Centennial Moving

I dont normally leave reviews, but I thought it would be important to do so in this case since it is difficult to know which companies are reputable based on just an online search.

I relocated from Toronto to Vancouver this past summer. I had no previous experience with cross-country moving companies, so I did an online search and read through many reviews before settling on Centennial Moving. I read many horror stories about companies overcharging customers, holding their items hostage, and damaging their things. Centennials reviews seemed pretty good so I decided to give them a shot.

Overall, I had a really positive experience with my move. There were no surprises, extra costs or dishonest practices. However, it is important to note that this is a consolidated moving company. This means that your items will be loaded onto a large truck with other peoples things, and you wont know the drop off date for your items in advance. The company made this clear from the beginning and while they will give you a rough estimate of how long it could take, it wont be guaranteed.

The moving coordinator I dealt with gave me detailed information upfront, was communicative and answered all of my questions.

The initial quote I received was significantly lower than quotes from other well-known companies. I had to provide a list of inventory items to receive a quote. There didnt seem to be a limit on the amount of times I could update my inventory list and receive a new quote. They even prompted me to do a final inventory check the week before my move. Im assuming this was to plan for adequate space on the truck. Once my things were loaded onto the truck and reached the warehouse, I received an email with my final weight and balance due. The final cost was actually less than I was quoted! I also had until the day of my trucks arrival at the delivery site to pay the balance.

Although I didnt know when my items would arrive at my new home, the company did allow me to schedule a pickup date by putting down a $150 deposit. This seemed reasonable to me. They told me the exact time window would be confirmed 1-2 days before the pickup date, but it was actually confirmed about four days in advance. Same with delivery I received an email on a Thursday saying my items would be delivered the following Tuesday.

I do have to say that it took quite some time for my shipment to be delivered. It took about four and a half weeks in total. This includes two and a half weeks where my items were still being stored in the Toronto warehouse before leaving for Vancouver. I wish the company would have told me in advance that my items were to stay in Toronto for that long after they had been picked up. Since I didnt know this, I almost immediately got on a flight to Vancouver so I could be ready to receive delivery when the movers arrived which I was told could be anywhere from two to five weeks. If I had known they wouldnt hit the road for a couple weeks, I would have stayed in Toronto with family for longer rather than sleeping on an air mattress and eating off paper plates in my new home!

My one negative thing to say is that when the movers arrived with my things in Vancouver, they tried to leave without reassembling my bed. I had to specifically tell them that the company said they would assemble it. Other than that, my items all arrived in perfect condition with no dents or issues at all.

All in all, I would recommend using this company based on my experience alone. I hope others had a good experience as well, and hopefully this review will help people avoid getting taken advantage of by the sketchy companies out there!