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Don't Be Stupid
Posts Tagged “
Moving
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Don't Be Stupid
uhaul
Angry U-Haul Manager Says You Stole A Truck
Now that it's summer, many people are doing the moving thing. For some, this might mean renting a truck or trailer from U-Haul, like reader Ryan. He reserved a truck from U-Haul online well in advance of his move, but when he went in for pickup was told none were available. Ryan called corporate, who called the store and convinced the surly manager to give Ryan a truck. Three days after Ryan returned the truck, he got this voicemail from from U-Haul: “This is Alexandria U-Haul Rentals. Your rental truck was due three days ago and you haven't returned it. If you don't return our truck today I will call the police." See how Ryan handled the situation, inside. More »
moving disaster
Broadway Express Responds With More Information About The Moving Disaster
The moving company responsible for the moving disaster that we mentioned the other day has written in to share some information about the way insurance works in the event of such a catastrophe. More »
moving disaster
What Do You Do When Your Moving Company Destroys Everything You Own?
What should you do when you carefully pack all of your belongings into a truck for a cross country move and the driver promptly drives under a bridge that's a couple feet shorter than said truck? That's the question that one couple is asking after their move from Boston to Oakland, CA went horribly awry. They shared their story with a Boston alumni email list and one user posted it to LiveJournal. Their letter, plus a gallery of photos generously donated by eyewitness (and Flickr user) K a t m, inside. More »
complaints
Ultimate Van Lines Holds Belongings Hostage
More »Dear Consumerist,
We hired Ultimate Van lines, based in Dallas, TX, in April 2008, to transport our furniture and other household property from Fortville, IN to Lake Forest, CA, with an estimated delivery time of 7-10 days after pickup. Pickup in Fortville, IN occurred on 4/29/08. They have still not delivered our property to us as of 5/24/08.
nightmare
Storage Company Disappears With Everything You Own
Kyle wrote in looking for advice after a storage company disappeared with everything they owned:Short story: We had 8160 pounds of personal items in storage with Wright Way Moving & Storage of Kent, Washington (not a self-storage place, a pallet-style warehouse storage place). They stopped sending bills. We called to find out why. Their number is disconnected, and their building appears abandoned. We have 1) filed a police report 2) informed our insurance company, and 3) contacted the military to find out if they can help us.
More »
invincible savings
Save 10% on your visit to Best Buy by bringing along this printable, reusable coupon that doesn't seem to expire. The coupon is accessible to the public, but it is meant to serve as a chintzy government house-warming gift from the Post Office to people who recently moved.
More »
This Reusable Best Buy Coupon For 10% Off Does Not Expire
Save 10% on your visit to Best Buy by bringing along this printable, reusable coupon that doesn't seem to expire. The coupon is accessible to the public, but it is meant to serve as a chintzy government house-warming gift from the Post Office to people who recently moved.
More »
moving
Uhaul Dealer's Tips For Happier Renting
A U-haul manager shared with us his tips for having a better experience when you rent with them:
- Book well in advance( at least a week) with a MAJOR credit card
- If you reserve through the 1800 number, get your reservation number and call back a day or 2 before to find where to pick up your equipment. Do not wait for someone to call you.
- When you pick up, bring your drivers license and credit or debit card. It makes things easier for everyone.
- If you know a location that you prefer to pickup or drop off, let uHaul or the dealer know.
- Take the insurance, but only if you are not covered by your auto policy. No credit card will cover damage.
What about all those tales about broken and poorly maintained trucks? His thoughts, inside... More »
leaks
Uhaul To Start Charging $1-$5 "Environmental Fee"
Uhaul is going to start charging customers a $1-$5 fee to defray the cost of throwing away the various nasty junks associated with its rental business, according to an anonymous store manager. It will be called an "Environmental Fee." Ok, whatever, but we like the rebuttal supplied in the Q & A for Uhaul managers in case a customer complaints: "Do you want clean air and water thirty or fifty years from now? If so, pitch in." Nice, avoid raising upfront prices and get customers to cover your operating expenses through the power of guilt. Full text of the announcement, inside...
More »
phone numbers
Uhaul CEO's Cellphone Number
The CEO of Uhaul gave out his cellphone number last night on an episode of Inside Edition, inviting consumers to call with complaints or questions. Joe Shoen explained saying, "People can't get this organization to behave, I can." That number is 602-390-6525.
(Thanks to le-garce!)
scams
14 Moving Company Crooks Indicted
A federal court handed down indictments against 14 moving company employees for extorting money from customers. Allegedly, they would sucker people in with low estimates, then ask for much more money on delivery, and not release the goods until the price was paid. Of all the moving company complaints we receive at The Consumerist, this one is the most common. It's always important to check out a moving company's rep beforehand; ask friends for recommendations, look up their BBB report, and see if they're talked about on sites like MovingScam.com and MovingSham.com. Don't just go for whoever is cheapest, a low-price could end up costing you a lot.
Feds crack down on moving industry [San Jose Mercury News]
RELATED: How To Find a Reputable Mover
(Photo: Getty)
class actions
U-Haul To Pay California Customers $50 For Failing To Honor A Guaranteed Reservation
U-Haul has settled a class-action suit by agreeing to pay customers $50 each time they fail to honor a confirmed reservation. The settlement comes after an appeals court agreed that the rental giant had "engaged in fraudulent practices." More »
moving
Dish Network Sends Prepaid Return Boxes To Wrong Address Three Times, Bills For Unreturned Equipment
Reader Ryan called the Dish Network three weeks before moving to disconnect his service. Dish graciously offered to send prepaid return boxes for his equipment, but instead of sending them to Ryan's new address, Dish sent them to his old address. Three times. Oddly, Dish managed to properly address a bill to Ryan's new address. Ryan writes: More »
saving money
Get Moving Boxes On The Cheap With Box Exchange
We're going to say something positive about U-Haul! No, not about the company (it has a rich history of complaints on our blog), but about the community trading service they've enabled on their "U-Haul Box Exchange" forum where people give away or sell their boxes after they've moved—although hopefully you won't find an unpacked baby in any used boxes you get your hands on. More »
ticky-tacky boxes
Reserve Your Chelsea Mini Storage Space In Person, Or They Will Re-Negotiate Your Deal When You Arrive With The Movers
Reader Holly arrived at Chelsea Mini Storage with her movers, only to discover that the 7x10 storage space she had reserved over the phone was unavailable. Chelsea Mini Storage gave Holly a simple choice: deal with a smaller space for the same price, or pay nearly twice as much for a larger unit. Holly writes: More »
moving
U-Haul Gets Mad If You Follow Their Directions, Park In A Ghetto
Willie wasn't sure why U-Haul told him to park his rental truck in a poorly lit, fenced-off gas station lot that was clearly under construction, but he figured he had the right place when he saw several other U-Haul trucks in a closed pen nearby; Willie parked next to the pen, locked his rental, and got the hell out of there; when Willie told U-Haul he returned their truck as per their instructions, "they try to tell us it is our fault and we would be charged for this....for what? For doing exactly what they said. Exactly." Now U-Haul wants $1,700: More »
whoops
Time Warner Disconnects Your Cable, Claims You Already Moved
Time Warner tried to convince Ryan that he had already moved after prematurely disconnecting his cable service. Ryan hadn't even told Time Warner he was moving. His house's new owner, who hadn't yet finalized his purchase, merely told Time Warner he wasn't interested in their services. Ryan writes:My wife and I have been subscribers of Time Warner Cable (digital cable + internet service) for over 3 years. We haven't had problems as big as most, but we've still had our issues here and there. Yesterday's happenings, however, take the cake.More »
Get a 10%-off Lowe's coupon. [Lowesmoving.com]
