Climate Control Storage and the U-haul Truck you ride in on
Written: Mar 23 '05 (Updated Mar 23 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: They're everywhere
Cons: Consistently poor customer service
The Bottom Line: I wouldn't use U-haul storage or trucks again even if it were free.
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| xyzwyatt's Full Review: U-Haul |
I tried the U-haul Climate Control Storage Center this summer because it was in a convenient location for me and it was air conditioned with video surveillance and a personal alarm. Living in a big city you hear a lot of stories in the newspaper and breaking into storage sheds was one of them. I felt this would be a safe place to store our treasures.
We really didn’t have to look hard to find U-haul conveniently located to the expressway. I needed a storage facility immediately so I didn’t have time to look around for the best rates, I picked the first thing I saw. I called the U-haul storage facility and they agreed to hold the storage room for me.
I was in a hurry to have my items unloaded when I went to check in at the storage facility. I’ve used storage four times in the past and it was very simple to sign in. This however, was not simple. There were 2 employees working the desk and two customers were already being served. I waited for 30 minutes for my turn because they were unable to please the customers in front of me. One lady had just finished telling off the lady behind the desk and the manager because of their blatant disrespect, the other customer was complaining because the vehicle was not safe to pull off of the lot. Both customers left fuming, nice job and real impressive for the rest of us waiting in line. Instead of an apology for the wait and scene they proceeded to talk negatively about the customers to each other after the customers left disregarding that I'm even standing there. Very unprofessional.
I finally got to my turn and was immediately turned off by how much information I had to give them. I had to give them a relatives address and phone number, my identification, and several other phone numbers.
They offer inside and outside storage in three sizes
Sizes
5 x 5 -- $35 outside; $40 with climate
5 x 10 -- $60 outside; $70 with climate
10 x 10 -- $100 outside; $120 with climate
10 x 15 -- $140 outside; $165 with climate
(I dont' know if prices vary at differnt locations, there were the ones I had to choose from)
I got the largest room and the only one that they had left which was a 10x15. I was very nervous that it wouldn’t all fit luckily it was just big enough.
I brought my own lock because I had a nice new one and was told that I was not allowed to use it. I was only allowed to use the one that they sold. So I had to buy a round U-haul style lock or go without a lock at all. I had no choice than to pay the $10 for another lock.
Another rip-off charge they tacked on was the Premier Customer Club Feefor $10 which gave me absolutely no benefits and was absolutely required. The person in front of me already went round in circles about it so I just let it slide since I was paying my movers waiting for me outside by the hour.
In addition, I had to pay them $16 a month and the rate is different for higher amounts for the insurance if I wanted reimbursement for the items in the event something happened. If not you have to sign a document waiving U-hauls responsibility for everything.
Your payment is due every 30 days and if you don’t pay in time they’ll slap a lock on your room and you won’t be able to get in and a $15 late fee will apply. If you don’t pay after the due date you’ll be charged $30. After that there’s a $50 lien processing fee and they sell all of your stuff.
The facility looks nice. They have a video surveillance and an alarm on every door. If you bump a door the alarm goes off. When you walk down a dark hallway the motion sensors detect you and all the lights go on. There is a freight elevator in the middle. The climate is adjusted so you won’t have to worry about heat damage.
Hours are Monday through Thursday from 7AM till 7PM. Friday 7AM – 8PM and Sunday 9AM – 5PM. You are not allowed in the building at any other time.
We pulled the vehicle up to the unloading dock. Sometimes there were so many people at the dock that someone had to wait before they could unload. Most of the people were moving companies so were pretty swift and courteous.
The folks that were not from local moving companies were rude as can be and held the elevator open and swiped all the dollies. Apparently that sort of thing happens a lot. Glad I wasn't upstairs.
There are free dollies to use at the entrance however you will be charged a $15 fee if you don’t return it to the front.
There is a dumpster on the property but you have to pay to use it and there will be a fine tacked to your bill if you use it without permission.
Once I finished moving out of the storage room I went to the front to sign out and the said okay that’s all. Indicated that I wanted a receipt and they said they couldn’t give me one. I thought to myself that as long as they have forced me to sign a contract that said they can automatically bill my credit card on file they most certainly will give me a receipt. I said nicely that I needed one and they sent someone to check my room and then printed me off a receipt. I didn't have any billing errors on my credit card.
This is what you sign and you have no choice: I have authorized U-haul to automatically charge my credit card every month for all charges associated with my room (cardholder agrees to notify U-haul of any changes to the credit card information (account number and expiration).
In the end it cost me $165 a month for a weeks worth of storage. The private company that I used previously was $80 a month and I was much happier with their service and customer relations than with U-haul. The bottom line is I will never use their facility again because the charges are crazy and the employees are rude and belligerent.
The truck you rode in on
We have rented many rental trucks in the past and you will find that they are the cheapest in town. Most people move on the weekend so scheduling the truck in advance may be necessary.
I have not had any problems renting the truck. Once you schedule your truck you go in to the store and sign it out. They have lots of things that you can rent to help assist in your move such as an appliance dolly, a standard dolly, padding, and an appliance to drain your waterbed.
You can buy boxes from the showroom at any time however I have found that their boxes aren’t very good. I prefer Public Storage boxes because they’re stronger and easier to read. Sorry U-haul, you can’t seem to do anything right.
If you are moving a waterbed the waterbed appliance is the best because it is impossible to get all the water out of the mattress coils and too heavy to lift if you don’t. This $10 rental saves a lot of time and headache.
Prices are based on size of truck, amount of days, distance traveled, and the amount of insurance that you elect. Moving accessories can also be rented at an additional price and will be ready for you in your truck when you pick it up. You will be expected to fill the gas back to the same level that you received it.
Their paperwork claims if you have a problem with your vehicle just call them and they’ll come to you to fix it. Once we finished loading up our truck we noticed that one of the brake lights didn’t work so immediately called U-haul. They sent someone out immediately who said that they couldn’t fix it and it would be okay to drive like that. What!? It’s against the law first of all and absolutely insane to drive with a missing break light. The man tried a little harder to fix it and had it working in about three minutes.
Their website is very helpful. It does require signing up but they don’t send spam. It is well organized and we have made our reservations through the website in the past. It will give you rates and availability. You can use it for quotes or to reserve. I would highly recommend this method because customer service seems to be lacking in customer care and you will save yourself frustration by doing it yourself.
I would also recommend picking up your vehicle the night before if possible because the lines in the morning are very long. You pay a small deposit for the truck, for the service, and the deposit is refunded promptly.
The last truck we had with them was so rickety it didn’t sound like it would run and in fact stalled out in the middle of the road. It was extremely wobbly and seemed completely unsafe to be on the road. We swore never to use a U-haul truck ever again and have since used others and are certainly worth a few more bucks.
Calling in for questions to be answered and returning the rickety old truck was also a huge problem because the lady who was working that day did not speak English. It took three of us to communicate to her and no one had any idea what she was saying. This was far more than just an accent.
I personally have decided not to use Uhaul again because I have been disappointed too many times. Even with lower prices on trucks I find them unsafe. I will never sign the rental agreement for the storage facility ever again. Above all, their customer service has been consistently nasty and I just don’t need the added stress when I move.
I have checked the Better Business Bureau ( www.bbb.org ) and they do have a satisfactory rating in all of the states that I have rented in and very few complaints filed.
I suppose I would recommend U-haul for in town moves however I would never recommend this for out of town moves. I also would not recommend the storage facility because you pay a lot more for a bigger hassle. They are currently running a special that you can get the first month for free if you also rent a U-haul.
Related reviews:
Atlas Van Lines
Two Men & A Truck
Choosing a moving company
Recommended:
No
Punctuality: Showed up on time
Ease of Filing Claim: N/A
Lost Goods: No
Amount Paid (US$): 175/month
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Epinions.com ID:
xyzwyatt
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Location: Nashville, TN
Reviews written: 542
Trusted by: 171 members
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