Boerman Moving & Storage

Our family was making a local move in the Chicago area and we proceeded to get quotes from several movers.  After determining that we would only use movers that have employees as movers and they would be leaving the items on the truck/trailer versus unloading for a few days then then reloading we ultimately chose Boerman.  We chose Boerman because I got a positive feeling that Mike (one of the owner's/owners son's) was honest and would do whatever necessary to ensure we are satisfied customers (there was also no hidden fees such as pad charge or tape or shrink wrap charge).  All movers we quoted provide an estimate on time to load/unload the items but ultimately we are charged the hourly rate that the actual move takes.  Mike's estimate for the hours of labor to move the items was the highest..almost twice as long as one of the other movers we quoted.  I found this to be a good thing as he was not trying to tease us with a low bid only for the actual work to take substantially longer and thus cost much more.  On the day of the move the three man crew worked nonstop and got the truck loaded in amazing time and less time then estimated--they never took a break except to drink some water for probably less than a minute total time.  We loaded on a Thursday and we were expecting to unload on a Saturday however a problem at closing delayed our close until Monday morning.  This is where the test of the ethics and morals of Boerman come into test as they now have our items on their truck for additional days which they did not plan and not necessarily have in their truck's schedule.  I called Mike at 6:30 on Friday evening after we received confirmation that we would not be closing on our new house and he not only promptly called me back but he also said that they didn't have any other moves scheduled for that trailer and my items could remain on the truck/trailer with no problem.  After a terrible closing experience I could almost not believe this.  Ultimately they delivered the items the following Tuesday and they didn't even charge me any additional storage fees for the extra three nights the items were on the truck/trailer.  I know that they could have easily not been as honest and ethical and charged me to unload and reload the trailer as my move was not scheduled for the length of period which it took but they did not so this is why they get my vote and recommendation.  I would use Boerman Moving and Storage again in the future.

Service cost: $1800

My first impression of Boerman was positive. I met with Mike Boerman (One of the owners 2 sons) to receive an estimate for moving and storage. Boerman was recommended to me by a neighbor who had used them for a major local move. Mike was pleased too tell me my friends move was the largest his company ever made over $15,000 in profit extending over 3 days for packing and moving my friend 6 blocks. I interviewed other movers but selected Boerman's because my friend had used them and Mike Boerman seemed to be honest. We packed our own home furnishings and used Boerman for moving out and a 2 month storage. The first clue something was wrong was a call we received from our neighbors stating our movers were riding our children's bikes up and down the street. The moving men also were throwing boxes from the ground to men on the truck. Many of these light boxes contained 1900s china which is now broken. I assumed the moving men were employees of Boerman. The moving men are contract men paid per job and are not at all employees of Boerman. I was under the assumption any damage caused by Boerman's employees would be covered by Boerman. But Boerman does not have any employees employed as moving men. So damage is covered and paid for by owner of home.When it was time for our furnishing to come out of storage and delivered to our new home by Boerman, a different crew of moving men arrived. These men had shirts on with names that did not match their real names. The moving men told me Boerman has unemployed men they call to do the moving which allows Boerman's to avoid paying taxes, Social Security and benefits to moving men. The moving men were unemployed and delighted to get a one off job for the day and needed the money. Remember, these men are not employees of Boerman's and not at all trained as movers. At the end of our move in we noticed our custom bedroom wood TV cabinet was missing. The cabinet is as big as a wall and it could not be found in any of the storage containers. The moving men took over 45 minutes to search for the cabinet and could not find it. (We paid by the hour and paid these men $229 an hour to look for a missing cabinet) The men called Boerman and the office staff at Boerman knew nothing about the missing cabinet. Here is where the real trouble began. The first problem was the cabinet was missing, the second problem was Boerman made me pay for 6 guys at a rate of $229 an hour to look for a cabinet that was not on any truck and missing. Finally I was able to get in touch with The second Boerman brother (Dan) who told me the cabinet fell out of one of the storage bins a week ago and was broken. I didn't understand how this could happen because Boerman promised me my storage containers would be kept sealed until they were opened at our new home. I was very upset and asked Dan why he did not call me and tell me what happened and he said he forgot. I mentioned to Dan we were also missing industrial garbage cans and he said, oh, I think the guys thought those were ours and they are being used at the storage facility. Dan would have them returned when they were located.At the end of the move, I refused to pay the final bill until my cabinet and cans were returned. I explained in addition to the missing items the following furniture pieces of mine were damaged: 2 french upholstered chairs had oil stains one stain was as large as a throw pillow and both cushions had been turned upside down to hide stains, coffee table had large chip out of corner where it was dropped and stain was still on table, 4 mattresses had oil stains from moving men's oiling hands, silk lamp shade was ripped to shreds from being placed with lawn tools. I once again called the Boerman office and was told both brothers Dan and Mike were not available. I spoke to I man in charge of the moving men. I was told if I didn't pay today the moving men would not get paid tonight. I felt bad for the moving men and told them I would pay them that night because I did not want the moving men to not get paid. This crew of men told me the Boerman's representative was not telling the truth to me. In fact, the men never get paid until up to 4 weeks after the move. When I finally got in touch with my sales representative Mike Boerman several days after the move, Mike proceeded to remind me Boerman's was not liable for any damage because I did not take out insurance for damage. Basically I pay for the guys Boerman's find off the streets who are not employees of Boerman's to move and store my belongings. And I pay for the insurance if anything is broken even if Boerman's stored my items and damaged them. Mike said he would speak with his father but I had better not get upset with his father if I expected to get any consideration for loss and damaged items.Mike's father did call me back once. I never returned his call because I felt so violated and lied to by Mr. Boerman's two sons, I did not want to have to plea my case to their father. I never received my lamp shade back. I never had any restitution for damaged china, cushions, mattresses or broken table. I did receive my bedroom chest back but the door does not close. We continue to find damaged items everyday. Our snow blower handle was broken off..$200 to repair, missing lawn tools.. I will end by saying I expected items to be damaged during the move. But I did not expect the unprofessional nature of the two Boerman Brothers. I am sure Father Boerman spent most of his life building a reputable company which in one day his two sons would bring down. I was also concerned with the credentials of the moving men. They men are not employees of Boerman and did not have training in moving.

Service cost: $6000

I have nothing but praise for Boerman Moving and the whole experience with them. This move was absolutely perfect from start to finish and it wasn't a small move. We were moving 1 1/2 households from 2 different addresses in Buffalo Grove, IL to 2 units in a storage facility in Las Vegas. The price was reasonable and fair and there were no surprises. Mike Boerman came to the houses to give me a quote and everything we agreed on, whether written or verbal, was followed through on. The driver and crew supervisor, Sam, was very professional, as were his crew. They wrapped and protected all the furniture and anything else that needed protecting, including a piano. Everything was handled with care, nothing was damaged and no marks or bangs were made to the walls in the house as they were moving things out. The crew worked really well together, both in Illinois and in Nevada with the second crew. Sam was with both. My husband was very impressed with the care Sam showed with his crews, especially in Nevada because of the heat. Sam made sure they took breaks, stayed hydrated and did everything with great humor. Moving is a stressful experience and there's no way around that, but I can honestly say that when I'm ready to move the second half of my house, I will not be stressing about the movers. Boerman it is!  .

Service cost: $9638

Mike Boerman arrived on time, well dressed and fully prepared to provide me with a professional estimate as well as presenting me with a pamphlet with helpful moving tips. Just by looking at the contents of my home, he was able to estimate exactly how many boxes I needed. He quite accurately estimated the amount of time and man power the move required. Mike went out of his way to ensure a smooth move for me. The movers were properly dressed, extremely professional, and more capable of this job than I have ever seen. I've had horrible experiences in the past and I'm not exaggerating when I say Boerman Moving & Storage are the best movers I've ever used. This was move number 16 for me, so I've had more than my share of experience with movers. Everything that needed to be protected was properly wrapped and the movers carried huge heavy boxes without one complaint. I am so relieved to have found them, I only wish I had found them a long long time ago! Their prices are extremely fair and reasonable. I found the entire team to be very trustworthy, with a very strong work ethic, reliable and very professional. I have a back injury and Mike even offered to come by my new home himself to help haul away the empty boxes, after I was all moved in! He went way above and beyond to make sure I was completely satisfied with their services. I cannot recommend them strongly enough! If you have any sort of moving or storage needs, call Boerman Moving & Storage!

Service cost: $1050

Outstanding company! Our experience with Boerman movers was completely positive from beginning to end. We first met Mike Boerman when he came to give us an estimate. He quickly (and correctly) estimated our move- time, manpower, truck size and materials needed.  From that day forward everyone at Boerman movers was incredibly helpful with whatever we needed. From Selena in the front office, to the move coordinator, and certainly the 5 men who worked so hard on moving day. They were courteous, respectful and even cheerful all day long. We appreciated their attention to detail, not only with our furnishings but with both properties as well. And, both Mike and his mother checked with us on moving day to make sure all was going as planned. Boerman Movers turned what could have been a very stressful event into a very pleasant memory. .

Service cost: $2700

We downsized to a smaller home in the local area. In order to stage our home for sale, we needed to store substantial personal goods including pictures and other items that needed to be removed. Boerman Moving & Storage has an excellent container system where your goods can be stored in wooden containers until you need them at the new home.They are then stored in their warehouse under controled temperature conditions.This worked extremely well for us because the items were only loaded and unloaded once minimizing the amount of times they are handled. Our items were in storage for about 3 months and as far as we can tell so far, no damage.

The movers themselves did a great job packing and loading the items into the storage containers on the first part of the move. When it came time to make the physical move, everything went smoothly. The movers were careful and worked hard the whole time.

All went very well from our perspective. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MOVING COMPANY!

Service cost: $4500