Starting a New Job With Nothing But a Suitcase
**46 Days Without My Belongings. Thousands of Dollars Spent. Do Not Hire These Companies.**
Imagine this: after 22 years in public safety, you accept a new job in a ne
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**46 Days Without My Belongings. Thousands of Dollars Spent. Do Not Hire These Companies.**
Imagine this: after 22 years in public safety, you accept a new job in a new city. You're excited, nervous, and ready for a fresh start. Like most people, you hire a moving company expecting professionalism, honesty, and reliability.
That was not my experience.
I hired Amerisafe Van Lines and paid them $3,440 as a booking fee. The day before my move, I was told I needed to pay an additional $900 because my belongings would supposedly take up more space on the truck. This was despite the fact that my original quote included several major items, including a washer and dryer, Peloton, twin bed, and kitchen table with chairs that were no longer being moved.
What I didn't realize at the time was that Amerisafe was not actually moving my belongings. They subcontracted the move to Cobra Van Lines.
When I tried contacting my original salesperson for answers, my calls and messages went unanswered. Customer service eventually informed me that my belongings would not be delivered within a few days of the move and explained that multiple households are loaded onto the same truck. I was told to pack essentials and be prepared to "sleep like I was camping." I was also told, “Lots of people are moving to Texas, so this won’t take long.”
On moving day, I paid Cobra Van Lines $1,779. Both Cobra and Amerisafe representatives told me my belongings would be delivered within 3–7 business days.
That never happened.
I placed an AirTag with my belongings. After pickup, my possessions were taken to a storage facility in the same city I was moving from and remained there for weeks.
Meanwhile, I relocated to Texas with nothing but a suitcase, toiletries, and supplies for my cats.
Days turned into weeks.
I called repeatedly for over a month. The answer was always the same: "We don't have a driver."
Because I had no household belongings, I was forced to purchase necessities just to function and start my new job. I bought an air mattress, then eventually a bed and mattress because sleeping on an air mattress for weeks became unbearable. I purchased clothes that met my workplace dress code, dishes, silverware, a vacuum cleaner, blankets, pillows, rugs, chairs, cookware, and countless other basic necessities.
The expenses continued to pile up while my belongings sat in storage.
After weeks of receiving no meaningful updates, I began sending formal complaints and stern emails. Only then did communication improve.
Amerisafe assured me one week that Cobra would deliver my belongings. They didn't. Cobra then emailed saying delivery would occur the following Monday or Tuesday. It didn't. Then Friday or Saturday. Again, it didn't happen.
Eventually, after 46 days, I finally received notice that my belongings would arrive.
The driver called me at 8:15 p.m. the night before delivery. Having just started a new job, I had to request time off almost immediately after being hired.
Then came another surprise.
The company that arrived to deliver my belongings wasn't Cobra Van Lines. Cobra had subcontracted the delivery to yet another company. The delivery crew informed me they had only been contacted the day before.
What's even more frustrating is that Cobra had previously emailed me claiming my belongings had already been loaded and were on the way. That statement was simply not true. The AirTag location and the delivery crew's comments confirmed otherwise.
When my belongings finally arrived, I paid another $1,300. Then I was informed there would be additional charges for elevator access and walking distance from the truck to my apartment. Another $375.
Amerisafe refused to waive the fee, stating I had already received compensation. Ironically, the amount they had previously refunded was almost identical to the new fee I was now being charged.
By the end of this ordeal, I had paid **$6,913.45** to moving companies alone—including tips given to movers and not including the thousands of dollars I spent replacing basic household necessities while waiting 46 days for my belongings.
I wasn't paying moving companies to store my possessions for a month and a half while I rebuilt my life from scratch.
I feel taken advantage of. I feel misled. I feel exhausted.
Most importantly, I don't want someone else to go through what I experienced.
If you've taken the time to read this review, please learn from my mistake.
**Do not hire Amerisafe Van Lines. Do not hire Cobra Van Lines.**
Move size: 2 Bedroom Home
Service cost:
$6999
