UHAUL! *shakes fist angrily*

The BBQ Pit
61

Every time I’ve reserved a truck with Penske, it was significantly lower than with U-Haul or Ryder. I made my reservations online because there’s a significant online discount, then also called the local center and faxed them copies of the paperwork to make sure they had it. I even rented a truck in another state for friends to pick up and load my daughter’s stuff out of storage and drive it halfway across the country to us, and it all went off smooth as silk.

I guess we all know now to make sure we talk to a real live person in a real live decent rental center. Even with U-Haul, there are huge variations between rental centers.

Keep us posted, tramp, on how your move works out! I’m sorry we’re not still in the DC area, Papa Tiger could have called a couple of friends with pickups to come help you!

62

My experience with my Uhaul fucking was via their website and 800 number.

The problem with local Uhaul’s is their availability. They never know if or when they’ll have a truck available on that day. I think the 800# and internet reservations get bounced by the local dealers…Local dealer receives order for truck rental, already has it rented…poof there goes reservation. Or equally as likely is they get paid much, much less by Uhaul corporate and they refuse the reservation.

Sam

63

Ah yes the pleasures of renting from Uhaul. My brother was a manager of a Uhaul store for 3 years. He has told me stories that are similar to your own. Happens all the time. Its even happened to me. I had my brother reserve a truck and a car transport one month before I moved. They had the truck, but no transport when it came time for moving. Said that there was no transport within a 60-mile radius and if there was one other than the place I was getting the truck, I would have to go pick it up myself. My brother explained to me that a reservation does not guarantee that a truck will be there at that location at the time of your reservation. I couldn’t blame my brother; he did at least tell me that this could happen. Next time you have a reservation, don’t call the place you made the reservation. Reservations are done are put in at a franchise location, but can be viewed by the corporate office. Next time call the corporate number and see were the closest location is that has what you reserved. I don’t know if it will help, but it’s worth a try. Yeah I agree that Uhaul sucks, but there isn’t that much else out there to choose from. I am in no way defending Uhaul either. My brother will even tell you it sucks.

64

I think someone needs to give U-Haul the definition of the word “reservation” as it applies to truck rental.

65

Someone please explain what a reservation does mean to UHaul, so we get some idea of what the hell is going through the minds of these UHaul minions.

66

I think “reservation” to them means, “If we happen to have a truck here on Saturday, this guy will rent it from us.”

67

I hope when all these UHAUL guys go on vacation, they find out that a hotel “reservation” doesn’t mean they’ll actually have a room in the city on that night. (Heehee…I’m imagining a convention of UHAUL workers sleeping in Central Park.) Or a “reservation” of a hall for their wedding doesn’t mean they’ll actually get to hold the function there on their wedding day. (“Oh, you’re the bride from UHAUL! You’ll be having your wedding party next Thursday in Alaska.”)

68

Oh my, UHaul really does suck it seems. I’ve always been less than impressed with their service, but didn’t realize it was that bad. Next time I rent it will be with Ryder.

69

Wow. I’ve never rented from them. Now I’m certain I never will. For this many people to chime in in this short of time in a limited audience, well, it seems obvious that they are a screwed up company.

70

Check this site out. It’s the story of a guy who successfully sued U-Haul for similar shenanigans and won.

71

wow…I haven’t had good luck with U-Haul either–last time I rented for a local move in a small town. The first truck wouldn’t even start. The second one barely did either. I guess I should have been glad they were there as reserved in the first place (not much moving in Montana in January!) I went with Ryder when I moved cross country more recently. They were at least more-or-less professional…except I had to stop to get the headlight fixed (on their dime) right after I picked it up, and the car trailer blew a tire at high speed on the interstate (didn’t even know it, a guy in a following vehicle saw it happen, passed us then flagged us to the side of the road-scary!) But anyways, after reading this, I, too, will never deal with U-Haul again. Thanks for the warning and sorry for your misfortune.

72

Thanks for the link, GB! Very interesting, especially when combined with the complaints found in this thread.

So now one of “our own” has been put through the “U-Haul” con, along with a bunch of others. We do not have to take this shit, do we? I’m just an interested party, upset that tramp was treated this way and surprised that other Dopers were as well.

I’m not a “rabble-rouser” y’all, but this should not be allowed to continue! There are innocent, trusting people who are being hurt here!

Okay. I don’t know tramp’s whole situation, but it sounds like she needed to be out of a place at a certain time, and trusted U-Haul in good faith to provide her with a truck to move her stuff. U-Haul cancelled her reservation without so much as a phone call and others’ as well. What’s wrong with this picture?

Seems like to me what with the amount of members we have, we can do more than just commiserate.

If I’m over-reacting, I am sure y’all will let me know, but I think we need to raise some hell.

Thanks

Q

73

The ones in my hood rent up to 24’ bobtails with liftgates (some even large rail lifts) they are 2 axle and under the weight cutoff so you can generally drive them with a normal licence. Not sure about the price but we use them for rush times and its not uncommon to see 2-3 of their trucks at our place.

74

I will never, never rent a truck from U-Haul again.

I learned my lesson last year. I had no trouble making the reservation. The only catch was that I made it on my debit card. No problem, I figured, as I only needed it one day for a cross-town move.

After I finished moving, I decided to go ahead and return the truck that night instead of having to drive it the next day. My GF followed me over as I pulled the truck up in a spot in front, dropped the keys in the drop-box, hopped in GF’s car, and went to our new home.

A few days later, I learned my bank account was overdrawn by several hundred dollars. In a panic, I checked my account to see what the hell had happened. Sitting there was whopping $500 charge from U-Haul.

I rushed out to U-Haul and asked to speak to the manager. It turns out he was the guy at the counter. I tell him my story, how I’d turned in the truck the same night I moved, etc. He looks up my account and insists the truck hadn’t been returned for three days. With the truck “missing,” they had charged me a $500 fee until the truck was returned. After I insisted that I had parked it out front the night of my move, and that there was no way they could have overlooked it for three entire days, he only became angry and claimed that not only was it three days late, but that it wasn’t running anymore–thereby implying that I had somehow damaged his POS truck.

The $500 fee was refunded to my account, but I was never able to recover the 2 extra days they charged me, nor for the overdraft fees that my bank had hit me with. Without any documentation that I’d returned the truck the same night, it was just my word against his, and I concluded there was nothing I could do.

All I got out of this experience were three harsh lessons: never charge a rental deposit to a debit card, never drop off a rental truck after hours, and, most importantly, NEVER rent a truck from U-Haul again. Ever.

75

I’m pleased to report that my girlfriend indeed got her truck, for which she had a reservartion. Sometimes, it does work out, apparently.

76

[Donning Nomex jumpsuit]

Not that its a good reason, but something many people seem to be overlooking about u-haul.

Even though the overall success of the company is an issue, the individual branches are independent franchise type operations. This results in immense variation in level of service from minimal oversight by corporate entities.

I am unfamiliar with the actual mechanics of how they run but I bet its a nightmare for the dealers as well. For giggles I sent off for a “dealer packet” claiming I was writing a business plan for a storage business and wanted to include u-haul service, I will update when I get info.

To add insult to injury, most of a given u-haul branches clients will walk in exactly once in their life. Even if you rent another uhaul 5 years later it will probably be from a different facility and the branch who gave you great service before will see no benefit. Trying to milk you for as much money as possible, from everyone who walks in the door, by hook or crook, becomes the most successful business practice for them.

Finding people willing to accept that their best efforts will usually result in a customer that never comes back to them has to be trying on the attitudes of the management and employees.

77

Well, that’s the business in which they chose to work. It’s not like they weren’t privy to this information going into it. In fact, when you sit back and think about it for a couple minutes (like I’d assume anyone opening a franchise would), it’s pretty obvious.

Even so, it’s still incredibly poor business practice, even from the franchisee’s point of view, if he has a brain. Most people only move a few times in their life. A truck not being available after they made a reservation is a much bigger deal than, say, cold fries at McDonald’s. People will tell their friends before they move. The friends will think twice about using that franchise (or any Uhaul, probably) if they ever decide to move.

78

Its also a business many of us here still choose to give our money to, Despite the horror stories. The nature of their biz and insane level of market penetration and name recognition allow them to bully through a pretty ugly reputation.

People probably cancel out on rentals all the time too. To compensate, they overbook and pray, sometimes they win, sometimes they lose, any heavy inventory person can show you how to play this line for whatever level of profit/service you want. Uhaul could pretty much care less if you get moved on schedule, as long as they are keeping the trucks rented.

79

So, tramp, did you get a truck?

80

I was under the impression that if it was one of those credit/debit card and was issued from a company like Visa, you had the same consumer rights as if you had purchased with a credit card. In other words, you could have complained to Visa and they would have taken it from there…

Is this not right?