What Are the Common Issues with Renting from U-Haul and How Can They Be Avoided?

[enigma]

I'm moving Sunday morning. I have enough stuff that I need to rent a small truck. So, last Monday morning, I call U-Haul because I had no problems last time I moved. The guy picks up and says "please hold". Mind you this is 9:10am, and they open at 9. I'm on hold for 15 minutes. He never picks up. I give up, and figure I'll call back later.

At 10am, I call back. This time the guy says: "How can I help you?" "Do you have any 10 or 14 foot box-trucks available for a local move on Sunday morning?" "Hold on."

12 minutes later, I get a call from my boss on the other line, so I have to hang up.

I then call another location, figuring that that one is just shortstaffed. I'm on hold for a total of 13 minutes, but at least there, I'm told that they don't have any available. I'm told the 1-800 number to call which can check all the locations in the area (which wasn't in the phone book anywhere). I call the first location again, and after waiting on hold for 5 minutes, I give up and call the 800 number.

The person picks up almost immediately. "Do you have 10 foot box-trucks available for Sunday Morning? 14 foot would be OK too, if there aren't any." "No, I'm sorry. We do have cargo vans available." "Are they big enough to move a double bed?" ... checks... "Yes" I reserve one.

4 days go by. Today... Friday... At 5:17pm I get a message giving me the pickup location... and time...

My pickup is scheduled for 4PM on Sunday. You can return it Monday morning. Since when is 4PM in the morning? And, sorry... I need to work Monday morning. THATS WHY I F____ING ORDERED IT FOR SUNDAY MORNING!

So I call back. "No, we don't have anything available for pickup in the morning." "How about other locations? Other sizes? I'm flexible..." "Nope, nothing."



She didn't even freaking APOLOGIZE for her company screwing up my entire move! Now I'm supposed to find a truck (on musical hold right now)

on Friday evening;

after business hours;

on the last weekend of the month;

for a move in 2 days.



*Ohhhh... I'm a little hot right now*

It's going to be a loooooooong weekend.

 

[enigma]

So yeah... Don't rent with UHaul.

 

[Dagenais]

Wouldn't it have been more effective to just go to the U-Haul location and check after the 2nd call?

Maybe you may have better luck at their website:

http://www.uhaul.com/

 

[enigma]

Their website doesn't take reservations for local moves. I checked there first.

 

[DarkAnt]

Well if it makes you feel any better...

We (my family) took out a big U-Haul at the beginning of this year. While attempting to drive the beast back down my driveway the bottom edge of the hopper thing (you know the metal strip you stand on in the back that I can't remember its name). So my dad stopped the beast and we took a look. Couldn't get the thing to move, but lucky for us there was another truck behind us so
that truck rammed ours out. Big ol' chunk of metal on the bottom of the U-Haul
truck was ripped to pieces and there was a nice dent from the ramming.
They didn't charge us for any of the damages when we returned it.
So get out there and abuse a U-Haul!

 

[BoulderHead]

Enigma,
You might try the customer service number: 1-800-789-3638

If you explain what has happened to you and the situation you now find yourself in courtesy of their company, hopefully they will go to work for you and try to get you fixed up.

Good luck

 

[Evo]

Have you tried Ryder?

 

[Dagenais]

Their website doesn't take reservations for local moves. I checked there first.

Get your revenge and make some money while you're at it by writing a review about your experience:

http://www.epinions.com/hmgd-Moving_Services-All-U_Haul_Moving_Service/display_~reviews

Their overall rating is just 1 and a half stars...

 

[Moonbear]

You're right, UHaul is awful! I had a similar problem...reserved a truck for the morning of the day I needed to move, and it didn't come in until 10 PM! They kept telling me the trucks were late, they can't guarantee a time, etc. I ended up making enough of a fuss to get a discount, but that didn't help at all when all the people I had lined up to help me move had already gone to sleep and I was then left loading a truck, IN A SNOWSTORM, until 3 AM to need to wake up only 2 hours later to drive to another state to make it in time for closing on my house. I was supposed to tow my car, and the tow dolly they gave me was completely covered in ice and they made no effort to de-ice it and my car just slid right off when attempting to load it...so I wound up leaving my car and having to make an extra trip back to get my car (it was supposed to be a one-way trip). And you're right, they are not the least apologetic about it. I just tell EVERYONE I know not to use UHaul when they are moving (and I know a lot of people who move since I'm in academics and grad students and post-docs do a lot of moving). Friends of mine also had problems with UHaul. For a cross-country move, they were given a truck with nearly bald tires. In the middle of nowhere, one of the tires went flat, so had to wait for an hour or two for someone to come out and change the tire, then the next day, the air-conditioning died. I think there was something else they said went wrong too because they were going to just keep going without the AC but instead wound up again on the side of the road, that time needing to change trucks in the middle of a highway somewhere. They warned me then, but I thought it was just a one-time thing. I will NEVER use UHaul again. I've had good luck with Ryder and Penske. If you are just doing a local move, you might want to try a car rental place (like Enterprise...they are pretty cheap) and get a pick-up or large cargo van (I've done that for short moves) and do a few trips...better than waiting all day when there's nothing. Um, yeah, can you tell I've moved more than a few times?

Good luck! I can seriously empathize with you on this one. At least you got forewarning a few days in advance, I didn't get told until the day of my move they wouldn't come through with a truck (they were telling me they'd give me an extra day and a discount if I would wait until the next morning...yeah, that's really helpful when your lease is running out and you need to be in another state that next morning for a closing on a house!) Don't bother calling the 800 number to complain...all you'll get are coupons for your next move or free boxes...like you'd ever use them again even with a coupon, and who needs boxes AFTER they've moved?

 

[Kerrie]

don't have experience with uhaul, i typically rent Ryder. i did have an interesting experience with Budget-i drove from Portland Or to Phoenix Az for a long move several years ago. While driving through the CA/AZ desert, the emergency brake had been engaged-for hundreds of miles and I didn't even know it. There was no light indicating it was on, and I had my two year old daughter with me. I also could not figure out why it was getting half the gas mileage I was quoted. When I pulled into my destination in AZ and tried the reverse gear, it wouldn't go. I called the Budget people who sent out their mechanic. When he checked out what was wrong, the emergency brake literally crumbled in his hands and had told me he had no idea how I made it so far. I won't rent from Budget ever again, but I sure am grateful the truck made it through 1400 miles! Getting stuck in the desert with a young child and no access to a phone would have been a nightmare.

 

[Moonbear]

Enigma, I just double checked...Enterprise does rent cargo vans. If they do the same with vans as with cars, usually they will bring the vehicle to you or pick you up, so you don't even need to find someone to go with you to get the van. Same when you drop it off, they'll drive you back to your home or work or wherever you need to be taken after you drop it off. They are usually one of the more inexpensive car rental places and I've always had good experiences with their customer service. They have pick-up trucks too, but with a van you don't have to worry about rain. They might still have some left at the last minute since most people don't think about going to a car rental place to rent something for moving. Good luck!

 

[enigma]

Thanks for checking Moonbear.

I ended up finding a 15 footer from Budget. More expensive, but at least it's available and I didn't wait 15 minutes on hold.

 

[Evo]

Enigma. does one of your local tv stations have a consumer complaints segment? They do here and they would crucify U-haul if this kind of complaint was called in.

You should demand that U-Haul pay your moving expenses.

 

[Moonbear]

I think you should at least demand that UHaul pay the difference in cost since they couldn't provide what you requested at the time you reserved it for, forcing you to pay more with someone else at the last minute (find out from Budget if it would have been cheaper had you reserved last week when you reserved the UHaul...I'm sure they wouldn't mind providing something in writing to that effect if you get to stuff it to their competitor). Glad you found something. Just know you are not alone in the moving experiences (some of my friends told me I should write a moving how-to book...sort of half helpful hints, half humorous). What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

 

[Tsu]

Has anyone had experience with the "Starving Students" moving services that most colleges and universities have? I've had one person tell me that they were EXCELLENT, but this was about 20 years ago.

 

[Kerrie]

tsu, that is a great suggestion! enigma, just be sure budget has a truck with no major mechanical defects! i assume you aren't moving a far distance though.

 

[Monique]

I'd try to get back the money that you spent for extra expenses, threatening that you'll inform every single person you know how bad they are always got me my money

 

[Moonbear]

Tsunami, I don't know if anything like that still exists. The "starving students" moving services I'm familiar with is that all the grad students help each other with moves all for the small fee of pizza and beer and the assumption they will gather a similar crowd for their own next move.

When someone new joins my lab, we round up everyone and we all help with unloading those moving trucks (and we also help them load them back up when they graduate and move on, but by then they usually know enough people in the area to ask for help themselves). I've even had students and post-docs (and entire family) live in my house on a temporary basis just so they don't have to worry about where they are going to sleep if there's a gap between their moving date and when a new lease can start here, or just to spend a night so they don't have to stay up all night trying to get beds assembled and bathrooms cleaned and kitchens stocked on the first night in town. It's a lot easier to face that apt full of boxes after a good night's sleep. But, hey, I have two spare bedrooms plus a sofabed, so might as well use them. People have done the same for me when I was the poor student struggling to move myself across country, and when someone offers to do something to thank me, I tell them to just pay it forward because there will always be more people in the same situation. Now that I live in the middle of the US, I even offer that friends or friends of friends can stay here a night if they are passing through during a long-distance move and need a stopping point without having to resort to the flea-bag motels along interstates.

 

[Monique]

Oh wouw, your lab sounds like a great place to be part of. The place I worked at before had the exact same atmosphere, like a big family, where I also lived in with my mentors for a while :) It's really nice when people care for each other like that.

 

[BoulderHead]

I can give you a rough idea of what can go on with a company such as this;
Requesting a rental from one of the centers finds the employee looking to the pegboard of keys on the wall behind as well as their computer listing all vehicles on their lot, incoming times for current rentals in the field, etc. If a truck is not found they are likely instructed to accept your order anyway, kicking the matter to the people in traffic division (who monitor the movements of rental units nationwide) to fill the request. It may be the vehicle needed is already in town at another center, or is due to arrive in a timely manner such that your request can be filled (The customer may be instructed to pickup the vehicle at a different center, if convenient for him to do so). With this particular company, I believe the center is supposed to call you 24-hours in advance to inform you of any difficulty and if necessary ask if you would accept another, possibly larger, vehicle at the same rate (provided they can obtain one).

Of course, as so often happens in this life, things go awry; perhaps a truck due back with plenty of time to spare for inspection and cleaning prior to being released to a new customer is delayed in arriving. It could also come limping into the center with mechanical problems. In the rental business this can create a mad scramble to have it repaired before the customer arrives, yet it is possible the repair facility may be closed, field service personnel unavailable, part not available, repair time needed too great, etc.

Anyway, if you are of a mind to be persistent, complaining to the right people, you can likely expect some measure of compensation provided the complaint is justifiable.

 

[BoulderHead]

Has anyone had experience with the "Starving Students" moving services that most colleges and universities have? I've had one person tell me that they were EXCELLENT, but this was about 20 years ago.

Hired some once in Tucson, AZ. They were not starving and as it turned out were not students, either. Nice folks, but moved slowly as being paid by the hour seemed a good idea to them... until I informed them not all things that glitter turn out to be gold.

 

[Moonbear]

So, Enigma, how did the move go? Hopefully everything got transported and arrived in its new location in the same number of pieces and condition it started out in the former location. Take a long hot shower to soothe sore muscles and get a good night's sleep...the boxes won't go anywhere, really. Oh, and don't forget to set aside the obligatory one box that will not be unpacked until you're ready for your next move. Bad, bad, bad things will happen if you unpack that one...I don't know what, but the last person who ever unpacked that last box was never heard from again.

 

[Dagenais]

Enigma, I saw an interesting ad yesterday.

You might want to consider one of these.

I'd try to get back the money that you spent for extra expenses, threatening that you'll inform every single person you know how bad they are always got me my money

I don't think they care. They have tons of people telling them they suck on Epinions.com.

 

[loseyourname]

U-Haul gets so many complaints it isn't even funny. My ex-girlfriend once rented a truck from them that ran out of gas two miles down the highway (the gauge was faulty). We ended up blocking an offramp for forty minutes. Thankfully her father (who was a local attorney) knew the police officer that saw us first, and the officer diverted traffic for us and provided a second car for her father to go get us some gas.

Despite all this, I continue to see U-Haul trucks all over the roads. I can only conclude that they sold their souls to Satan.

 

[Zantra]

Hired some once in Tucson, AZ. They were not starving and as it turned out were not students, either. Nice folks, but moved slowly as being paid by the hour seemed a good idea to them... until I informed them not all things that glitter turn out to be gold.

I just used the "starving student" movers a few months ago myself. Just like boulder's experience, there's no truth in advertising. One of the guys was about 30 ish, the other one looked ready for retirement. I commented on this, and I got a chuckle and some lamenting about it being a "gimmick". They moved extremely slow, and their price per hour, as I later found out, was no rock bottom deal, although still competitive with other movers in the area.

Overall I'd say don't buy into the name-check around for the best rate before jumping onto the name bandwagon.

 

[enigma]

So, Enigma, how did the move go? Hopefully everything got transported and arrived in its new location in the same number of pieces and condition it started out in the former location.

Thanks for asking.

Yep, I'm moved in hooked up to the new network.

The dope at the rental place must have been hung over because he showed up to open the door an hour late. Luckily for him he said it could be back an hour later.

My buddy messed up my bed a bit (pushed it along the truck-bed so it's got splinters in one side from the wall guard and black stuff on the edge from the lip of the truck).

Other than that, the move was pretty un-eventful.

 

[Moonbear]

Glad you've got your network up...of course that's the most important thing, right? Sorry to hear the bed got messed up...that sucks since that's the one thing you really need to get intact when you are done moving...or at least the mattress. Though my first night in my house, I slept on a giant pile of blankets...made it somewhat nest-like...because I left my crappy old mattress at the dumpster of my apartment and figured I'd manage to sleep on the floor until I could get a brand new one delivered for me (why move a mattress if I wanted a new one anyway?). You know, after my moving ordeal, that pile of blankets was the most comfortable place I ever slept :-)

Anyway, glad it all went well.

I'm convinced that UHaul only stays in business because there actually are parts of the country where they are the only rental company, and/or because those few days a year when the students are making mass migrations from apartments near universities back home again or vice versa, when every other rental company is out of trucks, UHaul will still promise you one (even if you don't get it until the next day).

 

[enigma]

I'm convinced that UHaul only stays in business because...

Their trucks cost $50 less to rent than budget.

 

[Moonbear]

Their trucks cost $50 less to rent than budget.

I guess you can charge a lot less if you don't spend any money on maintenance and don't really worry about actually having the truck you promised the customer.

How was the Budget truck? Are they the ones with the funny moving tips on the side of the truck? I saw one that was hysterical (well, I'm easily amused, so actually find all of them pretty hilarious)...it had a stick figure with lines coming out of his mouth and a big sofa in front of him and the caption read something like "it's okay to curse at heavy furniture." I've never rented from Budget.

 

[Evo]

Here there are movers called "two guys and a truck". I've heard they are good and cheap. Sometimes if you have time to shop around, you may find a good deal.

 

[physics girl phd]

This time I'm moving! I'm using Mayflower TODAY (via a friend's recommendation). Like all moving companies, yes -- they are trouble. They are already one day late on the load -- but it will occur this afternoon (many friends thought I'd be lucky if they came next week!). The truck is currently at the state border (one of those large western states, so it'll take a while.) But you know... they're just taking my stuff... and I didn't want to use "friend movers", because, well, on the other end of the move, there is an apartment up four flights of stairs with NO elevator. And U-Haul really wouldn't be much cheaper once you threw in the gas.

So I'm entrusting the stuff to movers. It may or may not arrive at my destination... but it's only STUFF, and most of it from the thrift.

I on the other hand, get drive my overloaded prevandalized Bonneville (everything personal, breakable or electronic) with a very upset cat for 24 hours () ... until we arrive at the destination given in my profile. Yep -- Tennessee. I'm originally from Ohio, so my saying now is: You know you are in the south when KENTUCKY is to your north. But I like the idea of cheese grits 'n sweet tea.

Wish me luck. The cat, meanwhile, is sitting innocently in the window. She has NO idea what's coming: ach... eee... double hockey sticks.

After I get settled in, I'll let you know how it goes... I'll be AWOL for a while... but thinking of y'all.

 

[Evo]

This time I'm moving!

My keyboard is hosed, so just going to say good luck and hurry back!

 

[Moonbear]

Good luck with the move! It all depends on the crew you get how things go. When I used movers, it went well at the old house, with them really being careful and doing everything they were supposed to do, and the driver knew I was watching for every nick and dent (payment for damages comes out of the driver's share, which is what gives them incentive to make sure their crew is careful). Then, at the destination, everything started going wrong, from them not being able to get the truck up to the new place, to being a crewmember short, one of the other two guys on the crew was so old as to be nearly useless (I can lift more than he can...he should have been assigned to a packing crew, not a moving crew in his condition). They ended up having to repair several things, and that took forever! But, as you say, it's just stuff, and now that it's long past, given the difficulty of getting into this place (you can pick stairs from the front door, or a steep, downhill slope on wet grass to the back door), and the weight of some of my furniture, I don't think the "friends" movers would have been any better at it, even if they were trying to be more careful.

Moves were much easier when it was mostly garage-sale-purchased and hand-me-down furniture. First, there wasn't so much of it. Second, it was already beat up, so I could move it myself and nobody would notice a few extra scratches or dents. Third, you're not really attached to it and none of it matches anything, so if something gets irreparably damaged, you can just toss it and get another $20 replacement. While I still live the "gypsy" lifestyle, I got tired of my home looking like it, so finally started investing in good furniture, which makes moves a LOT more tedious and stressful.

 

[Moonbear]

My keyboard is hosed, so just going to say good luck and hurry back!

If you'd stop "hosing" it with your coffee while reading GD, it might work better.

 

[physics girl phd]

Cha-cha (the cat) and I have safely arrived in TN... my stuff is somewhere in transit