A Disastrous Move from Germany to Italy with Umzüge Max

Why We Moved

After gaining valuable work experience in Germany, I decided to move back to my home country, Italy, for personal reasons—comfort, family, and friends. However, what should have been a hopeful and emotional return turned into a traumatic moving experience, one of the worst I’ve ever had. I had previously done two international moves without issue, including one earlier this year, but this time everything went wrong.

From the Start: Red Flags and Miscommunication

Although I had shared a detailed inventory with Sirelo, the moving company—Umzüge Max—completely ignored it. This resulted in major misunderstandings, and they refused to load part of my items, which were then discarded on-site. Communication seemed easy at first, especially via WhatsApp, but the professionalism stopped there.

On loading day, the workers arrived over two hours late, clearly exhausted after servicing multiple clients. The dismantling process alone took three more hours. The week-long gap between loading and delivery only made things worse.

The Unraveling on Delivery Day

The unloading and reassembly in Italy were catastrophic. The movers had just driven 16 hours overnight and were expected to start work immediately upon arrival. Not surprisingly, they were disorganized, uncoordinated, and exhausted. It took five painful hours to unload and mount a single cabinet—badly. Screws are now falling out, the furniture makes creaking sounds, and some items weren’t mounted at all.

Some furniture pieces were broken, parts were missing, and everything was so poorly catalogued during dismantling that reassembly was nearly impossible. This entire ordeal left me with what I estimate is €1,000 in damages, and the sinking realization that I would have been better off trashing everything in Germany and starting from scratch.

What I Wish I Had Done Differently

This was the only international mover offered to me at the time, and I did no additional research, which was a major mistake. I had another trusted company, but unfortunately, they didn’t offer international services—so I used them only to dispose of items I no longer wanted.

The whole experience felt rushed, unprofessional, and deeply disappointing. Umzüge Max showed no regard for proper communication, safe handling of personal belongings, or basic customer service.

Tips for Anyone Considering an International Move

• Avoid Umzüge Max at all costs.

• Take photos and videos of your furniture, especially the condition and sounds they make when moved.

• Keep two copies of your inventory—one for Sirelo and one for the actual mover.

• Demand item cataloging during dismantling—don’t let anything be disassembled without clear documentation.

• Don’t hesitate to throw away non-essential items for long-distance moves.

• Always get multiple quotes and ask detailed questions about how and when your items will be handled.

• Be wary of movers who seem overly flexible but fail to deliver on execution day.