Started my odyssey at the U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer on Jacobs Ave in Eureka. Walked into the store to find NO one behind the counter. Waited several minutes and then began to wander about the place looking for an employee, anyone who could help me. Came upon an individual who was cleaning the cab of a truck and explained I'd like to start the process to rent one. Get told he can't help me but there should be someone around somewhere, so I start off to find them. When I do, we return to the store so the employee can begin to take my information. I'm told very quickly, "U-Haul's computer system is DOWN" so all I can do is leave my name, number and E-mail address and the employee jots this down on a piece of paper. Was told I'd hear back on whether or not this facility would have all the equipment I needed the day before I was wanting it. Turns out, they did not. So I leave not knowing how much the equipment I wish to rent is going to cost me or whether it will be available at this location. In the end I get informed less than 48 hrs before pick-up that the equipment I wish to rent will be available at 5 Rivers Auto. It's located in the same town as the Dealer so I'm not going out of my way to pick-up the truck. However, unlike the U-Haul Dealer, 5 Rivers Auto does not open up until 10 AM. As such, I'm left waiting for a kid to turn up to start the process of paying for a rental truck & tow dolly that I have no idea how much is going to cost me because U-Haul's computer system was down the day I made my reservation and I'm never sent any info on what the cost to me is going to be. The kid at 5 Rivers Auto, because that's just what he was, I don't get his name and he never mentions it to me, the customer! So after reading the rental contract and signing off on it, now it comes time to actually get the rental truck, except it's one of three very closely parked together so I have to wait for the sole employee to move one truck to get the one I have rented out where I can then drive it off. After backing the truck into the back of the lot, I take the photo's as required but uploading them via U-Hauls App is not working with my phone so this kid takes over. Eventually I'm able to hop into the cab and get going but soon realize the mirrors need some tweaking for me to use them. I'm trying to locate a switch or button inside the cab to move the mirrors for I wasn't told that this is done manually using one's hands to position them. So I get out of the cab and go looking for this employee to ask them for assistance but it's soon apparent, this kid has disappeared! I can't find him anywhere so as it's almost 11 AM and I still have a 45 min drive to my destination, I realize I've lost most of the morning already and can't wait around any longer so I drive off with the outside mirrors katy-wampus and difficult for me to use. When I returned later in the afternoon to inform this kid that I would return to pick up the tow-dolly the following morning, I asked if it wouldn't be too much trouble if he could open at 9 AM vice 10 so I could get on the road and get going! He agreed. I then asked this fella, "where in the hell did you go this morning for I had an issue adjusting the mirrors on the truck and YOU were nowhere to be found?" Guess what I get told? This kid replies, "I went to get a breakfast burrito!!!!!" Imagine MY disgust, having to wait until 10 AM to get started with the process of renting a truck from U-Haul and when I have a question I need to ask an employee, they've gone off to FEED THEIR FACE because apparently they don't get up early enough in the morning to do this before they get to their employer's place of business. Can we say WTF WTF WTF!!!, Honestly, but I don't think I've ever heard of such utter nonsense coming from an employee who works for Corporate America as this. I then proceeded to let this employee know that I discovered an issue when it comes to stopping the truck I would be using. When depressing the brake pedal, because I have a large shoe size, the brake pedal would drop below the gas pedal so in doing so, while you might think you're slowing the truck down to a stop, at the same time, one is also depressing the accelerator as well making the truck want to move forward. Because of this, I almost drove the front of the truck into the back of my automobile! This kid didn't seem to take what I had just told him too seriously and didn't seem to appreciate the importance of what I had just said to him. There isn't a whole hell of a lot of space in front of the brake/gas pedals in the 15' truck I rented where one can put their feet. And it doesn't help that the gas pedal is not that terribly large. Talk about an accident waiting to happen! The following day, after picking up the tow-dolly, I drove off down a side street to drive my vehicle up onto it. While I had no trouble in accomplishing this and getting the front wheels strapped down, another hiccup was discovered that this employee should have spotted and taken corrective action on. It seems the chains used to secure a vehicle's front end to the dolly, instead of being secured on the tongue of the dolly with the chain on the left side being on the left side of the dolly and the same for the chain on the right-side of the dolly, instead these two chains had been crossed over and secured to catches on the opposite side of the tongue of the dolly. I could not get one of the chains released and had to walk a few blocks back to this U-Haul franchise and ask the employee for some assistance. Once again, hoping I'd be on the road and on my way in a reasonable fashion, instead I found myself spinning my wheels, [Literally] because someone did not notice that these chains had been crossed over the tongue of the tow-dolly which will make removing them difficult. This employee should have noticed and spotted this mistake. But HE didn't. I guess he was too busy consuming HIS breakfast burrito!!!! Near as I can remember, besides what I've mentioned here, the only other thing that comes to mind would be this: why was I sent instructions regarding connecting up and positioning my vehicle on a tow-dolly just after 4 PM on the day before I was set to take off? Stands to reason, but this bit of information, if you folks want use customers to read it, maybe you should send it off a FEW day's before the customers hit the road?!?!? Just a suggestion, eh! No offense U-Haul, but how about reimbursing me say, 50% of what I spent for my rental truck & tow-dolly, eh?
Tim K
5 Rivers Auto
(U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer)
Services at this Location:
One-Way and In-Town® Rentals in Eureka, CA 95501
U-Haul has the largest selection of in-town and one-way trucks and trailers available in your area. U-Haul offers an easy moving process when you rent a truck or trailer, which include: cargo and enclosed trailers, utility trailers, car trailers and motorcycle trailers. Combine your moving efforts by renting a truck and a trailer from U-Haul today.
Other U-Haul Services
Customer Reviews
- 4.5 Average Customer Rating
Let us know what you think.
Your valuable feedback will help us serve you better.
The gentleman who helped me was too notch.
ANNEMARIE HAhmed was helpful and personable. All went well!
Elysa DEverything was great.
LEONARD HNothing
LEONARD H