If United tries to do your move through Bartels/Piedmont Moving Systems/Whatever they call themselves, calmly turn the other direction and run like hell! I can't even begin to describe the horrors of using this company, but I'll try in case the other reviews haven't convinced you enough. Firstly, the coordinator for our move, Linda K. (who is mentioned for her terrible service and demeanor in other reviews), was horrible to deal with, completely unsympathetic and does nothing to try and reunite you with your stuff. Our awful experience started when Bartels misquoted our move after their mistake of getting the destination address wrong (they had the completely wrong city in NY somehow). After agreeing to the quote and signing the contract, they informed us that they had gotten the city wrong and with the correct destination city, the move was substantially more, and we'd be required to pay the higher amount despite the fact that it was Their mistake. After going back and forth several times with Linda being heated at best and downright rude and ignorant at worst, we finally settled on a price agreeable to both of us. In this process, we ended up speaking with the GM of the operation, Mark B., who basically said tough luck and was equally nightmarish to deal with and disrespectful. But, unfortunately for us, our troubles weren't over when we finally agreed on price. I suppose I should have been concerned when I heard the driver, Josef A., calling multiple friends while packing my stuff and talked about making stops between San Jose and NY to visit along the way on his trip with my (and other paying customers') stuff. I then find out from a slip by Linda that he didn't even leave the Bay Area despite finishing loading all his customers for FOUR days. Then, he proceeded to take 10 days longer than I was told by United to deliver our items. All in all it took 17 days to get our stuff. 2.5 weeks when we were promised it would take a week. Terrible. After calling United corporate and asking to speak with a manager, we were able to get a small remuneration after all Bartel's had put us through and United said they would look into removing Bartel's as a United affiliate. Make sure to ask what local company will be packing your stuff/coordinating your move if you use a large company like United. Look the local companies up, and tell United you want a different local mover if the reviews aren't good (or in Bartels case, embarrassingly abysmal)! I wish I had known this, but didn't know it would be Bartel's until they showed up at my doorstep to pack up my stuff. Don't make my mistake!! read more

Great company! Steve came out immediately and gave me a bid that was half what I had been quoted by other movers. His men showed up on time, made sure that I was satisfied with everything before they left....and even vacuumed and swept (who does that anymore?). I had used a different company years earloer and was expecting problems like i had with the other company, but Bartels was totally professional. Then my new place wasnt ready and i called karen at the front offive. She reassured me i could store my stuff on the truck - and when i offered to pay the inconvenience, she said " absolutely not! We understand these things happen. Dont worry" I have read two of the reviews that were less than stellar, but trust me, I had a great experience. And i recommend them wholeheartedly. read more

I just called Bartels Moving Systems this morning. I scanned and read through some of the reviews from people who have used their services and was getting a not-so-confident sense that I will be 100% satisfied. However, I decided to give them a try and called them anyway. After a short 1-minute phone call, I was not nicely treated as the other person on the line was not very patient and was actually a little rude. I then heard a phone ring in the background and that person just told me to hold while they answered the other line. At that point, I would concur with the other reviews and suggest that you use another company for your services. read more

I had Steve give me an estimate before I checked them out on Yelp I was thinking about canceling with them but my friend that had used them before said not to worry they do a great. the day of the move I had to be at work and they would need to deal with my wife. Well they passed the test and she was very happy with the crew and how hard they worked I would use again and would recommend to my friends read more

We have used Bartels Moving for a total of 3 moves over the years and they have always been great. We've mostly dealt with Steve for the sales part at least. We originally selected them since we had used a United mover for a corporate move across states and had a good experience, but picked them to return to for our local moves that we paid for ourselves based on the great experience we had. From the quote process, all the way through - communication was great. They showed up to pack us when they said they would and got it all done in a day. The packing team was very careful with all things each time and used an abundance of paper to make sure nothing broke along the way. We even had artwork and glass table tops that were crated for the move despite it being local and everything made it all 3 times with zero damage. Definitely worth the extra to have them pack you! The moving crew themselves have also always been great. They lay down runners etc. to make sure carpeting and floors aren't damaged as they move things in or out. They are good about listening where things are supposed to go and moved couches around several time for me when I was particular about how they laid out on the rug. The only possible wish I would have for an extra service they could offer is to pick up all the paper and boxes that are generated a month or so later after you unpack! read more

We used Bartels for a recent move just before the holidays. I called several movers who came out and gave estimates. Steve came out and gave very detailed estimate for the move and I flet like we had very clear options where we could look at packing ourselves; having the team pack us or a mix of both. Steve and his team was clearly the best and we chose them. We were extremely happy with move crew who came out and helped pack. They were professional and fast. The loading team was also very professional and they were able to get the work done under the scheduled time even with a sudden rain storm making it a challenge. We did not have any items break or were damaged (this included 3 sets of china, several large pieces of glass, and several large flat screen TV's) A bit of context here - I'm a former military brat and service member; so I've done a LOT of moving in my life; say 30+ moves. Steve and his team are clearly in the top 5% of the best movers I've ever experienced. I will need to move again and we will be using them in the future. I though so highly of them I refereed my manager to Steve when he was looking to move just last month. If you are thinking about a mover HIRE BARTELS. read more

this company facilitated an absolute nightmare of a move for me. i hired a moving company for their logistics expertise, etc. etc. the salesperson and coordinator pushed an unacceptable amount of that burden onto me, the customer. they performed all the estimating and planning without having seen my apartment or the street it was on. a few days before the move, they did a driveby because they were in the neighborhood for business unrelated to my move and refuted all the details i had provided them, changed the logistics of the move, and caused the date of my move to change -- because i had to obtain parking permits from sfpd. they then asked me to pay more money for a shuttle to pick up my items. when i refused, the salesperson (karen penn) took on an objectively *nasty* tone, getting personal and at one time exclaiming "i can't stand dealing with you san francisco people". take your san francisco moving business elsewhere. bartels is an agent for united and for mayflower i think. i used them for united, and the movers were good...but this office did a ridiculously poor job of coordinating with them. from planning to estimating to coordinating to partnering to billing...bartels does everything it can to make your move the complete *opposite* of easy. i hired them to perform a simple and straightforward move across the country...they couldn't have performed a poorer and more unprofessional job. if there were such a sticker as "people hate us on yelp", bartels would need to have it prominently on display and featured on their website & stationary. they are double-listed on yelp, so beware! read more

Do NOT use these people to pack your belongings. They will completely disorganize you. Their staff of packers were imbeciles. Overall, the move was accompllshed on both ends, but much follow up, pressure to bear was necessary to make that happen. Not recommended unless you are desperate. read more

Nightmare I scheduled a quote through email and this should have already been a red flag since the reply I got was already unprofessional. But I needed to move quick and Steve came and gave a quick estimate for a move from San Jose to LA area. I signed up for the move with the no-deductible insurance because I heard good things about United moving lines. Linda was my coordinator and if you see her name anywhere in your communications GET OUT IMMEDIATELY. I had to instigate every single call and basically I ended up having to manage her myself. I did my own packing since I live in a small Ikea filled apartment it was OK for me. I didn't even get a call the day of and I had to reconfirm with Linda the day of when the movers were 1hr late. I received NO updates about the whereabouts of my valuables and they would not even give me an estimate of the arrival date even after the movers, and Linda claimed they would. There was damage done to several pieces of furniture, but since I had purchased the insurance with no deductible I figured everything would be easy. THE NIGHTMARE: Trying to get your insurance will be pure hell. Do not trust Linda. Claim submission 1: I submitted the proper forms by mail to the correct address provided. The mail was returned since apparently Bartels Moving address does not exist to the USPS. How convenient for a moving company. Claim submission 2: So I submit it via email to Linda 1 month later as she instructed and I hear nothing for the next month. She did claim it would take several weeks. Ok. I give her the benefit of a doubt. 1 month later: I contact Linda to ask about the claim, no response by email so I call her and what she claims is that "it got lost in a pile of papers" WTF. So she says she will submit it in person to the claims department. 1 month later: I still haven't heard anything and so I call her again. Linda's new excuse is that "it got filed away wrong, I will get it to the claims department" 1 month later. I haven't heard anything so I ask politely for an update. Again some lame excuse about paperwork. As a coordinator of someone's life long possessions she has a terrible time trying to coordinate simple paperwork. So I'm tired of the useless communications and so I CC Steve. And now I finally get a response that she will deal with it immediately 2 weeks later. I still don't have a check for the insurance amount. I email both Linda and Steve and talk with Linda AGAIN on the phone. She finally claims she can get it done and will cut the check 1 week later I still don't have a check that she claims she cut, I email both Linda and Steve and saying did they cut the check as claimed and finally I get some confirmation that a check was cut and that it was mailed out. Some form about accepting the money is legally absolving them of anymore insurance claims. So it took me over 4 1/2 month to get any insurance response. While the movers seemed professional Bartel / Piedmont has the WORST COORDINATORS and couldn't facilitate a single thing professionally. Their attitude toward customers is nasty and I would never use them again. EVER. If you must use Bartels some hints: 1) Your coordinator will suck, so CC their boss in email communications 2) Always call them at 8am. Apparently they don't like to stay later than 4pm. 3) Keep a record of all communications. read more

I first came into contact with Steve over at Bartels because a client of mine was using them for her own move years ago. Since I am in the real estate industry, I always make it a habit to jot down numbers of businesses with rave reviews for future use. I have referred out Steve several times to clients who need movers and they have always given similar rave reviews. I even referred them to a client who had a horrible experience with another mover in the past, and he had nothing but nice things to say about his moving experience with this company. read more

They did a good job. Estimated, loaded, shipped and unloaded. All the people I interacted with were really nice. Steve gave me a great estimate and Karen let me know all the information I needed. They worked with me to schedule the drop of date when it was convenient for me! read more

Bartels Moving Systems just completed a rather complicated family move involving multiple pickups/storage over a 1 year period. It was handled with great care by all the employees involved. Our sales person, Steve Radunich's estimate was accurate and very close to the final cost with no surprises. The packers and movers were punctual, careful and very helpful with any and all requests we made of them. I asked for their "A" Team and they sent them. Thank you to all the employees at Bartels for making our move(s) relatively pain-free! read more

Terrible company. Find anyone else to move you. We booked this company in mid April for a mid June move, we get a week out and they do not have a driver for us even though we booked two months ahead. On our moving day they send a group out to load up our furniture etc but we find out this is not the group that will be moving us. They are only there to load up the truck then drive back to their warehouse and unload it since they still don't have a driver. So our house full of antiques is put in their small truck and then unloaded at their warehouse. A week later they find a driver and reblanket wrap and load our antiques for the second time. The delivery day comes and they unload. Antiques are damaged and an antique table had the legs removed so they could fit more stuff for another move. They were suppose to reattach the legs before they left but couldn't do it and just left. A large store counter had a piece missing but they could not find it. When the movers left there were cigarette butts all over the driveway. I tried to get Linda to get things fixed but she was no help and I had to put things back together myself. I put in a claim and it was denied. I spoke with the owner and he is a total joke. He takes no responsibility for any problems. I am still stuck with damaged antiques and the lousy company will not fix anything. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. read more

I used these guys about a week ago they where excellent to work with they where on time from my house they packed and then moved me across town with in 24 hrs like they said i would recommend them to my friends. read more

This is an update of Bartel's Moving Systems. My first review was 4/6/10. This is in answer to Mark's answer. I think people can make their own assessment by the other reviews! The fact that Steve made a comment to me regarding us getting advice from a family lawyer friend-"go ahead with it-we've been there!"---speaks for itself also. Your people are unprofessional at best! Our GO-TO person never called us about the move-we had to call her. I sympathize with the fact that Karen was ill, but someone else could have handled it as we had to call on a daily basis. The fact that your immature movers were sliding down the ramp, talking on their cell phones, and rapping to their I-Pods speaks bunches! Not even putting a cover over a lamp in the rain-COME ON! Get real.Yea-we got the smallest of settlements when you account for the fact that a brand new refrigerator was ruined and couldn't be sold which it already was and the person no longer wanted it. As a result had to be left in our garage until the claim was settled and one car had to be left in visitor parking which we were sited for 3 times!!! A $2500 desk was wrecked and all the mover-kid said was---oops! How intelligent! Do you save the good movers for people who purchase insurance. The only reason we did not is because we hired you a very long time ago before all your changes and had a very good experience. I also would like to say-THE REFUND WE RECEIVED WAS FOR THE TABLES WE PACKED OURSELVES! WE DID NOT RECEIVE THE REFUND FOR THE 2 HOURS LESS THAT THE MOVERS WERE DONE IN! IT WAS YOUR CHOICE TO ADD ANOTHER PERSON-NOT OURS-THE QUOTE WAS FOR 3 MEN AND 9 HOURS. THEY WERE GONE IN 7 WHICH INCLUDED THEIR LUNCH! WE PAID THE FULL AMOUNT. Maybe you would not have to pay all these claims if you had competent and caring people-like Cardinale Movers! We trusted you with our belongings which you treated like crap! Shame on us - NEVER AGAIN! read more

I used Bartel's on short notice to move us from the Peninsula down to the South Bay. Every aspect of the move was predictable and went smoothly. Steve showed up on one day's notice to give me a detailed "not to exceed" estimate and Sergio and team showed up couple of days later at the scheduled time to start the move. They were very professional, worked fast and took care in moving all our possessions. They came in below the estimate - a first for me in any of the moves I had done. I highly recommend them and would definitely use them in the future. read more

I quoted Bartels to do move my belongings out of the area. I received a written quote and started to quote others due to their high price. Then I get a call from the company telling me they will be there at 9 AM. I said no don't bother because they are too expensive and will not quote out special packaging for items I would like crated. After signing a contract with another mover Bartels shows up with a van ready to move me. I thought they must use a subcontractor. I reviewed the contract , it did not include special items. I told them to leave because I had a contract with another mover. Moving is stressful enough nobody needs to have a mover play shell games. Stay away from these people. read more

I used Bartels moving out of our old house in June and into our refurbished house last week. Both moves happened on time and on budget without a single damaged item or scratch on a wall or floor. Steve Radnuich told us straight and followed though. Couldn't be happier with everyone involved. Will recommend them to all my Real Estate clients without worry. read more

I am not sure I understand where all of the negative reviews are coming from, however, I can talk to the experience we had. I received the Company's reference from a friend of ours who recently moved and had a good experience. I called Steve and within about 2 days he came out and provided a quote for a local (about 10 miles) move. We were doing all packing ourselves, other than some glass and paintings. We moved a 4 bedroom 2 story house and I believe the weight of our shipment was estimated at about 11k lbs, so not a small job. I received several follow up calls from the coordinator prior to the move, confirming the date and time. The crew arrived right in the scheduled window and worked from 8:30am until 7pm, with a minor break for lunch. James and his crew were friendly, accommodating and I feel they went above and beyond what was required, helping me move a few items between bedrooms, moving things down to the garage for storage, etc. They were professional and helped with every request I had. We have fairly pricey pieces, including leather sofas, a large Italian dining set with a display case, piano, etc. The crew took great care of our things and so far (I'm almost done unpacking) there have only been very minor damages that I have noted (like 1 out of 12 soup bowls was broken). None of our valuable items broke as I saw the team took care to make sure any boxes labeled as fragile were packed on top. Many of our items, like the Italian beds, dining room set and a few other items, needed to be disassembled and put back together in the new location. James was familiar with the process for each of the pieces and when the team was finished in the new house, everything was in it's place. Our items filled one huge moving truck and the move took longer than Steve had originally quoted. The price that was quoted was honored and I was more than happy with the results. We've moved several times in the past, but for me, this move was by far the smoothest. read more

The moving service provided by Bartel moving was excellent. We were very pleased with the professional and courteous behavior of all the employees we dealt with. Due to corporate relocations, we have moved 8 times over the last 30 years and this was absolutely the best. The men who moved us, John, Ray and Diasi had great energy and an even greater attitude. They were a pleasure to work with. I definitely recommend this moving company. read more

These guys were fantastic! arrived on time, were polite and helpful, and super efficient. They finished fast. Whatever I asked them to do, they did. Super helpful. They were also very careful. During this move I've with a lot of trades, and these guys were my favorite. Highly recommend them! read more

Mr. Beltramo, Bartels representative, did contact me by telephone to explain his position. His subsequent yelp posting paints the company as the victim. Let's be clear about how this process works. (1) Company solicits your business. (2) Company sends its representative to survey your house and, in excruciating detail, lists everything that is to be packed, loaded and transported. You advise the company that the dates are critical because you have to be out of your current home by a certain date and you must be at your new location to start work by a certain date. (3) Company sends you its "BINDING ESTIMATE" with the agreed dates and times and asks you to sign it. (4) You cease obtaining any other quotes because you justifiably believe you have an agreement with the company to pack and load your goods on the agreed date and deliver them to your new location within the agreed time frame. The entire process including scheduling is within the control of the company, not the consumer. Trying to place blame on corporate dispatchers is just a lame attempt to absolve itself of responsibility for its own inability to properly manage its business. Now, the company has the gall to say they have never done business with you--that it is just a proposal. On its face it states "The Price Assurance Total on this binding estimate is valid when accepted and signed by "07/25/2013." Summer is the busy season. All the other companies you have quotes from are booked. Three weeks may sound like a long lead time, but to accept Mr. Beltramo's premise that this was the busiest week of the summer, after acting in reliance on the company's BINDING ESTIMATE, it is neither a long time as he suggests nor is it unreasonable to expect that other companies are experiencing the same level of business. They at least were willing to tell me up front that they could no longer honor the necessary dates. Moving companies are service businesses. They are not selling a commodity, but rely on customers having good experiences. If they really could not honor the date, it is disingenuous (and, I repeat, bait and switch) to ask for a substantial amount of money over and above the agreed amount in order to honor the date. To his credit, Mr. Beltramo did call me to explain his position which he stated in his Yelp posting. Accepting at face value what he says is true; perhaps he is an honest and honorable businessman in a slimy and less than honorable industry. I don't usually bother posting to Yelp because most postings are just screeds. I urge you to read other Yelp postings for this company and make your own decision before hiring them. read more

THIS MOVING COMPANY IS FROM HEAVEN!!!!!!!!! I am so pleased with this company! I was in need of a moving company and my realtor suggested United Van Lines- Bartels Moving Systems. I called a man named Steve Radunich, he answered his phone and even came out immediately (AT MY REQUEST) to my home and gave me a very reasonable quote for moving my heavy furniture and boxes. He gave me a perfect quote for what I requested. We were going to move the items the next Thursday. As the week progressed I was getting nervous and not sure if a Thursday was such a great idea for a move, due to my husband needing to work the next day and his boss flying in from Minnesota for the first time to do lay offs. When Enrique came out the following week, WOW were they professional and amazing. They took very good care of my home by putting protective cardbord on my tile and special plastic covering on all the carpeted areas that they would be walking on. They were very careful in moving the items and are very strong. They moved our king size bed down from the second story without dinging any of the walls....Wow. They were very personable, caring and courteous. I have two children and one was ill so while he was sleeping in one of the rooms there were really quiet and made sure not to wake him up. They took so much stress off of my life. The guys did everything imaginable and didn't damage any of my items. I had many other boxes I was planning on moving myself and packing in my PODS container, yet they mentioned that they could move those boxes too. They saw a need, mentioned it to me and then moved it. They packed their Mayflower truck so well there was more room to move more items the we first discussed, they were even able to find another young strong mover to ciome out and help me move the extra items. They were so efficient and UNBELIEVABLE. I wanted to thank them so much so I bought them some donuts and lunch. Enrique and his crew werre so polite thanked me for be kind to them...it was more the other way around. Now things are settling down and I still haven't unloaded our POD, but we were able to sleep in our bed that night. my husband made it in to work, met the boss and still has a job. I still wake up and think wow those movers were great and made my life less stressful, my husband didn't hurt his back moving the large items, which could have been big doctor bills and time off from work. I could focus on the more important people in my life and take care of my ill child and attend to my nine month old child on the day of a move if it wasn't for them. I will DEFINIETLY use United Van Lines -Bartels Moving Systems again in the future. Thank you guys.....You ROCK!!!!!!!! Sincerely, Karen read more

Recently we did a 2 part move, one was a large move to Chicago, IL and the other one was a 3 man move locally in San Jose. After getting 3 quotes we chose Bartels Moving / United Van Lines. Both Moves were handled by Steve Radunich who did an excellent job estimating and overseeing the entire moves from start to finish. The moving crew did a great job packing / moving for both jobs. I was really impressed with their professionalism and would not hesitate to recommend them to anybody. read more

I wanted a local moving company because I was just moving a small household one mile from one home to another. Everyone I contacted was very polite, on time and above and beyond my expectations. I have recommended them to other friends. read more

AWFUL!!! The driver they hired broke EVERY piece of furniture we owned. Luckily we bought full insurance, however the driver didn't notify us that we had the option of doing a 'bingo card' and instead just asked my husband to sign (which he did) without explaining he was validating with that signature that all our stuff had arrived, when in fact it DIDN'T! Two pieces of electronic equipment were stolen - video camera and portable DVD player. When I later tried to claim these items through United they said we had signed away our rights. I'm not sure if the driver or the packers were responsible - probably the packers Bartel hired. They charged us almost $500 for professional packing and these guys literally DUMPED our stuff into boxes. Everything was jostled around and not professionally packed. I would've done a better job. I sent multiple written and verbal complaints to the company about the packing asking for a partial refund of the packing fees with absolutely no response. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!! read more

I decided to go with Bartels after the first movers I had a quote from wanted me to sign a waiver that I wouldn't contest any charges they made to my credit card - not a good sign. Steve came out within a few days to give me an NTE estimate (which was key) for a full pack and move. It took place over two days, one for packing, one for moving. LOVED the packing team - really friendly and professional. Ask for Eddie, Brandon and Tim - they were great! Next day was moving day, which is never fun, but went as well as could be expected with several hiccups we encountered. The moving team handled all the unexpected stuff with professionalism. The day started at 9:30 and ended at 10 at night, so I know they had to be tired, but they remained cheerful and professional - certainly more cheerful than me at that point! They even are arangingto come pick up alll the empty boxes so they can be re-used, which is a huge help. I would recommend them without hesitation. read more

We have just had Bartels move us. This is the second time in 12 months that they moved all our belongings. I have to say that my husband and I have moved 5 times in 5 years and Bartels were the most helpful and careful movers we have used to date. Steve Radunich came out to estimate our move on both occassions, he was very helpful and responsive and even called us after the move to make sure everything went well. I was surprised to see the other peoples comments nothing of ours has been broken and I was very pleased with the care they took not to damage the walls of the house or our belongs with the move. I do think however that you have to communicate your needs to the movers during the process to make sure you get the service you expect, all I can say is I have found Bartels very reponsive to everything we requested from changing our moving dates to putting down additional floor covering and I will use and recommend them again. read more

This is the third time we've used Bartels and hopefully it will be our last but only because this time we bought a house :-) Steve Radunich was our contact for each move; he was always punctual, professional and courteous and the prices are very competitive. I can't say enough about the crew, they were absolutely fantastic! From the packers to the movers, everyone worked hard for us. I just don't understand some of these negative reviews because we've had none of the issues other people experienced with this company. The packers were careful to bring any damaged item to my attention prior to packing it, and the movers finished loading and unloading ahead of schedule and adjusted our price accordingly. Last but not least, we didn't know exactly which day we would be moving, and Bartels was able to accommodate us with just five days notice. I would highly recommend Bartels for your moving needs. read more

yet another moving horror story. radunich was nice, but couldn't explain their own company's policy about locking in rates. never in my life have i played the bitch card with anyone, especially people who you are putting your life's posessions with,..but seriously? crew was nice enough (while you are watching), but...after the house was packed up we found out that the driver had some issue and couldn't drive it away as planned, so everything had to be UNLOADED to a STORAGE facility for a few days until a new driver could be found to LOAD AGAIN and drive to texas. needless to say, nearly EVERYTHING was broken, nicked, dinged, shattered. I'm talking furniture legs cracked, dressers cracked, tables nicked up, artwork scratched, worst of all was a mirrored dresser(i know, took a chance in moving it at all), but it is cracked beyond repair. we are still unpacking and accessing the damage. yes we got insurance, but with the communication from the front office, we are not hopeful that anything will get taken care of. even the auto transport that they arranged had issues on the scheduled date of drive off and it was this big nightmare to get them gone. once they arrived in texas they arrived with completely scratched beyond repair roofs on both our cars. i guess they don't know not to drive under big &*^# trees that overhang. so dissapointed in this whole move..from start to finish it was a bad bad experience. in the end, you just have to say, "it's only material things"...but i still had to go have a good cry before i got to that point. read more