HEBRON, Ky. -- Lynn Eldred is settling into her new Northern Kentucky home after her move to the Tri-State from Texas about one year ago.
Eldred said she did some homework, choosing the area after researching the property taxes, cost of living and medical insurance.
“Then I looked for all the fun stuff,” she said. “The museums, the theater, you know, all of that. We went coast to coast, and actually Northern Kentucky came up in the top three in every category.”
With the city picked out, it was time for Eldred to find some help moving her belongings nearly 1,000 miles away. She called 1-800-PACK-RAT and stored her stuff in six containers. Eldred said she noticed a problem when the containers were delivered to her new home.
“One of them — the five were OK — and one came in. It looked like someone had jammed holes in it with a forklift,” she said. “We opened it and of course water and things were damaged.”
Specifically, metal storage cabinets were damaged. There was damage to a floor following the delivery as well, Eldred said.
Claim denied
Eldred said she had insurance and filed a claim for more than $4,000, the cost of the container plus the cost to fix the damaged floor.
Eldred said she spent weeks calling and emailing the company for answers, but her claim was denied.
“So out of desperation, I contacted you and you worked your magic,” she told me.
I called 1-800-PACK-RAT and emailed photos to find out why Eldred’s claim was denied.
The company’s director of marketing, Sarah Saulnier, issued the following statement to WCPO:
"We apologize for the inconveniences Ms. Eldred experienced during her move – this is not the experience we want any of our customers to have. We have looked into her order history and concluded that the claim was mishandled by a former employee; we will be reaching out to the customer to offer her the full amount that she requested. We will also use this feedback to evaluate and improve our employee training, communication, and resolution processes.
We understand that moving is stressful, and our goal is to provide the highest quality of service to every customer. We are truly sorry for the experience Ms. Eldred had with our company, and we look forward to making this right.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention.”
Eldred was contacted by 1-800-PACK-RAT within a few days.
“Could not have been more apologetic, more accommodating. They apologized over and over and over saying it should never have happened that way,” she said.
Protect yourself when moving
You can’t fit everything in the car when traveling across the country. Follow this advice every time you use a moving or storage company:
- Check out the company with the Better Business Bureau, Yelp or Angie’s List.
- Have a written contract.
- Make sure you are covered by your homeowners or renters insurance, or by insurance you may be able to purchase from the storage company.
- Whether it is indoor or outdoor storage, it’s a good idea to place all clothing in closable plastic bins, and wrap all beds and couches tightly with plastic.
If you have a problem and need help, send an email to houston@wcpo.com or leave a message at 513-852-1360.
