I recently relocated from the Tampa Bay area to Blacksburg, Virginia…read more
I shipped my belongings in a U-Haul "U-Box" (similar to a "pod"). The closest U-Haul facility to Blacksburg that accepts "U-Boxes" was about 45 miles away in Roanoke. Initially, the move went well. The "U-Box" was packed in Florida, shipped to Roanoke, and then stored in the U-Haul secure facility for two months until my apartment was available. I scheduled a 7:30 AM time to pick up my "U-Box" in Roanoke, reserved a specialized "U-Box" trailer and a full-size pickup truck to pull the trailer and "U-Box", and scheduled a moving company to be on-site in Blacksburg to unload the "U-Box" and move the contents into my apartment.
At 7:00AM I was on my way from Blacksburg to Roanoke when the U-Haul manager telephoned. He reported that the facility did NOT have the specialized "U-Box" trailer I'd reserved, but he'd try to find one. The manager mentioned that he didn't know when this might happen as they were busy.
I notified the moving company of the delay. The moving company was, understandably, not very happy that their scheduled morning activity suddenly disappeared. I waited until 10:30 am before I phoned U-Haul for an update, which did me absolutely no good at all because i was "on hold" for an hour, so I finally decided to drive the 45 miles to Roanoke to talk to someone "face-to-face".
I was on my way there when the manager called, said he'd found the appropriate "U-Box" trailer, and it would be ready to go by 1:00 PM, roughly 5 hours after it was supposed to be ready. I contacted the movers and updated them. Their comment was "We're busy. Text us when you are actually on site, and we'll TRY to work you in, but no promises".
I picked up the truck, the "U-Box" and the specialized "U-Box" trailer at 1:15 PM, in Roanoke and was back in Blacksburg by 2:00 PM. I contacted the movers, who told me that they were still busy, but WOULD work me in after they completed their afternoon job. The movers DID work me in at 5:00 PM, and I returned U-Haul's equipment by 7:00 PM. One day's rental= $100.
My experience suggests that customers have not only one, but several alternative plans should "Plan A" go sideways. It's also a good idea to have an extended window of time, like several days, to "make your move"
My "Plan A" was using a U-Haul "Moving Help" provider recommended on the U-Haul website to transport the "U-Box" from Roanoke to Blacksburg, unload the contents, and return the "U-Box" to Roanoke. At the last minute, the U-Haul provider declined the job, even though I paid $450 in advance.
Fortunately, I'd planned to be stiffed, and had reserved a pickup truck at U-Haul to transport the "U-Box" myself. I'd also found three other labor-only moving contractors on Craigslist, had contacted them for estimates, and had the contact information handy.
Incidentally, the U-Haul "Moving Help" provider that declined the job at the last minute (even though I'd paid $450 in advance) was "White Gloves".
I don't know why this happened. The company representative told me that they didn't do "U-Boxes", even though they were clearly listed on the website as being able to provide this service. I emailed this company twice to confirm the services needed, and got zero response. I texted twice, with similar results. A representative called me once and assured me that we were good to go, but called later, at the last minute, changing his mind. WTF?
It's worth noting that U-Haul is almost impossible to contact, and "Moving Help" is even more difficult. The only way I reached a representative was by posting a negative comment on Twitter.
So, think twice before using U-Haul, think several times before using "Moving Help", and have several backup plans, cash, and loads of patience!