College Hunks Hauling Junk of Lake County, IL

GOOD FOR THE MOVE - SLOW TO FIX PROBLEMS We engaged with College Hunks to help move my father-in-law to a smaller home due to the unexpected passing of his wife. It was a very sensitive situation and we were looking for a quality service to help make it as easy as possible for him. We engaged College Hunks because they were full service - packing, moving, and junk removal. They were initially fast to respond, quote, and come to assess the situation and get everything setup. On pack and move days, the move crew was friendly and hard working. The actual move experience is over-shadowed due to the mishandling of damage College Hunks caused to large glass, metal, and wood furniture as well as lost items. The team lead was quick to come inspect the damage and record a paper claim form towards the end of December. It has since been very difficult to work with College Hunks to find repairs, replacements, or refunds for the damage. At this time, it make take other escalated action to resolve.

DO NOT USE CHHJ OF LAKE COUNTY! TOTAL SCAM! If I could give zero stars I would. We hired them for a “junk removal & donation” from our recently deceased mother’s home. The job was not done as expected, the cost was double, and the team was very unprofessional. The team of 3 were 30 mins later than the window quoted. The in-person quote was double what the website states for a full truck. ($1200 vs ~$600). Never mind the fact the truck had 3 large items already in it when they arrived. They refused to take things that were clearly stated as “Items we take” on their website citing “every office is individually franchised so what’s on the website doesn’t apply to every job”. Mind you the website touts their “all-inclusive pricing”. They quoted “up charges” for everything including a charge for our “junk” extending above the sides of the truck. But when you’ve booked a “junk removal” service and are on a tight timeframe, they have you over a barrel. When I questioned the charges, showed him the website, questioned the refusal to take items and expressed my disappointment, all I got was an “I’m sorry you’re disappointed ma’am”. Before paying, I asked for an itemized receipt & was told I’d receive it when I paid. That was another lie. When I attempted to call customer service to discuss, I reached a man who could barely speak English and was told all he could do was pass a message to the local office to request they call me. No call from anyone to date. I have and will tell everyone I know to just find any other junk removal company if you value your time, money and peace of mind. If the owner tries to respond to this review claiming I must have used a different location, as I’ve seen on several other reviews, it’s BS. The booking and the customer service representative confirmed my team was from the “Lake County” office.

Extremely disappointing! I should not have used their services, and definitely would not recommend them to anyone. They performed a job at my home in Vernon Hills, IL about three weeks ago. Their customer service was horrible. During the negotiation for the price, they agreed on a very small referral credit of 20 dollars. The staff member from their company "forgot" to apply that when he charged me the full amount on the day of the job. He said the manager would call me and let me know when the credit was applied. Later that day, the manager did call and said the credit was posted on my credit card, and if I did not receive it in 72 hours, then I should give him a call back. Well, a week passed, and no credit was posted. I called the office, and a staff member said there was no note on my account about that credit at all, but she would pass this request to the manager. The manager called me back, and said the credit would be posted, and let me call him back if I did not receive it in 72 hours. A week passed, nothing happened. I called again this Wednesday, and a representative said she would pass my request to the manager because she did not see any note about the credit. This morning, I called them again and requested the manager to call me back. The manager finally called me back and explained the 20-dollar credit needed the Board to approve, and it took the Board three weeks to approve this credit because they would need to evaluate the effect of this credit on their corporate revenue! The manager said the blame should be put on the Board, and he also said that if my refund request was about a larger sum, they could have processed my request more efficiently. Over the past three weeks, I spent at least two hours to fight for a fair treatment...The manager simply refused to compensate me for my lost time. What a nightmare!

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Matt came to see what we had, took pictures and promised a quote that evening. 5 days later... NOTHING! No quote, email or telephone call. It's a big job, but if he was not interested it would have been much more professional to say it right there and then. Don't waste your valuable time!

Good experience from the very first phone call.  Matt Johnson (the owner) was really easy to deal with and scheduled my job during that first conversation.

The young men who showed up to do the job were Matt and Joe.  They were right on time - very polite, professional, courteous and respectful.  Our house can be hectic and they weren't bothered the least bit by the large barking dog or the fussing toddler. 

The job was not easy because it was large furniture going through a tough to access basement door but, Matt and Joe did a great job!  Everything got where it needed to be even though a couple of things barely fit; with no bumps, scratches or dings on anything!

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Great experience all around. Matt the owner was responsive and helpful and the hunks were polite, careful and efficient. I will definitely use again.

It went very well.  The supervisor, Matt, and his two helpers arrived promptly at the storage facility.  The facility provided a four-wheeled cart, and they brought their own two wheeler with them, as well.  They were careful, and swift.  They job didn't take much more than 30 or 40 minutes to complete.  I was extremely satisfied, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to Angies List.

The gentlemen from College Hunks were truly fantastic.  Their communication prior to the appointment was great and they were on time.  They were respectful of my home -- using care in removing the furniture (from the second floor) without damaging the walls or doors and ensuring that they did not track dirt on the floor.  They were even sweet to my 3-year-old, who still talks about "men who took our couch".  They also sent a hand-written thank you note for my business.  Seriously, I've had dinner party guests who could benefit from manners tips from these guys.  This is not what I was expecting with junk hauling.
 
This was one of those experiences that makes me admire small businesses and proud to support them.  I highly recommend College Hunks (it's an acronym describing the company values).  The best part is that all of the carpet removed from our house isn't in a landfill!

A 3-man crew arrived and after explaining their services, they removed a large bureau and hutch cabinet from the basement, plus a chest of drawers and treadmill from the second floor. The young men were courteous and very professional. The treadmill had to be dismantled and the bedroom door  taken done to remove it, but they were sure to put the room back together before leaving.

Did noot use this provider

It was fast and efficent my husband and I did nothing but hold open a couple of doors, we volunteered
    Would use them again.

Did a fantastic job!!!  Some of the items were heavy and difficult to carry but the guys never complained and remained professional while engaging in the task. This was the second time I have used them.  The first time they removed a very large refrigerator from my basement.

Excellent!  They came later than the initially planned time, but called to see if that was acceptable. The owner and his college assistant removed everything in a systematic order in little more than a half hour.  Both were pleasant and efficient.  Everything was to be repurposed -- furniture to Good Will, building items to Habitat for Humanity.  I received a receipt for Good Will for tax purposes. If needed, I would use them again.

Scheduling was easy.  The crew showed up on time.  They were friendly, professional and efficient, working diligently to get the job done.

They arrived on time with a team of 3 young college students, and the owner, Matt Johnson was there to direct and help pack and load my pod so that i could clear my house of clutter to put it on the market for sale. They were so great and careful with my goods, that I will hire them to help me unload the pod once I find a new home to live in. It was a pleasure to work with intelligent young men who took such great care of my paintings and antiques. I will definitely refer business to them if I hear of anyone that is in need of help, and I will always use them when I need the extra strong hands.

A rep contacted me immediately after my email inquiry to confirm the date and give me an idea of the cost since the estimate is not until they get to your place. The 2 men (1 was the owner) were great, professional and we would use them again. We looked into free pickups for donations but were worried that it would be too heavy and these other organizations aren't responsible for damages when they move your items.  It was well worth paying for this service through this company for quick, easy, careful service

The scheduling was easy, professional and detail oriented.  2 people arrived at the designated time and did a great job protecting the furniture and moving.  Our only issue was the job took almost 2 hours longer than had been quoted.  None of the furniture was particularly difficult to disassemble or re-assemble.  They were thorough, but since the job was paid by the hour, we did not anticipate the extra time.  At the end of the day, they did not charge us the full amount.

Company was very prompt and responsive.  I called on a Thursday and they were available the next day.  The price was competitive with Best Buy's haul away program but College Hunks was available sooner.

The 3-man uniformed crew was friendly, professional and quick.  They took all my stuff, swept up afterwards and I am ready for the movers.  I like the fact they work with college students and partner with Goodwill.   Thanks Matt and crew for the quick, professional clean up and haul away job.

Matt came out and gave me an estimate and I had him take everything. He and his crew were very professional and personable and clean cut.  I would definitely use them again.