I Compared Four Quotes for My New Jersey to Colorado Move, Then Chose Zippy Shell
As told to moveBuddha
- Michelle K. moved from West Windsor, New Jersey to Fort Collins, Colorado in August 2022 after finishing grad school in New Jersey, an 1,800-mile move of a three-bedroom home shared with another couple.
- After comparing four quotes, she hired Zippy Shell, and her New Jersey to Colorado move cost $3,090 upfront, though the total climbed to about $4,000 once she added a U-Haul rental and lost work time.
- This is Michelle’s story, shared as part of moveBuddha’s Better Moves Project.
Today’s account is based on a conversation with Michelle K., who moved from West Windsor, New Jersey, to Fort Collins, Colorado, in August 2022 using Zippy Shell. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
After finishing grad school in New Jersey, my fiancé and I decided to move back home to Fort Collins, Colorado.
I had about three months’ notice, but it only took two weeks to settle on a mover. I found moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator and used it to line up quotes from several companies before deciding who to book.
My Zippy Shell experience at a glance
Here’s the short version of how my move went, and why I wouldn’t book Zippy Shell again.
- The move: I moved 1,800 miles from West Windsor, New Jersey to Fort Collins, Colorado in August 2022, covering a three-bedroom home shared with another couple.
- The cost: My Zippy Shell quote was $3,090, but my total cost climbed to about $4,000 once I added a U-Haul rental and lost work time.
- The comparison: I compared four quotes, from U-Box, Zippy Shell, American Van Lines, and U-Pack, before booking Zippy Shell.
- Would I use Zippy Shell again? No, I wouldn’t use Zippy Shell again after how my delivery played out.
Why I chose Zippy Shell
My move was relatively small, no pianos or hot tubs, just miscellaneous furniture and about 40 boxes weighing approximately 1,000 pounds. Since I moved during the peak summer season, when full-service movers and moving container companies are stretched thin, affordability, effective communication, and on-time service were my top priorities.
I weighed pricing, services, and availability, and ultimately booked a 15-foot moving container through Zippy Shell. My quote included a fuel surcharge, local pickup and delivery, long-distance transportation, $10,000 of insurance, and 30 days of free storage at the destination warehouse.
Packing and loading were on my fiancé and me, and Zippy Shell’s staff felt very helpful early on, sending useful emails on how to pack boxes and load the container. I paid a 50% deposit before the move, with the rest due at delivery.
My biggest drawback going in was time. Zippy Shell only gave me three hours to load the container, far less than the full day or more most container companies allow, so I made sure I had friends lined up to help.
My move at a glance
| Move date | August 8, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Moved from | West Windsor, New Jersey |
| Moved to | Fort Collins, Colorado |
| Distance | About 1,800 miles |
| Move size | 3-bedroom home (shared with another couple) |
| Moving company | Zippy Shell |
| Moving quote | $3,090 |
| Actual cost | About $4,000, including the U-Haul truck and lost work time (more on this shortly) |
Quotes I compared
I contacted between five and ten companies for quotes and asked each one if they’d price match, then narrowed my list down to four before booking. Here’s how those quotes compared:
| Moving company | Service type | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| U-Box | Moving container | $1,800 |
| Zippy Shell | Moving container | $3,090 |
| American Van Lines | Full-service move, 8 feet of floor space on a moving van | $3,100 |
| U-Pack | Moving container | $6,000 |
Pickup day
rating
4.2 / 5
Zippy Shell’s driver called on August 8, the day of my move, to let me know he’d arrive with the container around 11 a.m. That timing matched what I expected, but I would have appreciated a confirmation call a few days ahead of time.
The container itself was a surprise. My sales representative told me I’d get a solid metal container, but the one that showed up had wire-mesh construction with a metal frame instead. Beyond that, everything went according to plan, and my fiancé, our helpers, and I loaded everything into the container in about two hours.
If you’re booking a moving container, ask exactly what type of container you’ll receive and get it in writing, since sales reps and actual equipment don’t always match.
Delivery day
My delivery is where everything fell apart. Once my container was in transit, Zippy Shell didn’t communicate proactively, and when I called in, nobody at the customer service center could give me any concrete information.
10 days after pickup, I was notified that my container had arrived at the warehouse in Colorado and that I needed to call to schedule final delivery. When I called, I was put on hold for more than an hour and eventually told the soonest available delivery time was several days out.
Over the next four days, I dealt with poor communication and multiple delivery postponements. My fiancé and I weren’t sure how many more delays we’d have to endure, so I worked my way up the chain of command to the company’s territory manager.
A new delivery day was finally scheduled, but by mid-afternoon, my container still hadn’t arrived, and I hadn’t heard from Zippy Shell. When I called, I was told it would be there in three or four hours, but by 8 p.m., it still hadn’t shown up. I called again the following day and was told they weren’t sure where my container was or when it would be delivered.
By the end of the fourth day, my fiancé and I had had enough, so we scheduled an “out by owner” appointment and decided to retrieve our things ourselves. That was the best option under the circumstances, but it meant the added hassle and expense of renting a truck from U-Haul, since my original quote from Zippy Shell included door-to-door service that I never actually got.
After renting the truck, we drove to the warehouse expecting a big argument. Instead, the staff gladly moved the container into the parking lot so we could unload our items and reload them onto the U-Haul. That process took a few hours, after which we drove to our new home and unloaded everything one last time.
If you’re relying on a container company for door-to-door delivery, ask what happens if delivery gets delayed past a certain point, and whether you’d have any recourse to retrieve your things yourself.
Final thoughts
Poor communication was the most persistent issue on my move, on top of the extra money I spent on a U-Haul and moving my furniture multiple times. Zippy Shell probably would have delivered the container to my new home eventually, but I had no way of knowing when, and I no longer trusted the information I was getting. In the end, I took matters into my own hands to resolve the situation.
The customer service representatives I dealt with were pleasant, but nobody seemed to know where my container was or when it would be delivered. For a company with Zippy Shell’s reputation, I found that surprising and frustrating. I was also disappointed that I didn’t get the container I expected, which was another case of not getting what I paid for.
Timing may have played a role. I moved during the peak summer season, when full-service movers and container companies see huge surges in business and sometimes book more than they can handle. Even so, Zippy Shell could have communicated more effectively and given me accurate information, even when it wasn’t what I wanted to hear. The company did reduce my bill by $200, but I felt they should have covered the cost of the U-Haul.
Thinking about a move of your own? Compare quotes with moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator before you book.
My ratings
- Communication: Zippy Shell was responsive and helpful while I was booking, but communication fell apart once my container was in transit.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: My quote held steady at $3,090, but I ended up spending extra money on a U-Haul rental because Zippy Shell kept pushing back my delivery date.
- Timeliness: I’d give Zippy Shell poor marks for timeliness because I never got the door-to-door service I was promised.
- Professionalism: I didn’t feel like Zippy Shell treated me fairly or professionally once problems started.
- Loss and damage: A few of my items got damaged, but that probably wasn’t Zippy Shell’s fault since my fiancé and I packed and loaded the container ourselves.
- Would I use Zippy Shell again? No, I wouldn’t use Zippy Shell again or recommend the company to anyone else.
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