United Van Lines — NYC Moving Company Review
Considering United Van Lines? Movd matches your move to a pre-vetted, DOT-licensed crew and protects the transaction: payment held by Movd and released after your move, a price you approve before booking, and the COI paperwork handled with your building.
✓ Pay Movd, not the crew • ✓ Balance charged after your move • ✓ Price approved up front • ✓ Volume buffer included • ✓ $2,500 Move Guarantee
Trusted by 1,000+ NYC movers
- Years in Business
- 98
- DOT License
- ✓ Verified
- Fleet Size
- 1200+ trucks nationwide
- Customer Rating
- Unrated
What to Know About United Van Lines
United Van Lines is the largest moving company in America by volume, processing hundreds of thousands of moves annually through their agent network. Their scale provides genuine advantages for interstate and international moves: comprehensive tracking, established warehouse networks across the country, and insurance infrastructure that smaller companies can't match. For corporate relocations managed by HR departments, United's standardized process and dedicated coordinators simplify the experience. The problem for individual NYC consumers is the agent model — United doesn't own trucks or employ crews. Local agents handle the actual moving, and quality varies enormously. Reviews span from five stars to one star with little middle ground, reflecting this inconsistency. For a local NYC move, using United means paying a national brand premium for a local agent's work. It makes no financial sense. Movd's direct matching connects you with the actual crew, eliminates the middleman markup, and provides a flat fee — everything United's model should deliver but doesn't for local moves. Hiring any moving company directly means you vet the crew, negotiate the price, and pay them yourself on move day. Booking through Movd instead is a protected transaction: your price is approved up front from your full inventory, and your payment is held by Movd until after your move.
Services Offered by United Van Lines
Local Moving
Long Distance
Commercial Moving
Storage
Packing Services
Specialty Items
Specialties:
Service Areas
Service radius: Nationwide + International
United Van Lines's Reported Strengths
Largest moving network in America with nearly 100 years of history
Extensive infrastructure for complex interstate and international moves
Corporate relocation program with dedicated coordinators
Full valuation protection options for high-value shipments
Government-approved carrier for federal employee relocations
Points to Consider
Agent-based model means wildly inconsistent local experiences
NYC local moves are dramatically overpriced through their network
Customer service is a bureaucratic maze for individual consumers
Claims process is lengthy — average 30-60 days for resolution
Sales estimates for long-distance frequently underestimate actual costs
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How Movd Protects Your Move
With United Van Lines — or any moving company you hire directly — you vet the crew, you negotiate the price, and you pay them yourself. With Movd, the transaction itself is protected:
You pay Movd — not a crew on your doorstep
Book with a $50 deposit. Your card is pre-authorized before the move, the balance is charged only after your move is complete, and Movd releases your mover's payout after the job is done. No cash handoffs, no doorstep renegotiation.
A price you approve before anyone lifts a box
Your quote is computed from your full inventory and building access up front, and every package includes a built-in volume buffer so small misses don't change your price — backed by the $2,500 Move Guarantee.
No negotiation, no sales pressure
Input-based and approval-based: enter your move, review the computed price, book it. No phone haggling, no bait-and-switch, no on-site renegotiation.
A vetted, accountable crew
Every Movd fleet partner is pre-vetted, DOT-licensed, and insured, and Movd handles the Certificate of Insurance paperwork with your building — someone stands behind the move besides the crew itself.
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Why NYC Movers Choose a Protected Move
Real Movd customers on booking a price-approved, payment-protected move
"Studio move on the Economy package. I under-counted my boxes, but the built-in volume buffer covered the extras — no change to my price. Simple and honest."
Ana G.
Sunnyside, Queens • Studio move
"Moving a piano in NYC is no joke, but the crew handled it like pros. The flat price was clear before we booked, and there were no add-ons after the fact. Saved about 25% versus other quotes."
Emily L.
Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan • Piano move
"We had a gap between closings, so the Stress-Free package was perfect — they packed everything and held our things in storage until the new place was ready. Hands-off and stress-free."
Jessica W.
Financial District, Manhattan • Move + storage
Common Questions About United Van Lines & Movd's Package System
See Your Protected Price in Minutes
Input your move, approve a computed flat price with a built-in volume buffer, and book a vetted, DOT-licensed crew — with your payment held by Movd and released to your mover after the move.
Get Your Protected Quote in 60 SecondsPayment protected
Price approved up front
Volume buffer
$2,500 guarantee