<p>My S used this company all 4 summers while at Northwestern. He had no problems re: lost or stolen items. Pickups and deliveries occurred as arranged. Maybe he was just lucky.</p>
<p>I guess kids need to ask around their individual school's to find who seems to be best.</p>
<p>Fortunately, my daughter is planning on study abroad next year, so I won't have to worry about summer storage (just other things :) )</p>
<p>Has the school contacted them on your behalf yet, bandit? I do believe that smartmovers would have done nothing if my S's school didn't get involved. (I also doubt that S's school would have gotten involved if it had just been my S affected, but that's another rant.)</p>
<p>Supposedly smartmovers shipped my S's stuff last Friday, and he should be getting it Wednesday. I'm afraid to hope. He has a concert Thursday, and both his tuxes are in those boxes.</p>
<p>I'm having serious problems with this company, too. I graduated from Duke last spring, and now I'm in MA doing grad school. I'm an international student, and I really had very little choice for storage over the summer. Well, I stored my boxes with the firm, and they told me I can just give them a call any time when I know my fall address. So I contacted them in late August, and told them that I moved to another state and gave them my address. Unfortunately, the customer service officers screwed up and put me on some normal delivery list INSTEAD OF SHIPPING. Of course I didn't receive my boxes at the scheduled time of "delivery". I called and e-mailed them several times, but the officers just kept asking me to wait for a bit longer, and my boxes will be "delivered" to me. I tried many times explanining my situation and I moved from Durham NC to MA, but it took me about A MONTH to get them realize that someone screwed up and should have scheduled a SHIPPING for me.</p>
<p>Ok, when I finally thought things are going to work out, I have been waiting for two weeks since I successfully requested a shipping. And when I called today, they told me the warehouse could not find my boxes, and they asked me to file an insurance claim form in case my boxes are lost. I have been waiting for more than 6 weeks, just to know that MY BOXES MAY BE LOST. They are still investigating the matter, and trying to find my boxes, but I'm really worried that my boxes will be lost (though it doesn't make sense... The people who attempted delivery should have noticed the address is in another state, and should have contacted me... and they have attempted the "delivery" several times!)</p>
<p>They told me that "If you have missing items, please understand that this insurance claim opens up a 7 to 14 business day long investigation. During this time our warehouse manager is actively looking for your items and if found, will notify you promptly".... I really hope that they can find my boxes....</p>
<p>My friends who are still in Duke have no problems with the company though... So my advice is
1. Do not store precious things that cannot be bought back if lost
2. Only consider the company if you are going to have your boxes picked up and delivered at the same school</p>
<p>Well, it took a month to get a response to my claim. I emailed them this morning threatening to file a theft complaint with the Cambridge DA and a complaint with the Attorney General in Mass. I also pointed out this thread and told them it was going to get alot more exposure. They phoned this afternoon and supposedly are mailing a check. Of course it's a drop in the bucket to what they lost, but it's better than nothing. I'll post again if it really shows up in a timely manner. It's a shame to have to threaten and blackmail to get them to move.</p>
<p>By the way, local delivery doesn't make it one bit better. Don't store anything that can't be easily replaced. Don't store anything that their $100 an item (box) won't cover. Given their rates, it's better overall to ship it home or donate it to charity.</p>
<p><sigh> Thanks for sharing. Didn't expect it to be such a hassle, but does definitely give us pause about what to do with my S's stuff at the end of the year. Maybe we'll see if my friend has room in her rented storage space.</sigh></p>
<p>S received both his boxes yesterday from smartmovers. He is elated. They are intact, and only 6 weeks late. He now has bedding, pillows, towels, winter clothes, winter coat, his CD collection, and his performance tuxes - just in time for his concert tonight. Was looking forward to a good night's sleep, complete with sheets, blankets, and pillows.</p>
<p>Any explanation given for where the boxes were all this time?</p>
<p>Now, see if they add insult to injury by charging you "storage" for the six additional weeks the boxes were lost! Hopefully not! Would love to read what explanation they were able to provide for the exceptional delay.</p>
<p>The initial delay was apparently a computer problem that overwhelmed them. Then, in the middle of Sept, they sent him an email saying they were on their way, and gave us the UPS tracking numbers. Those numbers showed they were delivered to someone in Massachusetts (S is in NYC.) The owner said he bet they got shipped with boxes going to a school in Mass (BU?) and that he would go get them. Assume the inbetween time was hunting for them. </p>
<p>Yeah, we thought about the "storage" fee, too. We actually may pursue some money back, since the contract was for storage and delivery at a certain time, and they didn't hold up that end of the bargain.</p>
<p>They guarantee a 10% refund if they don't meet their delivery date. I assume this applies to not delivering at all as well. I love paying for a service that is never performed.</p>
<br>
<blockquote> <p>The initial delay was apparently a computer problem that overwhelmed them.>></p> </blockquote>
<br>
<p>This is my "favorite" excuse of the new millenium. Blame it on the computer. Of course...the computer "problem" had NOTHING to do with a human. For goodness sake, using a computer does not give the humans license NOT to think. Am I the only one this makes CRAZY!!!</p>
<p>Just to update everyone, 2 weeks have passed since the company was "cutting a check in a few days". </p>
<p>< Their director of customer service has now contacted me by email saying the check would be cut in a few days. ></p>
<p>I'll be following up again of course.</p>
<p>Has anyone used Collegeboxes.com? I just got an email from Muhlenberg suggesting it as an option for my D who goes to school across the country from us.</p>
<p>There were a few posts about them on another thread. As I recall several had bad experiences & at least one poster had good experience, so results vary. You may want to have your D check around at her school to see what the experience there has been & what other kids are doing. My S is planning to stick his things in a few garbage bags & leave them in a friend's garage over the summer in LA (USC).</p>
<p>Harvard rescinded their use on campus. Harvard housing had contracted with them to store goods for students in houses that were under repair. They lost a large number. You can search here for old posts of mine with the articles from The Crimson, or you can search various college newspaper websites. My caution, don't let them touch anything you can't live without, don't let them touch anything you can't re-purchase for the "lost box" amount, read the fine print, and don't assume anything. After they were kicked off campus, they magically (next day) started "finding" a lot of the stuff that was lost. That leads me to believe that it was cheaper and more expedient for them to loose it than deliver it, at least until it caught up with them.
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=267700%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=267700</a></p>
<p>AnotherMom - If your D has the usual complement of appliances (TV, Fridge, Microwave, etc.) and the college won't store these bulky items, you may want to consider local self storage. The SelfStorageNet site zip 18103 listed thirteen facilities within five miles. JMHO, based on D's experience with CollegeBoxes. (PS, At some schools CollegeBoxes won't pick up from and deliver to dorms.)</p>
<p>A company that I had been considering is doortodoor.com. Not sure whether it's available in your student's campus or not. Since S said he'd handle things from his end, I didn't pursue it further, but it seemed reasonable & I had read a post from another mom whose USC kid was happy with their service when she did a term abroad.</p>
<p>The price was pretty good @ about $400 for 3 months storage, pick up & delivery. Storage was in an air-conditioned facility too! They were running a special & weren't charging for the initial pick up at the time. The box is about 5x7x9 or so & they'd put it where you say for 1-7 days for you to pack gradually.</p>
<p>I used CollegeBoxes.com a few times. The first two times, I got my stuff, albeit about a week after the designated delivery time. The last time was a terrible experience. </p>
<p>I graduated in May (I went to school in Boston, am originally from NJ) and planned on spending the summer with my grandparents in NJ before I started work in August. They came and picked up my stuff alright and were supposed to deliver the items on September 4th (or sometime around then). I happened to be in Houston at that time for work, but made arrangements for my roommate to hang around on that day. They didn't come. They also didn't come they day after, nor the day after. I called and emailed them MANY times and arranged about five alternate delivery dates and times. They did not show up for any of those. Eventually, they passed my boxes off to a third-party moving company to deliver on Thursday. When I found out that they were still not delivered, I called the third party and he stated that his truck was now broke and I would not get my boxed until the following week. </p>
<p>Come Wednesday, low and behold, I still did not have my boxes. When I called the third party, the gentleman snapped at me saying that he can't redeliver my boxes without being told to by collegeboxes. When I questioned the logic of that (why does one need to be told to finish a job he started?), he yelled at me for a little bit and then hung up. Collegeboxes apologized and said that I would get my boxed ASAP. About a week later, they arrived (in terrible condition).</p>
<p>It was a very frustrating exercise (especially since I had just started a new job and didn't want to be worrying about this). Customer service does not take calls during move in/delivery periods and they do not respond to emails within a reasonable period of time. To make matters worse, I got a call in December from CollegeBoxes asking me how I wanted to take care of my balance. When I asked, "What balance," they said that they are charing me $100 or so for having my boxed delivered on a "special delivery date."</p>
<p>I have not used these services but I will say that I ship freight daily in my work. Do NOT use anyone who offs your stuff to a third party. Basically you are at the mercy of that third party shipper. </p>
<p>If you are going to use this service, find somewhere in your local area.</p>