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ADCO Van & Storage Inc logo

ADCO Van & Storage Inc

In-State Moving Service, Out-of-State Moving Service,

About us

Adco Van & Storage was Founded as Gold Star Motor Service in 1918, the company began by moving freight between midwestern cities. In 1956 the company name was switched to ADCO. Formerly located in Barrington, Illinois, we have been serving Chicago, and the northwest suburbs for generations. We offer custom packing, crating, local moving and storage, and interstate moving services through our affiliation with United Van Lines. Our movers are experienced in handling fine furniture, custom furniture, pianos, grandfather clocks, chandeliers and artwork of all kinds. We provide free professional in home estimates. Our equipment is modern and we blanket wrap furniture, disassemble and reassemble standard furniture and provide floor and home protection. Additional DBA - ADCO Van & Storage.

Business highlights

68 years of experience

Services we offer

Local, interstate and international moving, packing & crating., storage

Amenities

Free Estimates

Yes

Accepted Payment Methods

  • CreditCard
Reviews
4.124 Reviews
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
71%
4
4%
3
8%
2
0%
1
17%
Showing 1-24 of 24 reviews
Brian M.
Jul 2018
1.0
This review is regarding the fraudulent business practices performed by Adco Van and Storage, Inc. In June 2018, we contracted Adco Van and Storage for moving services from Island Lake, Illinois to Crystal Lake, Illinois. In May 2018, we did an initial walk through of our house in Island Lake with Adco resulted in a moving estimate of $2,151.00. Please see the attached quote referencing this amount. Adco knew how difficult of a job this was as we were downsizing from a four bedroom house that we happily lived in for 20+ years. We agreed to the estimate and scheduled the move. On June 12th, Adco arrived at our house with a semi-truck ready to start the moving process. They had four workers total for this job, two of which were temporary workers. During the time they were moving our belongings into the semi-truck, the leader of the team left to work on another job. As a result, this reduced the total worker count to three and therefore increased the amount of hours required to finish the job. This ultimately increased the total charges. Additionally, the workers broke or damaged multiple pieces of furniture which later prompted an insurance claim to be filed. Pictures of the damaged furniture are enclosed. On June 15, 2018, after the horrific moving experience with Adco, it came time to remit payment for their services. The team leader, David, was extremely rude and sarcastic during this discussion. He didn’t accept responsibility for the damaged furniture and stated “it was already in that condition”. He handed us the invoice for $3,952.50 which we disputed due to the multiple issues referenced above. After we declined to pay the invoice, David escalated to the owner of Adco, his name was Brian. After discussing our concerns with Brian, we came to a verbal agreement at the final price of $2,366.00 for moving services. A personal check (check #8622) was issued and cashed by Adco a few days later. We understood the initial price was an estimate and we agreed to pay an additional $149.66 (10% more than the original estimate) than what was quoted. We thought this was fair. A few days later, after filing the insurance claim on June 18, 2018, Brian called us asking for an additional $1,800.00. When we said we weren’t paying, he harassed us with multiple follow up calls. We couldn’t believe he didn’t honor our agreement. On June 29, 2018 we received an email from Sue Bukowski, Accounting Manager, advising that the total charges came to $3,952.50 and that we owed an additional $1,586.50 for services. I’ve enclosed a copy of this email for your reference. We were extremely upset after reading this email. Not only had the moving experience been traumatic and they damaged $2,000.00 worth of furniture, but then Adco had the audacity to ask for more money. The Accounting Manager then continued to explain that they would come to a “compromise” if we paid $379.00 of the outstanding balance. We said absolutely not. On or around July 3, 2018, we received a letter dated June 29, 2018 from Kim Dinschel with the Adco Claims Department. Kim advised that Adco will not disburse funds related to our insurance claim unless we pay the outstanding balance due for transportation services. Holding up our insurance claim until they get more money out of a customer? That sounds like extortion. It is morally wrong that they are holding our insurance claim funds. We paid $150.00 more than what was quoted. On July 9, 2018, Kim called us stating that in order to process the claim they needed to send someone to our house to assess the damage. We had already provided pictures and a copy of the receipt for the table they broke. At this point we are not comfortable with this company coming anywhere near us. We don’t trust them. We declined their request. As the customer, we should not be penalized for a mistake Adco made on the initial estimate or for the workers they assigned to our move.

Ken W.
Jun 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
unknown

S B.
Oct 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,800
unknown

Keck M.
Jul 2014
1.0
$7
unknown
Response from ADCO Van & Storage Inc
"I have no record of work for this client so I cannot respond to this review other than to state that is inaccurate."

JUDY H.
Jan 2014
1.0
$4,000
The first day they came to pack the guys were friendly.  They did break one piece of my artwork, the glass in the frame cracked while he was packing it.  They moved my belongings I did not need at my temporary apartment along with my artwork, china cabinet, guest bed and my leather sectional.  They took all these in 1 truck to their storage location to store for 6 months.  The next day they moved the rest of my house to my apartment and the guys were great.
I had them move me out of my apartment on November 29th.  They kept my stuff on the truck until December 3rd when they moved me into my newly built home.  They arrived on time and it was rainy.  I asked them to put down tarps since it was raining and I did not have sod.  They agreed and laid some tarps and cardboard on my wood floors.  But then one of the movers decided to walk across my light beige carpet and left muddy footprints across my entire office!!
They finished unloading the truck and said they had to go back to the warehouse to pick up the items they had in storage.  When the movers returned to my house they said I had to pay  in full before they would unload the truck.  They had us check off all the items on their sheet.  They first brought in half of my Italian custom leather sofa.  They continued to unload the truck, as they were finishing the last container I did not see the other half of my leather sofa.  I asked the mover where was the other half of my sofa?  
He said he would call and see, but he already new they did not have it on the truck!  I had this leather sectional custom made in Italian leather, which the color is no longer available.  They called 3 times while they were at my home and the response was they were looking.
I called them them the next day and they said that the couches do not go into the crates, they store them up in the couch loft and they would check and get back to me.  They never get back to you, I had to call constantly.  They finally said they cannot find it, and they would send me a claim form.
It gets even better!  They send me the claim form to fill out and I find out that they changed the insurance I signed up for.  I signed up with the Sales rep that first looked at my house and gave me a quote.  I signed up for full replacement value,  They changed it to depreciated.  When I asked about it the lady said well he only gave you an estimate!  I filled out all the paperwork and still have no response.  I have no couch and no reimbursement.  They do not return or answer my calls.  I spoke to Brian who is the manager of the storage unit and he said they were looking.  I asked how big was your place and he said not that big.  It took them over a week to look for a couch.  He had me then deal with Mike their insurance rep.  I try to call and Brian says he has to talk to Mike, I call Mike and he says he has to talk to Brian.  This is utterly the worst customer service I have ever had!!
I moved into my home December 3rd with only half of a couch.  I had to celebrate Christmas with only half of a couch and my guest had to sit on folding chairs.  I believe it was stolen, since it is the half that looks like a sofa.  I have the sectional piece that only has 1 arm  and 2 cushions.   They are just stalling and don't want to admit to anything or compensate me.  
I tried calling again today January 17, 2014.

DO NOT EVER USE THIS COMPANY.



Response from ADCO Van & Storage Inc
"We have admitted our error once it was discovered, however locating the missing item, which was the preferred resolution or providing compensation was going to take some time. Our insurance vendor is working on getting this customer compensation in the near future. We could not meet her deadline of 1/17 but hope to get he a check in the next few weeks. The claims process is often slower than customers would like and our claims departement did not keep her well informed. The issue of the footprints at the new residence is inexcusable but to my knowlege no remedy on our part was needed. Our claims manager Mike began to expedite her claim once our trace for her sofa was negative. The quote provided to the customer included replacement value but on the load day she signed for depreciated value coverage, a change she was entitled to make and one we cannot explain. There was no change in insurance providers as claimed. We will get this resolved very soon, hopefully to the customers satisfaction."

Barbara D.
Jul 2013
1.0
$3,800

Their first mistake was to under-estimate the size of the truck needed to move my belongings.  Then the three young men send to load the truck tried to squeeze all of my belongings into the smaller truck.  I should have stopped them because always in the past, movers have sent a semi to load my household goods.  The result was major damage to nine pieces of fine wood furniture.  The damage was clearly the result of not using padding and stacking heavy pieces on top of furniture that was not intended to support that much weight.  My furniture arrived scraped, dented and chipped.  And guess what, they had to send a second truck anyway.......and that did not arrive until a week later.  Because I took out minimum damage insurance, I will be paying dearly for damage caused by a company that states they will take care of your belongings.  When I filed a damage claim, I waited two months for any action to occur. 


ADCO United Van Lines is based in Barrington, IL.  Do not use this subsidiary of United Van Lines.  You will be very sorry if you do.
Response from ADCO Van & Storage Inc
"The size of the truck on this move was irrelevent but the crew leadership was relevent. He did not take adequate control of properly loading [member name removed] goods into the van. We recommend that clients take out full value coverage but some elect to go with our minimum liability option. We did make an inspection of her damaged items at our expense rather than just settle the claim without one. The settlement that was made did cover the repair cost for many of the items however the total settlement was for about half of the total repair quote. I wish that our crew could have done a better job in protecting her goods but I also wish she would have taken our replacement value coverage so that repairs would be fully covered versus us writing a check for a portion of the repair cost."

TL T.
Jun 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,000
Three guys arrived on time and were quick in getting everything moved. No issues. Would hire again.
Response from ADCO Van & Storage Inc
"Our 3 man crew did this move in just 5 hours compared to the 8 hour estimate."

Chelsea L.
May 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$850
Overall very positive experience from the first contact through to the end of the move. When I called for an estimate, they were very honest about what the costs could be, even to the point where the rep I talked to admitted that they were probably giving a higher estimate than others, but that he wanted to be as accurate as possible. After calling other places, I wasn't nearly as impressed with the interactions, so I called them back and they suggested scheduling a rep to come out and give a quote based on our furniture, location etc. That quote was higher than the estimate, but the rep was upfront about giving us ideas and tips to reduce the costs to us. 
Day of the move, the team of three showed up right on time, and got to work quickly getting the lay of the land and starting move things out. Not once did I feel that they were moving at anything less than a professional pace and they took good care to wrap and protect our larger pieces as they took them out. All the while the guys were friendly, and open to our suggestions and requests. 
Move into the townhouse was very much the same. They took care to protect our new floors and paint, and once they left, I don't recall seeing anything more than the smallest of scuffs and smudges. Unpacking and looking at our stuff, I didn't find any major damage that would have been a result of their work (I packed a box of dishes poorly and some broke, but that was hardly their fault!) I did notice that a couple of our bookshelves seemed to have bruised corners, but they weren't bad, and I couldn't honestly say that they weren't that way to begin with. 
God willing, we won't have to move again any time soon, but if we do, I would hire them again.
Response from ADCO Van & Storage Inc
"Our original quote was for 7 hrs but the crew completed the job in less than 4 hours. Since this move was only a few miles, the client may have moved a lot more themselves and cut their expenses."

John S.
Nov 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$12,000
We used ADCO to move out of our house, put items in storage, and about a year later move into another house. They performed very well. They did the packing, storage, and move back in. There was no damage. All items were expertly packed and the storage of the items went without incident. I'd highly recommend them. I've moved 5 or 6 times and they provided excellent service at a fair price. They were not the cheapest (only slightly higher) but were more responsive before, during, and after the move.
Response from ADCO Van & Storage Inc
"Customer had 8-9 months of storage with us. We are glad there were no problems with the packing services, move out of his old house or delivery to his new home following storage with us."

Justine L.
Jul 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$85
excellent, very nice, prompt, took extra care with very old, heavy piece
Response from ADCO Van & Storage Inc
"We try do help customers with small in house moves of a few pieces like this one and hope that it leads to future work and larger jobs."

Walter S.
Jul 2010
3.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
It’s a group of moving companies that do regular moves but aren’t allowed to do specialized moves like filling up the back of a van with something else. They got together to make a company that takes small quantities. The quality of the work was fine. If they weren’t so screwed up they would have been a lot more punctual. They were professional. It was more than I wanted to pay but it was a special service so I knew I would pay for it.

Kanda A.
Mar 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$700
It went very well. They did a good job. They were on time. They knew English so I didn't have any problem communicating with them. They did all the work they committed to do. I would definitely use them in the future.

Denise P.
Oct 2009
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,300
My entire expereince was pleasurable. I submitted a request for an estimate from their web site on a Sunday evening and by 9am on Monday Brian called me back and Ross came out the next day. Both Brian and Ross were professional in their interactions. After scheduling the move I called the company back to make a change to the date; they were understanding and accommodating. The company has boxes available for a small fee which will be refunded if they are returned after the move. They also provide wardrobe boxes at no charge. For the loading process the three men arrived promptly at the stated time. They worked well together and did not take any unnecessary breaks. They handled my furniture and boxes with care and listened to the special considerations for moving some antique furniture. They padded stair railings and put down padding and boxes to protect the carpet and floors during the loading and unloading. After loading the truck they took my belongings for storage for two days until I could move into my new home. The unloading process went as smoothly. They accommodated my request for a specific start time and arrived promptly. The unloading went quickly and once the truck was unloaded the guys helped to move some of the larger furniture into the exact location I wanted it. When I went into their office to get boxes one of the movers gave me advice on how to pack the boxes - a BIG help! Everyone I met and spoke with at ADCO was friendly and happy to help.

LAURA R.
Oct 2006
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,500
I HAD SEVERAL QUOTES FROM MOVING COMPANIES, AND ALL WERE PRETTY SIMILAR. I NEEDED A 2-DAY MOVE WHERE THEY MOVE THE STUFF INTO THE TRUCK ON THE FIRST DAY, THEN STORE IT OVERNIGHT, THEN UNLOAD INTO THE NEW HOUSE ON THE 2ND DAY. I PICKED ADCO B/C THEY WERE PART OF UNITED VAN LINES (A LARGE COMPANY), HAD A GOOD INSURANCE POLICY THAT I COULD PURCHASE AT AN ADDITIONAL COST, WERE RECOMMENDED BY A FRIEND, AND I FELT THE OWNER WHO CAME TO QUOTE WAS OVERALL A GOOD GUY. OVERALL, I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE MOVE. I HAVEN'T UNPACKED EVERYTHING YET, BUT JUST A COUPLE OF SMALL LAMPS (FROM TARGET, SO NO BIG DEAL) WERE DAMAGED AND THE MOVERS TOLD ME ABOUT THEM. ON THE 2ND DAY, PART OR ALL OF THE CREW WAS FROM THEIR GLEN ELLYN OFFICE, WHICH WAS FINE. MY ONLY CONCERN IS THAT MY HUSBAND HAD HEARD FROM ONE OF THE GUYS ON THE JOB THAT IT WAS HIS FIRST DAY AND THAT HE HAD JUST GOTTEN OUT OF JAIL. HE WAS A NICE GUY, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF I AM COMFORTABLE WITH AN EX-CON KNOWING WHAT KIND OF 'GOODS' I HAVE!

JILLIAN D.
Feb 2006
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,000
Adco may sometimes be slightly more expensive than other companies, but it's money well spent. Representatives were always available to answer questions accurately and clearly and a concerted effort was made to make the moving process simple and painless. The moving staff was thorough and careful, and estimates of time and cost were accurate.

BRENDAN M.
Feb 2006
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,281
The company representative I dealt with was professional and responsive. When I asked to change the pick-up date he did that without complaint. The moving crew arrived on time and loaded the shuttle quickly. The United truck driver who took the load to Canada was very helpful and courteous. I was given a binding estimate, so there were no surprise charges. The price quoted was not the lowest I got, but it was close. I chose this company based on its higher rating on Angie's List than the others I got estimates from.

BARBARA B.
Oct 2005
3.0
$1,250
I RECOMMENDED THIS COMPANY TO TWO OF MY CO-WORKERS WHO HAD NO PROBLEMS. I DON'T THINK I WILL BE USING THIS COMPANY AGAIN AND WON'T RECOMMENDED THEM TO ANYONE ELSE.

DARREN R.
Jul 2005
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$8,100
ADCO FACILITATED A MOVE FOR MY FAMILY FROM CHICAGO TO RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA. ADCO IS APPARENTLY AN AGENT FOR UNITED, SO I WAS A BIT CONFUSED WHEN A MAYFLOWER TRUCK ARRIVED ON MOVE DAY. AT ANY RATE, THE MOVE WENT VERY SMOOTHLY, THE CREWS (RALEIGH-BASED) WERE GREAT, AND THE ADCO AGENT I WORKED WITH, BRIAN, WAS ALSO VERY THOROUGH AND HELPFUL. I REALIZE WE COULD HAVE MOVED FOR LESS MONEY, BUT AFTER READING THE HORROR STORIES ON MOVINGSCAM.COM, WE FELT THE EXTRA INVESTMENT WOULD PAY OFF. THANKFULLY IT DID; ALL OF OUR BELONGINGS ARRIVED SAFELY AND INTACT.
Response from ADCO Van & Storage Inc
"UNITED VAN LINES HAS THE OPTION TO DISPATCH A UNITED OR MAYLFLOWER TRUCK UNLESS A SPECIFIC VAN LINES IS REQUESTED. THE CUSTOMER WAS ADVISED THAT A MAYFLOWER TRUCK WAS GOING TO SERVICE HIS SHIPMENT BEFORE LOADING. THE DRIVER FROM MAYFLOWER IN NC WAS EXCELLECT. HE NEEDED A NARROW DELIVERY WINDOW WHICH UNITED COULD ACCOMODATE, GIVEN WE HAD THE OPTION OF A MAYFLOWER OR UNITED VAN TO PROVIDE THE HAULING."

KATE W.
May 2004
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$355
MOVERS WERE QUICK AND ARRIVED ON TIME. THEY ALSO CALLED TO CONFIRM THE TIME THEY WOULD BE ARRIVING THE NIGHT BEFORE. NO NICKS OR DENTS ON FURNITURE.

KATE W.
Oct 2003
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$450
WE FOUND THE MOVERS TO BE VERY COURTEOUS AND CONSCIENTIOUS. THE GUYS SHRINK-WRAPPED THE FURNITURE THAT WAS GOING INTO STORAGE. THEY DID A GREAT JOB MOVING 100+ YEAR OLD DRESSER.

HEIDI B.
May 2002
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$650
THEY ALLOW YOU TO BUY BOXES FOR $3.00 A BOX REGARDLESS OF SIZE AND WHEN YOU RETURN THE BOXES, YOU GET ALL YOUR MONEY BACK!!! IN GENERAL, THEY WERE VERY FLEXIBLE, AND VERY NICE!!! VERY PLEASED!!!

BOBBI S.
Jan 2002
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,200
I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND. THE 3 MAN CREW WERE POLITE, HARD WORKING, CAREFUL AND EFFICIENT. THE ACTUAL COST WAS $400 UNDER THE ESTIMATE.

Homeowner
Aug 2001
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
THEY WERE VERY POLITE, EFFICIENT, AND THEY DID EVERYTHING THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOTHING WAS DAMAGED

Homeowner
May 2001
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
WE'VE USED THEM SEVERAL TIMES.

Licensing

State Contractor License Requirements

All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our Find Licensing Requirements page.

*Contact business to see additional licenses.

FAQ

ADCO Van & Storage Inc is currently rated 4.1 overall out of 5.

ADCO Van & Storage Inc accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard

Yes, ADCO Van & Storage Inc offers free project estimates.

No, ADCO Van & Storage Inc does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.

No, ADCO Van & Storage Inc does not offer a senior discount.

No, ADCO Van & Storage Inc does not offer emergency services.

No, ADCO Van & Storage Inc does not offer warranties.