Move Matcher Review (2022)

Move Matcher was founded in 2018 by current company president and owner Dave O’Connor and is now based in Chicago. After going through numerous moves ranging from DIY to full-service packages, he sought to make the booking process more easily accessible to moving clients everywhere. For the last few years, Move Matcher has helped potential moving customers to easily evaluate quotes and offers from different providers. Read on to learn more about the following:

• Where Move Matcher operates
• Which services Move Matcher partners can provide
• How to schedule your move through Move Matcher

Our Move Matcher Review

Though it was initially founded as a small startup just a few years ago, Move Matcher has expanded to metropolitan areas across the country. They have made moving services in select areas far more accessible to renters and homeowners and now enjoy a solid reputation among clients who have used its services.

Move Matcher has excellent reviews across numerous sources. That said, it is only as good as its moving partners in a given area. It is not a direct provider of moving services, so it cannot be held accountable for the conduct of the movers it puts customers in contact with. This can lead to confusion for clients, as you will have to do the legwork after getting your preliminary estimates.

If you’ve given yourself enough time to field multiple visual estimates after going through the initial quote process with Move Matcher, then it could be a great option for your next move. Evaluating each moving company you contact via the criteria we’ve outlined below will help ensure that your move goes off without a hitch. To date, Move Matcher has provided more than 50,000 free quotes and has put each customer in contact with at least three movers on average.

Pros & Cons of Move Matcher

Pros

• It makes comparing free quotes easy.
• Will not immediately give your contact information to moving companies.
• High customer ratings

Cons

• It only operates in select metropolitan areas.
• It doesn’t provide direct booking assistance for moves.

How Much Does Move Matcher Cost?

Move Matcher partners with many of the best moving companies available and currently has 224 total partner carriers across the country. Given the wide range of movers you could contact through this service, pricing will vary. Nearly all moving companies you’ll contact will price moves according to the following categories:

• Local: Local moves are billed by the hour, according to how many movers (or trucks) are needed for the job. Most simpler add-ons such as packing will not come with attached service fees and will be folded into your cost in the form of the increased hours worked by your movers.
• Long-distance: Long-distance moves are billed based on shipping weight and distance covered. Line-haul fees such as this are fairly consistent across the board. Add-on services could come with attached flat fees.

Move costs can vary based on the following factors:

• Season
• Advance booking
• Mover availability
• Add-on requirements

Here, we’ve included some basic average costs for moves of different sizes. Use these as a baseline when evaluating your options for any move:

What Services Does Move Matcher Offer?

The moving companies that Move Matcher partners with can provide a range of different moving services for local, long-distance, and cross-country relocations. Since it is not a moving company, the service offerings are as varied as the partners in any given area will allow. This means that a move through Move Matcher can include any of the following:

• Full-service packing and unpacking
• Crating
• Debris removal
• Home staging
• Car shipping
• And more

Moving Tools

Move Matcher provides some helpful moving resources that are free to access whether you find a mover through its website. These are primarily geared towards first-time or inexperienced moving clients but can easily provide value for people in any situation. These include:

• Moving checklists: From organizing your home to turning on utilities at your next residence and far more, Move Matcher has assembled a great deal of useful information and advice to make your move easier. Find these resources here.
• Cost of living calculator: This handy tool can help you to set your budget ahead of your next move. It accounts for current income, utilities, housing costs, and more.

Service Area & Availability

Move Matcher’s reach is mostly confined to larger urban areas. You’ll have to be in or around the following cities we’ve listed to book a move through them. You should note that this list is current as of February 2020, per the company website. If you live in any larger urban area, this company may be worth looking into to streamline the moving process.

How To Schedule With Move Matcher

The booking process through Move Matcher will begin with you submitting a contact form, complete with information about your move. This preliminary information will only include basic move information, such as origin and destination, general move size, and your email address.

Once you’ve submitted the form on http://www.movematcher.com, you’ll be sent an email outlining your option for a long-distance or local move in your area. The quotes you provided are simply estimates and are not binding in any way. At this point, you’ll have to contact different movers individually to schedule in-home or visual estimates. When you’re reviewing your options, you should remember to check on each mover’s licensing and registration. All Move Matcher partners carry such registration, but ensuring this is still recommended:

• FMCSA registration: Any interstate or long-distance moving services will be regulated by the FMCSA. Such movers need to have USDOT and MC numbers as well, which you can check for through this link.
• State registration: Each state has its own registration requirements for movers. This ranges from state DOT numbers to basic business licensing to registration with a dedicated governing body.
• Released liability coverage and valuation options: Released liability coverage provides for the minimum amount of reimbursement for lost or damaged goods. At just $0.60 per pound per item, you should look into additional valuation coverage if you’re transporting valuable goods.
• Workers’ compensation: This protects you if a mover is injured during your move and is a requirement for all moving companies in the U.S.

Move Matcher Reviews From Actual Customers

If you’re booking a move through recommendations provided by a third party, you’ll want to look into customer reviews for any mover you’re interested in. Reviews from numerous platforms and websites, such as Google, Yelp, Trustpilot, or social media, will all be valuable resources that you should consult before signing your moving contract.

Move Matcher boasts plenty of positive reviews from many of these sources, along with an A+ BBB rating. That said, the individual movers you book with each have their own reviews that you should be aware of. We’ve included some feedback from recent Move Matcher customers here:

Lily’s moving experience with Move Matcher went as advertised:

“Moving is stressful… and completely eased the stress of finding movers. My Move Matcher was awesome, very responsive, and super helpful! I told Patti my requirements, and she went right to work to find multiple options for my move! Will be recommending it to all my friends who have upcoming moves for sure.”

James had a bit of confusion over lag time between booking and moving dates, which led to a less-than-ideal experience:

“Emailed Tuesday AM for move Friday. I was told I could not be helped because 3 business days are required, which makes no sense. Tues/Wed/Thurs are 3 business days. Or Wed/Thurs/Fri?

Still got a list of contacts which did help, but I’m not sure why the person said they couldn’t do whatever they’re supposed to do in addition.”

Judd’s Move Matcher partner didn’t quite live up to expectations or even show up on the agreed-upon move date:

“The company I hired for the first part of the move canceled because it was lightly drizzling. I guess they didn’t want to melt. That was ridiculous. I am not sure they understand how moving works if they think you can just postpone the day of the move.”

The Good

Ideally, Move Matcher services should make finding a professional mover a bit easier. When it works as planned, this service allows clients to compare multiple free quotes from its top partners. The Move Matcher team partners with many top pros within the moving industry to provide a quick solution filtering different providers based on your needs. That said, moving clients will have to live near a major city to take full advantage of this.

The Bad

The main function of Move Matcher is to provide sample quotes for prospective clients. To get guaranteed estimates from any providers within this company’s mover network, you’ll have to contact each mover independently. This is both a positive and a negative; while you won’t get any unwanted calls or emails from potential movers for your relocation, you will have to go through the added step of contacting each one individually.

House Method Rating Methodology

At House Method, our primary goals are to be a reliable source of information and to be totally transparent to our readers. With that in mind, we’ve developed the following formula to render objective ratings – on a scale of 10 points – for the moving companies we review.

• Transparency (3.0): Communication and being fully straightforward regarding company policies and licensing are incredibly important. A given mover’s willingness to display these, to supply quick quotes, and to provide clearly-worded moving contracts all factor into the three points within this single rating criteria.
• Cost (2.5): A mover’s cost relative to industry averages, as well as accessibility to cost data play a role in the customer experience as much as anything else. We know that being sure of what you’re paying – and being confident that you’re not overpaying – will ultimately make for a positive move. We’ve weighted cost factors accordingly in our ratings.
• Customer Service (2.0): Establishing an easy line of contact with your movers during the booking process or during the move itself is a huge asset for any moving client. The stress of moving, in general, can be greatly eased by knowing you can talk to a licensed professional whenever you need to, which is why we’ve listed this as a key rating category. This is where customer reviews come into play; since the majority of complaints stem from poor customer service, feedback from BBB, Yelp, Google, and other review platforms factor into this criteria.
• Services Offered (1.5): This rates lower on our priority list than many would think, simply due to the fact that many movers provide a similar line of services. However, breadth of service offerings does still vary to a degree.
• Customization Options (1.0): Having the autonomy to fully customize your move should rate highly on any moving checklist. Here, we’ve taken moving package customization ability, as well as pricing for more involved add-ons. Steep pricing for such services can provide something of a soft barrier for clients looking to add to their move, and we’ve taken this into consideration.