Complaint Review: U-Haul CaveCreek/101 Jim Cox Mgr.

I was planning a move from Phoenix to San Diego the first weekend in October to start a new job. U-Haul on Cave Creek in Phoenix was close to my home, so I reserved my truck there a good three weeks before the scheduled move.

My daughter and son-in-law went to this same U-Haul store alittle over a year ago for their move to San Diego from Phoenix. Their truck began leaking oil in their driveway just before they were going to leave. They called U-Haul and made them come out and fix the truck. They didn't realize, until later, that the air conditioning wasn't working, nor was the radio.

With this in mind, knowing I was traveling over mountains, I specified on at least three occasions that I wanted a new truck and I wanted it completely checked out so that I wouldn't have any problems. I told them I was driving the truck alone and was fearful of a breakdown and getting stranded. When I went to pick up the truck at 7am the morning of my move, I was told the truck had come in late the night before and they were still "checking it out".

I got just over the mountain pass on I-8and white smoke started pouring out of the back, and then when I was just coming into the edge of El Cajon the engine went dead. Fortunately I was going downhill, so I was able to coast off the highway and into a gas station. I called U-Haul's HotLine and told them what happened. Eventually a mechanic came out (at least 45 min after my call) and said I was out of gas (Not! I had over a quarter tank). Then he said it was the fuel filter and he'd have to go buy one. An hour later, new fuel filter installed, still won't work. Now he tells me it's the fuel pump. He calls U-Haul to 'close out' his ticket, but I have to call U-Haul again to request a tow truck. An hour later the tow truck has me hooked up and towed the U-Haul to the parking lot of my new apartment complex. I then had to call family to pick me up.

From the time I first called U-Haul to being towed away was about four hours. I was exhausted (remember, I had also helped to load the truck earlier) and very stressed out. It made me so mad because this was just what I was trying to avoid.

While waiting for the tow truck, back at the gas station, I had called the manager of the U-Haul store, Jim Cox, who said they 'checked out' the truck. I asked just what they involved, and he told me they check the fluid levels. That's it! Both the mechanic and the tow truck driver told me that U-Haul does a poor job of taking care of their equipment.

I filed a complaint with U-Haul and the BBB, requesting a full refund of the truck rental (excluding dollys and boxes since they worked). All I got was a letter dated October 16th from the customer service manager of U-Haul with two $20 coupons for future use at U-Haul (like I'm ever going to go there again) and notifying me of a $56 credit to my Mastercard for the rental. Since the whole truck portion came to over $150.00, I wrote back on the letter that $56 was not sufficient and returned the coupons. Mr. Cox offered no help, telling me that was all he was going to do. In fact, he was quite defensive and in no way concerned about what I had to endure. His remark was "Well, you got where you were going; you completed your move, didn't you?"

I've not heard anything more from U-Haul or from the Better Business Bureau. They send out junk equipment and then get snippy when you complain that you were stranded for hours, alone late at night!