Palmers Relocations Reviews 13

Poor service, unprofessional

The Australian partner for PSS delivery who handled my shipment from arrival to Australian port, to quarantine to ultimate delivery.

My items arrived 1.5 months after arrival to Sydney port and I only received a delivery date after I escalated with PSS. I asked for a breakdown of the $400+ quarantine inspection fee and they responded by telling me they had no contractual obligation to me, and that if I wasn’t happy I could collect the items myself. I had no asked about delivery cost and pointed out to them that I had already paid for delivery - they responded by reminding me again they had no contractual obligation to me and told me it asking questions that cause delays in the first place - they then asked me if I wanted to collect the items myself again (after I confirmed the delivery date twice)

To top it all off they delivered my boxes and one of them was literally open with items falling out. I followed up on this and some missing items and they told me they had no responsibility

Highly frustrating experience - everyone has their own experience with businesses and mine was definitively negative. I would not recommend using them for anything

After moving from the UK to Australia, I was promised a smooth, stress-free relocation by Palmers, based on the reputation they claim to have.

Unfortunately, their service turned out to be the complete opposite. From the initial contact all the way through to the delivery of my goods, Palmers Relocations failed on every level.

1. Terrible Communication & Customer Service
From the very beginning, dealing with Palmers Relocations was a nightmare. The customer service team was unresponsive, and when they did reply, it was clear they were disorganized and uninterested in addressing my concerns. I had multiple instances where emails went unanswered for days, and phone calls were either missed or I was left on hold for over 30 minutes. Their lack of communication was incredibly frustrating, especially given the anxiety of waiting for my belongings to arrive from overseas.

I even had to chase them down for basic updates on the status of my shipment. The staff members I did manage to get ahold of were rude and dismissive, which only added to my frustration.

2. Poor Scheduling and Delays
When I finally received a response, I was told that my belongings would be delivered once quarantine cleared which takes around 2 weeks. Well, that didn’t happen !! The delivery was delayed several times with no proactive communication from Palmers. Always blaming Australian Quarantine I was left in the dark about the status of my shipment for weeks. This delay wreaked havoc on my personal schedule, as I had made arrangements to move into my new home only to find that I had no idea when my things would arrive.

When I asked for an explanation, I was given vague excuses about “logistics issues” and “unforeseen delays,” but nothing that gave me any confidence that Palmers was handling the situation properly. Finally I called the government department only to be told my shipment had been cleared weeks ago !!! Imagine my frustration

3. Unprofessional and Disorganized Delivery Team
The day of the delivery was the final straw. The delivery team showed up hours late, and when they finally arrived, they were disorganized and rude. It was clear they hadn’t been briefed on the specifics of my shipment, and they made no effort to handle my belongings with care. I had several fragile items in the shipment, some of which arrived damaged due to their negligent handling.
Moreover, the movers had no respect for the property they were delivering to. They left scuff marks all over the floors and walls of my new home, and when I pointed this out, the delivery team was dismissive and refused to take any responsibility for the damage. It’s incredibly disappointing when you pay a premium for professional moving services, only to have your possessions treated like they don’t matter.

4. Additional Hidden Fees
To add insult to injury, Palmers Relocations tried to charge me additional fees that weren’t disclosed upfront. These included an unexplained “delivery surcharge” and other charges I never agreed to. When I questioned these fees, I was met with vague responses and a complete lack of transparency. It’s hard to trust a company when they seem to be adding hidden costs at every turn.

5. Overall Disappointing Experience
Ultimately, Palmers Relocations delivered a service that was far below what I expected from a company of their supposed standing. The lack of communication, poor handling of my belongings, and overall unprofessionalism made an already stressful move even worse. Given my experience, I would not recommend Palmers Relocations to anyone looking for a reliable, trustworthy moving company in Sydney. They are clearly understaffed, disorganized, and have a complete lack of accountability when it comes to delivering the services they advertise.
If you're planning a move to or from Sydney, do yourself a favor and look for a different company. Save yourself the stress, frustration, and potential damage to your property. I deeply regret choosing Palmers, and I wish I had done more research before trusting them with my move.

Do not know where to start with this terrible moving company but will try. Palmers Relocations are nothing short of the worst service I have ever seen but also heartless

My elderly mother needed to put her items into storage which was due to an insurance claim whilst repairs were made to her home. The builders appointed Palmers Relocations.

They turned up in a truck which gave me little confidence they were as professional outfit but I thought I would leave them to it. I discussed with the team not to pack my mothers office area as it was not needing to be moved and had allot of my mothers documents and medication. They understood and I went to collect my mother from a medical appointment.

When I arrived back that afternoon I noticed the office door open, all items removed and most importantly my mothers medication. I called the office very worried (understandably) and whilst their Operations Manager admitted to making a mistake, refused to try to locate the medication that day (it was only 1pm) and then advised he would need to charge me despite it being their mistake. Crazy I know !!!

I pleaded. They then offered me to unload the container myself (being a 57 year old with a disability this wasn't going to happen). I called their Sydney office, again pleaded my case and I kept getting the same response that a manager would call me back.

In the end, no one called back. I called 15 times. Thankfully my mothers pharmacist and doctor came to the rescue but it could have been much worse. I just could not believe how little they cared and tried to make a buck out of someones misery.

Shame on you Palmers Relocations - putting profits before people wont get you far in the long run

I rarely leave reviews, but after the nightmare I experienced with Palmers Relocations, I feel compelled to warn others. If you’re considering using them for your move, don’t. It was, without question, one of the worst customer service experiences I’ve ever had, and the damage they caused to my belongings was beyond unacceptable.

From the beginning, things felt off. Communication was inconsistent and unprofessional. I had to chase them up multiple times just to get basic information about the schedule and logistics. That should have been a red flag — and I regret not listening to my gut.

When moving day finally came, the team that arrived seemed rushed and careless. They handled my furniture and boxes with little regard for fragility or proper moving procedures. Items were stacked poorly, dragged across surfaces, and generally treated with no respect. I was told everything would be handled with care and professionally packed — that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

When my belongings were delivered, I was horrified. Almost everything showed signs of damage. Major furniture pieces were scratched, dented, or broken. Boxes had been crushed, and several items inside were shattered. Some of the damage is irreparable. I spent a lot of money on quality furniture and homewares, and to see it all arrive in that condition was devastating.

But what made this situation even worse was the complete lack of responsibility from Palmers Relocations. I reached out to them multiple times to report the damage and request a proper explanation. My emails went unanswered. My calls were either ignored or met with vague responses and empty promises to "look into it." Eventually, they just stopped responding altogether. No apology. No compensation. No accountability.

I understand that accidents can happen during a move — it’s part of the risk. But the sheer volume of damage, combined with their utterly disgraceful customer service, shows a clear lack of professionalism and care. They refused to take any responsibility for the situation, and I was left to deal with the financial and emotional toll on my own.

In hindsight, I wish I had done more research and gone with a reputable, customer-focused company. I wouldn’t recommend Palmers Relocations to anyone — not for local moves, international moves, or anything in between. If you value your belongings and want a stress-free relocation, stay far away from this company.

I hope this review helps someone else avoid the awful experience I went through.

The whole move went wrong from start to finish. Where to begin…..

I live in a 4 bedroom plus study home. A sales person came over and told me it was Ok to pack and move it all in 1 day. I had my reservations from previous moves but was assured “I was dealing with the best movers in Melbourne” - I now know they are the worst.

The day beforehand i called around 3:30pm asking when i should expect the team. Someone from the office told me they would be there “bright and early at 7am”. They arrived at 10am with just two people and a smaller truck. I was really upset so called the Palmers Relocations office.

I was told a second team would arrive to assist. They did - but not until 4pm !!

The poor guys worked tirelessly but they were exhausted and frustrated. This led to extensive damages and the move didnt finish until 8pm with myself and my son having to also chip in.

No apologies. No offer to repair my damaged items and no return phone calls to my complaints. Really terrible service and terrible management.

I recommend NEVER to use Palmers Relocations. How they can claim to be accredited is beyond me

Tunui and Hemi were extremely professional and respectful at all times. They introduced themselves and went to work, they did not stop until all our furniture and goods were loaded onto the truck. We cannot recommend Tunui and Hemi more highly. if our goods do not reach the destination in good condition it will not be their fault.

great service on the import of my move from spain

Absolutely disgusting after sales service.
On pick up of our items, they were very rough with our fridge and we anticipated damage. We spoke to them on the phone regarding this but because it was not put in writing, they pretended they knew nothing about it when we followed up after our shipment arrived and of course opened the box and our 1 month old fridge was damaged.
We also had other furniture like beds, vases and other items damaged when opened. Everything was damaged from the way it was packed....do you not think the company should be liable for this?? No level of duty of care.
Apparently you have to get multiple types of insurance to cover a variety of stages within your process. We did pay for insurance but obviously this was not included and they did not want to accept any duty of care on packing our items.
They have been of no help, to the point where they don't even reply to your emails as they have got your money and don't care now.
I am appalled that this type of business can carry on treating customers so poorly, it is clear from the other reviews and ratings. Be warned, stay clear of Palmers.

Incredibly disappointing experience. What was meant to be a 10-14 week process is now on week 21 without any end in sight. Palmers seem completely unwilling or unable to confirm any details, despite our shipment having cleared all of the steps and just waiting in a warehouse in Melbourne. Save yourselves the frustration and look elsewhere.

We trusted Palmers with our final ADF move and what a mistake that was. We chose a groupage move as we don’t own a lot of things. Now it seems our smaller shipment to NZ holds no priority to Palmers. Multiple rescheduling notices and excuses and we are still waiting. Their website portrays a quick and efficient service to NZ, even for a shared container service. They are still using COVID as their excuse, it’s pathetic.
They’ve advised 6th December (update 3rd Jan) but that’s to a NZ Port no where near us!
This company will not go ‘above and beyond’ like they advertise, in fact it the polar opposite.
Don’t be charmed by their sales team, steer clear and go elsewhere!

When told they were too expensive (by 30% or more), the agent resorted to disparaging his competitors and accused me of being intoxicated. Well I can tell the difference between less than $5,000 and more than $6,000. The owner took the side of the agent and this they treat their prospective customers as liars and fools

I had one delicate item that I explained to the movers was valuable. It mysteriously 'went missing' in transit. When I tried to claim on insurance they said that I needed 'total loss' and was not insured for items going missing.
Be careful with this company is my advice, read the fine print on the insurance terms. I've lost a sculpture worth over $1k.

Palmers Relocations were the Australian removals company handling 18 cartons I moved from the UK in May 2023, they were not my choice but a part of the team used by PSS in the UK.
My goods arrived in May and were finally delivered to me in July 2023.
Each carton was heavily taped with Fragile tape to advise of china, lamps etc. To say I was devastated by the condition of the boxes on arrival here is an understatement. The local moving company who took delivery from Palmers were so embarrassed.
As expected each and every box had breakages or damage.
The company has an aversion to customer service of any kind, and based on my experience with them, I would steer clear if you want your goods to arrive in one piece.