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.”
moving
Dish Network Sends Prepaid Return Boxes To Wrong Address Three Times, Bills For Unreturned Equipment
By 11.17.07
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:
Get Moving Boxes On The Cheap With Box Exchange
By 9.19.07
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.
Reserve Your Chelsea Mini Storage Space In Person, Or They Will Re-Negotiate Your Deal When You Arrive With The Movers
By 8.11.07
Reader Holly arrived at Chelsea Mini Storage with her movers, only to discover that the 7×10 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:
U-Haul Gets Mad If You Follow Their Directions, Park In A Ghetto
By 8.5.07
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:
Time Warner Disconnects Your Cable, Claims You Already Moved
By 8.3.07
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.
By 7.16.07
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Get a 10%-off Lowe’s coupon. [Lowesmoving.com]
Overcharged, Man Secures U-Haul Refund
By 7.10.07
Terry got overcharged for his U-Haul rental but by using three of the most basic tools in the consumerist toolkit, persistence, politeness, and escalation, he was able to get the amount refunded (plus an executive assistant contact number and name to boot).
How To Avoid Moving Scams
By 7.9.07
Gallant got recommendations from friends, and made the company agree on a “not to exceed” price for the move.
U-Haul Has History Of Losing Key Evidence When Sued
By 6.27.07
Central pieces of evidence have gone go missing when U-Haul gets sued, LAT reports in the 3rd part of its investigation into the do-it-yourself moving company. In 11 out of 10,000 lawsuits filed against the company since 1998, items such as faulty tires and rims at the core of the cases have vanished before or during trial.
U-Haul's Trucks Are Unsafe, Not Maintained
By 6.25.07
Part 2 in a LA Times investigation into U-Haul’s business practices and safety record isn’t any less bleak than part 1. The LA Times investigation has uncovered that U-Haul fails to properly maintain their aging fleet of vehicles while mechanics “hang paper” (forge safety inspections and repairs) to keep the trucks and the money rolling.
During a yearlong investigation, Times journalists surveyed more than 200 U-Haul trucks and trailers in California and other states and found that more than half were overdue for a company-mandated “safety certification,” a check of brakes, tires and other parts typically required every 30 days.
U-Haul Knowingly Rents Deadly Trailers
By 6.24.07
U-Haul knowingly rents unsafe tow trailers that have the potential to kill customers. A yearlong investigation by the L.A. Times found that U-Haul’s practices unnecessarily expose customers to the dangers of trailer sway.
Traveling downhill or shaken by a sharp turn or a gust of wind, a trailer can begin swinging so violently that only the most experienced — or fortunate — drivers can regain control and avoid catastrophe.
Trailers can sway when towed by vehicles lighter than the trailer. U-Haul regulations allows trailers to outweigh the tow-vehicle by up to 25%, openly flouting guidelines set by automakers. For instance, U-Haul allows a 2007 Crown Victoria to haul 4,400 pounds, even though Ford suggests that the 4,100 pound vehicle tow no more than 1,500 pounds. “Two U-Haul competitors, Penske and Budget only rent trailers to customers renting trucks heavier than the trailers. Safety is the reason.”
DISH Runs Away With Refund Spoon
By 6.14.07
UPDATE: 6/18/07:
Thank you for your help! However – I just wanted to let you know that I did finally receive the refund check in today’s mail. While it turned out your help wasn’t necessary after all, it was a great relief just knowing that you were there and willing to look into the situation.
8 Tips From A Moving Company
By 6.12.07
Here’s 8 tips to help make your next move smoother, and help nip customer/company disputes in the bud, provided by Tiffany of ASAP Van Lines:
ASAP Van Lines Dispute Resolved In Favor Of Consumer
By 6.6.07
The results of a reweigh yesterday showed that ASAP Van Lines mistakenly overcharged Candace for her shipment.
A Moving Scam That'll "Tare" You Up
By 6.1.07
One scam some moving companies use, reader Mark tells us, is to weigh with empty tanks, pick up the load, and add say 200 gallons of fuel. Then they use the heavier weight at the scale and charge you for the total.
Update On That ASAP Van Lines Dispute
By 5.30.07
The reweigh for the reader in a dispute with ASAP Van Lines over her moving bill has been moved forward to sometime after June 3rd .
Liberate Your Security Deposit By Acing Your Move-Out Inspection
By 5.27.07
Restoring an apartment can be easy, if done methodically. Thankfully, wikiHow has a useful room-by-room guide to help get your apartment spick-and-span.
