UHAUL does not care if you are putting your life on the line, or other drivers on the road. They are out to make money and that is the bottom line.
I will defend the road side assistance as they are only trained by the company that hires them. If a company is there for the customers, they will train their employees in the same manner, if not, well. then they are what UHAUL stand for. and I don't think there are words to describe it.
As for Republic Westerner I can only say IDIOTS in the making!!!
I do not mind unforseen things, but when lives are put on the line, vehicles and personal goods are damage (especially items that are irreplacable) are uncalled for as you will see below in my complaint.
We have tried to settle the matter below with U-haul in a peaceful manner, with no results. No phone calls are being returned, no questions are being answered, and we are getting passed around from one department to another. This has been ongoing for over a week now.
We relocated from Texas to Oregon and the trip was a disaster. The first day, we had U-haul hook up the auto transport to tow our 05 Chrysler Sebring. Upon loading it, the trailer came off the truck hitch and reared forward, slamming into our 06 Dodge Ram and ruining the tailgate. We got an estimate on the cost of repair totaling $1173.00.
Once we started our trip, we got 140 miles into our destination, and the trailer had no running lights, so we called roadside assistance to be put on hold, transferred numerous times and finally they sent help (4 hours later) with no results in fixing the problem after 2 more hours of waiting.
We then drove during the day for safety reasons and after arriving in Phoenix took the trailer to a U-haul dealer that specialized in trailers. The problem was a pinched wire when the trailer was hooked back up after coming off the truck hitch.
The above was just the trailer, and then there was the truck rental. The first truck they rented us had to be returned after going 2 blocks from the U-haul center. The lights on the dash came on and it did not shift into gear. They replaced it with an older truck that ran better, but had balding tires (we have pictures). On the drive we experienced an alternator belt go out (4 more hours of waiting for help and repair). This is understandable, as no one can predict something like this to happen.
It was when we got to El Paso and encountered a downpour that came up on me so fast I was blinded. I was on the freeway and had a semi behind me and a family car beside me and could have caused a pile up as I went to turn on the windshield wipers and had no knob. I could not see but knew I had to get off the road as securely as possible so I eased over to the side hoping I was safe for the other drivers to pass and not create havoc.
I finally got stopped and signaled my husband that had to come back and reef on the post where the switch was for the wipers and after a time got them turned on. We pulled off and contacted road side assistance and told them what had happened and they made it sound like a joke. They said someone would be contacting us back in 30 minutes. After waiting 45 minutes we made a call back only to be told a manager was working in it and would get back to us in another 30 minutes. We NEVER did get a call back so we purchased a wrench to turn on and off the wipers after trying to contact U-haul companies in the area for a knob to no avail.
I got very upset that no one had called us back so we pulled over about an hour later and was told a totally different story then what was reported to us in the beginning of this mess. Then they said they would get someone out there in an hour or so.
I asked if they had any competent help or trucks on the road and was told "of course they did" I then stated. I am about ready to park this truck and call Penske, and leave this peice of crap on the side of the road. I told them the truck was not road worthy and the tires were bald and they were going to blow! I said more choice things, but not appropriate to post!
We stopped over in Phoenix and found a replacement knob for the wipers so that problem was solved. BUT, that was not the last of it.
In 4 days we had made it from Texas to Nevada. wooo h*o. we should have been in Oregon. Once outside of Las Vegas the tire blew. imagine that! We called roadside assistance, only to be told we had to drive around to find a mile post marker (after telling where we were 4 times) so my husband drove up and down the highway hoping to not loose cell service to look for a mile marker.
THEN the idiot told us to drive the truck into the nearest town. HELLO. the outside tire was blown. I would have if it would have been the inside one. BUT the outside one. how stupid! Well, we finally found a mile marker, and after 3.5 hours the mechanic was dispatched.
After removing the tire the mechanic was totaly amazed. When the tire blew it blew a hole in the bed of the truck. damaging my 1900's Singer Treadle Sewing machine that was handed down to me by my Great Grandmother and my $3500.00 glass top table.
I contacted UHAUL and was told to file another claim with Republic Westerner and since then my calls have gone unanswered. I told them on the last voice mail I was contacting a lawyer thinking maybe that would pull the lead out of their butts and get something done, but once again to no avail.
I will be contacting a lawyer to see where my legal rights are and just get back what is owed to me. They would owe a heck of a lot more if lives would have been lost, so I feel I am not being unreasonable.
Jaci
Beaverton, Oregon
U.S.A.
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