National chain · Salem, MANational chain · 32 Jefferson Ave, Salem, MA 01970, USA
Verified record
United Van Lines is the Salem, MA agent for the national United Van Lines network — a large interstate carrier that, as one reviewer notes, typically works through contracted local agents rather than handling every leg of a move directly. There isn't much written detail tied specifically to this location, and what there is skews negative. Its Google listing shows a 2.3-star average from just three ratings, and the one detailed review on file, from 2022, described a pack-up crew that arrived on time and loaded everything carefully, followed by a delivery that didn't arrive on the promised date — the account cuts off before saying what happened next. Separately, two 2022 posts on r/boston describe experiences with the broader United Van Lines brand rather than this specific location: one said a Los Angeles-to-Boston move with the company went great, but a later Boston-to-Denver move with them was the most stressful move they'd had, and noted the company usually contracts the actual work out to other movers; a second called the company's up-charges a scam, saying the final bill came in almost double the original quote. Those accounts are about the wider national brand and its network of contracted agents, not clearly about the Salem crew itself. With so little here that's clearly about this specific location, anyone considering them should ask directly about who actually handles the move — packing, loading, and delivery — and get delivery timing and total cost confirmed in writing before booking.
Typical Greater Boston range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from United Van Lines. Use it to sanity-check bids, then get the real number in writing.
Flights without an elevator, counting both ends.
Estimated range
$900 – $1,700
Typical move around $1,300
“United Van Lines definitely scammed and extorted me. So many up charges throughout the process. By the end I paid almost double what they quoted me originally. Not much I could do since they had my stuff”
“I used United Van Lines when I moved from LA to Boston, and it went great. I used them again when I moved from Boston to Denver and it was the most stressful moving experience. I discovered that they usually contract out to other moving companies, so you don't really get to make the choice yourself.”
We used UVL to move from Indiana to New Hampshire. The pack-up crew did a nice job, arrived on time, got everything carefully loaded without issue. This happened on a Friday. We were told the next Monday (3 days after packing up) our stuff would be delivered to the new home. The delivery crew never showed up. When we called, they stated it would be Thursday or Friday for delivery (6-7 days after packing up). They came on a Friday and delivered our items. The boxes were crushed, with many of our things being broken. Several of the plastic containers we stored children's clothes in were complete destroyed and the movers crammed our stuff into boxes. We did not receive all out items either. They also delivered us a giant box containing a TV and other items belonging to someone else. Now, 20 days later, those items are still in my house and they "can't tell me when they will be able to get them because it's their busy season". You can't call them because the people answering the phones literally don't know anything. It was a horrible experience and not worth the money at all. By the time we replace all our broken and lost items and pay to have the large debris from destroyed belongings removed, we may as well have bought all new stuff for the price. I recommend avoiding this company if you're trying to move long-distance.
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Established 2.0 rating
