of the free boxes and left the remaining boxes for the packers to use when they arrived. We were charged for the requested boxes (including the ones that were supposed to be free) when we settled our bill at the end of the move. This resulted in a double-charge for those boxes since they were included in the packing estimate for our offer and were also used by the packers.
We contacted Craig Van Lines office staff to try and resolve the issue via a refund and were sent a partial refund check. When we inquired how they arrived at that dollar amount, we were told the accountant would send a breakdown, but this never occurred. Attempts to further resolve this matter with the staff over the next month failed due to (a) their lack of full acknowledgement of this complaint/issue and (b) incomplete responses to our e-mail inquiries.
We only used some of the free boxes and left the remaining boxes for the packers to use when they arrived. We were charged for the requested boxes (including the ones that were supposed to be free) when we settled our bill at the end of the move. This resulted in a double-charge for those boxes since they were included in the packing estimate for our offer and were also used by the packers.
We contacted Craig Van Lines office staff to try and resolve the issue via a refund and were sent a partial refund check. When we inquired how they arrived at that dollar amount, we were told the accountant would send a breakdown, but this never occurred. Attempts to further resolve this matter with the staff over the next month failed due to (a) their lack of full acknowledgement of this complaint/issue and (b) incomplete responses to our e-mail inquiries.
Amy P.
Oct 09, 2017
Jose, Manuel, and Rolando were amazing. Fast, friendly, skillful. We were very pleased with our move- from the estimate to moving day, everything went smoothly. It was amazing how they got all of our things in one truck. They gave us extra help re-packing fragile items, put all of our clothes in wardrobe boxes. I am soo happy that we chose this company and would highly recommend them to anyone. Amy- Fairfax
Steven T.
Aug 31, 2017
I could not be happier with our move. They were very responsive and fair with their estimate. The movers were fast, they did'n't waste any time, but they were careful, NO DAMAGE! Nicolas was awesome and so nice! All employees were courteous! My sister had a very similar experience, so we waited an extra do so they could do our move. Also a friend another friend got a quote from Craig Van lines, but went with a cheaper mover and were very sorry they did. Be wary of other bad review, almost sounds like a competitor, just my opinion. I absolutely would recommend these guys and wouldn't hesitater to use them again.
Kathy M.
Apr 09, 2016
AVOID this company at ALL COSTS. I am shocked ( deeply shocked) at the way they treated our furniture. I think they tossed it down our stairs. Our brand new sectional has holes and wood legs broke off- they have no regard for others' items. VERY SAD EXPERIENCE- so much damage. DO NOT DO NOT USE- their prices competitive but not worth the pain of beautiful furniture damaged. HEARTBROKEN
Jen H.
Dec 17, 2015
Craig moving did come back with a better offer to resolve our claim. While not ideal, I think they did try to do the right thing. Apart from the damage of the one piece, they were efficient and did come in lower than the original estimate. I still recommend doing your homework on how moving companies do their valuation estimates.
Kristy S.
Oct 18, 2014
Professionals from start to finish this moving company was top notch! Fred, the owner, his packers and movers all were helpful, customer focused and thorough. Not one thing broke! Craig Van Lines was first used by my parents in 1980. The quality and family owned feeling has not faltered. Did you know the average tenure of their staff is over 14 years!
Name a company today that has that kind of dedicated staff. One should realize how that reflects on the owner, who runs a great business, is loyal to his staff and in return they are loyal to him.
Name a company today that has that kind of dedicated staff. One should realize how that reflects on the owner, who runs a great business, is loyal to his staff and in return they are loyal to him.
