PODS Enterprises, Inc. Criminal behavior, Signature Forgery, Horrible Customer Service... DO NOT USE PODS! Clearwater, Florida

10th of Nov, 2011 by User836915

I wish I had seen this website before I used PODS for a move across the country from RI to CA! PODS Enterprises Inc. is a criminal enterprise that has committed fraud in relation to my contract with them, and has used horrible business tactics in response to a legitimate grievance filed by me. Once caught in the act of a crime, PODS has chosen to not respond to multiple attempts at correspondence, has delayed due process, and has denied all charges despite overwhelming evidence that implicates their bad business practices. In February 2011, I scheduled a move using PODS Enterprises, Inc of Clearwater, FL. My plan was to move all of mine and my partner's belongings in a POD with a planned move date that was uncertain and was contingent on my overseas work commitments. Our move was from RI to CA and the quote for that move and storage totaled almost $4000. Despite a seemingly high cost for this "service", PODS seemed at the time to be a perfect solution for a move that would require a significant portion of time of temporary storage prior to our desired, but uncertain, final move date. For 5 months, I paid dutifully for very expensive storage using my PODS unit (>$200/month for an 8' x 16' unit -added fees anyone???). On more than one occasion I delayed my move date because I was not ready for the POD to be shipped. From my end, I met every financial obligation to the PODS corporation regarding our contract agreement. Unfortunately, PODS not only did not live up to its end of our contract, it committed a serious crime in the process of executing the transfer of my belongings across state lines. During the month prior to the originally scheduled move date, I received communication from PODS informing me that I needed to complete important paperwork (namely an "Agricultural Self-Inspection Checklist", which is required for a POD container to cross legally into the state of California). I was also informed in these and other communications that my "container would not be able to cross into California without this checklist" in other communications I was told PODS "will not ship your container until your paperwork is complete". I had a scheduled ship date for my POD that was Aug. 22nd from RI. I was under the distinct impression that there was no way my POD would be shipped without completion of all of my paperwork. The nature of the "Agricultural Self-Inspection checklist" was such that I needed to inspect my belongings and verify that there were no materials that could contain "gypsy moths". I had not been able to schedule a date to finish packing my POD and perform this visual "self-inspection" and thus could not submit the form. I also intended to finish packing items into my POD prior its departure and to remove other items that were never intended to ship with the POD to California and should have remained in RI. On Aug. 23rd, I was notified by a PODS employee that I had to submit my "Self-Inspection Checklist" and in response to that communication, I inquired about the urgency of this and asked "can my shipment be delayed?" I was told at that time that my POD had already shipped (without completed paperwork). When I asked to have my POD stopped en route and returned to its point of origin so that I could properly pack the POD, I was told that could not happen. When I inquired how my POD could have shipped without all of the necessary paperwork completely, I was referred to "Customer Service". After a back and forth with customer service, I was informed that all of my paperwork had been completed. I was surprised that this was the case because I had specifically not submitted an "Agricultural Self-Inspection Checklist". I was later sent a copy of the form I reportedly signed and was stunned to recognize that my signature had been forged on this document!!! Forgery! I could not believe this. I also happen to be a physician which made me even more shocked and offended that someone from the PODS corporation would forge my signature. After I alerted PODS that the form which they had on file was an apparent forgery, I was immediately connected to an utterly useless "professional" from the PODS risk management team. This marked the beginning of PODS covering up the fact that they had committed a serious crime involving interstate commerce and forgery of documentation that involves federal and state agricultural rules. And thus began the most frustrating interaction I have ever had with a business or enterprise ever in my life. Following my allegation that a document was forged by a PODS employee which allowed my POD container to ship inappropriately, I have had minimal to no response from any member of the PODS corporation. Initially as my POD was in transit, I asked for PODS to simply provide me with a smaller POD to help me complete the move I had been planning. PODS said "No." Later, I hired an attorney to write a strongly worded letter asking for a bare minimum refund of only the costs for the shipping which was conducted fraudulently, in order for me to pay for a new shipping company to help me correct the location of items I had intended to have shipped to CA shipped and to correct the location of my possessions that were shipped to CA returned to their rightful location in RI. Again PODS said "No." I have never asked for an outrageous remedy of the situation, I have been nothing but reasonable with PODS at every stage in this process after learning that PODS had defrauded my contract by forging documents in relation to my account. In PODS's most recent response to my attorney's letter they offered a "settlement" of a mere $245.00 for the greater than $5000 worth of fees I remitted to their business for the storage and transport of my belongings which they shipped under the fraudulent circumstances described above. This response, after what I have been through and the expenses I will have to incur to correct the mess created by PODS, is frankly insulting. Most insulting of all has been PODS's silence and avoidance of the issue. I think they may have the impression that I will just go away or forget about what they have done to me... PODS, you have underestimated me greatly! I am not going away... To anyone who has the chance to read this: if you have the opportunity to choose someone for your moving and storage needs, DO NOT CHOOSE PODS! You will only regret it, as I have.

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