I used PODS in 2012 on a cross country move. I used their 8'x8'x16' container.
The good:
- I compared their prices to other similar types of container delivery services and they were comparable
- I used their container for a full month and was charged just for that month. On a long distance move, they even have a 5 day grace period, but I did not need it.
- I needed to change the arrival date and they accommodated that with no fee.
- I wanted a pickup and then for them to hold it in a warehouse and deliver it two weeks later. They did that for no additional fee.
- I called after the POD was in transit from the warehouse in the originating city to the warehouse in the destination city and requested that the POD be held as I was not sure of the exact delivery date. They agreed to do that. - no extra fee.
- I called and gave them my final delivery date and changed the destination address. They delivered it and there was no additional fee.
- I used their chat service on their site many times and it was very good. I highly recommend this as the service is good and you can copy and paste the chat into a note and save it for proof of your discussion.
- You can sign all the paperwork on line. That is nice.
- I never accessed my POD while in the warehouse, but you can do that at no charge.
- The delivery and pickup trucks are very cool and it is fun to watch it drop off and pick up your POD. They can maneuver the pod into some pretty tight places.
The not so good stuff.
- As I saw in another review, the first rep I called to look into a possible move was very pushy and made me feel very uncomfortable. He acted like a sales rep who had to close on getting a credit card on the last day of the month. I hung up and when I came back a week later, I got a new rep who was much more relaxed and I set everything up with him. So just call back if they act this way.
- They will provide you a 3 hour time window for delivery and pickups. However, you don't know that til until 6PM the night before and this is not convenient if you are trying to schedule moving help. I recommend you plan to deliver on one day, move your goods the next day or days and then plan the final day simply for pickup. They will never allow you to call and talk to the delivery or pickup
- Their invoicing system needs improvement. They bill in pieces and it is not always clear what each is. They also charge your credit card 5 days prior to the date that something is due. That part is very strange since if you have the POD for 30 days, they will have billed you for month 2 even if you are returning it within the first month. They will give you a credit, but it seems like a poor business practice.
Overall.
- Their flexibility in pickup, hold and delivery were a huge value to me. If I had hired a moving company with a driver, I would have had enormous problems in comparison. My plans changed and they changed with me.
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