Sean Donnelly is a writer for USA TODAY Homefront. His content draws on more than three years of experience in the moving industry. He started as a laborer and was quickly promoted to moving crew leader. Sean also served as a move coordinator, where he conducted in-home and virtual estimates for customers. During his time in the industry, Sean assisted more than 500 clients with their relocation needs. Thanks to his years of hand-on experience, he understands all aspects of moving — from proper preparation to the quote process to effective packing techniques. Sean studied English literature and creative writing at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and is still located in the greater Springfield area. When he isn’t writing, Sean is a cohead coach of the boxing team at his alma mater.
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Mayflower has provided local and interstate moving services since its founding in 1927. The company is a large part of UniGroup Worldwide, which owns United Van Lines. United and Mayflower are nationwide moving carriers that offer international moving services to most countries. This includes both military moves and corporate relocations.
The moving company’s packages and pricing for full-service moves are among the most transparent you’ll find when booking a professional mover. Whether you’re dealing with Mayflower’s corporate office or a Mayflower agent, its customer reviews and track record have proven it to be one of the more trustworthy and reliable moving companies available.
I put Mayflower to the test against our methodology, scoring it in categories regarding reputation, availability, services and more. The company earned 4.4 out of 5 stars.
Mayflower is one of the best moving companies for small relocations. Whether you’re a student moving home after attending college or have just a few possessions to move, Mayflower offers speedy service via its small moves program, Snapmoves.
When you book a move with Mayflower, it doesn’t take a deposit. This provides you peace of mind that your money isn’t being held upfront and gives you more flexibility ahead of the move.
Mayflower’s status as a carrier is a big plus with a caveat. As a carrier, it claims to handle all moves directly, eliminating the guesswork when your movers arrive on your move date. If you’re booking relocation assistance through Mayflower, you’re more likely to have your move serviced by a crew directly from Mayflower Transit. However, this may not always be the case — more on that later.
I appreciate that Mayflower includes valuation coverage in all moving estimates, including its Snapmoves packages. This provides added protection to repair or replace lost or damaged household goods, such as specialty items, TVs, antiques and more.
Conversely, Mayflower’s valuation coverage is automatically added upfront. You’ll have to opt out if you don’t need that and aren’t willing to pay for it. I would have preferred to see it as a perk customers can opt in to instead.
My analysis of online customer reviews revealed potential for bait-and-switch tactics by some of Mayflower’s local agents. Such reviews mentioned that Mayflower would book relocations with the promise that its own crews would handle the jobs. Instead, another affiliated carrier would arrive at customers’ homes on moving day. While it isn’t common, you might see this as a deterrent.
This mix of negative and positive throughout Mayflower’s service area indicates that your customer experience may vary depending on your location.
Mayflower’s lack of a deposit requirement is typical of other carriers, but it sets it apart from many nationwide moving brokers we rate as top providers.
Mayflower offers standard released liability protection for all moves it handles. Beyond this, it provides loading and unloading, basic furniture protection and transportation for all goods.
Mayflower considers a local move to be any relocation totaling 50 miles or less. Such moves are billed at hourly rates. Often, no flat or binding estimate is given for these services; your bill is largely based on how long your move takes. Full-value coverage is also included in these moves, which usually results in a higher hourly rate.
Mayflower is a long-distance moving company throughout all 46 states it covers and includes full-value protection in all moving quotes. You can opt out of this coverage, but many choose to keep it to maintain extra protection.
Mayflower offers customized international moving plans. International relocations will involve a dedicated point of contact with a move coordinator until your goods are delivered, full-value protection and full-service packing. As a bonus, Mayflower offers assistance with customs clearance once you reach your destination country.
Additional services beyond those outlined above include the following:
Regardless of your chosen moving package, the services listed here require an additional fee. Each add-on will affect your overall moving cost, with comprehensive packing services for larger homes often costing $2,000 or more.
One of the many positives that shines through in good customer reviews is the quote process Mayflower offers. Its pricing is consistently straightforward, with no deposit requirements when you book. This is due to its status as a carrier only. Movers that operate this way rarely charge deposits. If they do, holding a spot on the calendar for your move will likely be a small flat fee.
I called Mayflower to get an estimate for a 2,800-mile, three-bedroom move. I was given a ballpark quote within six minutes after stating that a video estimate or in-person moving quote wouldn’t be feasible. This was one of the shortest quote processes I’ve experienced with any moving company. My given price range was $11,600–$12,900. This didn’t include packing or add-on services.
The Mayflower representative I spoke with didn’t ask for any details about additional services, assembly or disassembly, full or partial packing or any furniture I’d be taking with me. This shouldn’t necessarily be a red flag, but it does mean that my quote was a ballpark one and could change significantly for the actual move.
Typically, when you call to get a quote, you’ll be asked about add-on services and inventory before scheduling a visual inspection of your home. Like other moving companies, you should allocate 30–45 minutes for your initial call with Mayflower and an hour for your in-person or video call estimate.
Mayflower is available in 46 states, with no services offered in Delaware, Hawaii, Virginia or Rhode Island. It also provides international moving services to 150 countries, which is a lot compared to some competitors.
Mayflower provides full-value protection with all initial moving quotes. While most moving companies offer the standard released value protection at 60 cents per pound per item, full-value protection far exceeds this.
It covers lost or damaged goods at a rate of $6 per pound per item. Your total added cost is typically between 3% and 5% of the dollar amount of your coverage. This means that if you have $10,000 in added coverage, you’ll pay an extra $300–$500. You can opt out of this and go with released liability coverage.
Mayflower’s customer reviews across many platforms reflect well on this relocation provider’s services and efficiency. Its review scores will vary by location, but most we directly audited had a 4 out of 5 star Google Reviews rating or higher. These reviews often mentioned quality crews and consistent pricing.
This Google review by Tina in October 2023 is typical of many customer experiences: “Thank you to Clark Moving [Mayflower local agent], everything went so smoothly. Jamie moved our belongings from NY to FL. We couldn’t have asked for a better moving experience. Highly professional and communicative. Everything arrived in FL just as it left NY. Andy and Jill were very helpful. Answering all of our questions and always available. Thanks so much!”
Customer complaints focus on lack of communication, price hikes and poor service. While
Mayflower’s Better Business Bureau score is a low 1.29 out of 5 stars, it has a great record of resolving and responding to complaints it receives on the platform.
Mayflower has gained recognition as a top local moving company. Its availability across 46 states is backed by excellent overall service for moves of all sizes. You can check here to see if they are in your area.
One of its specialty offerings helps it stand out from the competition — its Snapmoves program. Snapmoves offers expedited service for any smaller home, up to a small three-bedroom apartment. This allows you to select your required services and choose valuation coverage for expensive goods at no extra cost.
Our moving recommendations are all backed by our detailed rating methodology. To fairly assess both interstate and local movers, we have tailored two sets of review standards for long-distance and intrastate movers.
Both sets of review standards assess factors including reputation and customer satisfaction, availability and range, services offered, pricing and quote practices and customer service. We rate each moving company out of 100 possible points; that total is then translated into our 5-star rating we use in our reviews.
Google Reviews are accurate as of December 2023.
Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.
Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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