PODS® Reviews
I hired PODS to transport most of the contents of my 2-bedroom condo to our new place 1500 miles away, in a 16-foot container. It cost much less, even with Hire-A-Helper assistance at both ends, than the large van lines. The customer service rep was very professional and helpful (for example, she advised me to get a 16-foot POD rather than order two 7-footers, as it would actually cost less--and it turns out that she was right, I would definitely have needed more than one 7-footer to fit all my stuff.) And, unlike the larger moving companies, PODS could tell me the exact day when they could deliver the POD to my new apartment. I'm happy to report that everything arrived safe and sound! My only critique was that their truck arrived several hours earlier than the estimated 'window' time to pick up the filled POD--so make sure you have everything packed into the POD the night before pickup.
PODS was the most affordable option for our situation. We had to have our stuff stored for a couple of months while we found a new home in another state, and then have those things moved to the new home. With PODS we were able to load everything into the unit, and it was stored locally, then when we found our new home, the same unit was then transported to our new location. I would definitely recommend hiring movers to load your things if you have a lot of stuff.
My interstate move went very smooth and on schedule. The transport guys on both ends were amazing - there is nothing like personal face-to-face interaction. They both went above and beyond. Guillermo who did the drop off was very personable and explained everything to me. Kevin went above and beyond by calling dispatch and having the container arranged to be picked up next day for me since it sat on a public street, that is not customary. Sales rep was decent, they are pushing for a sale. However the 800 reps are sorely lacking, they are very little help and have little knowledge. They probably see what you can see yourself on your online account. I could never get a straight answer from them and they are not local so they can't tell you much. If I had to load/unload myself, I would most likely use a Pods container again. Best cost efficient deal around.
I was very pleased with the quality of the pod as it will be traveling to a State that gets lots of rain. The POD driver was very considerate in placement of the POD, and the wooden slats at the bottom protect my driveway. I have called their Customer Service with additional questions and the employees are very polite and informative. I am happy so far with the quality and service.
The PODS company was great and easy to work with. I chose them because I was moving across the country and needed time to look for a new house. I did run into a major problem however when the POD couldn't be placed in my new townhouse community. I had to rent a truck and unload the POD at the POD storage facility, then unload the truck at the house. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid by using PODS in the first place. It was not PODS fault, I would just caution that not all communities will allow a POD to be placed in the community.
The first container was old and unsightly, with few tie points inside, but actually fine, because we didn't actually need many tie points for that particular load. The most negative thing about PODS for me was the Chat line that was in no way a chat line. It basically says, here are the questions you may ask and here are the answers to them, totally disregarding the actual questions.
Too many errors on their part to list. Communication is poor. They didn't keep to their schedule or contract. I was speaking to managers the night before my empty pod was to be delivered. Filed complaint with their logistics office. Another complaint with the experience with one of the managers. I would not use them again.
Was perfect for my needs. I don't drive, so Uhaul was out. I didn't have enough stuff to justify a full-service moving company, but didn't want to leave all my things behind. One thing to note is that they can't give your delivery window more than one day in advance, which can be tricky if you are moving into an apartment building with a shared parking lot. Worked out just perfectly in my case, but it's something you need to keep in mind when making plans!
PODS delivery and pick up men were good, however the call center need to better understand and communicate the capabilities of their delivery and pick up. I was originally told by the PODS sales person that pick up might be able to take place on Sunday, however they are closed on Sunday, the person in the call center should have known when the center was closed and never communicated that it was a remote possibly. Then I was told that the pick up could occur on a Tuesday and once again, the delivery center was closed on Tuesday so once again the salesperson on the phone once again promised something that PODS pickup/delivery center couldn't fulfill.
The pod worked very well. Predicted delivery/pickup times did not work out (truck arrived later than we were told in all cases), but overall the service is good. I would use again. It's slightly tricky timing truck arrival for 4 hour New York City PODS packing window against arrival time of hired helpers.
