PODS Enterprises, Inc. Consumer Reviews - Page 2

I used PODS in the year 2000 and had a "fond memory" of the experience. It made my simple local move easier because I didn't have to rush to get everything done in a day. My memory of the time was no more than this, however. In 2006, I was fortunate to find another service that was cheaper... The Mobile Attic of Tampa Bay. The unit was ALL METAL construction and was very secure. I felt very confident in placing my belongings in that unit, again for a local move. It was a great experience. I was very happy with that company.

When I moved again in 2007 (yes... I've been moving a lot lately), I discovered that the Mobile Attic couldn't cross county lines (they are in Pinellas County... I moved to Pasco County), so I was unable to use them and just went with renting a truck. Then I thought a window had opened for me to move across country from Florida to California, which is "home" for me. I had a vague memory that PODS was pretty good and then discovered that they moved across country. It was the perfect answer to not having to drive a truck and my car across country.

I made the arrangements and the PODS unit was set to be delivered on Friday, 9/11. When my plans for moving to CA fell through, I called PODS and explained the situation. They readily cancelled my first reservation and started a second. In all of my communications with PODS, whether via phone or e-mail, all they ever told me was that there would be an additional "final pickup" fee, but NEVER said how much it would be. The initial delivery fee was $48.50. I just assumed it would be that, plus whatever mileage difference from the first delivery. This is just a little background on this fee.

When the PODS unit was delivered on 9/11, I was completely dismayed by the condition and construction of the unit. It wasn't what I recalled at all. It had a corrugated plastic roof and wood floor with 4x4" beams as the "framing" for the metal sides and plastic roof. I was not happy. Oh, it was also much smaller than I remembered and compared to the Mobile Attic container I had used previously.

My first thought was, "Thank God this isn't going across country!" My second thought was, "All my stuff would never have fit in here!" I thought about it more over the weekend and decided that I couldn't risk placing my furniture and other belongings in that unit for any extended period of time (I had planned for the "move" pickup three weeks later). There was absolutely no protection from the humidity, which is extreme this time of year. I just didn't have any confidence in the unit at all. It just scared me. After reading the posts on this website, I know I made the right decision.

Here's where the fun begins. I called first thing on Monday, 9/14, to tell them how I felt and to find out what my options were. They told me there would be a final pickup fee of $82.50 plus tax or $88.28, but that I would "get the rest back." They had already charged my credit card $170.94. I figured I might get the other $30 credited back to my credit card.

I asked them to explain why it was so much more than the initial delivery fee, especially since the unit was in its original location. They said something about giving people a break in the beginning to "get them started" and then they recoup it in the final pickup fee. I was incensed! I asked again for her to explain the fee and she said that the fees were set locally. I asked her to have someone locally call me so I could discuss it with them. No one ever called me.

Today I looked at my credit card account online and the $88.28 was in addition to the original fee they charged! I received an invoice in the mail today for the original $170.94. On it was a reminder statement letting me know that there would be a delivery charge imposed at the time of final pickup, the base of which would be $69 and included 20 miles. Any excess miles would be billed at $2.25/mile. There was also a phone number to call for any questions, which I had several.

I asked the first person I spoke to how the $88.28 broke down and how the $69 base fee played into the total. Since the location was unchanged, I needed to know if the 20 miles that was covered had to do with the distance from where the unit was being taken back to and just where that was exactly. She couldn't answer either of my questions and couldn't define the fees I was being charged. She couldn't help me AT ALL. I asked her to please get someone on the phone who could answer my questions. I got a supposed supervisor named **.

All she could do was reiterate what the first woman had told me, but with far more attitude. Yes, I was frustrated and angry... I'll admit that. They both just talked in circles around my questions. When I asked ** if there was someone in management that I could speak to, she simply said, "No." I said, "So you're it for me?" She said, "Yes." I said, "So you're the top of the food chain at PODS?" and she said, "Yes." I told her flat out that I didn't believe her, not for a second. I was livid.

I don't know how this whole thing will play out, but the fact that I paid $260 to have a PODS unit sit in my yard for three days without even having been touched is absolutely ridiculous and outrageous. Although I realize this is not an enormous amount of money, it's a big deal to me, which is all that matters.

I sent an e-mail to a "consumer resolution" e-mail address I found on this site. There was another phone number published all over their website, but it's not a working number (866-229-4160). That's when I started looking for a website like this. We'll see what happens. Wish I had looked for this website BEFORE I made my first reservation. I'm SO GLAD my move ended up being local!

WHITE MARSH, MARYLAND -- I called PODS to find out about their services. They said they would deliver a POD to my current address, pick up the POD and take it back to their storage center and then deliver to my new location. I was asked about where I was moving to. I informed them that I was moving to zip code PA. They did not inform me of any limitations with that move. I schedule delivery of my POD to my old address in MD for Friday, 24 Aug 2012. They delivered it on time. I scheduled pick up on Monday, 27 Aug 2012. They picked it up on time.

On 30 Aug 2012, I called PODS to schedule delivery to my new address in PA. They informed me that the only dates they had available were 11 Sept or 13 Sept. I asked for something earlier, but they did not have anything. I hung up and later received confirmation in my email. However, upon inspection of the email, I noticed the address was incorrect. So, I called back to correct that. During this call I was notified that the reason they only had, at the earliest, 11 or 13 Sept was because the Baltimore (White Marsh) location was only open on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

So, I asked to speak to a supervisor. I explained that I was never told that there was such a limitation when I originally signed up with PODS. She apologized and said she would contact the location. She then told me that when she tried to contact them, nobody answered because of the time of day. She said she left a voicemail and sent emails. She said she was off on Friday 31 Aug, but she would let me know if anything could be done for me by Saturday. I was not satisfied with waiting until Saturday, so I called back on Friday 31 Aug and spoke with a different team leader/supervisor. I explained that I was never informed at time of original order.

She said she would call the location to see if they could do anything for me. After a minute she came back and said there was nothing they could do for me except put me on a wait list in case someone cancels. She said she would also check on my account to see if anything changes. I then asked about why I was not informed of such a limitation. She said because the customer service representatives do not see those delivery limitations until the schedule the delivery. I had to tell customer service where I would want final delivery, but I guess they do not take the time to find out any limitations.

However, I was informed that this location has this limitation for the foreseeable future. It is not as if this limitation changes on a daily or weekly basis. Had I been aware of this limitation, I would have never used PODS. I feel like I have been deceived by this practice. Simply because there computers do not list these limitations at time of original orders, my wife and I have to be severely inconvenienced and not move into our new house completely until a week after we originally have planned. We went with PODS, which is more expensive than other options, because it was sold to me as the most convenient option.

However, due to these limitations that were never explained it is anything but convenient. When I suggested they pay a driver extra money to work longer and deliver my POD on a different day, that was not even entertained. I felt like PODS was holding my property hostage. I cannot state this enough, I would have never used PODS if I knew about the limited delivery days when I placed the initial order. If anything is a great example of deceptive practices, this is it. On the PODS website under the long distance moving and storage, there is a FAQ that states, "Do you pick-up and deliver on weekends?"

PODS operates all locations 6 days per week and in some locations 7 days. We recognize the need to offer loading and unloading flexibility and we do not limit the time the PODS container can stay on your property. Local ordinances may be applicable. You may want to check with your local authorities." My move was approximately 1 hour from White Marsh, but I was told that because of the distance, the only days the White Marsh location delivers are Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is in direct contrast with the information on the website which states they are open 6 days a week. This information would have been helpful when I initially placed my order.

Like I mentioned earlier, with these limitations, I would have chosen a different route and not used PODS. Everything with PODS is computerized. How can these limitations not pop up on the customer service representative's screen when a customer tells them where they live and where they are moving to??? This mystery baffles me. I highly recommend to anybody that asks that they avoid PODS and go with something more reliable and affordable. PODS deceived me and from the different reviews I read, seems to have deceived others too. The company does not seem to care and the individuals I spoke to offered a hollow apology trying to get me off of the phone.

Horrendous service from PODS. This company just cannot get their act together. After dropping the ball multiple times throughout this process, PODS has made the delivery almost unbearable. Every time I called them to check on delivery of the empty POD, pick-up of the packed POD, etc. I found that they either incorrectly recorded my information from the previous call or didn't take the information down at all. If you are game to use them (I never will again), you MUST call and confirm and call again and reconfirm every thing they say they will do. My POD delivery was scheduled three weeks ago for yesterday (Friday).

They called the night before (Thursday) to say they had too many orders to deliver and would deliver Saturday instead. I mildly complained (by this point they have really beaten me down) to no avail. I called them this morning (Saturday) to confirm the delivery. PODS gives you a 3 hour window and tell you they will call 30 minutes in advance. I reconfirmed (had done this before) that I did not need to be present for delivery. They confirmed I did not need to be here. I had a meeting about 20 minutes away and planned to leave to return once hearing from the driver, but wanted to be certain that they would deliver just in case.

I confirmed that the driver would be calling me 30 minutes in advance. I confirmed that the number he should call was my cell number. Mid-afternoon the driver called to say he was at my house (not on the way, but AT my house). He then told me that he could not deliver without me being there because there were some branches that he would brush with the truck coming in the driveway and I might need to sign a waiver. He needed to call his dispatcher to discuss. These "branches" are very small foliage from a small tree close to the driveway. I gently brush them every time I drive down the driveway in my SUV.

I told him not to worry about the branches, but that I'd be happy to sign a waiver if he needed it and that it would take me 20 minutes to get there. I also pointed out that he had not called 30 minutes in advance as promised. He lied and claimed he had called and left a message on my answering machine. When I asked him what number he called, he gave my old Connecticut home number. Interestingly, there is no answering machine on that number, it simply rings and rings if you call. So it would not have been possible for him to leave a message. Obviously, he had my cell number because he had just called it. I immediately headed to the house.

On my way the driver called to say the dispatcher said yes I needed to sign a waiver, but he had instructed the driver not to wait but to leave. I complained bitterly pointing out that he had not called 30 minutes in advance and that it would not have been possible for him to leave a message as he claimed and that I would be there in 10-15 minutes. I asked if I could talk to the dispatcher. He said tough luck and gave me the PODS 800 number.

I called on my way home. They were absolutely no help. I tried everything I could to get them to have the driver wait. It made no difference to them that the driver had not called in advance (or called an old number despite the fact I had given them my cell phone number numerous times and they obviously had it because that's the number he called when he arrived at my house with no notice). They didn't care that the driver had obviously lied about leaving a message on my answering machine. I arrived home 19 minutes after talking to the driver and he was gone.

My name is **. I order a POD to be delivered on May 1st 2009. I received an e-mail stating that my POD would be delivered between 515-815pm. I am in the process of selling my house and had a photographer scheduled to come by to take pictures at 330pm on the 1st of May. When I arrived home at 3pm, the POD was already in my driveway and was placed on the North side. I specifically asked for the POD to be placed on the South side.

I immediately called PODS customer service and explained what had happened, they call the Albuquerque manager and he said he would move the POD and not charge the repositioning fee, since I was not home nor was I called to be warned that they were coming 3 hours early. The move was scheduled for 2 days later and I specifically told them what time I would be home to have my photographer take pictures. I then received a call 2 hours early saying they had shown up and since no one was home had left again.

Give me a break I said specific times for a reason. I WASN'T HOME! I then called customer service and rescheduled for the next day with exact instructions for the delivery guy to call me on his way to my house. Good thing I was home as he once again showed up 1 hour early and didn't call until he was parked in front of my house. I was able to take the pictures and he moved the POD to the correct side of the driveway. I now received a bill for over $600, stating that the automatic payment was never activated and I now owe 2 late fees, I also have a $77.24 charge for the repositioning, which I was specifically told I would not be charged for.

I called and spoke with four or five different people trying to get this resolved and now when they call the Albuquerque manager he claims he never said he would not charge for the repositioning. My total amount for May 1st to August 15th should only be 604.51. However my bill already shows $619.51 and I have only had the POD for 1 1/2 months. I then called to say that I wanted to cancel my order and was told the only amount I would have to pay is $208.59 and they would come pick up the POD and I would not owe them anymore money. I am now being told that I still have to pay the repositioning fee plus a pickup fee.

I asked to be connected to a manager and was told that wasn't possible as they don't have phones only walkie talkies. Are you kidding me? This is beyond ridiculous, this is the worst customer service I have ever had and now they are saying they are going to listen to all the phone calls and see what was really said.

I would like to make sure and receive copies of these calls as I don't trust that will not be foul play to make it sound like what they want it to say. I want this issue resolved in a timely matter and I want even involved to know that due to these issues I will NOT pay another penny to PODS for the pickup of my container nor will I pay the repositioning fee. Please feel free to contact me by e-mail or phone.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA -- Ordered two pods and insurance online. Paid a lot of money upfront. Website crashed. Called customer service. They were difficult and would not put a supervisor on the phone unless I screamed at them. They only delivered one pod and has yet to reimburse me. Horrible company. Terrible waste of time and money.

CALIFORNIA -- People should check the details of any billing they receive. PODS routinely charges State Sales Tax which in most states (maybe all) is illegal. PODS also often changes the billing dates from when their services started to 1st of each month. And, whether the customer has authorized it or not PODS claims they are entitled to "raid" your bank account, bank card or credit card for money to which they believe they are entitled.

FLORIDA -- We have a confirmed loss of a little over $1,700 and an unconfirmed loss of priceless heir looms and gifts from family due to water, ice, and mold damage resulting from water entering our PODS container while moving from Los Angeles to Lake Tahoe. The insurance company (which we paid extra for through POD's) has refused to respond to our inquiries, and will not allow us to initiate water tests on the container from an independent company.

They have chosen to rely on the POD's water test only – This is a clear conflict of interest and cannot be relied on since they have a vested interest in not being honest with the water test results. We have picture evidence of damage to our belongings, as well as images showcasing ice that had formed inside the POD and under boxes which caused all of the boxes and the items inside to freeze and stick to the floor.

Additionally, we can provide a list of all items that were damaged along with pricing. POD's clearly guarantees safe and weatherproof containers on their website, TV ads, and billboards. Having browsed through the web in search of others who have been victimized by PODS, we realize that alone we cannot fight them, however, if we band together, we know we cannot only fight, but Win a large class action case. Therefore we are currently searching for a lawyer to represent our case and other victims who will join in our fight. If you can help us, or you want to join the fight because you are a victim, please contact us at: ** Thank you, **.

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA -- PODS is way too expensive and I won't use them again. If you have temporary storage needs do not call PODS unless you want to spend a small fortune. They gouge you with delivery fees, non-asphalt surface fees, monthly fees and finally pick up fees. They charge you an extra fee at every possible change they get. It is sickening.

If you need storage do yourself a favor and go to BJs, SAMS, Costco or one of the big box stores and buy a 10x20 "garage in a box" for around $300. These are fairly easy to set up (you can do it alone in a couple hours) and they're very sturdy. With the "garage in a box" you can store your stuff for as long as you want without having PODS sucking your checking account dry every month. When you're done with the shelter, throw it away or give it away. You'll have saved yourself $100's or $1000's when it's all said and done.

NOW IF YOU NEED TO MOVE... Don't hire a POD! Google this too... They are very rough with the pods and will not honor insurance claims without a long drawn out fight. Instead, go to www.uship.com and get bids on your move. You'll save yourself $1000's here too. PODS and Carrie ** suck.

PFLUGERVILLE, TEXAS -- We rented a pod for a move from Hot Springs to Austin. All went well until they picked up the empty pod. The driver backed his truck right over a landscape boundary wall, destroying a major section of it. This happened on Jan 28th in full view of us and some of our new neighbors. We also took pictures of the event and of the tire tracks clearly going over the wall.

On Feb 27th, a representative of Pods came out and said that they would be getting back with us. They never did.
On Apr 28th, we called Pods and, after negotiating their phone menus, we finally spoke to a representative who referred us to "Platinum Services." (That moniker must be some kind of inside joke!)

After 15 minute on hold, they told us that the claim had been closed as the representative had "concluded that the Pods truck had not done the damage." They re-opened the claim and said that a local representative would be contacting us. This is May 28th and we have yet to hear from them. Another call, another long wait, and another representative told us that someone would be calling. They have not. Never Pods, never again.

I have 2 major complaints about the PODS. The sunroof for light is convenient but does ZERO to block UV. My Tape Disintegrated, items completely lost color. I might as well have left everything in direct sunlight for 9 months since the roof only protects from water. I have pictures of two snow boards which were identical when added and 9 months later one was stripped of its color. I am so glad I ended up not putting my sofa in the thing.

The insides are constructed of 4x4s which make fitting boxes sung an issue. The spacing rarely fits the items well and thus your belongings could jostle very easily. The beams are across the ceiling as well. These factors really limits the usable space. Storage with smooth walls makes a good packing job better. Especially is going a distance with the POD.