PODS Reviews

The customer service was excellent. The website could use some work. I had to call customer representatives to make my reservation. Either there's something I am missing or this wasn't tailorable to what I needed. I selected move in the beginning but I actually wanted storage. I couldn't change it to storage. I had to call somebody. The option I selected was move and it only said, "When do you want the container delivered to your next house?" It didn't give me an option to put in the storage. I called and did that. The guy was nice, but it was hard to understand him. There was a bit of a language barrier there. Other than that, the drivers are very communicative, professional, and courteous.

The pod was clean and in good shape. It wasn't perfect, but it was fine for what we needed it for. I liked the idea there were tie-downs in there that I could secure stuff so it wouldn't move around, a bumper thing for anti-chafe. Those were very helpful. And the low load height, that it goes on the ground, helps a lot not having to have a ramp.

The steel bottom of the pod goes right on the concrete. It ended up cracking one of the seams. And if they had a wood or a pad or something they could put it down on, that might be helpful, the people that have pristine driveways. Otherwise, it wouldn't matter. The only reason I noticed is because the driveway was perfect. I don't place a fault on the delivery guy because he's just doing what he always does. If the driver happens to notice, "Wow, this driveway is really nice," maybe he could have something on the truck that he could put down so it wouldn't damage the driveway.

PODS' website was very clear, very thorough, very well-detailed, and there was no hidden fee. So, that was a plus. The fee was cheaper than other companies that we contacted. We liked the quickness of the process. Between the moment we ordered the pod, the arrival of the pod, and the arrival to the end destination, everything fit perfectly in our schedule. The booking process was easy. I just made a phone call, they gave me a quote, and within the week, I was able to make a decision and it was very easy to settle. The only issue we had is I was moving furniture from one storage unit to another storage unit and because they were crossing states, there was some paperwork that needed to be done and they couldn't accept an address from Michigan that was a storage unit. They needed a physical address. They needed our previous house address. Other than that, it was a very easy, clean, and very quick process.

We ordered just one pod and it was an 8 x 7, the smallest unit. It was extremely clean. It was bigger than we expected. We were wary about the thinness of the metal. It might be a little bit flimsy, but it was extremely sturdy. The door worked perfectly and there was no issues with it. We could fit everything we needed in it, and even more than we expected. It was a quick pickup and quick delivery. The pod was easy to put wherever we wanted on the spot. It was easier for us also to move our furniture in and out. That was very practical.

One of the big advantages we had is that we were able to do all the movement ourselves. So, for people that are really concerned in how their things are going to be handled, if they rather do themselves, use their own personal strength to move things around and to position all their belongings inside the pod, that's the best way instead of hiring a moving company. If you want to do the work and handle things from A to Z, PODS is the best option.

I had to keep the pod an extra three days and that was okay on my end, but it shifted the delivery for seven days. I went an extra week without any of my stuff. I don't know how their logistics work and I know it's really complicated - computers, AI and people trying to work at the same time. But there is good software for that. To have a three-day delay on one end cause a seven-day delay on the other end is little troublesome for me. Also, even with the 30% discount, it was way too expensive. I feel like I made a mistake.

Additionally, the movers didn't strap the load down. They didn't use good ratchet straps. They didn't know what they were doing. The whole load had shifted towards the back. I already had problems with the lock on the back when it was full even though everything was pushed forward. The door and the latches would never line up. We ended up pushing and pulling. I had to get my neighbor to help me. When the guy came to pick up the full pod, I'm so thankful I was there because he needed to move the lock from the left to the right because the way the latches were messed up. That was leaving Maryland.

Because the movers didn't strap it in very well, the whole load shifted towards the door. I had these two plastic sawhorses that were at the right height that got caught in in one of the louvers. There was no way the door would open. Thank God the guy that brought the pod knew what he was doing. He seemed like a very experienced gentleman. He was able to tilt the pod up as high as it went. Even then, he had to get it a little bit open and push the sawhorse a little bit and push and pull it a little bit more. I didn't know he was going to be able to do it but I had great confidence in him. In fact, I made sure he got a nice tip too because I don't know what I would have done. He was awesome.

I called that morning after the second change, and I spoke to a supervisor. That lady needs to be completely in a different line of business, because the first thing you do when a customer is complaining is apologize for the inconvenience they’re having, and then guarantee you’re going to try to resolve the situation as best as possible right now, and she didn’t do either. It ended up being good because the people who followed afterwards were good people.

The actual delivery of the pod to my new house was fine. But the driver who initially delivered it needs some training on customer service. He came in there with a very bad attitude. I specifically told the representative how I wanted it with the door facing the garage and in the center of the driveway. When the delivery guy got there, he asked where I wanted it and I said I had specified. He said it was completely opposite of what he had. I told him that I clearly explained how I wanted it and it's his job to put it where I want it. I even had to remind him to settle down and that he needs to remember that I'm the customer here. They need to train that guy on how to do his job. He set a very bad example for PODS. But the other two people who came to deliver the pod were great.

I was done with it almost immediately and I called PODS to ask if they could get it sooner. The customer service rep who handled that call told me upfront that I’m getting put on a wait list. And if they can get to me sooner, then they will. If they can’t, then I have to wait a week with a pod in front of my house, which the HOA frowns upon. But the two gentlemen who came to pick it up were outstanding.

I'm a retired military guy, and I moved 20 times in my life. And I've done a lot of those moves myself. In other times, I've hired people to do them. So, I have a good background on how a good move should be. PODS didn't start well, but it ended up very well for me. Overall, the experience was fine but with glitches. If you're fortunate to get everything to go right, then you're gonna have a good overall experience.

I got the 8 x 12 pod, which is the smallest one and it got delivered to my new location exactly when it was supposed to. All I had to do was unload it when I got there. It arrived in good condition, and it was clean and the door was fine. It was perfect. But I never want to do a move again. I'm not a young person and it was still hard moving all my stuff in and out of the pod. But once I got there, that was hard too. I probably don't want to do it again because I had to do all that lifting myself. I could have hired somebody to do that.

Price-wise, the price was more than I wanted to spend. But when I took into consideration the price of a long-distance move and my own driving, my own wear and tear on my vehicle, and paying for a hotel along the way, it seemed to be reasonable. PODS is an option if you have stuff you need to move or store. I have remodeled my own home in the past and I'm thinking the pod would have been a nice thing to have to put all your stuff while you're remodeling. I did not have that luxury back then. So, it's a good option because you have control of what's in it and how you can get in it. I understand that if you're not moving, PODS will store it at a facility nearby where you live and you can get access to it anytime also. So that's nice too.

The promptness of the delivery surprised me because I was wondering if the team was going to show up on time, take it on the day they said, and deliver it on the day they promised. But that all worked out very well. I had a bunch of stuff to move that was spread all over my house and another house and I got it all into the pod. Once it was taken away, I had all of that off my plate. It was out of my house and on its way. When it arrived, I was happy to have it, and that was very good. Right away, I knew this was going to be okay. The PODS team sent lots of communication through emails, texts, and calls. If anything needed to be changed, I got the impression that it was not a problem. I could just send a text or make a call, and they would take care of it. The drivers were very considerate and nice people. They took very good care of both driveways and landscaping and didn't destroy anything that I had on my outdoor property.

My favorite part was scheduling the pick up. It was by far the most simple process I've seen. It really topped off the experience. We were excited. We were finally able to empty the POD. Time to return it! Less than a couple minutes later and the pick up was scheduled. I left for work soon after and when I came home the POD was gone. Priceless! I would highly recommend PODS to anyone with a mobile or on-site storage need. And my family will definitely turn to PODS if we have any future needs ourself. THANK YOU PODS TEAM!