Reasons Why You Should Never Get A U-Box.
By Akapa Supay
June, 2, 2024
Last April my family and I moved back to New York City from Mi’kmaki (New Brunswick, Canada). As we were moving I was trying to see what would be the best way to move back to New York City. I had several options, at first I contacted local movers in my area that claimed to move internationally. The companies I contacted just didn’t feel it would be worth to move my stuff across the boarder because I simply didn’t have a lot of things. This actually complicated things for me so my next bet was to look into U-Haul. The options I had were either renting a truck, attachment , or a U-Box. I felt the U-Box would be much easier on my family because I also have a 17 month old child and a dog. So while vigorously researching the entire month before April I decided to call U-Box and they reassured me the process would be smooth. I called about 3 times before I actually booked my U-Box to be dropped off to my apartment. I can truthfully say customer service from U-Haul in Canada was very professional. Once I got back to the states this is when the chaos came in. Take note my situation is a little bit unusual because my wife and I are native and we had wild life items in our U-Box.
Getting Started
Booking my U-Box in Canada was as simple as going to https://www.uhaul.com/UBox/ . Once we booked a time and date for someone to drop off our U-Box, a representative called us and we alerted them we had wild life items. They told us that we needed to claim all of our items, which was fine and we did. When it was time for our U-Box to be dropped off, it was dropped off at the same date and time I chose.
Where The Chaos Started
Originally after my U-Box was picked up I was told my U-Box would arrive by May 6th. I was already in New York City by April 17th, just thinking that my U-Box was on its way. Everything was paid for until one day I get a call form a representative claiming my payment did not go through. Looking at the U-Box app, it said I did not owe anything, but now I have a representative saying otherwise. They tell me I owe a :storage fee”, so then I just pay it, even though I’m frustrated. Getting off the phone with them, they tell me I now no longer owe anything. Finally my U-Box crosses the boarder probably after a week or two weeks after. I receive another call from a representative telling me my U-Box is held at the boarder along with a phone call from a wild life investigator. The issue at the boarder was we had wild life items in our U-Box. We were told they needed to be confiscated because they were not claimed. While talking to the investigator they told me U-Box should have told me I needed to claim my items twice (which they didn’t). Either way due to the Jays Treaty none of our stuff should have been confiscated due to our rights as indigenous people under the American Constitution. Although the wild life investigator was very nice and professional with us, she simply didnt understand the Jays Treaty. We tried not to be difficult because our U-Box was already late so we abandoned our items filing an abandonment form. We were told they needed the key to our U-Box so making sure things went smoothly, I mailed my second key express and they received it the next morning.
The Chase
Now that they received our key, they confiscated our item and we were told our U-Box would be on our way. One week goes by and I began to call U-Box. I chased them down and called them about 20 times in the past week receiving multiple different answers on when my U-Box would arrive. At this point they say it will be delivered by May 21st at 10 Am. When I called their head quarters and spoke to an agent they told me it was supposed to come the 20th. The same representative then tells me it will arrive tomorrow May 22nd at 10 Am. Tomorrow arrives, I call again and they tell me its arriving today. I wait all day and it never shows up (like before). I call back already frustrated, and someone tells me it will arrive on the 23rd at 10 Am. Basically, I missed work, time, and money every time they told me it was arriving because they require you to be present when it arrives. This went on all the way till the 29th of May, mind you every day i called for a confirmation and they would say it would arrive, it wouldn’t arrive and then they would say tomorrow. When the man delivered my U-Box I told him I want a full refund due to all of this. As he placed my U-Box he asked me when I’d like it to be picked up. Already knowing how they are I said “tomorrow”. Tomorrow comes and of course nobody picks it up. They were supposed to pick up my U-Box on May 30th and it is now June 2nd.
I called the head quarters in Canada where I originally got my U-Box and they did actually give me a full refund. I complained so many times about my U-Box until someone actually gave me an investigation ID number. He told me they will strip all the times I’ve called and complained and create a file for me. I finally receive the money, and later that day a woman named Rudy from the Cross Boarder U-Haul team calls me and tells me I need to pay them $3,500.00 and to only keep the $800.00 for my refund. Mind you, think about how many days would go by because they would never tell me my U-Box was never coming. I always had to chase them. This obviously made me furious so her and I began discussing what’s going on. She basically tells me U-Haul lost money due to the truck was being held at the boarder. Again, due to Jays Treaty nothing should have been confiscated already. The fact they were not listening to us explaining our rights they decided at their own will to hold everything there. It is not our job to explain to them our rights as indigenous people and we can actually sue U-Haul for the abandonment of our sacred items as well as abandoning our rights. My family and I had all out stuff in our U-Box all our clothes and other item for my wifes business as well. She was not professional on the phone and she kept trying to say it was our fault and out of the entire situation they are only asking we “only” back $3,500.00 CAD and keep the $800.00 CAD. I told her I understand U-haul lost money, but that has nothing to do with me. Our rights are protected by the united states constitution whether they are aware of that or not. Not to mention They also don’t tell you they have a 3rd party of truckers who pick up your U-Box. Out of the many times I’ve called trying to figure out why my U-Box hasnt arrived I was told from the Head Quarters in Canada that New York truckers kept abandoning my U-Box and the contract. Again, that is not my fault. Head Quarters in Canada gave me my full refund, but the true fact is they are completely disorganized. There was another point where U-Box called me telling me I owed money and then a representative realized it was wrong. They also made me pay for storage each time my U-Box was late and that was their fault. I completely deserved my refund. after all the time, money, and stress I had.
After that entire phone call with the woman named Rudy, I began to research and post about my experience on social media. Multiple people I personally know as well as strangers had similar experiences like me with U-Box. Each person mentioned their U-Box either was lost, extremely late, or trucks they’ve ordered was not available the time they went to go pick it up. It’s just a disaster and I urge all of you NOT to buy a U-Box. Just don’t. You can see those stories on reddit and other social media platforms. Go with a smaller company who is most likely more reliable, U-Box doesn’t care about their customers nor Indigenous people.
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