I contracted with U-Pack in Denver to move my possessions from Denver to the Bay Area. I have moved out-of-state at least ten times so it's fair to say I have seen it all. I thought I would make my life easier by contracting someone to move the belongings for me. This was one of the worst decisions I have ever made. I have captured here the BIGGEST problems I experiences - this isn't even a comprehensive list.
The initial conversations with the reservationist and subsequent emails regarding planning for the move appeared to be very professional and appealing for my move. It seemed like a good deal and comparable to PODS. However, several characteristics that appeared favorable turned out to be misrepresentations or flat-out lies. We were told that the trucking company could provide a two hour window for delivery and pickup of the trailer for packing and unpacking, but ABF said that was not possible. The written materials also state a two hour window is possible, but they do not note that is extra cost with special booking, and the price difference was never mentioned during booking. The ABF dispatcher in Oakland said that it was not possible to provide a shorter window than 4 hours, and was surprised to hear that U-Pack was quoting that info to clients. This also caused significant problems for scheduling movers. We scheduled movers based on when the truck was supposed to be delivered only for ABF (the freight company that handles transit for U-Pack) to deliver the truck very late.
Secondly, the reservationist and the written materials state that the trailer uses only 3-4 parking spaces but could need more to maneuver the trailer into place. The driver who delivered the trailer said the trailer would need 4-5 places, which were not available in my complex's small parking lot. The caused me extra expense because the movers had to travel across the street. If you are moving to and from a location with significant parking options, this may not be a problem, but if you will be in an urban area or a location with parking restrictions on either end of your move, I highly advise you go with someone else.
I also had no place to leave the truck overnight but when I booked, I was told they could schedule same-day pickup for the truck, but the day of, they refused to come. I called customer service and the rep yelled at ME for not understanding the company policies and made no effort to work with me on the issue.
Due to the poor materials provided by ABF my belongings in the trailer incurred significant damage. ABF provided warped bulkheads in Denver, tried to change them out after the packing, and caused several items to be severely damaged or broken when falling. They tried to re-pack my belonging in a completely illogically way - for example, they put the TV at an angle stacked on top of several pillows, such that it almost fell down when we opened the truck When the ABF rep called me to notify me of the damage, the rep flat out admitted they never should have used those bulkheads... Yet ABF refused to admit their negligence when I filed a claim.
ABF/U-Pack it did not provide a ramp when the trailer was delivered for unpacking - the written materials clearly state that one would be provided. We had to unload everything off the back of the truck, which is about 4.5 feet off the ground, which is really tricky when you are dealing with heavy items.
When delivering the truck in CA, I was told it would arrive between 8am and 11am... It finally came at 5pm, after I had already hired movers and had to send them home after paying a cancellation fee. Again, with every single instance of needing to work with the freight company, they blatantly misrepresented things and cost me significantly more money as a result.
On the positive side, both drivers for delivering the trailer were knowledgeable and helpful and the transit time from CO to CA was accurately quoted. (I always try to note at least one positive, though I have never had to rack my brain for something more so than I did here.)
All in all, U-Pack/ABF was a complete waste of my money. Their job is to make moving easier and less stressful, but they caused me significant added stress from Day 1. I would not recommend this company to anyone under any circumstances. read more