Complaint Review: PODS - Clearwater Florida

 This all began in May 2016...I was escaping an abusive relationship and had only three days to leave the home with my children. We packed up everything we could in a hurry, and I made a desperate call to PODS. The first guy I talked to was just an amazing customer service rep. He was super helpful and empathetic to my situation. At the time, I had no money (few days to payday), and could only get the funds in cash for deposit via western union from my sister in California. He worked it out to where I'd only need 107 to have them bring the pod and set it up to so that I could pay via money order to the delivery driver.

When the delivery guy got there, he seemed very confused about why I was using a money order and had to call the office to verify that it an acceptable form of payment. It took forever, but we finally got the go ahead, he took our payment and left. Fast forward about a week, and I'm noticing that the money order has yet to be credited to my account. I called PODS and spent hours trying to figure out what in the world happened to my deposit. No one could give me an answer! A few people even hung up on me just because they didn't want to deal with it. I tried calling the company that issued the money order, but was told it would cost me 25 dollars to have it sent back to me. I'm losing money if I ask for a refund? Ugh! So back to PODS I go. I spent the next few months making my payments for everything but the 100 they were claiming I still owed. I started to fall behind a bit on bills which resulted in smaller payments, but I got a job in October.

At that time, I went to settle the balance in full (minus the 100) which was about 324 and some change. The normal bill was 213.94. Because I was 'so far behind', they placed my account in lock status which forced me to work with a Robin Merrill in their accounts receivable department. She wanted me to pay off everything including the money order that was never credited to my account. I asked her, why would they leave the pod if deposit wasnt made? She agreed that they would not have authorized that and told me not to worry about the hundred and she would investigate further. I thought to myself, finally, someone who gets it! However after the 324 was charged, the very next day...a charge for 100 showed up in my account from PODS. I was livid!

I spent a week and a half going back and forth with Robin via email asking her why she lied and being her to refund the money back. I am living in motels with my children until I can build my credit enough to get permanent housing (went from 470 to 619 in two months and still working on it). She feigned sympathetic but eventually just stopped replying and nothing has changed. Because of that 100 mishap, it threw me so far off budget and I'm still trying to recover several weeks later.

Today, I check my bank and they have me on auto debit for payment. I can only afford to give them half because of the mess they've created for me with their shady business practices. I called in for help....only to be transferred to the voicemail of the lovely Robin Merrill. I left a message anyway, but I know she doesn't care. She's not investigating anything. Even with the proof staring her in the face, she claimed the money order eventually credited. But you can see it from the very beginning, that extra hundred always showed as owed. Right up until she charged me for it without my consent. I am begging everyone who reads this, not to do business with them. I work customer service and I can tell that these people don't care as long as they get you for every dime they believe they're entitled to no matter how they get it.