Ship Smart Inc.

I am updating my review because ShipSmart has reached out to me to make things better, and I appreciate this. I still have my concerns from the experience, but they do care enough to hear my concerns directly.

Moving to Singapore is not easy, and Ship Smart did not make it any easier. It started off well enough, and their customer service people were very friendly and efficient on the US side of things. Two big problems emerged:
1) The shipment was very late. They gave me 6 – 8 weeks as the likely deliver time (after originally telling me 4 – 6) weeks, and it ended up taking 10 weeks. When you’re in a new place and have no stuff, this is a big deal.
2) Stress and headaches. They asked an exorbitant fee (US$ 750) just to deliver my things from the Singapore port to my apartment (this is for a very small shipment), so I elected to do it myself. I assumed they would send me the necessary forms and guidelines and documentation to do this. They did not, and did not seem to have any idea how one would do this, so I had to figure it out for myself, which is not easy at all. Eventually I was able to get it unloaded and delivered for half the price, but for a lot more stress and headaches.
UPDATE: After seeing my original one-​star review, ShipSmart contacted me and sent me a check for their profits from the move. Still a frustrating experience, but clearly a company that is responsive to customer feedback, so that’s a good thing.

Had Ship Smart box up and ship several paintings going all the way out to Vermont from California. They picked up the paintings without any packaging and took them to their warehouse. At the warehouse they packaged up the paintings into a custom made plywood crate and shipped it out to VT. Everything arrived as expected and in good condition about two weeks later. They also charged about $ 1,000 less than the UPS Store quoted me.
Awesome!

I used ShipSmart to move heirloom furniture from Atlanta to rural Indiana. Everything went smoothly, my items were VERY securely wrapped, crated, and otherwise protected from damage, and all my furniture arrived in one piece. Ultimately, the delivery cost $ 200 more than the initial estimate, but that’s only about a 10% increase and it was because I underestimated the weight of the shipment. I’m planning on using them again this summer.

I’m extremely stressed, frustrated, hurt, and angered with this company. I was recommended to them by another moving company since I didn’t have much stuff they said ship smart was the way to go. In the beginning everything was great! I was quoted a good price from Nick and one that would allow me extra money for my work to reimburse me for gas/​food/​and lodging as well on my move home so I didn’t have to pay anything out of pocket. A different (local) moving company picked my things up and said that the ship smart manager uses them as a side deal, I’m guessing. The movers were very efficient and fast. I did feel bad because the elevator in my apartment broke that day and I lived on the 3^rd floor, but they said they have dealt with worse. Now the horror begins. I was told it would be three weeks tops and that they do NOT just hang on to your things for a long time. This was another big reason I choose them. After 3 weeks and no word I began to worry. I called several times a week and every time I was given a specific date (that week) of when my things would ship and I would get a final price then. I never heard from them on the days they said it would ship and they would call with a price. After just short of 6 weeks of this, I found out they were lying and my things were sitting in the corner of a ware house, not wrapped and not on a pallet. Not even close to being shipped like I was promised. After I explained how unacceptable this was they finally got moving. A few days later I was contacted with the final price, which was more then double what I was quoted!!! I was horrified! It was waaaay over what my work would reimburse as well. After talking with several people the price was eventually lowered, but now I need to pay out of pocket for gas/​food and lodging. I’m very sad about this, because I wouldn’t have used them if I knew my whole move wouldn’t be covered in my reimbursement. I was a little upset too when Anna said to me «well the movers did say your elevator was broken» this is not my fault, and very few apartments even have elevators! Other then that Anna was very nice and understanding. I’m still waiting for my stuff to arrive… Hopefully things aren’t broken or missing like other people have reported.

Everything made it, even after dealing with SF’s «hellastorm» rain and my record player being carried sideways! I recently moved into my house in TN and unpacked my items. My record player, speakers and bike are all just fine and work well! Maybe record players are tougher than I thought. None of my belongings were broken, damaged or lost.
The delivery guy was very nice (and spoke English). He initially called earlier than the date I had planned on. I had Ship Smart note that I would be out of state until Jan 3^rd. The delivery guy called on Dec 29^th asking if he could deliver tomorrow. I said «no, I’m in another state!» Fortunately, it was not a rush, and he was able to keep my belongings in the truck until I arrived in Tennessee.
I would recommend Ship Smart to others making small cross-​country moves. The pick up and delivery were very quick. One more thing I really appreciated is that Ship Smart did not bombard me with emails and calls 2x/​day like other moving companies did. Some of these were fake companies, I think, so on that note — be warned, there are a lot of scam companies out there.
Thanks, Ship Smart! I’m glad my things made it to Tennessee.

Used Ship Smart to make my move from Cali to Philly and although it took about a month to get my stuff, I am overall very happy with the service! I didn’t have that much stuff to move, so it didn’t make sense for me to use an actual moving company — the minimum’s I was being quoted by moving company’s was in the $ 1000-​$ 1300 range. So I came across Ship Smart and they quoted me $ 850, but they made it a point to stress that they are a shipping company, not a moving company, which basically means that there’s no urgency on their end to get my stuff to me quickly — they only send out a truck when they get enough orders to fill the truck, so if that means I have to wait a little longer and save a couple hundred bucks by doing so, then I was definitely open to it. In the end, it worked out perfectly — The final price was on target with the original quote, and the time frame was exactly as they estimated, which was around 3 weeks. I got my stuff today, it’s all exactly as I packed it, none of it is damaged, and I am a happy camper ! For those looking to save money on a move, and don’t mind waiting an extra week or two, I would definitely recommend Ship Smart !

I’m so heartbroken and stressed out by my experience with ShipSmart. While originally things were going fine — the movers picked up our things on time and our quote was lower than others, the actual price for the move came in $ 1,000 above the quote and my things arrived broken — a broken vintage cake tray — and missing. The brackets that held together the base of our glass dining room table did not come with the rest of the things. I had to go back and forth with a demoralizing ShipSmart agent over the phone to try and locate them, and never did. I spent hours looking for these pieces, and now have no dining room table. I am so sad and spent over this experience and write this in hopes all of you may avoid it. Their customer service gals really made me feel like it was too much to ask to call them for help, when I am the one put out by this, after paying $ 2800 to move a dining table and 20 boxes.
UPDATE 8÷29÷14: A ShipSmart rep did reach out to me after seeing this review to apologize for the experience and look further into the matter. They are also pledging to help remedy the situation with a partial refund, so at least this difficult experience is ending on a smoother note.

They specialize in small moves, so if you have a studio or 1br, this is a good choice.
The bad part: during the busy months of summer (moved in July) it might take longer than couple weeks for your stuff to arrive.
The good part: they do care about their customer, they will call to make sure you are satisfied with the service.

It’s been over 5 weeks and I still don’t have my stuff… In fact, my belongings are still allegedly in Massachusetts!
I am super close to reporting this company to the Feds. My stuff is probably on EBay.
I’ll review this if my stuff ever gets to me.
In the meantime, do yourself a favor and just use FedEx… Or really, anything other than this.

I posted the comments below yesterday around 10am. At 12pm I already got a call from ship smart. The guy was very patient, nice and polite. He listened to my concern and felt sorry for the unpleasant experience I had. At last, he refunded me $ 400 including the lost of my broken glasses. I would say that this is a quite professional moving company that really cares about their customers. Use them! If you have any concern along the way, just let them know and they are very willing to fix that!
Really should have seen some reviews before I ordered their service. I was referred by a big moving company to ship smart because I only had boxes and small items to be shipped from PA to CA. The early experience has been great. A guy gave me a quote of $ 1000 based on 400 pounds. On the pick-​up day the guys showed up on time and took my stuff. A week later, I received another call regarding the final cost, which turns out to be $ 1900, almost double the price! When I got the invoice, I saw they weighted my stuff as 700 pounds, which is much heavier than the number I weighted myself. Anyway, they say they won’t deliver the boxed until I pay, so I paid the money and wait. I waited another five business days for the stuff to arrive the warehouse, and then another two days for them to contact me. No response. I then called them and a woman heard my situation and offered if they can deliver on the following Monday, which would be the 4^th week since my stuff were picked. I agreed, but what if I didn’t call? When will I be reached? On that Monday, the stuff came. I have ten large boxes, 4 of them were broken. After I unpacked everything, I found a number of broken glasses though I’ve labelled the box very clear.
Anyway, I wouldn’t recommend this company for a small move. I choose them over fedex groud for two reasons: it’s cheaper and they would handle my stuff more carefully as a moving company. As a result, they really don’t stick to their quote (I should have read those previous reviews!!), and they don’t really do a careful job.

Let me start by saying I almost NEVER edit my reviews. However I feel this is the rare circumstance that merits it. I used ship smart essentially because they seemed to live up to their name. I had a small amount of things to send across the country and I didn’t want to spend a fortune. They quoted me a price that was cheaper than renting a U-​Haul and doing it myself and I jumped on it. Upon getting quoted a price $ 600 higher than what I expected, I blasted them here on Unilocal (I was but a novice then). Shortly after my review (and prior to them being aware that I had ripped them) they lowered the price $ 300. However, a bit later after hearing about the situation the owner called me personally and did a really good job explaining why things came in above the estimate. I can’t really say enough kind things about John the owner. Just a good good guy. He eventually refunded me the other $ 300 bringing me back to my original estimate. He exemplifies customer service and there’s not much more you want out of a service provider than that.
On top of that, everything arrived on time and unharmed. So yea, that matters too :)

Ship Smart called me and talked through the issues I had with the shipment. I had my difficulties, but it seems like they’re working on improving the service for future customers, and I appreciate that.

Ship Smart provided shipping services from 1,000 miles away. A family heirloom table was given to us after the passing of a great uncle. The table and chairs are over 150 years old, so we wanted to make sure no damage occurred during shipping.
We are located in Texas and the table was in rural Wisconsin. The time frame given was accurate; however, I can only give 4 out of 5 stars because the communication could have been better throughout. While it is normal to have a 3 — 4 week lead time, as a consumer I would have preferred updates as the pick-​up and shipping progressed. As promised, we were called prior to delivery to set up a time. The driver arrived within the time frame promised.
I couldn’t believe the packing! An entire wooden crate was built around the table and chairs. The Wisconsin relatives also included some art and small pieces of china, but there wasn’t any damage at all. The care and attention paid to our priceless items cannot be emphasized enough.
I would recommend Ship Smart to friends and family.

The customer service rep called me after seeing this review. I really appreciated his feedback, and his help.
He sincerely apologized for any inconvenience, and explained that my shipment should not have taken that long. He also explained that the cost should not have been double.
That being said, after hearing my concerns and apologizing he gave me a 20% refund on my shipment. I’m thankful and would recommend them for anyone who’s looking to do a smaller move =).

Some aspects of my experience with Ship Smart was worth five stars and some were worth one.
The Estimate: 5 stars. The estimate matched the final cost almost to the penny.
The Movers: 5 stars: The people who moved my stuff from Los Angeles were fantastic. They were fast, friendly, hard-​working and punctual. I had two different locations to pick up from, and a lot of complicated items to ship, and they were great on the logistical end.
Time Spent In Route: 1 star. I was told two to three weeks and it was closer to five. I really needed my stuff and that was inconvenient. Also, they kept telling me it was coming, and then I’d call back a few days later only to find out there was another delay.
Condition of my Items: 4 stars. My dresser was slightly banged up, but I easily repaired it. Two plates were broken, but I probably didn’t protect them well enough.
Customer Service: 3 Stars. They never called to say my stuff was late, instead I had to keep calling them to find out the status. That said, once I called, they always located my account quickly and mostly were polite.
Responsiveness to Issues: 5 Stars. Without my asking, they refunded $ 150 of my $ 2,100 because of the lateness.
I would use them again, but would be careful not to send stuff that I had to have on a certain date.

Please avoid this company and their practices. They low ball you with a general estimate and then the suprise comes… they charge you double. They also estimated that my items would arrive within three weeks, items showed up a month and a half later. I thought they would at least try and deliver inside as I had requested, no they left the items outside in the rain. Can I make this all up? I have dealt with movers before and know they can be shady, but never like this.
As for the items they arrived damaged and we even have a missing item. I can not warn you enough avoid this company and you will be happier.

Ok

Ship Smart customer service called me about my review. They were very concerned about my poor experience and wanted to ensure I instead have a positive experience with the company. I appreciated their concern and follow up.
The gentleman who called, John, was very professional and took note of every suggestion, request, and complaint I had. He ensured me he would relay the information to his staff and correct the issues. Ship Smart did step up and try do the right thing!

We’ve originally was referred from a large moving company to Ship Smart back in November, where the cost for a partial move is not cost effective.
We did run into some snafu where our third party mover did not have the necessary equipment or boxes to handle the amount of paper we have. However, we did have on hand with spare material for the packing and moving. There were some issue with billing after the delivery. There have been some underestimation with the amount of paper goods and density of the weight. Since this is a company for trying to save cost, I highly suggest anyone doing the move to always over estimate rather than underestimate the weight of the items.
In regards to the Billing. They were kind enough to negotiate with me to help offset the costs. I’m glad they have a great customer service and was able to fix the issues.