So much better than a moving truck
Written: Jul 17 '03
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Customer Service Experience: |
 |
|
|
Pros: Price, quality of dispatchers/service
Cons: Not planning your load can cost you money.
The Bottom Line: If you don't mind some labor and are generally not foolish in the way you pack, it beats renting a truck.
|
|
|
| bulldog123's Full Review: ABF U-Pack Moving |
I'm one of those guys who tends to write only when there is something wrong, but I want to give props to U-Pack. They deserve it. My move in one word: sweet.
The move:
Chicago to suburban Atlanta
The stuff:
a two-bedroom condo
The options:
Ryder - $651 + gas (5 mpg * 800 * 1.50/gl = $240) + insurance ($80) + tow dolly ($240) = approx. $1211
Full service mover - $5400-8400 depending on company
My total bill for U-Pack move ($930) including a ramp at the destination end ($75), an insured Penske 25' local rental to get my stuff to the terminal ($111), and 2 1/2 tanks of gas for our car ($40): $1156
My move was a little different in that we were moving out of a high rise in downtown Chicago. Although we were in a good neighborhood, it is generally not advisable, practical or legal to leave a big trailer on the street in Chicago for any period of time. So ABF offered me a hybrid option that is not on their website. A terminal-to-door move. We get our stuff to their terminal 12 miles away, we pack it, they bring it to the door of our new house. Fine. I still booked it on the website and got $25 off. Sweet.
Monday (Day before moving): I get the bad news that we can only reserve the elevator in our building from 3-6pm. I call the terminal where we are supposed to take our stuff.
Me: "Hey, we probably won't be there until 7pm. What time do you close?"
ABF: "We would like you to be done by dark so you don't get run over in the yard."
Me: "Crap."
Tuesday:
We finally get over to the truck yard around dusk. We were out of the way of traffic and with a Penske backed up to their trailer, it would have taken a mighty thin truck to get in there to run us over. No one cares about us being there late. Sweet. With arguably too many cooks in the kitchen, we finally finish about 1am using 20 feet of space. (The guy who helped me unload in Georgia, a former mover, told me we packed safely but inefficiently.) The wall was very easy to put up. I walk in the office, the guy comes out, measures the space (the trailer had marks on the wall so you could see where you were), I sign the paperwork and we're off.
Wednesday:
My fiance and I take our sweet time driving her car down here without worrying about the possible perils of driving big trucks in the dark on semi-mountainous roads. Again, sweet.
Thursday:
Get to the house, get online. Website says our stuff is in Ohio.
Friday: Our stuff is in Tennessee.
Saturday: Our stuff is on the way to Georgia.
Sunday: It's in town and ready to go out.
Monday: I call the guy and say, "Hey, we'd love to unload on Wednesday. Think I can have you sit on my stuff for a couple of days for free?" He says no problem. I ask for a ramp. He has a ramp. One more time, sweet.
Wednesday: Stuff shows up 1/2 hour past the 3 hour timeframe given. My only minor issue as I had volunteer help. I sign more papers, he drives tractor away. Take wall down as easily as we put it up. Stuff is 99.5% intact. We had two minor incidents of damage (minorly scratched dresser and minorly scratched shelving unit), but it was our packing that caused it. Two leather couches and a 32" TV all came without incident. Pack well. It's worth it.
Things I'd wish I'd have known:
One thing I would have liked to have checked was how much we saved by doing terminal-to-door as opposed to door-to-door. Since it wasn't feasible, I didn't check, but judging by prices others quote, I bet it was significant.
Overall impression:
I'd say it was a great experience. We probably overprotected things, if that is possible. We didn't do the tarp and nothing was dirty. Boxes rubbing together caused more dust than anything else. The people were great all the way around and for what you are buying, which is really UPS on a large scale, it's a good deal.
Recommended:
Yes
Punctuality: Showed up late
Ease of Filing Claim: N/A
Lost Goods: No
Amount Paid (US$): 1005
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
bulldog123
|
|
Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.