Moving to New Zealand Reviews 

We have had an unfortunate experience as NZ Van Lines have not upheld their contractual obligations. We’ve moved from the US to NZ. Nearly all our belongings were already packed from a previous move and we were told numerous times all would be repacked by the movers with their own boxes and packing materials and a detailed list of belongings would be made for customs. Those costs were included in our quote. We had very polite and courteous packers but they repacked very little and used all the boxes we had packed ourselves from our previous move. We were promised professional, boxed packaging of three expensive bikes. (The bikes arrived with only torn, shredded brown packing paper around them.) The day after our things were picked up we received an email saying we needed a detailed list of belongings. Very confusing as we were told they would make that list. When our belongings arrived in NZ we were then told we had to pay $1800 over the agreed upon contractual price in order to receive our things as they had incorrectly assessed the volume. They did two separate video surveys with our belongings already boxed and all together so am unsure how their estimation was so far off. Our belongings arrived about three weeks after our target date- not a problem as I believe it must be very difficult to time things when shipping internationally. When our things arrived at our new home, again we had friendly, courteous movers. But they just dropped our belongings off. The contract states they will unpack items and remove packing materials the day of delivery. That did not happen. I was told to do the unpacking myself and to contact NZ Van Lines when we were done unpacking to have the material and boxes removed. So alright, we unpacked everything ourselves that evening and let them know the packing materials were ready to be removed. That was over a week ago. The garage is unusable due to the massive amounts of packing debris. And they keep telling me they are “working” on getting it removed. It was supposed to be removed the day of delivery per the contract. There is also an entire box of our items that has gone missing and my requests for information on that have not garnered anything past the fact that they agree it is missing. There were several irreparably broken items (all from the few things they boxed up) and I’ve asked several times about how to file a claim but it’s apparent I’m being left to my own devices on that. Please do your homework on this company. If you simply google “NZ Van Lines reviews”, you will get so much more than the Trust Pilot reviews they steer you toward. Heck, someone was so dismayed they bought the domain of newzealandvanlines (as opposed to the actual website of the company which is nzvanlines)to warn people off using them. We certainly wish we had been more careful and we regret having used them.
UPDATE: After posting this original review I was contacted by the company actually requesting I remove the review. I said I may do that or add an edit if we could quickly resolve the packing debris issue. The rubbish was eventually removed, eleven days after it should have been. Imagine all the boxes, bubble wrap and paper it takes to ship a household-all left in our house. It was overwhelming. It was an exhausting battle to get it taken care of and I believe it never would have been resolved if I hadn’t posted this review and they hoped I would remove it. And our missing box was never located. We were told in writing we would be refunded the extra money we had to pay for their error in assessing the volume of our goods. That was twelve days ago and we have yet to receive it. Yet another failure to provide what they promise.They unfortunately fail to follow through on so many levels-blatant misrepresentation. Again, be very wary.

The people are very friendly and helpful. All my questions were always answered. The team delivering my goods were fantastic, high quality and quick. I would have preferred a little more proactive communication with updates as it all progressed and I was asked a few times for forms I’d already completed which was a bit confusing but overall good to deal with.

My husband is a Kiwi and a work opportunity brought us from Aus to NZ and we used NZ Van Lines. All things associated with the move were dealt with efficiently and well. The communication from beginning to end has also been concise and easy; the team were more than happy to answer email and phone queries we had throughout the process. Everyone we have dealt with on both sides of the ditch has been great and we would definitely recommend them for moving - thank you from this little Aussie who has nearly finished unpacking! 4.5 stars

Incredible service! The friendly staff always have time to answer questions and the communication is next level. I have used NZ van Lines for two international moves and would highly recommend them. They take care of if all making it easy and stress free

Moving house is tricky. Moving country is worse. Matthew and the team from NZ Van lines made the process simple, quick and stress free.

The communication was quick and decisive. All of the little details were sorted with little fuss, accommodating all the changes that were requested. Both the packing up and the unboxing back in NZ was done smoothly and efficiently.

I would definitely recommend NZ Van Lines for looking after your relocation.

Matthew and everyone I dealt with at NZ Van Lines were extremely helpful throughout the whole moving process. From initial quotes, to getting the house surveyed and the back and forth with costs while I decided what to pack.
Matthew kept me up to date during the process and the guys who came to pack the house were super stars. Really friendly and went above and beyond. Thank you so much for making our move from Brisbane to Auckland that much easier.

I just want to thank you for the excellent service you provided in moving us from Australia to NZ. You have such friendly, supportive staff that went out of their way to help us with the packing of our container and to make sure that it was all securely packed. I can highly recommend their service and a special word of thanks to Matthew for his assistance, support and patience. All I can say is keep up the excellent work service that you are providing.

Matthew and the team at NZ Van Lines helped make our move from the USA to New Zealand easy. The communication lines were always open, my many questions rapidly answered and all interactions were friendly. My family has never worked with a moving company, much less moved into a new country, and NZ Van Lines made the process smoother than I thought possible. While the delivery of our belongings is still somewhat delayed because of pandemic-related issues, I have every expectation that the unpacking and arrival of our things will go as easily as the packing up did.

NZ Vanlines and their associates ITO in the US (and the local company and guys) did an excellent job wrapping and packaging our large household into the 40 ft container. Matthew at NZ Vanlines and Marc at ITO were communicating with us leading up to the move day, answering all of our questions. This really made the difference and lessened the stress during a very stressful period. We recommend NZ Vanlines without reservation, now we are hoping it arrives in a safe and timely manner, in 4 months I will post that review.

The team turned up here in Rarotonga and were quick and careful packing up our home. Thoroughly recommended.

Fantastic moving company. Matthew was amazing and helped every step of the way. Would highly recommend them for an international move.

It can be a minefield when you are faced with an international mover choice. Where do you start? I started with reviews and one in particular caught my eye on NZ Vanlines as it sounded like a similar move from Australia to NZ we were doing. Call me a sceptic but I don’t always trust reviews, so I contacted this person and he was very obliging with firstly information on the move, logistics etc and most importantly had been really impressed with NZ Vanlines. Given he moved prior to covid times and we moved during the reopening of NZ I had exactly the same excellent experience. Matthew Woodley in the Auckland office managed it all for us and he was faultless. Our move wasn’t straight forward as it was all out of two large storage units. Their subsidiary company in Sydney, OSS was also of a high standard. We received our goods in perfect condition, all present and accounted for and well ahead of schedule. Eventually you get all those quotes in and still feel like it’s a lottery. Well we won with NZVanlines. Happy days.

NZ Van Lines undertook our move from USA to NZ in 2021/2022. I sought quotes from five companies and NZVL were in the middle of the pack for pricing but were by far the most obliging with quotes for different options for me. I selected them based upon level of service, pricing and access since they were based in my destination. The local service providers they contracted at the origin packed our belongings well and coordinated cost effective storage. Communication was good throughout the move and coordinating customs and delivery/unpacking at destination was hassle free. Would definitely use them again.

Where do I start! For our January 2022 move we contacted international removalists as early as November 2021 and from the beginning Matthew at NZ Vanlines was the best to deal with, he could answer any question and was completely open and transparent. And always available to take a call on the spot, no unnecessary chitchat just incredibly professional and quick to deal with. We looked at transporting a dining set aged over 100+ years and the level of detail and expertise he brought to that decision was really valuable.

We were really concerned about using Palmers in Aus as the packers for pick up, as we’d read some confronting reviews about them. I’m pleased to say that we used “Sammy’s crew” at Palmers and they were absolutely outstanding, highly trained and really organised. Really friendly and they knew exactly what they were doing in a 3 level home without great access. It was by far the most enjoyable uplift we’ve experienced in our lives.

I can go as far as saying that we had items left over which we’d forgotten to have the team pack, so we had the opportunity to visit the Palmers warehouse in Western Sydney. The sheer level of the business is jaw-dropping, I don’t think either of us have ever been to a larger, cleaner or more professional warehouse arrangement. We were sceptical about the additional box even making it to our destination but of course it did and it was recorded in the updated inventory, everything was really professionally handled.

Upon arrival in Wellington everything was super smooth and I just can’t rave about Matthew Woodley enough. He answers the phone instantly, responds to queries undistracted there on the spot and you really can’t ask for anything more. We went with the bulk insurance Mathew spoke about and our items arrived as though they’d just left our home in Sydney. No musty smell, no water damage, no dropped boxes no damage at all. We’d prepared ourselves for some damage (vintage crystal, art, tv, just the very delicate items) and we just couldn’t believe how well packed the boxes were and that absolutely no damaged insued.

The team who delivered the cargo were great, 3 movers made sure that the drop off was really quick, they were organised and well trained. And friendly.

What we especially liked was the weight of the boxes so everything could be carried, absolutely no need for a trolley except for the very large and heavy washing machine.

It was an absolutely perfect move and I’d only wished we’d experienced a move like this in Australia with the cost being so comparable to an international move to New Zealand. We had to share a container so in our mind there was more of a chance of things going wrong, and of course nothing did. We actually have some missing bolts for an item of furniture but honestly, that’s not even a big issue at all. Thanks so much guys and especially Matthew - you operate an impressive well-oiled machine of an international arm, and we thank you so much.

Natasha and Toese

Having made the decision, pandemic instigated,to completely relocate to another country, and being an older single woman, the process was daunting.
I cannot ever speak highly enough of NZvanlines. Every email was promptly replied to, regardless of how trivial it might have appeared to Matthew. Keiran from Palmers couldn't have been any more friendly or helpful if he tried. Again, the friendliness and increadible efficiency of the packing crew was phenomenal. Border closures and uncertainty were my only anxiety, which was unrelated to and totally out of NZvanlines control. I have absolutely no hesitation in encouraging anyone to engage this fabulous company. Thank you NZvanlines and Palmers

I have no hesitation in recommending NZ Van Lines. From the outset my communication and dealings with the company has been positive, efficient and helpful. Matthew Woodley initiated contact with the UK team and I cannot thank him and his team enough. Yes, there was the odd small hiccup, but at each stage, I was confident that if anything was to go wrong, NZ Van Lines and their courteous, professional, friendly staff would sort it out.
Travelling half way round the world on my own from rural Devon, I had confidence that my belongings would arrive safely.
I am pleased I took out the simple 'insurance per volume' for the very few items of damage and peace of mind.
I am hoping to stay here for a long time and not require shipping, but if I do, Matthew at NZ Van Lines will be the person I will call.

Great company! To Steve and the boys, they did an amazing job packing our furniture here in Logan, Australia.
Matthew Woodley has been extremely helpful throughout the process.

No hesitation recommending NZ VanLines during this extra pressure time moving from rural N.California to Kapiti. A big thank you to Matthew Woodley and his team who were very patient, helpful and efficient in all communications, from quoting, answering questions, selecting the local mover to pack pick up and drop to port of Oakland, to arrival in Wellington. Amazing job also by Ernie’s staff in packaging many varied household items, everything arrived in great shape, even after an additional six months in storage before the final move in and unpack.

An emotional move bringing belongings from the family home to NZ after the passing of our father. PSS and NZ Van Lines were amazing and took care of everything for us. Very professional service and everything arrived perfectly. Thank you so much 😊

The move was difficult due to COVID but the packers and unpackers were amazing. Friendly, fast at packing. Matthew Woodley was exceptional and very proactive in managing everything in a very difficult time. Would definitely recommend these guys.