PODS Moving & Storage

Worst experience ever! Started OK, pods had 2 containers delivered, I filled them and they were picked up. I paid for months of storage while my house was undergoing construction. Then when I needed my items returned to the same house PODS sent an ill trained driver without the proper skills and he couldn’t get the truck into my driveway. They had already been in this exact place 4 times, plus many large construction vehicles , dumpsters , etc. Nobody from PODS called me, my friend was on site and they were rude to her, they left without dropping the POD and refused to reschedule. The Norwood manager refused to speak to me, would not return my call, customer service was no help. I was forced to hire movers last minute on 4th July weekend which cost me $5k! Then I opened a claim with PODS, that was a joke. They took 8 weeks to come to the conclusion my situation wasn’t reimbursable. The Norwood manager gave the customer advocate false information, saying he spoke to me and informed me of the situation. Absolutely not true. I paid PODS in good faith and they literally took my money and refused to fulfill their side of the bargain. The worst! Find another business to move your things. The pictures are of 2 containers and a dumpster that were delivered onto my property after PODS. All these drivers could get into the driveway

It takes a lot for me to get this upset. And I am extremely upset. The Austin side of this move has been extremely easy. The Boston side of this move has been an absolute hellish nightmare for many reasons: 1. The Boston area location cannot apparently deliver the POD on ANY DAY OTHER THAN MONDAYS OR SATURDAYS. ??? 2. The Boston area location cannot apparently do same day drop off and pick up of a POD in the Boston area EVEN THOUGH IT'S A MAJOR CITY AND THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF RESTRICTIONS THAT GO ALONG WITH LEAVING A STORAGE CONTAINER STREET SIDE FOR LONGER THAN A FEW HOURS (similar to a moving truck) - what this means for me is leaving a POD in the loading dock area of my apartment. Which also isn't reasonable to ask my complex if I can take up their loading dock with deliveries, people moving in and out, trash, etc (I did ask anyway, fingers crossed and begging, but they could not accommodate). So, essentially, between points 1 and 2, I can't even use PODs alone to complete this move. 3. Every time I call, I get completely, COMPLETELY different answers to the questions I need to ask pertaining to my move. Which is extremely frustrating. Calling PODs one day and hearing "we only deliver Mondays and Saturdays" to hearing "no ma'am, we deliver Mondays through Saturdays" another time. Inconsistency is the QUICKEST way to lose customers to trust. How am I supposed to be able to trust your associates if I'm being given differing answers every time I call? So, I escalate. 4. When I escalate, I am given absolutely NO options. NO empathy whatsoever on the other end of the line. "Ma'am the supervisor is just going to tell you the same thing I am". Then what is the point of an escalation? If no one is even seemingly WILLING to help me, what is the point? I'm not kidding here - it has been like I've been talking to 15+ black holes. Zero help. Absolutely nothing. Mostly silence on the other end of the phone. And believe me, I have offered up plenty of ideas to see if they can accommodate ANY of them. They're all answered with no. What this terrible experience has left me is a partial move to Boston, with no conceivable way to get my things from A to B with consistency, any resemblance of customer service, and any options. Mostly just a "well we still have your money", "good luck finding anyone else to help you", "we can't do anything for you" attitudes. This review doesn't even come close to showing how absolutely disappointed I am, upset I am, how much anxiety I have about this experience and move with this company. Needless to say, I coordinated with an external local mover on my own, spending even more money out of pocket to make sure my long distance move can somehow be completed in a manner that fits the schedule I need. Because after all, that's why I'm using PODs, right??? And now I'm being given more restrictions by PODs about this company coming in to help me complete a move that PODs just can't get done (and clearly has no intention of assisting in doing so). I am at a loss for words for this experience. It makes me so sick that there are customer service teams out here like this, that this company feels like they can just disconnect from a customer like I'm just a drop in the bucket for them. I'm trying to re-coordinate with the other movers, seeing if there's something they can do to help this girl that's crying on the other end of the line to please help her because she's at a complete loss for what to do with her options. They currently can't help with a move another day, so this is still up in the air. But the local mover did offer options, did offer empathy, apologized multiple times that I was going through a tough time, told me that if I keep thinking positive that they're sure that things will work out for me in the end. Even though they're not currently able to meet my needs, at least they're human. Please please please do not use this company. Use someone local. Use someone that wants to help you. Use someone that wants to make sure you have a good experience throughout the entire process. It makes a world of difference.

unknown

Everything went OK in Georgia -- they delivered the POD and picked it up as planned.  Shipping to Norwood MA also went as planned, although communication with customer service was frustrating.  Wait times online were long, and reps didn't seem to have correct information.  When we called to schedule a delivery time, things got worse.  They charged us an extra month's rent, although we'd been told our delivery date was within the grace period.  So we had to file a complaint and get the charge removed.  The actual delivery attempt and follow-on went from bad to disastrous. Our original delivery window for Cambridge was 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM.  When I called that afternoon to confirm the time, I learned they had changed it to 3:30 PM - 6:30 PM without notifying us. The truck showed up at 8:30 PM, and the driver did not call 30 minutes ahead as promised.  The contraption he used for delivery was like something out of the 19th century:  it was rickety and did not hold the POD steady.  Whenever he moved the POD forward, it bounced out of a fastener and tilted.  In the end we had to abort the delivery, which was to a driveway next to a house,because all of us-- including the driver -- feared that the POD would damage the house or parked cars next to the driveway. The POD could not go in the street, as the city of Cambridge requires a full week's notice for a permit.  So I had to hire movers to go unload the POD at the storage facility. That started another nightmare with customer service.  Everyone I spoke with was polite and eager to help, but no one had correct information. First I learned that the storage facility was closed all day on the day after the move attempt (a Wednesday), but perhaps I could arrange to access the POD outside. Customers are not allowed to communicate directly with the storage facility, so the rep said he'd leave a VM and send an email to the facility.  I called back several times during the day, but no one from the warehouse had responded to customer service, and none of the reps I spoke with had any suggestions about how to solve my problem. So I had to sacrifice the $200 deposit I'd given the movers and reschedule for the next day, when the facility was open 8-3.  The movers had another move scheduled early in the day and could not arrive before closing, so again, a round of phone calls to ensure that the POD would be placed outside for them after hours.  When the CS rep finally reached someone at the warehouse, I was told that they need a signed letter requesting the after-hours POD placement.  Scrambled to write and fax it, then had to call twice to confirm that the warehouse received it.  I asked for a call to confirm that the POD had been placed outside, but no one responded.  So I ended up driving 45 minutes to the facility in Norwood before closing to ensure that the POD was actually out and accessible. When I arrived, I discovered that the POD was Wilmington, more than an hour's drive away.  Apparently the driver of the aborted delivery attempt two days earlier had been instructed to deposit it there -- but no one on the numerous calls I'd made bothered to tell me.  Fortunately, I was able to catch the movers just before they were about to leave for Norwood, Otherwise, they would have charged me for the useless trip.  So we all drove to Wilmington, found the POD, and completed the move.  In the end, it cost much more than planned, ate up hours and hours, and caused untold aggravation. 

unknown

Very good service - quick and easy. Much better than using a storage unit.

Provided a pod at our home for storage. The driver provided my husband with helpful hint in packing the POD.

I was very happy with the Pod it sat in my new driveway for 2 years  I had all hanging  clothes stored in there. No problem with smells or bugs stayed dry through 2 winters.

I think there monthly fee is a little pricey. But overall I would use them again and certainly recommend the Pod to anyone moving and store for a short or long time.

They did contact us quickly after we complained about the lines being knocked down but we had to resolve the issue. Also we had to wait a couple of weeks to get the invoices as they hadn't processed the paperwork. They'd managed to take the money on time though!

When  it came  time to move the pod, 4 wks later, it us with a 217.00 bill  to move.  Complained and advised that was what it was and would not move it if we did not pay it.   I would NEVER use them again.  It would of been much cheaper to use a storage place then a pod.  Don't use them, they are a total rip off.

They have flexible pricing.  They did what they said they would do when they said they would do it.  My belongings were not damaged at all.

PODS was professional, on time and fine when they delivered and picked up the pod each time. When I went to the storage place in Norwood to see if I could get something out of the pod, they were very helpful. The things had shifted in the pod and a few things were broken, but that was my fault due to using crummy boxes and poor packing. My one complaint is on the pricing. I was given a quote of over $200 a month for an 8x8x12 pod back in April 2010. I had the pod delivered, then picked up and stored for 8 months. I called at the end of that period to arrange for a larger unit. I found out that the price for the size pod I had been renting was higher in the peak period around late spring, but for the rest of the year dropped $40 per month. Nooone had told me this, and I had been charged $200 a month for the entire 10 months, instead of $160 per month for most of the time. I was unhappy with this and decided to rent a larger storage unit somewhere else after my time storing things with Pods.

The whole project went great. Very easy process. They drop off the POD in your driveway. After you have filled it up, you lock it and call them up and they come and pick it up and store it at a local facility. When you are ready to have your storage items, you can either go to the facility or they will drop the POD at your new location. They are very efficient.

Went great - Pods were delivered and picked up exactly when the company told us they would be... they were also very flexible as our dates for moving in kept changing, I probably changed pickup and delivery dates 5-6 times - they're always friendly and confirmed the updated info on email.

Always called back promptly. When we had a last minute schedule change, went out of the way to accomodate us.

The process of requesting price quotations and signing up for service was reasonable. If you ask for a better price once you are ready to sign-up, you may get it. They were willing to accomodate my request to store both containers in the same warehouse for my convenience, above and beyond their normal service.

Over all it went very smoothly. When dealing with any of their employees, you get the same feeling as at a Trader Joe's. The employees are so focused at customer service, you know they must be, in some way, compensated based on how happy customers are. Office help, drivers and call center representatives all seemed to be directed to go the extra mile to keep you happy. Given how much frustration there is with a move, I noticed and really appreciated this. We initially requested a quote over the internet. We got one, but that also generated a call from the local office. They were more aggressive in offering us a deal to make sure we used them over the other options we were considering. So before comparing quotes, make sure you speak to someone in the local office. Also, there was confusion a couple of times when dealing with the call center as to what we should be charged, as apparently they have various deals that change on a regular basis. Make sure they e-mail you the details of your deal, as the call center quoted us higher numbers on a couple things, but with the e-mail as documentation, they always stood by the initial quote and corrected the charges. All payments can be done on the internet. Deliveries, etc. can be checked their too. Pickups and deliveries were always timely and communicated well. Their automated systems called to give you a time the day before and the driver always called you just before. Driveways to both houses are narrow and strangely shaped, but this didn't seem to be an issue for their drivers. Everyone was courteous and helpful. I had to reschedule at the last minute one time and even though it wasn't within the time frame on their clearly stated policy, they still (at least in this instance) managed to accommodate me. If need be, I would definitely use them again. However, with the stress of buying, selling and moving, I'm hoping not to leave my new house until it's in a coffin :)

Delivery was quick and professional. The flatbed driver was amazing; he managed to back his truck up our driveway off of a narrow street.

I initially was going to book it online, but I had questions, so I called and spoke to a person. I did actually end up booking it online. I had asked the lady on the phone specifically about driveway clearances because we have a narrow driveway and she said that would not be a problem as long as it was flat enough for them to get the truck up. When the driver came to deliver the pod, he told me that they always say that because they are paid on commission. They were able to get the pod in our driveway but not where I had wanted it. It worked but it was a squeaker. I did feel the people on the phone were more about the sale and not as helpful as they could have been because I was very, very specific with measurements. The drivers were fantastic and it was amazing watching them do their delivery with their robot delivery machine. They were very competent and did as well as anybody could have done in the tight perimeter. The delivery was right on time and they were within the window they set for pickup. The cost was exactly as quoted and I think the price was fair. The phone part was very frustrating. Everyone was professional, even the lady on the phone.

I placed the order with PODS online, and the container was delivered the following day. There were two small problems with the delivery: the container was placed on the left side of our driveway, not the right, and a set of moving blankets that we had asked for was left out of the order. It took me several days to call and complain about the moving blankets, so there wasn't enough time to get blankets delivered separately. However, PODS did offer to do this to make up for the mistake. Overall, we have been very happy so far. We were able to pack up belongings and move them to the POD over the course of a week, allowing us to work when it was convenient for us. This was far easier than needing to move everything all at once. Also, we didn't have to hire a truck to get our things to the storage facility. Instead, the facility came to us. This way we only need to pack and unpack once, instead of packing at home, unpacking at the storage facility, then packing up again at the storage facility for the move back to the house. Since we still have not moved, I can't yet comment on how well our goods survived transport and storage. I will update my report after we have unpacked the POD.

My experience with them was good. When we arrived, we were not ready to unpack everything from the pod. I received everything in one piece.

They were excellent! They came on time and they removed the stuff on time. They claim that they have the technology that everything is level when the pod is moved, and I believe that the claim is right. I am very happy with them. I paid them for having the pod for a month.

There were some issues fitting the POD into my driveway (overhanging trees) and the driver was very helpful in suggesting an alternative location. Both delivery and pickup were on time and extremely quick and professional. Their website is also very useful. If nothing else, you will be amazed and entertained by the Podzilla in action.

We were putting our house on the market and wanted to get as much clutter out of the way as possible. With the POD, our belongings were safe, secure, dry and out of the way for over a month. The POD delivery truck is a cool contraption, and the POD itself is like a little locked room. We filled it up over the course of a few days, tied everything down, and it was taken away to storage for a month. Once we were in our new home, they brought the POD back, and we were able to take our time unloading it. The online delivery scheduling is a little clunky, but our overall experience was great!

THEY DELIVERED A POD. SHOWED ME HOW TO LOAD IT AND LOCK IT. PICKED IT UP AND BROUGHT TO NEW LOCATION. ALWAYS ON TIME. VERY PROFESSIONAL.