First Rate Movers
reviews and complaints

First Rate Movers were true to their name by providing us first rate service. They moved our four bedroom house furniture in a very efficient manner from Stittsville to Kanata. Their crew were experienced, very capable and courteous. Their truck was clean and well maintained, and all our furniture was neatly and professionally packed in their truck to avoid any damage during the local move. Above all, they took good care of our furniture, which they wrapped in clean blankets. They were also able to manoeuvre the tight staircase down to our basement with a refrigerator, treadmill and large dresser without even a scratch on our walls. Upon close examination after the move we were very pleased that none of our furniture sustained any damage whatsoever. If you are looking for a stress-free moving experience, I strongly recommend First Rate Movers, and I would use them again without hesitation for our next move.

We cannot recommend First Rate Movers Inc. highly enough. This company is one of the best moving companies we have ever done business with. This last move was our 37th. Moving presents you with situations that challenge your capacity at every level - physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Our last move was one of the most challenging we ever had due to coronavirus and all the chaos and changes that this virus has imposed upon the way we do business and manage our lives in every aspect. Doing business with this company was one of the most rewarding experiences we had during these challenging times. This was the second time we have hired them. Our expectations were very high and they surpassed them. In our experience with them at every level, they have demonstrated that they are committed to provide the best experience and customer service that they are capable of doing. We cannot thank them enough. A&P H.

I was vey impressed and happy with the service from First Rate Movers. I have moved about 6 or 7 times since living in Ottawa and this was the first time I hired movers to help me. I know now that I will not only always be using movers for all future moves, but I will definitely be using the services of First Rate Movers again for any other moves I have in the Ottawa area! The movers were efficient, professional, friendly, and were even able to come early before our scheduled time which was amazing! They brought the necessary supplies to help with the move, and all of my stuff left my old place and arrived at my new place in the same condition. Beyond the actual move themselves, I found the folks at the First Rate Movers office to be very responsive and helpful with booking the move and whenever I had questions. Overall, I am very happy with my experience, and highly recommend First Rate Movers to others! I know I will be using their services again.

First Rate Movers deserves a five-star rating. According to surveys, moving is one the top 10 most stressful life events. Not if you book with First Rate Movers. Everything about my recent move was made easier thanks to Matt and his team. Matt responded to each of my emails or phone calls within a day, including a call back on a weekend. The two movers were top notch (I wish I could call them out by their name so they know how satisfied I was with their services): courteous, efficient, skilled, focused. There are people who move furniture and then there are professional movers. First Rate Movers are professionals in every sense of the word. My quote was within 15 minutes of being accurate and not one single item was damaged during the move. One of the movers summed up the company's approach really well: "We'd rather pay in tape and in moving blankets than in insurance!" There is no doubt in my mind: if I have to move again it will be with the help of First Rate Movers.

My movers assessed the move quickly, were very professional & calming in their manner (very important as moving is so stressful!). They worked very hard and quickly. I was delayed following them to my spouse & I's new apartment. I arrived to discover them already at work after asking the landlady's mother for permission to access the space (our landlady is a friend & she said her mother was very impressed with their courtesy). With the furniture in, the movers gave suggestions & patiently shifted items from place to place so I see what would be the best available configuration. I have poor spatial understanding so this was most welcome & helpful. They took excellent care of our pieces, including a china cabinet & dining set with deep sentimental value that I was frankly worried about moving. And they treated the home we were moving into with respect as well, laying down runners & being very mindful of the walls. Efficient, professional, patient and pleasant; I recommend First Rate wholeheartedly. Excellent value.

Having used a number of movers in my life, I have to say, I was really impressed with First Rate Movers. I hired them on short notice for an end of the month move. The company representative provided a great overview of what to expect from their service on our initial call. Moving is usually a stressful affair, but this one went extremely smoothly. The movers were timely, polite, friendly, efficient and most importantly very careful with all my furniture. These guys are real moving professionals. They made sure to sweep the path from the truck to my door before entering my house, so as not to drag in dirt. They used carpets everywhere they went in the house, wrapped large items before loading them in the truck and used protective wraps on all mattresses. Even the concierge at my building complimented their efficiency and cleanliness! I'd definitely recommend them to anyone looking to move with peace of mind that their belongings and home are being treated with care and attention to detail. I'll be using them for any futures moves.

If I could give 0 stars I would. I called for an estimate on August 11th. The person I spoke to was well-spoken & seemed knowledgeable at first. However, he spent the entire conversation bad-mouthing every other moving company in Ottawa! He could/should have left it at 'We are the best in Ottawa & here is why...' but to spend an entire 15-20 minute conversation telling me that some other moving companies are unreliable, unprofessional, and provide poor service along with many other even more horrible things. This was completely uncalled for and unprofessional. He specifically asked me what other companies I was waiting for quotes from & then proceeded to say that they weren't even legitimate businesses (again, among other things). If this company really was "the best" as they claim they, they would not have to try to ruin the reputations of their competitors. This experience was a complete waste of time. I wouldn't use this company for my move if they offered to pay me!

I've had to move several times in the last few years and while other moving companies were decent, First Rate Movers blew me away and have won my loyalty, and I'll definitely be recommending them for a few reasons: - They were actually avaiable early and immediately jumped into the work, despite a couple of challenging issues with the buildings. Flexible and easy-going. - They were swift with their work but were very careful with the varitety of materials, some quite fragile. They tackled a particularly tricky item with ease, one that has stumped other movers, and did it in a fraction of the time. - They were friendly and funny but also respectful. I've had a couple of issues with other movers being a bit invasive with personal questions, but these guys didn't mess around and were professional throughout. - The price was fantastic. Overall fantastic experience, and I also want to give a shoutout to Matt who helped set everything up, especially considering this was a relatively last-minute move. They all took a lot of the stress out of moving today.

Moving Made Easy! What a pleasant experience we had with the outstanding service provided by First Rate Movers! First, I must say that I take grave exception to the negative comments logged by others...they could not be more misleading nor more incorrect/slanderous to a fine gentleman of First Rate Movers' character. Right from initial contact with him on the phone, as well as including a personal meeting with him, he was professional, well qualified and extremely helpful. He made our move seamless. We had to pack our furniture and effects in Ottawa for a move a month later to Belleville. First Rate Movers' team packed us in the minimum quoted time, then moved our goods into a storage facility owned by First Rate in the westend of our city, stored them at a favourable rate and then delivered everything to Belleville, once again within the minimum time quoted on our estimate. The entire move was pleasant and affordable. I would recommend First Rate Movers to anyone looking for a safe, affordable and efficient way of moving their household. Well done and kudos to all the team members involved! D and CW.

This is our 3rd move with First Rate Movers. I have moved nationally and internationally approx 20 times. I wish First Rate Movers would have done all our moves. Usually one of the worst parts of the move is dealing with movers - not so with First Rate, John and Mike were awesome to deal with, as was Sarah with coordination and planning. Nothing was ever damaged in any of our moves with them. Everything is carefully wrapped in blankets, and anything disassembled is put back together the way it should be. These guys take a quick walk through the house to size up the job then get down to business, super efficient with their time. They are very skilled at maximizing space on the truck, not an inch is wasted. Courteous, professional, on time, going above and beyond to accommodate. We asked to have a few things rearranged at the end of the move, they didn't bat an eye, just got the job done. I can't emphasize enough how pleased we were with our choice of moving companies - there are lots out there but none in my experience have compared to First Rate. You won't be disappointed. Thomas & Laura

We used First Rate Movers to pack and move us from Ottawa to Kemptville. To put our review in context, we have moved over 20 times with the military; without question, this was the best move we have ever experienced. The packing was superb: Pierre and Bob were punctual, professional and friendly. Two quality items stand out. First, nothing was broken, a first in our experience. As important, especially when it came to unpacking, all box contents were clearly labelled, making it a dream to find priority items needed for early day-to-day living in our new home. When it came to the move itself, the five guys were clearly a professional and experienced team, providing quick, careful and friendly service. In less than six hours, they had our furniture and effects dismantled and out of the old house, moved to Kemptville, and placed in and set up in the new house, with no damage at all! In the end, the move itself was the least stressful part of relocating homes. Well done, First Rate Movers, you have the best crews we have ever seen. We highly recommend First Rate Movers as a top-notch, professional moving company.

I used First Rate Movers recently for a home move, and was 100% impressed and satisfied with the experience. From initial contact, the company was professional, quick to reply, and did precisely what they said they'd do. Their site allows for an easy form completion to generate a quote, and I was able to secure movers quickly and easily with Matt's assistance. The move itself was perfect. The team (John and Sarah) who moved me was neat, professional, and polite. They were running ahead of schedule, and called me well in advance to make sure I was okay with getting started early. They were great with my young son as well. They used runners throughout the house, wrapped everything carefully, disassembled furniture and were meticulous about tidiness and respect for my house, all while moving incredibly efficiently - a well oiled machine. The house I moved out of had just been professionally repainted, and not a wall was touched in the entire process. At the new home, they were equally quick and respectful - even removing their relatively clean shoes to head to the basement despite me saying it was not necessary. They quickly unloaded, unwrapped all my stuff carefully, and reassembled and properly placed all of my furniture. This was above and beyond any previous experience I've had with movers - and I've had many. It's rare that I can say that any experience with a company or service was perfect - but this one was. Top notch. I recommend First Rate to anyone and everyone who needs to move.

We were fortunate to have the best moving service we have ever had with First Rate Movers. This move was organized by John and the movers were Mike and Dave. Communication: We needed to execute an unexpected move and John was so helpful in finding a convenient date/time to accommodate our pressing needs. He guided us through the booking process and provided accurate and timely communication throughout the experience. In addition, both Mike and Dave were exceedingly polite and professional during the moving process. Accurate Cost Estimate: The quote that was provided by John was exceptionally accurate. The move was started and completed with the exact timeframe that was promised. Quality of Care: Mike and Dave were unbelievably careful with all our possessions. They put out runners throughout our space to ensure no damage to the hardwood flooring. There was not one damaged furniture item, wall or floor from this operation Efficient: Mike and Dave were prepared with the required number of covers, packaging and dolly carts, they were so efficient with how they executed the move. Flexibility: First Rate Movers were also flexible with the discarding of one of our furniture pieces that we needed to dispose of. During the move, I called John and he provided some helpful options that allowed us to get rid of the item. Over the course of our many years in Ottawa, we have moved on a number of occasions. By far and away, First Rate Movers are the best moving company we have used and I would highly recommend them to others. After this experience, I know that we will never use any other mover than First Rate Movers in the future. Thank you John, Mike, and Dave!

A move from the Ottawa area to downtown near Parliament Hill after almost 17 years at the same place seemed to be quite a stressful situation. Four different movers were suggested to me. I had to find out which one I related to the best. They were all quite very good possibilities. After asking many questions, I felt First Rate Movers were my number 1 choice. Why? It turned out they were familiar with both locations: this was a plus for me! A date was set up for January 15th. I filled a document with all pertaining information about what was to be moved, what could be moved, number of bedrooms etc. Then a price was established in view of that information I kept in touch with the moving company many times even on the eve of the move, making sure they had all the info and mostly that the mattress was going to have a cover, my biggest worry. He was always patient and business like and reassured me that they had a lot of mattress covers in the truck… Now I had to be ready! The morning of the 15th, I was a tad nervous but the team was punctual; the truck was to arrive for 8:30. I saw the truck arrived around 8:15 and a few minutes later, got a phone call that they were in the loading area. They were definitely reliable! They were two gentlemen, who worked as if it was all orchestrated, each knowing what to do, wrapping, lifting and when one needed a hand, it was instantly answered, they had their routine, they worked well together, I was quite impressed. They were definitely professional and polite. They unloaded, unwrapped, installed, placed furniture and set up the bed where I had planned it at the new location, again in an efficient manner. All this done in one morning! The price set up was exactly what was agreed upon. Thank you, First Rate Movers! Line L

Based on our recent move from Ottawa to Toronto, I'm pleased to highly recommend First Rate Movers to anyone looking for a mover. Having helped my son move a number of times, I have had a few negative, as well as some mediocre encounters with moving companies. First Rate Movers, however, provided an entirely elevated moving experience and made what is normally a very stressful event, into a pleasure. Although the quote that Matt provided for the move was not the least expensive of the quotes I had obtained, his professionalism, timely communication, honesty, and knowledge, inspired my confidence. The team of John, Mike, Sarah, and Alex absolutely exceeded my expectations: The called me before their arrival to give me their ETA, and arrived right on schedule with two clean and tidy trucks. They had new blankets with which to wrap our furniture, as I had asked Matt to include this in our quote, and I had also requested that the team wear protective masks, since there are seniors in their 90s in the house. Although I realize it must have been uncomfortable to work with them on, they all complied with my request, even stopping to purchase new masks on the way to our house. Every member of the team was courteous, organized, careful, and respectful of our property. They moved like a well-oiled machine and didn't waste one second of time. Matt actually didn't start the clock until the second truck was parked and all 4 movers were ready to begin, although he conducted a walk-through with me prior to the second truck's arrival. In Toronto for the move-in the next day, once again the team was punctual, super efficient, and they cheerfully accommodated my rather detailed plan for placement of the furniture and cartons. All in all, this is a top-notch company and I will definitely be calling them for our next move!

Working with First Rate Movers was a positive experience from beginning to end through a complex, challenging move. The move had the potential to be a nightmare due to various factors relating to your circumstances (including, among others, health issues for me and my wife, a doctor, being overwhelmed through December and January dealing with omicron) and our consequent lack of preparedness for the move. Matt in the front office organized the move for us and kept in constant contact with us, ensuring things were going smoothly and answering questions etc. The move was split over two days, two days apart. When it became evident on the first day that we would never be able to get everything packed in time for the second day, Matt calmly arranged at the very, very last minute to send some professional packers over to help us and they made the difference between a successful move and what could've been a catastrophic situation with the closing date on our home only a few days away. The three movers, Cody, Courtney and Avery were nothing short of amazing. When I look at what they moved over two short days, in frigid, treacherous conditions and without a complaint and the volume and the number of large pieces moved with no damage to a freshly painted house, I am in awe. I don't even want to say how many boxes the Packers filled over less than eight hours lest I reveal how pretty prepared we were. Suffice to say they were miracle workers and saved us from disaster in a big way.. Even Cody‘s driving skills, navigating his 5 ton moving truck backwards up a steep snowy hill with enough speed to get him to the top, were a sight to behold. Everyone involved was friendly and courteous and cheerful and it's impossible to describe enough how much that meant to us at a very difficult time. Based on my experience, you can't possibly go wrong with these people.