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Bekins Van Lines Moving Company Review 2025
Offering limited international services, Bekins Van Lines is a option for national moves with full-service options.
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Of all the moving companies we reviewed, Bekins Van Lines is better than most overall due to its payment policies, offered services and tracking features, but its relatively low customer satisfaction scores are noteworthy. Although it’s a full-service mover, meaning that it can do more than just drive a truck from point A to point B, Bekins is limited when it comes to international moves.
Why trust NerdWallet
We've compared and reviewed the biggest residential movers in the market.
We read customer reviews to keep up with consumers' experiences.
We consider the number of complaints consumers file with the BBB and DOT.
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.
Local and interstate moves
Bekins loads, transports and unloads for cross-town, interstate and cross-country moves across the country. The company confirmed with us that some moving trucks are shared between Bekins and its parent company, Wheaton — so you might hire Bekins for your move but have a truck show up that has a Wheaton name on it.
Through its Bekins Worldwide arm, Bekins does moves between Canada and the U.S., and from Canada to other countries. However, to move from the U.S. to a country other than Canada, you’ll have to work with a different Wheaton Group company.
Storage
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.
Packing and unpacking
For an extra fee, Bekins will send people to pack your home, unpack your boxes at your new residence or do both for you.
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. The company also moves pianos, which is a bonus for some homeowners.
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.
Customer satisfaction
To evaluate customer satisfaction, we consider the Better Business Bureau (BBB) customer rating, which is based on customer reviews, and the number of complaints customers have filed with the BBB in an effort to resolve an issue with a company. We also consider complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation.
We found that Bekins's customer satisfaction rating with the BBB is low compared to many of its competitors. Per 100 vehicles, it also has more customer complaints filed with the BBB and the Department of Transportation than several competitors, signaling potential issues with customer service and in-house resolutions.
Customer service
You can contact customer service via phone, email and an online form, which will probably suffice in most situations, though some competitors also offer customer service via app or chat options.
Cost
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 does not require an upfront deposit or prepayment and doesn’t charge a fee to pay with a credit card.
Things Bekins won’t move
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.
Chlorine.
Hydrochloric acid.
Car batteries.
Ammunition.
Anything combustible.
Pets.
Tracking your shipment
Bekins lets customers track their shipment with the order number and origin and destination location. The company can guarantee day-certain delivery but charges a fee for this option; the fee varies and is based on the shipment size.
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. Under this option, the mover is liable for the replacement value of items that it loses, damages or destroys. You have to pay extra for this option, but unless you explicitly choose the Released Value option, movers must automatically move your stuff under the Full Value Protection level of liability. In this scenario, if the movers ruin your 300-pound couch, they have to repair the couch or pay the replacement value of the couch.
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.
🤓Nerdy Tip
Liability coverage isn’t the same thing as insurance, so state insurance laws don’t apply to the coverage.
Alternatives to Bekins
Company
NerdWallet rating
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each financial product and service.
Other services offered
Deposit required?
Customer ratings
Based on Better Business Bureau rating and number of complaints per 100 vehicles to the BBB and Department of Transportation.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each financial product and service.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each financial product and service.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each financial product and service.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each financial product and service.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each financial product and service.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formulas take into account multiple data points for each financial product and service.
NerdWallet's Home Services team evaluated full-service moving companies across several factors, including availability of online quotes, upfront payment or deposit requirements, fees to pay with a credit card, availability of binding and/or not-to-exceed quotes, availability of additional services, geographical breadth, availability of full-value protection, truck trackability, availability of day-certain delivery, Better Business Bureau (BBB) customer rating, number of BBB complaints over the last three years per 100 vehicles, number of U.S. Department of Transportation complaints over the last four years per 100 vehicles and customer service contact options. Because costs can vary with the circumstances of each move, it's best to get quotes from multiple companies before making a decision. Read more about how NerdWallet rates full-service moving companies.
