SmartBox Chicago

Storage, Moving Companies

About us

SmartBox Chicago - Portable Storage and Moving. No ramps! No need to rent a truck! Full Service Labor available. Fixed labor pricing. Locally owned and operated. www.smartboxusa.com/chicago. Additional email - greg.kaufman@smartboxusa.com and chicago@smartboxusa.com Additional DBA - SmartBox Portable Self Storage. Additional phone - (312) 564-2703.

Business highlights

18 years of trusted experience

Services we offer

Residential and commercial moving & storage facility.

Amenities

Free Estimates
Yes


Accepted payment methods

American Express
Check
Discover
MasterCard
Visa

Photos of past projects

Reviews

4.316 Reviews
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
69%
4
19%
3
0%
2
6%
1
6%


Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
4.1
value
4.3
professionalism
4.4
responsiveness
4.4
punctuality
4.4
Showing 1-16 of 16 reviews

Deborah B.
06/2013
5.0
storage units
  + -1 more
I got all my questions answered about the logistics of delivery in my situation without feeling like any of them were dumb. He made sure that I knew I needed my own padlock. I appreciated that attention to detail. Everything went smoothly. The box will be in storage for several months so my experience is not complete, to date. I was very happy with my experience and sorry that Tom and his company were not represented on angieslist.com so I want to thank them by getting the company name out there!
Description of Work: This company delivered a 5'x8'x7' storage box curbside, arranged a pick up date and left the packing to us. Tom, the owner, gave me his cell phone number in case there were any problems coordinating the delivery.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$159

Elizabeth F.
10/2011
4.0
storage units
  + -1 more
The work has been great. It’s a really convenient service. They bring the boxes out, we fill them up, and then they came back out and pick up the boxes. I haven’t been with them for very long, but so far I have been pleased with their services.
Description of Work: We currently use them for storage. We pay $60/month.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$60

Ronald K.
09/2011
5.0
storage units
  + -1 more
They were very upbeat. They brought the box when they said they would.
Description of Work: I use them for storage.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$59.95

Ron T.
09/2011
5.0
storage units
  + -1 more
Everything is going well. They acknowledge their payment, and they actually say thank you.
Description of Work: I am storing my possessions with them.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$60

James Z.
09/2011
5.0
storage units
  + -1 more
The work has been very good and everything has been just fine.
Description of Work: I use this company for storage.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro

Bart B.
09/2011
5.0
storage units
  + -1 more
The work has turned out very well. They are easy to work with. They are always on time when I have anything delivered or picked up. I have only positive things to say about them. They do tend to be a little more cost effective then other storage companies that are comparable to what they do (i.e. delivering of a storage unit and then taking it away for storage).
Description of Work: I have used them for storage.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro

Patricia B.
09/2011
2.0
storage units
  + -1 more
Smartbox increased prices immediately and they do not answer their phones. They are not easy to deal with it and I’m working to remove my things as soon as possible. They are terrible. They encourage you to pay online, and to mail a statement, they charge you $1.00; which is insane.
Description of Work: I used this storage facility before it was Smartbox. The company I used before sold out to Smartbox.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
1.0
value
2.0
professionalism
1.0
responsiveness
1.0
punctuality
1.0


john D.
09/2011
4.0
moving companies
  + -1 more
unknown
Description of Work: The work was very a long time ago, but it was fine and I have no complaints.
Rating CategoryRating out of 5
Yes, I recommend this pro

KG B.
03/2011
5.0
moving companies, storage units
  + 0 more
Overall fine, we'd use them again.
Description of Work: SmartBox dropped off their containers to our original backyard and worked with us when we wanted the boxes on blocks we provided. The boxes themselves worked fine for their purpose. They were dropped off, picked up, and dropped off at our new location just fine. The boxes were made of plywood - of note, the boxes itself shifts over time and became hard to open. Also, they are not waterproof - but we were warned about this. Also, they needed a lot of advance notice to move the boxes since Sept is a high demand month for movers.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,200

Response from SmartBox Chicago
Member: Thank you for taking the time to review my companies services and your experience with us. I'm pleased you overall, has a positive experience. However, the comment about the containers or SmartBoxes not being waterproof is bothersome to me as the owner of the Chicago market franchise. With the vinyl cover, the SmartBoxes should be waterproof under most normal circumstances if the front cover is velcro'd down properly and if the lip at the top is layed out over the edge of the box. Certainly the covers do gain wear and tear and it is possible you received a cover that had a small hole - for that I apologize. We have a new warehouse person who is far more diligent on such things and he will be repairing covers we discover with holes (or are reported with holes) before sending them out for public use. If you would like to discuss this any further, I am happy to chat with you live - my name is Greg Kaufman, I am the owner and my direct line is 312-564-2702 and my cell is 312-213-1057. We are working hard everyday to make sure we get A's across the board. Thanks again for your business and taking the time to review my company on AL. Have an excellent day. Best, Greg Kaufman President & Co-Owner SMARTBOX of Chicagoland

MARYANN C.
01/2011
5.0
moving companies, storage units
  + 0 more
I compared prices with other storage facilities. Smartbox was considerably cheaper. They were efficient, timely and the movers were courteous and worked very hard to wrap each item properly and very careful in moving the items to the truck. They allowed my input, if necessary, answered my questions and were very considerate of any concerns we had. Smartbox continues to maintain my items on their facility and whenever I need to speak with them they have been available. I recommend them highly.
Description of Work: I compared prices with other storage facilities. Smartbox was able to give me the prices in advance, so I could do comparison shopping. After choosing Smartbox they scheduled me on a Saturday, constantly answered any questions I had (I called them a million times), the movers wrapped each item, put it in the truck very carefully, moved the items to their facility. They keep my items in their storage facility which is temperature controlled and maintained.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$70

Response from SmartBox Chicago
Thank you very much for taking the time to write up a review on AL. Glad to read that you had a very good experience - which is what we strive for everyday. Again, thanks for taking the time to write up a review. - Greg Kaufman, Co-Owner/President

Nestor P.
12/2010
5.0
moving companies, storage units
  + 0 more
Very well although the container is currently stored at their site. I will not know in full detail the overall outcome until the container is returned at which time I can determine the condition of my stored articles.
Description of Work: Contacted Smartbox for a container to be delivered for storage purposes. Smartbox suggest two in case the extra space was needed. I had the option to canceled within 48 hours if I did not use the second container. I did and was credited for the second unit. Containers were delivered as planned and placed in front of the house as directed. Delivery driver was very professional as were the office staff. Filled the container and it was picked up a day early. Perfect. Contract was lengthy and I was concerned that I would be held responsible for any charges from the City of Chicago for placing the containers on the street. Smartbox said they would assume responsibility although the contract did hold me responsible for any charges incurred. I contacted Smartbox and was able to cross out that section of the contract at which time I signed and returned the completed contract. All interactions were done via email which was extremely convenient and easy.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$160

Response from SmartBox Chicago
Thank you for taking the time to review your experience with us on Angie's List. My apologies for not replying to you sooner, nonetheless I wanted to thank you for taking the time and am glad you had a good experience. We work hard every single day to make sure all customers feel as you do. -Greg Kaufman, Co-Owner/President.

michael H.
05/2010
5.0
moving companies, storage units
  + 0 more
Greg was very helpful and offered several suggestions on how to handle our situation. Ultimately, the capability to have a storage box dropped off at our place and even have his crews load the box was outstanding. Given the lack of storage space AND the inability to move the large items, Smartbox made a lot of sense to us. Greg was very flexible in both the scheduling of the day for drop off/loading of the storage box as well as timing of when we would need to get this done. Greg was professional and courteous. We are pleased to know that there are Angie's List providers who give great customer service. We ultimately did not get to use Smartbox because some family members came into town for the holiday weekend who had a van and moved the items for us, which was a total positive surprise. But, in no way does that diminish our experience w/ Smartbox and our interest to use them when the next need arises.
Description of Work: We ran out of space and needed assistance with several large furniture items which we had no ability to transport.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$325

AARON H.
03/2010
5.0
moving companies, storage units
  + 0 more
It turned out fine and I would use them again.
Description of Work: I used them for storage for around a year.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro

Ann marie H.
03/2010
4.0
moving companies, storage units
  + 0 more
Everything has been fine. We haven?t had any real issues with them. They dropped off everything on time and they were less expensive than the other moving companies. Any time we need to get into our box we just call them and they have the box sitting out waiting for us. We will continue to use them until we no longer need them.
Description of Work: We have been using them for storage for around a year.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
4.0
professionalism
4.0
responsiveness
4.0
punctuality
4.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$90

Patricia B.
03/2010
1.0
storage units
  + -1 more
I had used the previous company for years. I have had nothing but problems with them now. They could not find my account, and then they sent me a bill but did not send me an envelope, and then charged me for the envelope. They are the worst company I have ever used and I hope to have my storage moved out of their unit as soon as I can find another company to pick up my belongings.
Description of Work: They bought out another company, Public Storage, so my storage contract was automatically transferred to them.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
1.0
value
1.0
professionalism
1.0
responsiveness
1.0
punctuality
1.0

$52.5

Response from SmartBox Chicago
I'm sorry you feel your experience with my company has been poor. I'd like to address each of your issues one at a time. Yes, we purchased Public Storage Pickup & Delivery effective April 1, 2009. Their computer system was a DOS (very old technology) system and our system is significantly different than theirs. All of their customer data was transferred into our system, but there were some migration challenges that unfortunately took some time to work through. Mainly, their system was account number based whereas our system is customer name based and all fields did not transfer perfectly. That admittedly took some time and some customers experienced issues more than others; this however has been rectified. We even had a database built to coincide with our existing software to better manage not just customer account information but location information for all of the units stored in our warehouse (over 1,300 full units are stored with us). You are correct in that we do not send an envelope for mailing your payment to us, however we offer the ability to pay over the phone by credit card, we also offer the ability to auto debit your account monthly via credit card and also give the option of not receiving an invoice. The contracts from Public Storage specifically state that an invoice is not something they send, however they began sending them years ago. We as a company have the same policy, but instead of ceasing sending invoices, we made changes to our software to allow us to send invoices. The $1 fee is charged to cover our expenses for sending invoices, which again, we didn't do prior to the acquisition. 99% of our customers prior to the acquisition were setup for auto debit to their credit cards monthly. The acquisition occurred nearly 1 year ago and we've not raised rates, we've extended our hours of operation as well as the service area (over what PSPUD used to cover). Again, I am sorry you feel your experience since the acquisition has been poor, however I do not see how you came to a grade of F. That said, we work hard every single day to make sure our customers are satisfied and pleased. We recognize everyone has a choice and we appreciate when we are chosen. If there is anything I can do, please do not hesitate to call me personally. I do hope your feelings towards us improves and hope to see a grade higher than F. Thank you. Greg Kaufman, Co-Owner of SMARTBOX Chicago. 312-564-2702 (direct).

ANDY S.
11/2009
5.0
moving companies, storage units
  + 0 more
From start to finish the process was great! Excellent customer service over the phone. Their delivery driver was extremely professional and polite. The box was placed accurately without any problems even though it meant bringing it half-way down an alley. The size of the box was also a good match. The other companies bring out over-sized shipping containers that are a waste of space. The container that I rec'd from SmartBox was the right size for a "normal" amount of stuff. I would definitely consider working with Greg and his staff again.
Description of Work: Greg's company provided one of their storage boxes for me to load my items into for temporary storage during construction. The box was placed the same day that I requested and loading it was a snap.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$100

    Contact information

    150 N 25th Ave, Melrose Park, IL 60160

    www.smartboxusa.com/chicago

    Service hours

    Monday:
    8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
    Tuesday:
    8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
    Wednesday:
    8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
    Thursday:
    8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
    Friday:
    8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
    Saturday:
    8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

    Licensing

    Insured
    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 State Contractor License Requirements page.

    *Contact business to see additional licenses.


    Service Categories

    Storage,
    Moving Companies

    FAQ

    SmartBox Chicago is currently rated 4.3 overall out of 5.

    Monday: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

    Tuesday: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

    Wednesday: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

    Thursday: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

    Friday: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

    Saturday: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

    SmartBox Chicago accepts the following forms of payment: American Express,Check,Discover,MasterCard,Visa
    Yes, SmartBox Chicago offers free project estimates.
    No, SmartBox Chicago does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
    No, SmartBox Chicago does not offer a senior discount.
    No, SmartBox Chicago does not offer emergency services.
    No, SmartBox Chicago does not offer warranties.
    SmartBox Chicago offers the following services: Residential and commercial moving & storage facility.

    Contact information

    150 N 25th Ave, Melrose Park, IL 60160

    www.smartboxusa.com/chicago

    Service hours

    Monday:
    8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
    Tuesday:
    8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
    Wednesday:
    8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
    Thursday:
    8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
    Friday:
    8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
    Saturday:
    8:30 AM - 5:00 PM