I hired Pickens-Kane through Allied for my move from Chicago to California and could not be more pleased. If interstate moving is difficult, interstate moving during a pandemic is worse. That being said, I was incredibly anxious when it came to choosing an interstate moving company I could trust. However, Pickens-Kane was very communicative with me throughout the process, willing to work with me as my dates continued to shift and move around during uncertainty and answering any of the many questions I had. During my FaceTime moving quote with Jennifer Smith, she took the time to assess each piece of furniture and estimate the number of boxes. She also walked through the term sheets with me and made sure their service would meet my expectations by asking me what was most important to me in my move and how they would strive to achieve that. She let me know about Allied Express as an option, which is what I ended up going with, which significantly lowered the cost of my move as compared to a traditional move. She thoroughly explained the differences without pressuring me in either direction to make the decision for the move myself, which I greatly appreciated. Kathy Strle was a fantastic move coordinator and always available to me throughout the move to answer any questions and keep me in the loop as far as the team's arrival for the initial move and eventual delivery in California. She was incredibly responsive and a joy to chat with on the phone when I had questions about my move. I reserved the freight elevator in my building for 9am-12pm, since I scheduled the movers to arrive at 9am from Bloomingdale. I fully expected for them to arrive closer to 9:30, as per my previous experience with movers. On moving day, Chase and his team knocked on my door promptly at 9:04am, were very professional, and were also cautious of CoVid safety precautions by wearing masks and avoiding handshakes. He took the time to explain to me what they were doing, where they were putting items, and finished in a timely fashion. The movers themselves were very careful with my belongings, tagging them, and proceeding in an organized manner. I am happy to say that all of my items arrived in California in great condition! read more

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this company. In fact, you should avoid them if you have any other options. The move itself was fine. But you need to budget it in maybe ~10% more than the all in binding quote. They have several levers to pull to tack on extra fees after they lock in your business. For us it was an extra $1,100 above our all in binding quote across two different tactics. Unfortunately, they had the leverage and used it against us. Despite flagging our issues two weeks prior, they stalled until the night before delivery and then threatened that they would not perform delivery if we did not agree to their terms immediately (we got an updated contract with extra fees at 8pm the night before delivery). As background, we got quotes from two companies when we moved from CA to IL. We made it abundantly clear up front - given timing urgency and a pregnancy, we wanted full packing, delivery, and unpacking. We also asked that they include any and all permits and third-party fees (such as taking TV mounts off the wall). It was very black and white, our quotes would include all these services. A competitor (United) came back with the best all in quote. It agreed to all of the above in writing. I really wish we had gone with them. But the Pickens-Kane team offered to match United's written quote after an extensive 90 minute walk through. They agreed verbally to packing, delivery, unpacking and baked in over $800 of third-party fees. We went with them as they performed a move for us in the past with only minor friction. Unfortunately, they errantly left the "unpacking" line item off the final multi-page quote they sent us. The team there admitted to us that this was an oversight. They agreed that we had asked for unpacking. They agreed that they meant to include unpacking, as this was a non-negotiable ask from us. They agreed that unpacking was part of the competitor quote that they were matching. Yet they contend that the fine print of the contract omitted unpacking. The contract did have a section marked "unpacking", so we assumed it was included. There would be no reason to think otherwise. They argued that items in that section were left blank, and thus we should have known that it was not included. This seems crazy. We discussed thoroughly that unpacking was included. The competing quote says explicitly that unpacking was included. We agreed verbally that unpacking was included. There is a section that says unpacking in the contract we signed. I don't know if this is dishonesty or negligence. I really believe negligence. But the fact that they were not willing to make it right is hard to fathom. We had several intense back and forths during an already stressful move and pregnancy. I offered to meet them halfway - which still seemed quite unfair. But even this they denied. Eventually they settled on a 25% discount on the unpacking fee. It's hard for us to understand this given the entire unpacking fee was verbally agreed to as part of our total payment. But now we're paying an extra $919 for this service. Unfortunately, there's more. As part of the walkthrough, we highlighted a pull-out couch that we own. It is a rather small couch, but it disassembles as it's a bit heavy. That said, two people can easily pick it up - we quite easily moved it around today after it was fully assembled. The competing United team thought that they could likely move it without disassembly, but noted that they would cover disassembly from a third-party if ultimately needed as part of the all in binding quote. We were very explicit in our 90 minute walk through with the Pickens-Kane team about this couch. There was no surprise to them that it was a heavy couch and it came apart if needed. The person doing the walk through noted this and opted out of baking in additional in third-party costs. On the day of the move, we were informed that we would need to pay an extra $428 if we wanted to take this couch ($214 to disassemble and $214 to reassemble). This caught us very off guard. It was part of the all in binding quote. We were very explicit about the nature of this couch and were assured that it was part of the all in binding quote). Yet on move day, they used their leverage. We had to agree to the steep additional fee or leave the couch (which was not an option given replacement value was quite high). We asked, "what could we have done differently given you agree we provided you with all the information and you gave us an all in binding quote?" They said there was nothing we could have done differently. This should've been part of the all in quote, but they are simply not honoring it. Eventually they reduced the charge by half to $214. In full, $1,100 taken from us. This is not a serious team. I believe some of our direct contacts had good intentions, but management clearly put them in an impossible position. Go elsewhere or be prepared to pay significantly more than you are quoted. read more

Jennifer Smith, who came to do an inventory and provide an estimate, was incredibly haughty and rude to me. I'm not going with them on for that reason alone. Thanks for reading. read more

My parents used Pickens-Kane to move from Chicago to Seattle. They were so impressed with how thoughtful and smooth the move went especially since it wasn't a whole truck but nothing broke and nothing was lost and more importantly everything arrived at schedule. My parents had just had new carpet installed in their house in Seattle and the movers in Seattle were patient to make sure the drops they installed were clean and properly secured. Highly recommend this firm! read more

Pickens-Kane/Allied Van Lines provided wonderful service for our recent long distance move. Jennifer came and did estimation in person, (which made me more comfortable vs online and phone estimation other moving companies offered.) Kathy contacted us during each step of the move to make sure everything went accordingly. Bob the driver from Allied Van Line was very nice and did good job. Thank you Kathy, Jennifer and Bob for making our move a pleasant experience!!! read more

I used Pickens-Kane / Allied for a cross country move from Chicago to Seattle and had an absolutely horrendous experience. They sell you on Pickens Kane being the most trusted and reliable moving company but in reality they are essentially a couple of people in an office coordinating a bunch of third party, highly unprofessional and low paid parties attempting to get the work done when and how it suits them with no real focus on the customer experience. Here are the details of our experience: - Three person team show up two hours late to my house in Chicago to move all our packed possessions into the truck. They are short-handed because of the movers decided to not show up - They work hard to move all of our possessions into the truck but do not end up finishing the pack until 8pm at night. I had to leave them to finish at around 5pm as I had a work engagement and so signed all the paperwork when I left. Upon my return I discovered that they had gorged the door to the garage when attempting to move our treadmill out. They also did not bring any food and so complained loudly and frequently about being hungry and tired. - I am told in the following days that they were not able to fit our possessions onto one truck so it'll come in two shipments but they should be 1 or 2 days apart (still within our moving window of Aug 17-24) - The first truck arrives at our new house in WA on Aug 19 This time there is a team of two people to unpack everything and install the beds. Due to the small team, again they do not finish until 8:30pm at night and complain loudly about hunger. I am yelled at at one point for only offering one slice of pizza to each of them. They also play loud music and yell out to each other constantly during the move. - The third party arrived on Aug 21 and discovered that our treadmill had been broken beyond repair during the move. They do not even attempt to assemble it due to its condition. The third party also are appalled at the poor quality of the TV and glass packing. The glass surface of our coffee table was also damaged during the move. - I was subsequently informed that there were some issues experienced with our second shipment and we could now receive it the week of Aug 26. We eventually receive the second shipment in early September having had to eat dinner off our laps for this period due to our dining table being in this shipment. - I submit the claim forms in late August and still have not received any compensation for the broken treadmill, tables and damage to the property as of October 16. I also broke my toe attempting to move the broken treadmill out of the parking spot in our garage (they do not pick up the broken treadmill so I have to figure out how to get rid of it). read more

Phew, the move is over! 4 stars. Overall our interstate move from the Midwest to the west went smoothly. We took 3 moving bids of which PK/Allied came in the lowest. Although the lowest bid, the PK consultant who gave us the bid spent the most time taking inventory of all of our furniture, closets and two storage units off site. Their bid was the most detailed and PK was the only company of the three we contacted who were willing to work with us on price. The actual moving companies used on both ends to load and unload were very nice and professional. We personally packed 95% of our possessions so whatever minimal breakage of items within our boxes (a crystal butter dish, a corning ware casserole dish) we will blame on ourselves. Items such as large expensive pieces of furniture and a black lacquer upright piano all were delivered without a scratch. The Allied driver who oversaw the load/unload and drove across country with all of our worldly possessions was fantastic. He gave us his cell number and communicated with us giving us updates. Interesting fact but a lot of the Allied truck drivers are partial or full owners of the semis used to haul your stuff. PK bids out each customer's move and then the drivers can decide which moves they want to take on. One star off for the administrative office used on the destination end. They were a bit clueless and difficult to communicate with and would not listen to our concerns that a street permit be issued thru the county so that the residential city street in front of our new home would be a tow away zone the day of the unload. They kept saying that it will not be an issue but in reality what do desk jockeys know about it or care? In reality it is the movers who have to carry everything and reducing the distance by even 50-100 ft helps a lot. No surprise but on the day of the unload there was a car parked right in front of our house, fortunately our driver and the moving guys made it work. Tip for anyone who hasn't moved before, but if you really have valuable, sentimental or antique items that you don't want ruined or scratched pay to have those items professionally crated and/or packed with upgraded packaging. After having something you love ruined or damaged, 99 percent of the time you look back and wish that you had spent the extra money to protect it the right way. read more

The movers themselves were fine, but the back office and sales people were a disappointment. We hired them for a cross-country move. The delivery window was set and agreed upon 40 days before the move, yet the furniture was delivered over a week late from the latest delivery date (2 weeks from the pickup date). I was told that I changed the move date - which was a lie. I was told the truck broke down - lie. Throughout, it felt as though our furniture was a hostage. We pulled off back-to-back-to-back closings and everything went perfect except the moving process. It seems from the other reviews if you're doing a local move they are fine, but out-of-state I think you should consider another company. What I can't get over the the misleading statements as to why the delivery was late. I'm a big boy.....just tell me the truth (which we got from the delivery driver). Shame on you Pickens-Kane, shame on you! read more

Pickens Kane and Allied 1: Moving Customer 0 If I could give these folks 0 stars I would. About 3 years ago I used them for a cross country move, they packed my belongings and I was pretty pleased with everything when it was loaded onto the truck. When I got to my new home I opened a black box where I had put some of my most expensive purses. When I opened the box it was filled with my sheets. Not one bag was in there. I called Pickens Kane and was then sent to Allied's grievance line, where I was second guessed every step of the way. The woman I dealt with had the nerve to infer that maybe I was lying about having the bags in the first place. Pickens Kane would not even apologize for what happened. At the end of the day I got nothing not one penny, but a whole lot of headaches. Although my losses would probably have totaled over 2,000 dollars, I chose not to pursue the matter any further because I had a new incredibly stressful job and the appeals process was daunting. I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau which went nowhere and even though it's almost 3 years later, I am still fuming about this. I did learn a lot about selecting a moving company and also how nasty the moving business can be. The moving industry might be one of the few places where if something goes wrong it's the clients fault. And thanks to our patchwork of state laws, the customer has not rights especially with interstate moves. I thought going with a company that was affiliated with what is supposed to be a reputable national company would be the way to go. I realize now I probably should have gone with a small company with a good reputation. read more

Definitely a strong endorsement from us. We had two other quotes, Matt was the most thorough and careful at quoting and explaining the process. Sallie in the back office a wonderful point person, who was calm and on top of everything. George managed a professional, well-mannered crew, who did a beautiful job of packing for export. They pointed out any existing damage as they packed and were very reassuring that we are in good hands. I don't see how the job could be done better. read more

I used Pickens-Kane & Allied to move across the country, and I found the experience so-so overall. Here's the breakdown: PROs: -Good service. The moving consultant, Chris Lidge, was friendly and gave good advice. The coordinators and actual movers were nice as well. -They did not lose any of our stuff. CONs: -They had some coordination issues during the busy summer season. They had to postpone the scheduled move-out date the day before. This threw a wrench in our plans, including meeting up with friends to say goodbyes. The bigger issue was their struggle finding the cross country driver. It seemed like the communication between them and the main drivers was mediocre at best. Our stuff sat in a warehouse for over a week, and while they ultimately delivered on the last day of the 2-week window, it came with a fair bit of anxiety regarding where our stuff was, etc. -A couple of furniture pieces came to the destination damaged. Ultimately, it wasn't worth paying the deductible to make any claims. -The most expensive moving company of all the options we considered. Overall, it is not a moving disaster story, but I'm just not sure it was worth the price. For the premium amount we paid over other options, I was expecting more. I might just go with the cheaper cubes the next time around. read more

I just have to say Chris Lidge is an all around pro! Great guy. He was the one who made us choose Allied-Pickens and Kane in the end. It was more expensive by $1000, but well worth it! And most moving companies low ball you, since they really have no idea what you really have and then surprise you at the end with the real total. Where Allied comes out to look at what you are moving and gives you a stone clad quote! Chris did that for us. Also, I did do a poll on Facebook to see what moving company had the best track record with my friends, and Allied came up again and again. I couldn't have been happier. The moving crew was outstanding as well. They were very nice, personable, quick and just kept going. We were doing a cross country move, from Chicago to Portland, which can be VERY stressful. And they got here in 5 days(we were given a 2 week window, when every other company gave us a 3 week window)! I highly, highly recommend Pickens and Kane for ANY move! read more

DO NOT USE Pickens Kane. You'd be better to throw away and buy new. After carefully interviewing movers, I chose them due to Marissa's professional and caring attitude. I paid in good faith for years for proper storage conditions, yet have significant damages due to IMPROPER ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS and MOTHS, stated by their adjuster. After 7 months of followup, finally Matt Miller processed my claim which was denied stating they were not submitted within their timeframe yet I have there letter stating claims can be made up to 9 months. Hopefully they'll reconsider and reimburse me fairly for damaged furniture, damaged hard wood floors, moth-eaten rugs and missing lamp parts which their movers packed and unpacked in their PK boxes which I have saved. read more

After spending almost $35,000 with Pickens Kane you can imagine my chagrin when they totally botched our move out of state. Forgot to load several items on the truck, sent a truck too small for the items they inventories and tallied, a TV is missing and they don't care, boxes dropped in our eye sight without an apology or more careful handling, a 48 hour window completely blown and they unloaded all of our things in the dark and in a hurry and then demanded we sign off on everything immediately. Broken dishes, broken artwork, broken granite table top. And all attempts to find a amiable solution from the driver to the project leader to the owner were all met with an immediate and resounding 'NO'! Worst mover ever--I will never use them again or recommend them to anyone. Buyer/ mover beware with Pickens Kane! Just horrendous! I would rate them a completely zero star but the review site makes me pick one at a minimum. read more

I've worked with Pickens Kane for many years now and can truly say they are one of the best around. Family owned and operated with a great staff. For any home or commercial moving need, I send all my friends to Pickens Kane. read more

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I have moved many times and have always dreaded it and have had some bad experiences in the past. This all changed with Pickens-Kane. From the initial walk through with Jennifer (who is AWESOME - she even estimated the inventory of boxes and materials I would need down to the exact box size for everything!) The packing guys arrived on time and were so careful, professional and quick! I moved 1,800 miles to a remote location and they gave me a delivery window and arrived even earlier than expected. They kept in constant contact throughout the process. After delivery was completed by Mark with local help. Again, careful, professional and quick. Not one thing was missing, not one thing was damaged. A PERFECT MOVE!!! These guys rock! read more

You've felt it: the burn of humiliation after you've been taken -- it often doesn't matter for how much but in the case of Pickens Kane, it was A LOT -- and you're left with absolutely no recourse but Yelp (or blowing $$$ on attorneys' fees you know may yield nothing but a hassle for the other side... but still... they deserve it for what they put you through). This is Pickens Kane. They failed to do what they promised and were paid to do and they just don't care. I hurt my lower back so badly -- it was an old injury and I doubled down on it just to get my couch in the right place -- I lost a beloved painting lost and actually cancelled my wedding -- all because of them. Here's the worst part: they could've made it right without damaging their reputation or spending much if any money... but chose not to. I hired them to pack up my a smaller than typical house (on a 124 x 125 lot) and to move and unpack the same stuff in a much larger place. Square footage alone, the new place was close to double the old place. Without boring you with details of their unprofessionalism (they lost and/or broke 20-30% of my stuff) they only unpacked 25% of the stuff.) They totally blew off the unpacking part (a third of their cost). The reason they gave? They'd "run out of room." The new place had empty closets, cabinets and open floor space, and still does as I write. I spent two of my precious three weeks' vacation time (the move was right before Christmas) unpacking and moving furniture I'd paid them to move and unpack. I took an extra week of unpaid vacation because I'd hurt my back so badly. Why? Why did they do this and then not only deny they'd done so, but fail to make it right? I cried a lot. In addition to my back, I broke my toe (but didn't want to mention that for fear it'd sound whiny). I purchased their maximum amount insurance at a serious extra expense, "just in case." Recently, and only after filling out an extensive amount of paperwork and trying so hard to work things out with Pickens-Kane, I filed a claim. The result was an insulting $1,000.00 for my troubles. I didn't accept. This is the wrong way to treat people. The woman who'd come to the place I moved from initially expressed empathy and the same level of disbelief I'd had, so I was hopeful. Then, everything turned sour. Just beware: this is an expensive company who won't hesitate to rip you off even if it's easier to do the right thing. Shameful. read more

Find another mover. Friendly on the front end when they are courting your business. After some antiques were wrapped by their movers (a glass cabinet in which they left unattached shelves to smash the original leaded glass), transported across country, and then revealed to be broken, they pointed the finger at Allied. Insurance through Allied is not related to Pickens-Kane etc etc etc. In short, like most cross-country movers, this one lives up to the bad reputation. PS - Representative from Pickens-Kane offered $200 to remove my review. No wonder they have so many 5-star reviews. read more

I didn't use them for my move because they were incredibly rude on the phone and gave me a ridiculously high price quote. After berating me that I did not calling sooner for "the BUSIEST week of the year" the man I spoke with on the phone quoted me a time of 5 hours to move one bedroom less than 2 miles. This was at least 1 1/2 hours more than any other quote I'd received & I wanted to make sure he didn't think it was a full one br apartment, so I said "It's just one bedroom, not an apartment--no kitchen or living room. Do think it's going to take that long?" The response? "YES, ACTUALLY I DO!" Since their quote was almost double from the second *highest* quote I received (& more than my monthly rent) I used a different company. And it took them 2 hours flat for the entire move. read more

Totally disorganized operation. We were quoted for the delivery of two small pieces of furniture from about 5 miles away and was told there was a one hour minimum. Fine, we said. The delivery itself took less than 10 minutes and they charged us for 3 hours. Called them up as soon as we got the bill, was transferred around to various people who all promised to call us back but nobody ever did. We called them back about 6 or 7 more times subsequent to that over a period of almost 3 months, each time someone promised to speak to someone in charge and call us back but nobody ever did. We finally talked to a guy who asked us to pay the full bill and then he promised to come by to our house to reimburse us the difference in cash. What??? What the hell is going on over there? read more

For all of my job's document storage needs, Pickens Kane has been there. An absolutely wonderful staff works at the warehouse. When I worked a project that required me going up there, they were respectful and nice guys. The people that drop off the records are always quick and friendly. Bonus: Brenda of the records storage department is one of the most pleasant people I've ever had to speak with and she remembers me by name, which really makes you feel good when you sometimes feel like a number. read more

We recently moved from Chicago to a smaller town in France. I saw everything leave the apartment, packed by a team that did a very good job. On time, good team work, speedy work. There were a few broken items -- a small drinking glass, the glass on a single large poster and the bracket on a reclining chair and a missing lamp part. We are very happy with the speed, professionalism, European partner, net cost and overall outcome. In the end, the price was several hundred dollars LESS than the estimate. That, in my opinion, never happens. We recommend Pickens-Kane without reservation. read more

Team Just wanted to thank you for the professionalism and follow through in a very successful move from Chicago to New England over the past couple of weeks. I know things had the potential of being tough when the truck to pack did not have enough room, requiring an overload situation, but all worked out very well in the end. Thank you all! * The initial walkthrough, estimate process, and communication was excellent! * The coordination of communication of logistics and expectations was timely and thorough! * The packing process was efficient (and when we have been unpacking it is important to say very well done)! * The loading process, both trucks and related drivers took care of the home, the items being loaded, and cordial and professional at every turn! * The delivery process was on time, with BOTH loads occurring, not only on the same day, but within a hour of each other! Again, both driver teams extremely professional and customer service focused! Thanks again so much for making this very stressful period one that we had people who took our wellbeing to heart! Jim Solon read more

We hired Pickens-Kane for a long-distance move from Chicago. While Pickens-Kane might be ok for local moves that they do themselves, stay away from them for long-distance moves! The problem is that the network behind them stinks. The long-haul driver was a no-show on our scheduled pickup day. Two days before the end of our contracted delivery window, we received a call that our possessions were in Kansas because they had been stored quite a while in Chicago. When we reminded them that we didn't have to pay if they didn't deliver on time, they found a way to meet the deadline but it involved a crew unloading at our new home until nearly 11 pm. That crew tried to get us not to check off each item, which is good because several were missing (including some that the crew knew were missing because those items were never loaded in Chicago). Several other items were broken. Then we had to start the claims process which was horrible. At that point, all the helpfulness of Pickens-Kane employees promptly disappeared. The claim adjusters' job seems to be to avoid paying replacement value claims. They have a bunch of schemes. One was to find a cheap knock-off of something we owned and only offer us the price of that. Another was to claim that our possessions were old and had depreciated (their 'tariff', the regulatory document that governs interstate transport, states that depreciation is not a factor for replacement value). Yet another was to claim that there's a low limit on damages for self-packed boxes (the tariff does have a limit, but it's $2500 or higher depending on box size). Ultimately we had to file a lawsuit to recover. That's what it took to recover the full amount due to us. read more

Used these guys for both my residential and commercial move last month. For both moves they sent out a salesperson to estimate how long it would take to move us. On the residential move, it did end up costing us significantly more than we were quoted but nothing was broken or damaged. They also stored our stuff for two nights while we were closing on our properties. These guys may be a bit more expensive than other moving companies but they are professional and careful - what you always hope for in movers!! read more

AVOID AT ALL COST- BOXES OPENED AND ITEMS STOLEN AND NO RESPONSIBILITY If you want to have the worst moving experience of your life, go with this company. Otherwise, stay away. We were moving from Chicago to NYC with 2 small kids, so I was very thoughtful to choose the right company. The sales person Jennifer Smith was excellent at making me believe that I am in good hands and if anything happens I am purchasing the insurance that will cover it (I spent $500 on it). There were some issues already on the way but then the biggest surprise happened when we started unpacking. We were shocked to discover that our wardrobe boxes had been opened and expensive suits of my husband and my work clothes disappeared and boxes were resealed with only a few items left. They must have been very light but none of the movers let us know about it. But then the worst was to deal with the company afterwards- they were disrespectful and unhelpful when we complained sending the pictures of the empty boxes. We called the police, as well as filled in a very long claim report. But the company said that according to the interviews they made with the moving teams nothing was stolen and our insurance is not covering our loss. And our loss was over $10,000 with many receipts for my husband custom made suits provided. We are really angry and can't believe that company like this still operates in the competitive market. Don't get tricked by their sales people as we did!! read more

We used this company for a move from the US to Mauritius. The estimated cost we received before the move was higher than some other movers, but we found their representative to be the most professional. All others who came out to do estimates were late! The mover for Pickens and Kane was actually early and very professional in his interactions with us. I knocked off a star because on the day of the move, we were allowed to block out the service elevator for two hours. Pickens and Kane knew this and they came an hour late. My husband ended up having to help them pack and we exceeded the amount of time we were allowed to use the elevator. We managed to get everything out of the apartment, but we ended up having some problems with management. The company they work with in Mauritius was horrible, but not Picken and Kansa fault. We paid for door to door delivery and the local movers did not want to do that and they tried to make up charged we needed to pay. Fortunately, Picken and Kane was available to communicate through email in a timely manner. We had some very minor damage that totaled a little under $200 USD. Since we opened everything before the local movers left, they took pictures of the items and we received money for the damage shortly after. Generally, moving companies tend to be incredibly u professional and a pain to deal with, but we had what I think was the best possible experience. read more

My son needed my help to get him moved across country -Hyde Park/Dolton (Chicago) to San Jose, Calif. Marni Wozniak, my move coordinator, Scott Leeson in sales, Montway Auto Transport made the experience a breeze. I would recommend them HIGHLY. read more

Earlier this month, our family completed a move from Chicago to Melbourne, Australia. Needless to say, it was an unbelievably exciting and tremendously stressful time for us. We chose Pickens-Kane mostly for their follow-up after my initial call -- we just felt a sense of confidence and comfort that the other providers didn't give us. We were a little concerned that we might not get the same service from the larger Allied network once things left Chicago, so we considered other global companies, but Pickens-Kane still seemed to rise above the others. It was a gut thing, but it wound up being exactly what we needed. What could have been a source of incredible stress went remarkably smoothly. Our things were packed in December, went on a truck, a train, a ship to Taiwan, another ship to Melbourne, got unpacked for Australian customs and quarantine, repacked on a truck and delivered to our new place in about 2 months door-to-door (which is impressive). NOT ONE single thing was broken. They didn't spill a Lego. I'm offering this review because, frankly, that shocked the heck out of me. Bottom line, the service was great. All of our calls and emails were answered immediately. Everything happened right on time. The crews were polite, capable and respectful (and really important for me, they kept things light on the packing and moving days -- some of the most anxiety-inducing days of my life). With so much of our lives in upheaval, not having to worry about our stuff was a gift. read more

Terrible experience with @alliedvl @PickensKane. Packers didn't follow instructions, driver didn't monitor crew, unpackers THREW goods on ground. WORST: almost $1,000 of coats were "lost." Months of fruitless emails. Company failed to investigate loss and honor insurance. read more

Pickens-Kane packed our goods for both an international move and domestic storage. Coordination of all aspects of the move - packing, storage, logistics went smoothly and professionally. The coordination team, drivers and packers were friendly, punctual, polite and completed the work as committed. Our goods were packed and handled well and received without damage. We have moved domestically and internationally many times and I would recommend Pickens-Kane services to friends and family. read more

Let me preface this by saying that I have not actually completed a move with them (not for lack of trying), but I feel that my experience on the front end warrants warning others about. I contacted Allied moving for a move from the Chicago suburbs to Carbondale Illinois, with a special circumstance that, with a rapid change in job, I only have one day to do the move so it has to be done in one day or cannot be done at all. I was trying to schedule this four months in advance so as to get things booked as soon as possible. I ask Allied if this is something they can accommodate, they say yes, and set up the in home appointment with the Pickens-Kane Representative. They only do these appointments during the week during business hours, so I move heaven, hell, and the worlds in between to make this work with my job and I meet with the representative. When he arrived, he had received no information from Allied about my special circumstances and initially thought that it could not work. Already I was upset because if they could not do what I needed them to do, then I would not have taken the time for the meeting. He says he will call in to see if they can do the move in one day, and fortunately he said they could do it. He sent the contract which I signed and sent the back the same night along with my payment information. At this point I am thinking how fortunate I am that everything worked out so smoothly. The next day, I get an email from the representative saying that they cannot do the move because he "did not mention that it was during the summer" (even though he verified the date to see if the one day move could happen, which does not make sense to me) and that the move is under the minimum weight for the summer busy season. If I want to continue working with them, I will have to pay another $1000 over the contract we signed the night before. At this point, I tell him that I am not in a position to pay for services that I am not using. However, even this brief encounter paints a pretty clear picture for me of a company that is disorganized, not thorough or detail oriented, and certainly has no interest in providing good service. Honestly, at this point while it is discouraging to be back to square one after putting so much time and effort into this, I cannot help but wonder if I dodged a bullet. Perhaps this is just my small rant, but I figured I would share my story for those of you shopping around for companies when there are so many out there. read more

If you can walk away from moving with a smile on your face, somebody deserves a gold star. I rarely do reviews, but I just feel I should share. This is the best moving experience I have ever had, and I have moved 15 times. The crew was highly professional and respectful. I have never been ma'am'd so much in my life. They helped us finish packing up our house, and moved us into a new home. Not only were they hard-working and diligent about packing our contents safely, but also they were kind and obliging when we moved into our new home. They were also so courteous with our neighbors that I was just blown away. We moved into a townhouse and needed to borrow part of our neighbor's driveway to make moving in easier (they have a slope to the back of the house, we have steep stairs), and they knew exactly how best to approach the situation. I wouldn't think to hire any other company for my next move. read more

Matthew Buckley and Sallie Pikrone were phenomenal to work with. We were treated as if we were top customers, when we know we were not big business. Our move from Chicago to Belgium was exhausting--we had a 2 year old, 3 year old and were expecting our third in a month's time. The crews on both sides of the ocean were excellent and our things arrived much faster than we expected. We appreciated that Matt was upfront about all costs, clarified every step of the process, and made sure we understood all of the options. Sallie made the process incredibly smooth overall. While it wasn't the cheapest quote we received, we were able to recognize the value of the Matt's experience and are thankful we went with Allied. It was worth every penny. read more

Just finished my 2 day move from Chicago to the suburbs and am very glad I picked this company. They were professional, helpful, friendly and careful with my stuff. With over 11,000 pounds including a piano and heavy antique furniture these guys never stopped moving. 6 hours out and 6 hours in they never let up. They took the stress out of a big move I was dreading. We were like family at the end. They even called me to say they found some very small shelf pieces on the truck when they got back and said it would be shipped immediatly to my new home. Highly recommend you use them. read more

Recently used them for a last minute, very stressful, corporate furniture delivery and they came through! They were timely, professional and economical. I could not thank them enough! I would call them again in a heartbeat :0) read more

these guys were great. they took great care of our stuff...wrapped everything in blankets and/or plastic. they were really friendly and SO quick! this move (from a 4 BR house to another 4 BR house 40 minutes away) was way faster than our previous move which was just from a 1 BR apt to a house just 15 minutes away!!! they were super-friendly and even made sure to ask us where we wanted everything. really great service for a good price. read more

I was building a custom house and put a very large amount of items in storage with Pickens-Kane for almost 3 years. It was a local move, from one area of Chicagoland to another. In total, between storage and moving costs, we spent in excess of $70,000 with them. When they were moving our possessions into our new house, 31 months later, they lost a $10,000 tapestry, and dropped and totaled a $7,000 Viking outdoor grill. Pickens-Kane did not dispute that their crew dropped and destroyed the grill. I informed them within a couple of days that the tapestry was missing, and asked them repeatedly to check the warehouse and trucks. Rolled up, it could have been mistaken for a packing blanket. In addition to this, several pieces of very expensive furniture were scratched, chipped, broken. About 6 people working in the house witnessed 2 of their movers try and force a $14000 desk into an elevator (the house is 4 levels and has an elevator) when it clearly was not fitting through the elevator door. The desk now has two large chips and a large gouge on the surface. In addition, there were, between broken dishes, decorative items, frames, about $2500 worth of damage, most of which I did not even try and claim. Their offer? $2500 total for all the damage and lost items, which amounts to about $35,000. That check came almost 5 months after the move and it took a lot of effort to even get it. I feel like a fool. I actually chose Pickens-Kane because they were by a wide margin the most expensive company. I thought that that meant they were better. They were the worst. I used most of my old furniture from my previous house (stored at Pickens-Kane). For the 20 or so new pieces I bought, I stored them at Affordable, who were a fraction of the cost. Joke's on me, Affordable did not have a scratch on anything. On a positive note, I needed several items pulled from storage in the last 12 months that they were in the warehouse. The suburban warehouse manager was super-efficient and nice to work with. The nightmare was the moving part, and the "claims department". To treat a customer, from whom they have made significant income, so poorly and unfairly, is beyond belief. Their so-called claims department was very unresponsive, curt and unhelpful. Took multiple emails and calls to get any response. They are really nice when trying to get your business, and want to have nothing to do with you if there's a problem. The sales rep who sold us our expensive job emailed me to say he was not allowed to communicate with us anymore. Unbelievable. Lesson learnt. I will not always equate price with quality again. read more

So easy to work with -- I had one coordinator (with a direct number) who handled my entire move. I had to keep pushing my delivery date back and they were very accommodating. The movers themselves were careful, too. Just under 2,000 miles and not so much as a chip in a martini glass! I'll definitely use them again. read more

You know that grinding outrage after you've been taken advantage of and there's nothing you can do about it? Such was our experience with Pickens-Kane. This company exhibited an astonishing degree of carelessness and incompetence in what was supposed to be a "turn key" move. They broke, lost and damaged our stuff and our new home. But that wasn't the worst of this miserable experience. Pickens-Kane's unpacking service inexplicably walked away midway through unpacking, leaving our garage and basement stacked with haphazardly packed boxes, many of which they'd labeled "odds'n'ends" or "miscellaneous". The only explanation they gave for their unfinished work? That the new place, nearly twice the square footage of the old one, was too small; they said they "ran out of room." After way too much discussion, Pickens-Kane offered us a thousand dollars compensation. We spent our two week vacation unpacking, filling out insurance forms and shaking our heads, exasperated. In summary: a move that could have bought us a new car bought us emotional pain, physical drain and immeasurable disappointment. Save yourself some trauma and find another mover. read more