PODS® Reviews
All PODS containers are not built equally, so you have to take that into account when packing, even if they are listed as the same size. Also, since this was long term storage, we came to regret not having one with doors on both ends. It meant that the boxes in back were completely inaccessible for the duration of storage. Customer service was hit or miss. Some reps were excellent--friendly and knowledgeable. But it was often difficult to reach someone, and some reps were of extremely limited assistance.
PODS was great! They communicated everything well and the POD had plenty of room for my stuff (2 bedrm apartment). The customer service was amazing and they communicated in advance with each step of the move (drop off, pickup, drop off at new place/pick up at new place). The drivers were professional and respectful of my property (I did not even see the driver that picked up the POD at the old place). This option worked well for me to be able to move in stages and have the option for storage if needed (in case my house closing were delayed, etc). I would consider doing this type of move again for a longer distance move. I moved 3 hours away.
The delivery of my empty POD was great. Good communication, timely, etc. The pickup of the full container was delayed due to weather. And thats where the good communication ended. I was not notified when it was picked up or how long the travel cross country was delayed. I had to call and reschedule the redelivery at my new residence, which was then cancelled/rescheduled twice without informing me. I made several phone calls to PODS to get answers, which was pointless. Nobody would/could answer my questions. The actual people doing the delivery and pickup of the PODS have been super, especially the guy in Asheville NC (Luke, maybe??) who delivered the empty POD into an awkward space.
I was so disappointed in PODs and would NEVER use them again. They have HORRIBLE customer service. I was promised a delivery date by one guy and then was told that they could not meet that date by more than a week. Then the date was changed again. Their confirmations emails were REALLY confusing. They should write the drop off date large and in red at the top of the document, not 3/4 of the way down. When I set up the delivery of my POD no one said anything about scheduling the final pick up. I later found out that they could not pick it back up for 4-5 days, which is a huge problem. Why wouldn't they initiate that conversation at the same time that the customer is setting up the drop off? When I asked to speak with a supervisor the agent had to text someone to get permission to even ask if they could request a supervisor. We probably spent 30 minutes on the phone while I waited for the agent to fill out paperwork so that I could get a supervisor to call me back 24 hours later....that tells me that they have a lot of problems and make it very difficult to even speak with a supervisor. THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE in this time of bad customer service. Also, we spent over 30 minutes trying to get the door to open. Contents had shifted and prevent the door from opening, they should have a box enclosure that protects this space and would prevent this from happening.
Worst moving experience of my life and I'm almost 50 and have rented homes most of my life. I would never recommend PODS to anyone ever. They don't even deserve one star, in my opinion. Scheduling the original pick up wasn't a problem. Storing it wasn't a problem. But receiving the POD was an absolute nightmare. We were supposed to receive our POD on Dec. 30th, but two days before, we received a call letting us know that our POD was still in transit and would not be there, but could be redelivered on Jan. 4th. We were in an Airbnb that we had to be out of by the 31st in high season where everything was too expensive or nothing was available that worked for us. We had nowhere to go except a completely empty apartment, so we had to purchase blow up mattresses, blankets, and sheets, paper plates, a pan, a knife, etc. You get the point. Now, mind you, we got this call while my husband was laid out with covid, so couldn't have come at a worse time. We did what we had to and marked our calendar for the 4th, but AGAIN, we get a call that our POD is still delayed. Logistics. This is a word they use repeatedly as an excuse for their incompetence. Logistics. Total BS. It was now being rescheduled for Jan. 8th due to "logistics". At no point did anyone actually tell us where our POD actually was...in transit, in a storage facility, there was never any manager to speak to, only what they were told by the storage facility. No explanation. No recourse. No help of any kind. So, on the 7th, we got a window for when they would show up the next day. We waited. Took off work. Scheduled movers (and rescheduled two more times). The window came and went. We called them twice asking where the POD was and that it hasn't shown up, and were told that it was on it's way, as if they had spoken to the drivers. On our THIRD call, however, we were told AGAIN that the POD was still not at the storage facility. WHAT? How do TWO customer service reps (and I use this term extremely loosely) tell me the POD is on it's way locally, then someone else tell me that it can't be delivered because it's not there or available or whatever??? Where is it? They don't know. Nobody knows what they're talking about at PODS. The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. There is nobody really in charge. It's chaos and ridiculously poor system, if you can even call it that. I wish I had looked at the BBB website, because they are very poorly rated. If you look on Yelp (and believe me, I'm going there next), super pissed off and frustrated people. Is your time, your aching back, your anger, and your sanity worth the convenience that turns out to NOT even be convenient? No, but it will cost you. Plenty. Don't do it. Literally, pick any other company. They are charging us for storage of a container that wasn't even at the storage facility. That's how screwed up this company is.
Every contact I had with POD PEOPLE WAS excellent. Customer Service people were especially patient and helpful. They helped me find the right destination to send the POD in terms of where we could store things nearest to our new home. Even the truck drivers were so good to work with - careful and conscientious and on time.
I haven't moved yet, but so far PODS has been fairly easy to reach by phone when I had questions or needed to make changes (unlike a bad moving company I used 3 years ago who was extremely hard to contact). The POD was dropped off on time. I chose PODS because I like that once the POD is locked by me, no one will open besides me. Most moving companies will transfer your stuff to different trucks along the way and put your stuff in with other people's stuff. The bad moving company I used in the past broke 3 pieces of my furniture, delivered 3 heavy pieces of furniture to me that wasn't mine, showed up 41 days late, and wouldn't unload the truck unless I gave them $1200 for services I never used (they are one of the major moving companies). I read several reviews of different moving van companies and most were really bad, which is another reason I chose PODS.