Every moving company has reviews. The question is which ones mean something. A five-star rating from 12 reviews, a four-star rating from 600, and a one-star rating from a platform that never verified a single customer are three different pieces of information, and most people read them the same way.
We are a licensed interstate carrier handling roughly 3,500 long distance moves a year out of Florida and Georgia, with reviews on nine independent platforms. Here is how we’d tell you to read ours, or anyone else’s.
Start With Volume, Not Stars
A rating is only as reliable as the number of reviews behind it. A company with 20 reviews can go from 4.9 to 4.2 with three bad weeks. A company with 2,000 reviews cannot. Before you look at the star count, look at the review count, and then ask how many moves the company does a year. A carrier completing 3,000 moves will have more negative reviews than one completing 300, even if its service is better, because it has ten times as many customers who could write one.
The number that matters is the rate: complaints or negative reviews per move. Most companies don’t publish it. Ask.
Read the Responses Before the Reviews
A negative review tells you one customer’s experience. The company’s response tells you how it treats every customer. Look for whether the company answers negative reviews at all, whether it addresses the specific facts or pastes the same paragraph, and whether it explains what happened or just apologizes. A company that responds to its one-star reviews with details and a phone number is a company that will pick up when you call.
A company with no responses to negative reviews is either not reading them or has decided not to engage. Either way, that’s what you’ll get after moving day.
Check Whether the Platform Verifies Customers
This is where the platforms differ. Some confirm that the reviewer actually hired the company; some let anyone post. A verified platform with a 4.5 rating is worth more than an unverified one with a 4.9.
Here are the platforms where Direct Relocation Services is reviewed, what each one verifies, and where to find us on it:
Google — The largest volume for any local business. Google requires a Google account but does not verify a purchase, so weight it by volume and by how the company responds. Direct Relocation Services on Google
Better Business Bureau — The BBB verifies that a reviewer is a real customer before publishing, tracks formal complaints separately from reviews, and shows whether each complaint was answered and resolved. It’s the most useful single page for judging how a company handles problems. Direct Relocation Services on BBB
Trustpilot — Trustpilot flags reviews collected through verified invitations and shows the company’s response rate and response time. Direct Relocation Services on Trustpilot
ConsumerAffairs — Reviews are moderated and reviewers are contacted to confirm their experience before publication. Direct Relocation Services on ConsumerAffairs
HomeAdvisor — Reviews come only from customers who booked through the HomeAdvisor platform, so every review is a verified job. Direct Relocation Services on HomeAdvisor
MoveAdvisor — A moving-specific platform that verifies reviewers against the company’s job records. Direct Relocation Services on MoveAdvisor
MyMovingJourney — Moving-specific, with reviews tied to confirmed bookings. Direct Relocation Services on MyMovingJourney
MyGoodMovers — Moving-specific, verified against job documentation. Direct Relocation Services on MyGoodMovers
Verified Movers — Moving-specific, with reviewer verification as the platform’s premise. Direct Relocation Services on Verified Movers
Across these nine platforms, Direct Relocation Services has more than 2,000 verified customer reviews. All of them are collected on our customer reviews page, and our complaint rate is published on our Company Facts page.
What the Negative Reviews Are About Tells You More Than How Many There Are
Every long distance mover’s negative reviews cluster around the same few things: the delivery took longer than the customer expected, the final price differed from what the customer expected, or something was damaged. What separates companies is whether those expectations were set honestly before booking.
When you read a negative review, ask whether the customer was surprised by something the company should have explained, or by something the company promised and didn’t deliver. The first is a communication problem, and you can protect yourself from it by asking the right questions at booking. The second is a reliability problem, and no amount of questions fixes it.
We explain the delivery process every customer should understand before booking in our guide to what happens between pickup and delivery
Ignore Review Sites That Rank Movers for a Fee
Several “best movers” lists and comparison sites are paid placements. The companies at the top paid to be there. If a site doesn’t say how it ranks companies, or if every company on it has a “Get a Quote” button that goes to the site rather than the mover, it’s a lead-generation page, not a review platform. The same goes for award badges from organizations you’ve never heard of.
The platforms that matter are the ones a mover can’t buy its way onto: the BBB, Google, and the verified moving-specific platforms above.
Verify the Company, Not Just the Reviews
Reviews tell you about past customers. The federal database tells you whether the company is what it says it is. Go to motus.dot.gov , enter the company’s USDOT number, and confirm that its operating authority is active, that it is registered as a carrier, and whether it also holds broker authority. A broker sells your move to a carrier it may not have chosen yet; the reviews you read may be about a different company entirely.
Ours is USDOT 3000931, MC 24036, Broker Authority: NONE. Every claim on this page can be verified on our Company Facts page , and if you have questions about anything in our reviews, talk to our team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which review sites are most reliable for moving companies?
Platforms that verify the reviewer was an actual customer: the Better Business Bureau, HomeAdvisor, ConsumerAffairs, and moving-specific platforms such as MoveAdvisor, MyMovingJourney, MyGoodMovers, and Verified Movers. Google has the largest volume but does not verify purchases, so weight it by review count and company responses.
How many reviews should a moving company have?
Enough that a few bad weeks can’t move the rating. For a company doing long distance moves daily, several hundred reviews across multiple platforms is a reasonable floor; a rating built on fewer than 50 is not yet meaningful.
Should I trust a moving company with negative reviews?
Every company with volume has negative reviews. Judge the rate (negative reviews per move), whether the company responds with specifics, and whether the complaints describe surprises the company should have explained or promises it didn’t keep.
How do I check if a moving company is legitimate?
Search its USDOT number at motus.dot.gov. Confirm operating authority is active, entity type is carrier, and check whether broker authority is listed. Then cross-check the BBB profile for accreditation and complaint history.
Does Direct Relocation Services have reviews?
Yes — more than 2,000 verified customer reviews across nine independent platforms: Google, BBB, Trustpilot, ConsumerAffairs, HomeAdvisor, MoveAdvisor, MyMovingJourney, MyGoodMovers, and Verified Movers. The company responds to every review and publishes its complaint rate on its Company Facts page.
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