I've never regretted paying the extra. I've used Gentle Giant for 4 out of 7 moves in the past 20 years, and of the 3 where they *weren't* hired, I've only had one positive experience, but all of the Gentle Giant experiences were good. 2 of the 3 times I didn't hire them, I had movers not want to move things all the way (including trying to leave an upright piano in the middle of a room when I was 8 months pregnant) as well as breaking and scratching antique furniture. The relevant saying is "penny-wise and pound-foolish"...