Wednesday, July 18, 2007
U-Haul Redemption. Upon returning to the Boston area, we discover that there are entire blog- and websites devoted to U-Haul complaints. Armed with receipts, my Buddha-calm constituent services voice, and a friendliness that belies my pit bull personality that doesn't take any s*** from anyone, I join the ranks of disgruntled customer and get to calling corporate headquarters.
To get a full refund from this miserably run company (as well as a check cut for hotel expenses incurred due to no truck being available) takes some finesse but it is by no means impossible. You just have to have a little patience i.e. be prepared to be put on hold A LOT and for long stretches of time. The best thing to do is to call U-Haul's Human Resources Department at their corporate headquarters in Arizona. But before doing this, make sure you are well prepared because there isn't really any place higher to go after your appeal to them. By well prepared I mean receipts, a succinct and summarized story, and the perseverance not to settle for less. They will first offer you $50. No that is not acceptable you must say. Then they will offer you half of the cost of your reservation. No that is not acceptable you must say. Finally you tell them that nothing short of a full refund and a reimbursement for your hotel costs is acceptable. You tell them that because you are feeling magnanimous, you won't include gas (which you would have had to pay for anyway, nor the lousy extra meals you had on the way). They will mumble that it is highly unlikely the manager will sign off on such a proposal. This is when you mumble that you are prepared to take this to the next level which means notifying the Attorney General regarding fraudulent business practices. They will hem and haw and tell you they will call you in an hour or so and let you know what their superior has decided. Bingo, you've won...
The sad part of this story is that the very people who can least afford U-Haul's shenanigans are the very people who don't have the means, time, or know-how to do what I did even so they are no less deserving.
To get a full refund from this miserably run company (as well as a check cut for hotel expenses incurred due to no truck being available) takes some finesse but it is by no means impossible. You just have to have a little patience i.e. be prepared to be put on hold A LOT and for long stretches of time. The best thing to do is to call U-Haul's Human Resources Department at their corporate headquarters in Arizona. But before doing this, make sure you are well prepared because there isn't really any place higher to go after your appeal to them. By well prepared I mean receipts, a succinct and summarized story, and the perseverance not to settle for less. They will first offer you $50. No that is not acceptable you must say. Then they will offer you half of the cost of your reservation. No that is not acceptable you must say. Finally you tell them that nothing short of a full refund and a reimbursement for your hotel costs is acceptable. You tell them that because you are feeling magnanimous, you won't include gas (which you would have had to pay for anyway, nor the lousy extra meals you had on the way). They will mumble that it is highly unlikely the manager will sign off on such a proposal. This is when you mumble that you are prepared to take this to the next level which means notifying the Attorney General regarding fraudulent business practices. They will hem and haw and tell you they will call you in an hour or so and let you know what their superior has decided. Bingo, you've won...
The sad part of this story is that the very people who can least afford U-Haul's shenanigans are the very people who don't have the means, time, or know-how to do what I did even so they are no less deserving.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
College Son is Back Home. Highlights of the D.C. to Boston area trip:
-U-Haul is an abysmal company. We didn't get the truck until a day later than promised. Too bad I didn't check out all of the blog pages and websites dedicated to bringing to light the shady business practices of U-Haul....
- The only reason son and I didn't get our asses kicked in the actually-not-so-conveniently located U-Haul place is because of what I call the 'shock' factor. Son and I looked so totally out of place in what has to be the absolute worst neighborhood of D.C. that it afforded us a grace period to walk the extra mile from a shady metro station to gangsta' pick-up point. Undercover FBI agents they perhaps thought?
-I ended up moving everything with son because his friend couldn't then come the next day (no 47-year-old woman should be hauling a plasma TV onto a truck)...
-I ended up helping son clean the apartment because his "clean" was a joke i.e. a HazMat suit would have come in handy.
-The truck had 160K miles on it; the 'service engine light' was on constantly; the interior smelled of old sweat and had fleas (I swear to god); and the floor boards got so hot you had to rest your feet up on the dashboard
-I was so physically and emotionally drained when we got home that later that evening I had a mini breakdown -- I was curled up in a fetal position sobbing uncontrollably! (my children joked later I was just trying to get out of doing the dishes that evening).
Son unloaded the truck all by himself the next day. A nice gesture but a little scary in terms of how eager he was to put his stamp on his room by moving some of his furniture into it! (couch, his bigger TV, etc.). I didn't have the heart to tell son his room looked a little over-stuffed to say the least because I do think he was trying to be conscientious in creating a little space he could hang out without spilling into our space. But my oh-so-very-direct husband felt otherwise and told him he had to re-configure because he wasn't willing to compromise the aesthetic value of our home.
So the dance has begun as we all adjust to how this is all going to work. Good thing son has an interview lined up....
-U-Haul is an abysmal company. We didn't get the truck until a day later than promised. Too bad I didn't check out all of the blog pages and websites dedicated to bringing to light the shady business practices of U-Haul....
- The only reason son and I didn't get our asses kicked in the actually-not-so-conveniently located U-Haul place is because of what I call the 'shock' factor. Son and I looked so totally out of place in what has to be the absolute worst neighborhood of D.C. that it afforded us a grace period to walk the extra mile from a shady metro station to gangsta' pick-up point. Undercover FBI agents they perhaps thought?
-I ended up moving everything with son because his friend couldn't then come the next day (no 47-year-old woman should be hauling a plasma TV onto a truck)...
-I ended up helping son clean the apartment because his "clean" was a joke i.e. a HazMat suit would have come in handy.
-The truck had 160K miles on it; the 'service engine light' was on constantly; the interior smelled of old sweat and had fleas (I swear to god); and the floor boards got so hot you had to rest your feet up on the dashboard
-I was so physically and emotionally drained when we got home that later that evening I had a mini breakdown -- I was curled up in a fetal position sobbing uncontrollably! (my children joked later I was just trying to get out of doing the dishes that evening).
Son unloaded the truck all by himself the next day. A nice gesture but a little scary in terms of how eager he was to put his stamp on his room by moving some of his furniture into it! (couch, his bigger TV, etc.). I didn't have the heart to tell son his room looked a little over-stuffed to say the least because I do think he was trying to be conscientious in creating a little space he could hang out without spilling into our space. But my oh-so-very-direct husband felt otherwise and told him he had to re-configure because he wasn't willing to compromise the aesthetic value of our home.
So the dance has begun as we all adjust to how this is all going to work. Good thing son has an interview lined up....
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
When the College Kid Comes Back Home. The son has graduated. Finally. Yet: no money. No job offers pursued. He has decided he doesn't like D.C.; he wants to move back to the Boston area. But he has no money. So that means moving back in with us.
Updates: son vacates his apartment a month prior to his July lease running out given that said son is behind three months rent and parents are already picking up the co-guarantor difference. Guess the son's hotel job didn't quite cover the rent; the parents cover their losses and move decidedly poorer on.
Mother goes down to assist the move out from D.C. to Boston. Highlights of the trip:
-We don't get the truck until a day later than U-Haul promises (don't ever book with U-Haul!!).
-Anna Bloviations ends up moving everything with son because his friend couldn't help out come the next day...
-I end up cleaning the apartment because son's "clean" was a joke
-The truck had 160K miles on it; the 'service engine light' was on constantly; the interior smelled of old sweat and had fleas (I swear to god); and the floor boards got so hot you had to rest your feet up on the dashboard
-I was so physically and emotionally drained when we got home that later that evening I had a mini breakdown -- following lemon sorbet ice-cream, I was curled up in a fetal position sobbing uncontrollably. (Son and daughter joked later I was just trying to get out of doing the dishes that evening).
Son unloaded the truck all by himself the next day. A nice gesture but a little scary in terms of how eager he was to put his stamp on his room by moving some of his furniture into it! (couch, his bigger TV, etc.). I didn't have the heart to tell son his room looked a little over-stuffed to say the least because I do think he was trying to be conscientious in creating a little space he could hang out without spilling into our space. But my oh-so-very-direct husband felt otherwise and told him he had to take it all back out again because he wasn't willing to compromise the aesthetic value of our home.
Updates: son vacates his apartment a month prior to his July lease running out given that said son is behind three months rent and parents are already picking up the co-guarantor difference. Guess the son's hotel job didn't quite cover the rent; the parents cover their losses and move decidedly poorer on.
Mother goes down to assist the move out from D.C. to Boston. Highlights of the trip:
-We don't get the truck until a day later than U-Haul promises (don't ever book with U-Haul!!).
-Anna Bloviations ends up moving everything with son because his friend couldn't help out come the next day...
-I end up cleaning the apartment because son's "clean" was a joke
-The truck had 160K miles on it; the 'service engine light' was on constantly; the interior smelled of old sweat and had fleas (I swear to god); and the floor boards got so hot you had to rest your feet up on the dashboard
-I was so physically and emotionally drained when we got home that later that evening I had a mini breakdown -- following lemon sorbet ice-cream, I was curled up in a fetal position sobbing uncontrollably. (Son and daughter joked later I was just trying to get out of doing the dishes that evening).
Son unloaded the truck all by himself the next day. A nice gesture but a little scary in terms of how eager he was to put his stamp on his room by moving some of his furniture into it! (couch, his bigger TV, etc.). I didn't have the heart to tell son his room looked a little over-stuffed to say the least because I do think he was trying to be conscientious in creating a little space he could hang out without spilling into our space. But my oh-so-very-direct husband felt otherwise and told him he had to take it all back out again because he wasn't willing to compromise the aesthetic value of our home.
