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.
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