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Jennifer Prevot had been anxiously living in an empty Colorado apartment for nearly a month when the movers she hired for her cross-country move from New York finally arrived with her belongings.
But instead of Piece of Cake Moving’s large, signature hot-pink truck, a small U-Haul pulled up — and she was about to get an even bigger shock.
“The guys who showed up with my stuff said immediately, ‘It’s not our fault. We’re just unloading…’” Prevot told The Post. “’Everything you’re going to see is damaged — please don’t have this affect our tip.’”
Inside the van, everything was broken. Among the wreckage, her mattress was folded in half and taped, a mirrored dresser shattered, and wardrobe boxes ripped open and wet, according to photos reviewed by The Post.
But worst of all, it was only a fraction of her things — the rest were missing and never arrived.
“Every item they touched was damaged,” she said.
Piece of Cake Moving has become one of the most recognizable moving companies since its founding in 2017, describing itself as one of the “fastest-growing” in the industry. Its ever-expanding fleet of bright pink trucks and strong online presence have been fueled by influencer marketing, affiliate partnerships, and thousands of glowing reviews that promise a seamless, five-star move at “guaranteed flat-rate” pricing.
But interviews with customers, court records, and complaints reviewed by The Post paint a different picture — alleging deceptive pricing, careless handling of belongings, and aggressive pressure to tip, with some customers describing the experience as a “shakedown.”
When asked to respond to all the allegations and complaints detailed by customers in the piece, Piece of Cake said, “Our mission is to always provide the best customer service, where every detail of the move is meticulously thought through to give the customer the most seamless experience. When we fall short, we always look to make it right with the customer right away.”
‘I’ve never had a moving experience like it‘
Prevot said she chose Piece of Cake after seeing the company’s trucks everywhere in New York and receiving a quote that was nearly $7,000 cheaper than competitors’. But she noticed something was off when the initial crew haphazardly handled her items and repeatedly reminded her about a tip.
“They were super aggressive about me giving them at least 20%,” she said. According to a company source, “part of company training is that movers cannot explicitly ask for tips, and the policy is that it’s always up to the customer to decide if they want to provide a tip.”
When her items arrived damaged and missing, Prevot filed a complaint seeking a refund and compensation, citing “gross negligence.”
“I don’t care about the cost. It’s more about memories,” she said. “I’ve never had a moving experience like this.”
Negotiations dragged on for weeks, with the company first offering shallow compensation based on its contract’s weight limits before increasing the offer to just over $2,000, according to emails reviewed by The Post. It wasn’t until she posted a one-star Google review that the company offered the remainder of her refund, but it came with a caveat.
“Within literally 24 hours of posting that, she immediately emailed me,” Prevot said. “They were trying to get me to take it down. And I was like, ‘Absolutely not.’”
“I just wanted to follow up once more regarding the additional refund we processed,” the customer service representative wrote in an email to Prevot. “If everything has now been resolved, we would be grateful if you could consider updating or removing your Google review to reflect your final experience with us.”
In an emailed response to Piece of Cake’s customer service, Prevot wrote, “My review reflects the entire experience, not just the final resolution,” adding that the refund came only after weeks of stress and follow-up and without compensation for damages. “Your company made my move nothing close to ‘a piece of cake.’ ”
The company apologized for the stressful experience and respected her decision to leave her negative review.
‘I was traumatized‘
Prevot is just one of many disgruntled customers who have told The Post about their bad experiences with the company. New Yorker Irina Punga hired Piece of Cake for a full-service move, including packing and unpacking, in January 2025. Relocating just four blocks away, she was quoted at just over $1,500.
Once the move was underway, she received an additional invoice for $1,275, including charges for items she said weren’t even present, according to invoices reviewed by The Post.
“They listed things I had already listed, but under different names,” Punga said, adding that the crew also moved and billed her for items she explicitly said were garbage.
Punga says movers packed items inefficiently, creating more boxes than necessary, then suggested they could avoid reporting the extra boxes charges to the company if she tipped them directly. Alone with her 3-month-old baby, she felt pressured to give them $500 and later described the experience to The Post as a scam.
Despite paying for unpacking services for 50 boxes, she said the movers unpacked only a few boxes, lost and broke sentimental items, and threw things chaotically into closets and onto the floor, which were later itemized in a detailed complaint with photos to the company and reviewed by The Post.
“I was really traumatized by that whole experience,” Punga said. “I had no power, and I just wanted it to be over.”
Punga filed a detailed complaint with customer service seeking a refund, and ultimately was reimbursed by her credit card company after disputing the charges. Following its investigation, Piece of Cake did not contest the claim.
A mysterious fire — and a lawsuit
For some customers, disputes with Piece of Cake Moving have escalated legally.
Laurel Simes and her husband hired the company in May 2024 to pack and transport the contents of Simes’ late mother-in-law’s home in Roslyn, New York, to California, including family heirlooms of silver, crystal and china.
During several emotional days of packing, Simes too said the crew repeatedly pressed for tips, which she recalls giving several hundred dollars. But she believed her belongings were in good hands as the truck departed.
Midway through the cross-country trip, however, Simes received an email from the company’s cargo insurer stating that the truck carrying her belongings had caught fire near Avoca, Iowa. Photos showed what seemed to be a truck engulfed in flames on a rural road. But when her office manager contacted local authorities, they were told there was no record of such an incident.
“How did anything catch on fire? We had nothing flammable in there,” Simes recalled, adding that when they asked to see the remains, they were told the truck was sequestered and that everything was destroyed.
“That was what caused us to believe that this is false,” Simes said. “We don’t expect them to pay for the heirloom factor of it, but we expect them to pay for the value of these articles.”
In November 2025, Simes and her husband filed suit alleging breach of contract and negligence, seeking more than $35,000 in damages. The case remains ongoing in federal court.
A growing list of complaints
In 2024, New Jersey officials warned consumers about the risks posed by unlicensed movers after authorities cited dozens of companies operating without proper authorization, including Piece of Cake, which had been cited previously. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a press release that such operators often lack the skills, experience, and insurance needed to protect customers’ belongings. According to a company representative, Piece of Cake is currently licensed and compliant in New Jersey and in all other states where it operates.
Piece of Cake claims that it has completed over 300,000 moves in the last three years; however, the Better Business Bureau lists 41 complaints against Piece of Cake Moving during that time, including 14 within the last year. The company has been listed with the BBB since 2018, but voluntarily ended its accreditation in 2024.
BBB CEO Claire Rosenzweig said disputes often arise when estimates and service terms are not clearly understood before moving day.
“Consumers need clear written estimates, clear payment terms, and an understanding of what is and isn’t covered if items are damaged,” Rosenzweig said.
Customers interviewed by The Post also described confusion about pricing, as the company’s website advertises both a “guaranteed flat rate fee” and a “guaranteed flat rate quote.”
A source at the company said that “Piece of Cake offers flat fee pricing, which is based on the customer’s moving item inventory. If on the day of the move a customer has more items, additional locations or other requirements than initially communicated when booking, the fee is subject to change to reflect the additional items and requirements.”
In a written statement, consumer defense lawyer Richard Newman said, “Generally speaking, failing to provide the quality of services advertised and using predatory practices can violate New York City’s consumer protection laws.”
Newman also noted that “paying consumers to change or remove truthful negative reviews may violate the Federal Trade Commission Act as an unfair or deceptive act or practice because it may wind up distorting or otherwise misrepresenting what consumers think about a business or its products.”
When asked to respond to all the allegations and complaints detailed by customers in the piece, Piece of Cake said, “Our mission is to always provide the best customer service, where every detail of the move is meticulously thought through to give the customer the most seamless experience. When we fall short, we always look to make it right with the customer right away.”
Hype vs. Reality
Prevot said in hindsight, the unusually low quote should have been a warning sign, and her experience — like those of other customers who spoke to the Post — stands in contrast to the polished image of Piece of Cake Moving circulating online.
While some customers have reported smooth moves, a recent viral TikTok video about a tip dispute drew thousands of comments from viewers sharing similar experiences. One user wrote, “They sent me the NASTIEST texts after I tipped them – saying I didn’t tip enough. I tipped 20%???”
Another commenter said that as a single woman, she felt pressured to tip with no alternative. “They kinda have you over a barrel…like, if you don’t pay them, your stuff doesn’t get moved,” she wrote. Several commenters allege that Piece of Cake was banned from their buildings.
The company boasts tens of thousands of “real 5 star customer reviews” on its site, but despite numerous positive reviews praising its efficiency and branding, it’s easy to find negative ones across Google, TikTok, Reddit, and the Better Business Bureau with a consistent pattern. Though industry experts say these complaints can happen in all companies, the volume of allegations against Piece of Cake Moving has left customers questioning whether the problems are systemic.
Still, for customers like Prevot and Simes, the consequences were more than mere inconveniences and couldn’t be fixed by a refund alone.
English (US)