You Can Plan, But Sometimes The Universe Screws You Anyway

My husband and I are planning to move. As we have a busy schedule and a lot of pets, I start arranging rental trucks and movers more than two months in advance. I foolishly assume this will make everything easier.

Sadly, the universe has other plans.

One week before our actual move-in date, we plan to move some items into storage, so I book a van from a well-known moving company. I make this reservation about six weeks in advance. They take my credit card information and send me reminder emails, and everything seems good to go.

When we arrive to pick up the van, though, the store says there’s an issue and to call the corporate number. Confused and worried, I dial their number and am immediately met with a hostile tone. 

They tell me they are denying my rental because I listed my husband as an additional driver and his name is linked to someone who didn’t pay their bill from six years ago! Neither of us recognizes the name.

The representative does not believe me and accuses me of covering for this stranger.

[Company #1] Rep: “Unfortunately, you’ll be permanently banned from renting from our company unless you resolve the debt.”

Me: “Neither my husband nor I know this person, so obviously your records are wrong. And why wasn’t this an issue when we rented a truck from you two years ago?”

[Company #1] Rep: *Pause* “You must have given us false information then so it didn’t flag our system. Tell you what. I can even settle the account for $150.”

I tell her I’m not paying some stranger’s debt and hang up.

Desperate to find a vehicle and stick to our schedule, we turn to another well-known rental company. I reserve a van on their website for the next day. When my reservation time arrives, we show up at the store only to be told their website is wrong and they don’t have any vans.

I tell the representative that I would take a small truck or anything really, and she asks me to wait. I wait an hour and a half before I can get her attention again. Suddenly, her tune changes and she acts like I am an idiot for expecting the vehicle that I reserved.

[Company #2] Rep #1: “You really have to request vehicles far in advance.”

I think about my six-week reservation that was just pulled out from under me and scream internally.

Me: “I assumed that your reservation website was accurate. When would you have a vehicle available?”

[Company #2] Rep #1: “We’re booked up for the next few days. Just call back and maybe something will get returned sooner.”

Wondering why the heck she asked me to wait, I decide to leave and cancel our moving plans for that weekend. 

But wait, that’s not all. A couple of days later, [Rental Company # 2] charges me a $75 NO-SHOW fee for not picking up a van. Furious, I call them. 

Me: “I need this charge refunded. I waited an hour and a half only to be told you didn’t and wouldn’t have my vehicle.”

[Company #2] Rep #2: “Unfortunately, ma’am, you have to actually cancel your reservation with twenty-four hours’ notice.” 

Me: “How would that be possible when I showed up on time and you told me you didn’t have the van?”

[Company #2] Rep #2: *Pauses* “When we cannot complete a reservation, policy states that we must charge a fee.”

Me: “So, let me get this straight: your website accepts reservations for vehicles you don’t have, and then you get to collect a fee when you can’t complete those reservations?”

The rep hung up.

I ended up contesting the charge with my bank and getting the money back. We finally reserved a truck through a commercial vehicle company that made an exception for us. 

I couldn’t help but send an email to [Rental Company #1] with the amount I had paid the Commercial Truck Company (in cash) to show how they’d lost a sale because they wrongfully linked me to some stranger’s six-year-old debt. 

Long story short, this is how I learned that planning ahead doesn’t necessarily mean things will go well!