"A dishonest, gaslighting nightmare"

We booked Instamove for our Melbourne-to-Adelaide move after a lot of research. They weren’t the cheapest, but the manager sounded reassuring, promising a stress-free move.

We had 35m³ of household items to be picked up from an apartment and storage, plus several motorbikes. Instamove gave us two fixed-price options: one with and one without the bikes. We chose to include the bikes. Before paying the deposit, we were reassured that the final charge would be based on the actual volume moved, and there would be no hidden fees or surprises.

A messy pick-up ...

First red flag: none of our furniture or appliances were wrapped, even though protective wrapping was included in the quote. Then, while the move continued at the storage, we got a call from an assistant demanding full payment upfront, despite their website clearly stating it’s due on delivery.

Next, she claimed the trucks they sent were too small and requested that we pay extra for a bigger truck. (But wasn’t this a fixed-price job?) We weren’t able to have a constructive conversation with her, and couldn’t contact the manager directly, since Instamove only has a central phone number and email. So we requested a call-back. (No call came till the next day.)

When it came to loading the motorbikes, the truck was unsuitable, and the movers were out of their depth. Watching them struggle to load the first bike was terrifying. Eventually they gave up. (We were lucky to be able to leave the bikes behind safely.)

A few things that didn’t fit into the 39m³ truck used for the household items were loaded onto the small truck sent for the bikes. The large truck had some dead space, but we were charged extra for the additional volume – which was no more than 1m³.

The next day, in a heated conversation, a representative threatened that they’d cancel the job and return our stuff to our vacated apartment. Then the manager called and reassured us that our household items would be moved safely. He also offered to move the bikes for an increased fee. We chose to hire another mover instead, who did a stellar job at the same price Instamove first quoted.

Storage fees & scare tactics ...

After finding a home in Adelaide and trying to organise delivery, Instamove requested that we pay the storage fees. We had 4 weeks of storage included in the quote, and we owed them 6 weeks. Imagine our surprise when they hit us with an invoice for 20 weeks’ fees – two storage units and 10 weeks for each.

When we questioned this, the staff got aggressive. They suddenly claimed we had more stuff than we paid for, and we had already received a huge discount. When we tried to explain that we had paid all fees in full and that the bikes were not moved by Instamove, they threatened to withhold all our belongings.
Consumer Affairs suggested we might be dealing with unlawful misrepresentation. We told Instamove we were seeking advice, and after a demeaning email from a staff member, we finally received a call from the manager agreeing to amend the invoice.

Delivery – more hurdles ...

Many of our boxes arrived soaking wet, and some furniture was badly damaged. The truck also damaged the driveway as the driver didn’t follow our instructions for where to park.

When we reported the damage, Instamove refused compensation. Their excuses:
1. They “received no mention of damages prior to the team’s departure”. (We reported everything to the movers.)
2. We were not eligible since “the job was not paid in full”. (We paid in full for all services delivered.)
3. They “absorbed a substantial financial loss”. (This is due to their mismanagement, and has nothing to do with their responsibility for the damage.)

When we sent a detailed rebuttal, they just ghosted us.

In short, Instamove operates with dodgy quotes, unprofessional staff, and zero accountability. Their quotes are live documents that they change after signing. They contradict themselves, gaslight you, ignore complaints, and if they don’t want to deal with you, they stop responding.

If I receive a response to this review filled with lies, I won’t be surprised.

Avoid them at all costs.

"Cannot rate this company low enough"

If I used the words I really wanted to describe this sham of a company, I'd be banned from the internet.
Their whole business is based on false claims. They have no physical address, no fleet of trucks, and use subcontract moving crews.

They failed to meet their obligations under the terms of the agreement we accepted and paid for, then attempted to blame us for their own incompetence.

"No hidden charges" except that on the day of the move they told us they had underquoted and we had to pay more.

They couldn't complete the job on the day because they had sent an undersized truck, then attempted to extort more money from us to complete the rest of the move, which we engaged a professional mover to do later.

When they sent the invoice for the quoted storage fees, it was double the quoted amount. We disputed the fees and they attempted to blackmail us by threatening to hold our furniture until we paid up.

Insurance included up to $5000? Another lie. Our furniture was damaged & they came up with all kinds of fake excuses as to why they didn't have to pay up, even though the damage was pointed out to their driver, who failed to report it the their office, so they used this as one of their excuses to deny our claim.

They also claim they give a "happiness guarantee" but when we attempted to make valid complaints we were screamed at, abused and threatened on more than one occasion.

I fully expect they'll deny all of this, or make some lame comments about it being our fault because they're so unprofessional that they can't accept responsibility for their screw-ups, but we have evidence, in writing.

An ACCC complaint is pending.

"Instamove disgraceful"

Instamove disgracefulA quote for a one bedroom apartment was $560. The two guys were so slow it took them 4 hours than I was waiting at drop off location for over an hour when they had left before me than o was charged $1300 and they wanted the payment straight away. Do not use this company double the amount and time of what they tell you it will be. I’m a single woman I feel like iv been taken advantages of. Oh and iv had to do 3 car trips back because they couldn’t fit anything else in there truck apparently and there was plenty of room when o checked when they got to drop off address.

"Guys were very efficient and friendly"

Guys were very efficient and friendly, did a great job, thank you 😃

"Instamove reps saved the day."

I had a very difficult move in the city yet Sebastian and Fernando were amazing. They didn't stop going all day, were hard working, polite and excellent representatives on Instamove. The company itself was in communication the entire time and very helpful. I highly recommend them.

"Wish I could give more than 5 stars!"

These guys moved me on the weekend and they were fantastic!! They were on time, polite, experienced, efficient and had a really good attitude all day - even when we were all exhausted!! Highly recommend!!

""I'm delighted to share my positive…"

"I'm delighted to share my positive experience with Rente and Daniel during my move. Their service was not only efficient and impeccable but also surprisingly affordable. Their professionalism and budget-friendly approach made the entire process smooth and cost-effective. I highly recommend Rente and Daniel for a seamless and economical moving experience!"

"They will rob you and go through all your stuff"

Seriously I booked instamove to pack and move furniture for me. My directions were clear pack the bedroom cupboards, the bathroom and one pantry cupboard. Everything was packed or safely packed in bags ready to transport. They arrived 45 minutes late. I showed them around. Please note it was a small apartment and there were a lot of items. I left. Received a phone call advising it was a 8 hour packing job so they needed 4 packers to do it in time plus 50 boxes and then the removal for $2500. Which was double my budget but I had no choice. So I left them to it. They didn’t arrive to my new address until about 4.30pm. They jumped out of an unroadworthy vehicle. And stood there. I actually had gone ahead and booked 2 removalist from air tasker. So they started unloading. First they didn’t label the boxes they pack. 2 they didn’t deliver all my furniture, they left a coach behind 3. They did property damage 4. They only delivered 32 boxes 5 they left some significant pieces in my garage 6 they didn’t even put the beds down 7 they didn’t pack properly I have photos.
They left without confirming I had everything. So the first thing I did was call the company as I needed my medication. I was treated like a crazy woman. Next we counted boxes and went crap. Next I called a doctor for medicine. Then posted on air tasker for help. We all went through the boxes for hours. All my jewellery, handbags, photography equipment, medication, Chanel products, kitchen aid, glasses and more was missing. Called the police. Emailed the company heard nothing. Continued to unpack over 4 days. Found this is a bit embarrassing found sex toys in with my lingerie. A male sex toy in one of my photography bags. They didn’t just pack. They went through my stuff and repacked. Creepy. So I put an insurance claim in. Was declined as I let them into my house. So now I am off to vcat. They took away my livelihood, my murdered mother’s earnings, things that can never be replaced. So you have been warned.

"Would Definately recommend Instamove"

Would Definately recommend Instamove. Easy booking and very reasonable prices. Carlos and Manuel were excellent on the day and were really lovely.

"Guys were lovely."

Guys were punctual, helpful and quite lovely. I would recommend their services. Very appreciative of their work. I was happy to see nothing was damaged, they took good care of our things.