PODS (Portable On Demand Storage) was founded in Florida by Peter Warhurst in 1998. His family owned a moving and storage company, but he wanted to take it a step further. He invented the mobile storage unit, more commonly referred to as a shipping container or pod.
In 2007, Pods was acquired by Arcapita for $451.4 million. In 2012, Pods sued U-Haul for using the name Pod when referring to their U-Box product. U-Haul ended up paying Pods $62 million for infringement of copyright.
The new PODS containers have a steel frame construction with completely recyclable panels made of steel skins and a high-density polyethylene core and are produced in three sizes: approximately 8-by-7-by-7 feet, 8-by-8-by-12 feet, and 8-by-8-by-16 feet. The top is a translucent polymer, which allows some filtered light into the container.
Pods maintains a corporate office in Clearwater, Florida.
PODS (Portable On Demand Storage) was founded in Florida by Peter Warhurst in 1998. His family owned a moving and storage company, but he wanted to take it a step further. He invented the mobile storage unit, more commonly referred to as a shipping container or pod.
In 2007, Pods was acquired by Arcapita for $451.4 million. In 2012, Pods sued U-Haul for using the name Pod when referring to their U-Box product. U-Haul ended up paying Pods $62 million for infringement of copyright.
The new PODS containers have a steel frame construction with completely recyclable panels made of steel skins and a high-density polyethylene core and are produced in three sizes: approximately 8-by-7-by-7 feet, 8-by-8-by-12 feet, and 8-by-8-by-16 feet. The top is a translucent polymer, which allows some filtered light into the container.
History
Pods maintains a corporate office in Clearwater, Florida.
This event with pods has been a nightmare. First off they were not placed correctly. Second it took them 2 weeks to remove after being called for pick up. It’s was a mix between no no shows or weather. They force you to continue to call for pickup. They double charged me when delivered. Took days to get that straight then triple charged me on pickup. Maybe at one time this was a great business but today unfortunately it’s not. When supervisors don’t take calls from customers it’s a telltale sign things aren’t going well. Guard yourself if using this service.
We have waited three weeks on our furniture been told 5 delivery dates and still they don’t show. We are in our seventies and camping out in our new home with our beds and furniture still at the Savanah facility. Customer service is non existent. I’m ready to spend my remaining life suing them.
I am unhappy with the whole process of trying to get a quote for a moving pod. I am going into retirement and will be moving to Florida from NC. After giving all my information and receiving a quote I was being pushed into booking my date right away. When I told the representative I wanted to day or 2 to consider his offer, I was told that I had to book right then or you might not be able to supply me with a pod. I don’t know about anybody else but where I come from $4000 is considered a lot of money and I don’t think I was asking too much to be able to call back in 2 days and let him know. The only thing I am sorry about is that I wasted my time even considering your company.
I have used PODs for a couple of moves that have gone smoothly. This most recent I received an email that my POD would be delivered to my new apt (full of belongings) at 7:00am. We know there can be delays…I called and was told the delivery was for around Noon, never showed..called again now the time was around 4:00. Final call I made had it being delivered around 6:00pm. I had movers hired to unload and ended up having to pay for an hour of their time. I also lost a vacation day as I could have been home from a day of work to meet the driver/POD at 6pm. I have filed a complaint AND had correspondence with a higher level, however they stopped communicating with me. The representative who was apparently the escalated rep, told me they never told me 7:00 am. When I found the email proving the 7:00am quote sent the night before, she never responded. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!? What lack of integrity to resolve….Consumer Beware!
I’m beyond pissed! I called in and ordered my pod on 6/15/22 for a delivery on 6/17/22. I called in the night before (6/16/22) to confirm my delivery time to find out the incompetent customer service rep, Siamoond, never placed my order. Credit card on file and security pin in place, but no order. I have an entire crew hired to move me tomorrow….and no storage rental. On my first follow up call Echo indicated “what I need to understand”. Excuse me!!! You have lost your mind. Echo confirmed that my card and pin had been recorded but the order was never submitted. I asked him to escalate the call. He told me “there are no supervisors available”. I called customer service back, sat on one phone 31 minutes before they hung up, second phone was 50 minutes and they hung up. Representatives “claimed” no supervisor was available and bounced me around before they just hung up. This company is garbage as it pertains to facilitating business. The ineptitude of it’s representatives is beyond comprehension. Simply apologies won’t fix this situation. Your failure PODS has cost me financially!
had pods deliver my container of course came late left in a spot that i told them not to
but my bigger issue is i had my pod in ac unit and when i unpacked my pod all my metal rusted, and corroded i have sent pics 5 times to my rep she send 1 email in a month thats said still no pics again i sent her pics and i also emailed corporate still no response i lost a brand new bbq grill, sewing machine, microwave oven, solid iron bakers rack, all my metal utensils had to be thrown out i am out a lot of money can not get these things repaired and repairing them will be costly. I am still waiting or an answer from someone i had paid for my container on time for years so being in a ac controlled unit this should never of happened
This is the worst experience of any organization I have ever dealt with. First, I can’t even get in my account since July 6th. Put in my number, and my code, and get a 500-Internal Error notification. Multiple calls to CS and no help. Then my POD never showed up today, waited all day. Called CS and asked where is my POD? Said we took it back to the warehouse and will be rescheduled in two days. Never called me to discuss, just didn’t show up. The CEO and COO should get of their offices and go see how their company is running – like Garbage. My cell is 858-210-XXXX should anyone in this pathetic organization have the common sense to call. I will ensure that all social media sites understand to never use this company. Let’s see if my POD shows up on the 22nd of this month.
Going Through the same experience they’re telling me that they’re not coming till Tuesday I’m without a bed for four days and I’m disabled and my medication is in the truck
I am having a similar experience so far I spoke with 10 people and 10 different answers. I have an 82 year old in a scooter without his bed very sad
This is the worst company I have ever dealt with. I have been trying for weeks to get weight tickets from this company and I might as well be asking for them to make me the Starship Enterprise. All customer service or should I say customer abuse does is pass me around from voice mail to voice mail with no resolution. I have been been hung up on and told that I can’t talk to a supervisor. No one can solve this issue and have I wasted enormous amounts of time trying to get answers. Even calling corporate was a waste of my time. They promised to call back by the end of the day and did not do that. If they can’t meet their simply obligations should I be surprised that their customer abuse lacks the same ability. The worse part is they charged me for a service they cannot or refuse to provide. This is only one of several issues I have had with PODs over this move. I will definitely rather use pack mules then PODs next time I have to move anywhere in the states.
I am very disheartened to see your product being politicized by a hauler having placed a TRUMP didn’t loose the country did on the back of the flat bed containing 3 PODS. Bad business to allow such behavior.
My experience with PODS has been horrific. I actually cried this morning because PODS screwed up again. You can not get any help. The CS person can do nothing but say I’m sorry over and over again. I wish I would have never gotten involved with PODS. They took my money and have done nothing correct since then.
I feel like I just relived your nightmare. Today saw an afternoon del drop when I paid for Premium $100 specified Del time of 7-9AM. 4 hrs and 9 csr later & couldn’t resolve so had to cancel today as my movers had to go to other jobs they had scheduled. CSR are pleasant but not trained to handle issues i.e. scheduling. Some were not aware of Premium fee means a 2 hr window and that apparently there is a Sunday drop (in Phoenix).
Now I need to wait another 3 weeks to sch and Im certain PODs expects me to pay another months storage fee. What’s wrong with this picture?????
Had confirmed POD drop off which contained all my household goods – PODS provided 3 hour window. Sad to say the window came and went – no POD delivery. Called Customer Care, waited 45min to speak with CS operator – explained situation, the CS person hung up. Called back, another 45 min wait. Explained the situation again – this time I was told they could not reach my home PODs office, but had left a message and that I would be contacted with an alternate drop off date and time. Received an email with the following day as the next available drop-off date. Sad to say the following day – same thing again, the drop off window came and went – still no POD delivery.
I went through the process once again for the third time (and day) – still waiting for a POD date and drop-off time 2 days later. The CS staff are ambivalent to customer situations and really are not in the least helpful. Really hope that I get my goods delivered at some point. I would strongly advise that people do not use PODs under any circumstances.
0 star experience and terrible customer service. We have used POD for the first time and it has been no where near our expectations:
1. We have hired top rated movers from HireAHelper that POD recommend on their website. Movers came in without any protections with our flooring and no facial covering. Text and make phone call all the time and obviously finish 1/2 amount of work expected within the hired timeline. We hired another company to complete the job same day for 1/2 the cost and 2 times more precessional. Thurber out that the top rated movers only have 2 reviews one star on Yelp.
2. We have put the house on market and scheduled to pick up POD container. It is not available until a week later which won’t work for our timeline. Called customer service to ask for 2 piece of information: if we can have a sooner pickup date? If no, can we tow the container by ourselves? The agent have filled a ticket and asked us to wait till 2 business days for any answers which is 3 days later( filled on Friday and we have to wait till EOD next Monday). According to the agent, this is the highest priority ticket and there’s nothing they can do for any urgent issues other than fill a ticket. Throughout the conversation, agent tried to explain how their process works and how they are overwhelmed, and asked us the be patient without solving any issues/providing any helpful information.
Right now, the Pod is sitting outside of our driveway, leaving us tons of worries for our selling plan. I have no ways to make my voice to be heard and hopefully there’s someone in the company who truly walks in customers’ shoes.
Very unhappy with PODS services and customer (un)care department.
I normally do not do these types of posting but in this case, it is the only available avenue I have found in attempt to communicate (and escalate) with any upper management ;not just my dismal experience over the last several months as a loyal customer but also to hopefully make those relevant senior mgmt. persons aware of a trend I see that can very well spell failure on several levels of the business itself.
I have heard and experienced an abrupt and significant erosion in PODS customer service (in the personal consumer segment); a type of erosion that can signify an overall decline to the continued success of a company. While most may be focusing on sales, growth, cutting costs, the size of the deal or next quarters performance, this issue is as critical or perhaps more so (think about the only relevant question on any survey….would you refer us to anyone? or will you continue to do business with us in the future?)
Being previously in hi-tech upper management (both in Finance and Operations at several notable hi-tech Fortune 500 businesses as well as start-ups , I know of what I speak. I am well aware of what can trigger or cause such a rapid erosion and significant drop of the quality of customer service. Incidentally, I have been a loyal customer virtually since PODS’ inception and have referred not just to family and friends but also to many of my business colleagues. I had been happily struck not just by the novel and creative and improved approach to the nasty business of moving but also to the good value financially and the awesome personalized customer service department .
Over the last 1-1 1/2 years however, I have sadly seen PODS quality of service and the overall value decline consistently and significantly. While common reasons include rapid growth and the accompanying growing pains, extreme market expectation of company performance and/or valuation, added to this, I am sure, is the COVID-19 pandemic where poorly trained or underqualified (or underpaid staff i.e. poor hiring practices) are not being mentored or supervised properly with no , working from home with little or no supervision. There seems to be no answerability or outcome to bad customer service in this case.
Some quality of customer service erosion is expected I suppose and somewhat understandable under the circumstances but this rapid a change is bad and is ultimately the result also of poor internal management. I say this because I have seen it and mark my words, if these practices continue, the company will suffer and a competitor will emerge as the market leader.
Not just me but several people (including business colleagues) I have referred have experienced this same issue during their entire process; not just one or two mistakes; but virtually every step fraught with errors resulting in time wasted, the breakage and loss of items, billing mistakes and the list goes on. Finally and perhaps worst of all is the absolute inability of the customer to resolve or even to escalate any of thus they are left with no solution to fixing any problems; to something substantial as big a life change as a move… and with their lifes’s belongings. It does not leave a slight impression.
By this time, the customer has had to contend with the average reps ineptitude, negligent performance and complete lack responsibility. 9 times out of 10, we have found them insultingly disingenuous and typically silent as to how to resolve. This is amongst the worst result a customer can experience; an experience that doesn’t just cause that customer to take his/her business elsewhere BUT normally triggers those to talk to others about how awful it was; not the kind of PR you want.
While you might expect this of a shoe salesman at a mall store (who when too lazy to locate your size, simply tells you that the store doesn’t have it in stock-), to have the care of ALL your personal belongings in the hands of staff like this, it is simply unacceptable.
I am saddened by this development and I indeed know that going forward if this continues, you will see only bad news for the company. I have seen it happen. Whether it is poor staff training, or hiring, or poorly executed cost savings or sitting on your laurels as the market leader, or perhaps it is a series of bad internal business decisions, it is likely to be forgotten, but I guarantee you that your customer will not see it that way.
Regards, SP
Do you have cell numbers or email addresses for John Koch (CEO), Darrin Campbell (COO) or Tim Preston (GM)? I had a very similar experience to yours recently and were summarily dismissed by a entry level agent to get even an Incident # assigned. The agent just said “no” to my talking points and then ended the phone conversation abruptly. Please share your contact info if you have them.
Did you call the corporate office number in our listing?
Try the number above (727) 538-6300