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Of all the moving companies we reviewed, Bekins Van Lines is middle of the road. Although it’s a full-service mover, meaning that it can do more than just drive a truck from point A to point B, customers can’t track the location of their shipments and the company gets a relatively high number of complaints to the Better Business Bureau and U.S. Department of Transportation. Bekins is also limited when it comes to international moves.
Headquartered in Indianapolis, IN, Bekins Van Lines is one of the oldest moving companies in the U.S. The company is owned by The Wheaton Group, which also owns Wheaton World Wide Moving, Stevens Worldwide Van Lines and Arpin Van Lines. More than 350 Bekins agents operate in the U.S. Here are some of the company’s major offerings and what we think you should know.
Bekins loads, transports and unloads moves people doing cross-town, interstate and cross-country moves in all 50 states. For an extra fee, it will also pack and unpack, ship vehicles and store items.
Bekins does not require an upfront deposit or prepayment. There's also no fee to pay with a credit card, which we like because it gives customers payment flexibility and an opportunity to earn card rewards.
You can contact customer service via phone and email, which will probably suffice in most situations, though some competitors also offer customer service via app, chat and online forms or portals.
Through its Bekins Worldwide arm, Bekins does moves between Canada and the U.S., and from Canada to other countries.
Bekins partners with storage companies around the country to provide storage units. Climate-control, access gates and 24/7 monitoring are available. Storage costs extra, though, so be sure to tell the mover what you need so you get an accurate quote.
The company says it handles short-term storage and long-term storage. You have to give the company 24 hours’ notice when you’re ready for it to bring your things out of storage.
For an extra fee, Bekins sends people to your house to build boxes, disassemble items (if needed), wrap items, seal boxes and label boxes. Unpacking means they’ll open boxes, do a “one-time placement of items on a flat surface” and get rid of empty boxes, according to the company website.
If you want, you can have Bekins only pack or unpack certain rooms or certain things. This can reduce the cost.
Bekins can pack antiques, fragile items and similar things that need special protection.
Bekins can ship vehicles, which is useful if you can’t or don’t want to drive a particular vehicle to your new home. This service also costs extra.
Bekins can ship a vehicle by either putting it in one of its moving trucks (this may be more realistic for things like motorcycles or scooters) or by working with a third-party carrier to get it to your new location. Shipping a car can be expensive; be sure to let the agent know what you want during the estimation process so that your quote is accurate.
Like most moving companies, Bekins doesn’t provide reliable price quotes online. But you can request a binding quote, which guarantees your costs won't exceed the estimate. The quote takes several factors into account, including how far you're moving and how much stuff you have.
Getting a quote from Bekins typically starts with making an appointment for a walkthrough in your home so the company can see what you’re moving and how hard it is to get those things out of the house and onto the truck. You can do this part virtually if you want; the company has phone, video and AI options available. With the AI option, you use the company’s AI software to do a video survey of your home, opening every closet and drawer so the AI can identify what’s in there.
Beware of websites that claim to tell you how much your move is going to cost. None of the full-service moving companies we reviewed provide reliable price quotes online. Virtually every moving company requires contact with a salesperson and a visual survey of your belongings to provide a reliable cost estimate.
Bekins will pack and ship fragile items such as pianos and pool tables. But it won’t pack and ship some items, including:
Houseplants.
Perishable food.
Really old, dirty or dusty furniture.
Aerosol cans.
Heating agents (such as Sterno, charcoal, matches, lighters or lighter fluid).
Nail polish and remover.
Fire extinguishers.
Propane, oxygen tanks or other gasses in tanks.
Household cleaning products.
Chlorine granules or powder.
Hydrochloric acid.
Car batteries.
Ammunition.
Anything combustible.
Pets.
Bekins doesn’t give customers a way to track the location of their shipment. This is a significant drawback, in our opinion. Moving is already very stressful, but not knowing where your things are or how close they are to your new place can be nerve-wracking for customers who are relying on receiving their belongings on time or within a certain window.
Moving companies are liable for loss or damage to your stuff during transportation. But the extent of that liability depends on which kind of liability coverage you choose. Federal law requires movers to offer you two liability options:
Released Value. This protection is free but only pays you 60 cents per pound for damage. So if the movers ruin your 300-pound couch, you only get $180.
Full Value Protection. Here the coverage is $6 per pound for items the mover loses, damages or destroys. You have to pay extra for this option (and you can increase the value to a larger amount if you want). Also, there’s a deductible. So, if the movers ruin your 300-pound couch, you’d be entitled to $1,800 minus whatever your deductible is for the liability protection. This is the default protection level, meaning that unless you explicitly choose the Released Value option, movers must automatically move your stuff under the Full Value Protection level of liability.
Another option is to get third-party insurance for your move. Sometimes movers will sell you a policy. Your homeowners insurance might also provide some coverage.
Liability coverage isn’t the same thing as insurance, so state insurance laws don’t apply to the coverage.
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