So we heard back about the travel claim. They will pay for the two months of storage. That’s great. However here’s the dumb thing. The guy who determines what will and won’t be paid for decided my boxes would not be paid for.
OK, so I’m being penalized for buying plastic boxes instead of cardboard. Even though cardboard doesn’t stack as well and crushes and ruins your stuff. Even though cardboard does not hold up over time. Even though cardboard will allow water in. We won’t even discuss how bugs like to crawl inside the cardboard and lay eggs. *SHUDDER*
My totes are the same price as the same size boxes. So who cares what I got? But apparently this guy looks at it as an “investment.” I’m not kidding. His reasoning was that we could keep the plastic boxes so he didn’t want to pay for them. First off, I know so many people who break down their cardboard boxes and store them for the next move. Very common in military families. But hello? I wouldn’t have bought like 80 of these stinking totes had I not been moving. So this was an expense related to moving.
Oh gee, they’ll pay for my paper though. Gee thanks for that 20 bucks.
OK, it wasn’t like we were close to budget. We came in well under 1000 bucks less than they offered us, counting the totes. So what’s the beef? Boxes are boxes. I think I was rather smart for actually getting a better deal. I spent the same amount of money and i got boxes that will hold up over a move and storage thus creating less claims against insurance for broken/damaged goods due to moving.
Yeah well you better believe I’m keeping these things now. Over my dead body will they go away. I don’t care what I have to do to store the things. Maybe I can ask the guy to store them for me. HA! Would serve him right!
So much for getting rewarded for forethought. How dumb.
I’m really pissed off, yes. Minor thing, yes. But I’m sorry, his reasoning was really dumb. All I have to say is we are going to the company picnick. Dude, stay clear of me or you’ll get an earful about your stupidity.
I figured the big question was storage… apparently it is BOXES… the INTREGAL part of moving. You cannot move without boxes!!!!!!
Oh be glad… I accidently unplugged my laptop before finishing this post so this is the second time I have ranted. And it has been about four hours since I was told. So yeah.. not near as flaming angry as I was before. But grrr. Please feel free to comment on this guy and his cheapness and jerkness. He better be glad that I have simmered down some because boy when I found out I almost ripped him a new one in this post.
Dude… thanks for reitterating the continuing plunge into wastefulness and lack of “job well done” that seems to be rampant in the world today. Next time you think someone is wasteful, just consider your argument that my boxes were not good because they were not disposable.
Lady Ozma's Journey 
jeckasue said:
devil’s advocate here
::hides::
While I think it sucks that you won’t be reimbursed if the totes cost the same amount as the cardboard would have, I can see his point as far as the actual boxes.
You can use your totes for anything under the sun after they are unpacked. You can SELL your totes if you so choose. I know people keep cardboard boxes, but like you said, they don’t hold up as well so they are less likely to be re-used.
If I’m in the job of reimbursing people for moving expenses, and maybe that company moves people frequently… I’d rather reimburse for cardboard boxes every 3 years than reimburse for totes one year, then, because that person has put to better use the totes, or sold them, or whatever, they need more stuff 3 years later. And because he okay’ed totes this year, you go out and buy 100 more totes in 3 years for the next move.
I dunno. I just figured they wouldn’t reimburse for totes from the get-go. You’re the only person I’ve ever heard of to buy totes instead of cardboard, but I *totally* understand your reasoning and think it’s brilliant. Most people they move probably don’t move in with family and have long-term storage issues with their boxes too. It’s probably “ok, they don’t need totes, they need cardboard to get them from point a to point b and maybe a month tops of storage.”
I do think you are onto something though. Maybe U-Haul should rent totes like they rent trucks. Or maybe those storage areas. Instead of selling you boxes that may get trashed and you just trash them yourselves and you’re out money, they rent you totes for your move. You get a deposit back when you turn back in your totes. Hmmm.
Back to the insanity…. you werent’ planning to get reimbursed ever since Doug kept putting it off. So just be thankful for what they WILL reimburse, be thankful your stuff is safe and secure in its’ totes, and don’t sweat the small stuff. Keep the totes to use in your new career as organizational expert. 🙂
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Lady Ozma said:
Hmmm to banter with ya some
You bring up a good point however… if they buy cardboard boxes now they are guaranteed to buy new cardboard boxes in 3 years. So once more, what does it matter? Maybe by buying totes I’ll save at least a few and next move they can save a little bit of money by NOT rebuying!!! Hmmm. There’s something to think about. I could in essence by buying plastic boxes and then saving them goodness knows where save the company money in subsequent moves whereas if I buy cardboard I am guarenteeing they’ll have to rebuy boxes.
Also maybe it is because I’ve moved so many times and been involved with people who move a lot. Most people try to save at least a fraction of their cardboard boxes. Especially military. To do a DITY move in the military you don’t get paid right away either and well frankly, they just don’t have the money to spend on anything. They are hard pressed to afford the truck. So they try to save as many boxes they can in order to have them for the next move and defray their costs a little bit. And I’ve seen people actually trying to sell their cardboard boxes. Anything to make a buck I suppose.
The last company that moved us paid for totes. Of course I only bought 100 bucks worth that time. Because I simply couldn’t afford to put out money for boxes. I was begging boxes off the habitual movers like mad. You’d be surprised at how many boxes I got that had been through at least five moves. (Known by the labels.) This time however I had so long that I could buy totes slowly and spread the expense out longer.
I like your idea for UHaul. of course not a chance you will get that because then they will lose money. Having to give money back for boxes. You know moving companies save the used boxes they get back, right? Let’s face it, people like having disposable stuff because it keeps people coming back. Oh that one is used up or broken, time to get a new one.
You better believe those totes are being kept at this point. I’m thinking about once we get a place, taking a picture of them stored whereever they are stored and giving it to the guy. “Thanks for making me have to keep these since you were too cheap to pay for them even though we came in WAY under budget.”
I just don’t get it. Same cost so what does it matter. Boxes are boxes are boxes.
And I’m not the only one who uses totes, I know a bunch of other people who have done the same thing. I figured it out from someone who put her dishes into storage. She didn’t want something that would crush since it was dishes. So she got a tote. I said “But what about the reinforced dish packs they sell?” She said “That tote was cheaper, I was tempted to overpack it, and if it gets kicked or bumped the plastic takes a lot more abuse.” Good point. That was when I really started thinking about it so three moves ago I went pricing and was like “Holy smack, this is a better deal! Same price or cheaper in some cases and a lot more durable and they stack a heck of a lot easier!” Of course like I said we were broke so I couldn’t buy very many.
The bookkeeper for that company was real impressed with my thinking. When they moved offices she got totes to move all her stuff in. 🙂 It’s definately becoming a new fad because it is so much better. I had planned to keep several but not all. I probably have like 50 or 80 of the things. And you know me, if there’s no need for it get rid of it! I’d have just passed them on to the next person I knew moving! Not a chance now. I have 150/200 bucks in Totes and I’m not giving that up since if this company DOES move us I’ll need them. And let’s face it… I’m apparently destined to be a gypsy what with 10 moves in 10 years.
I just hope I get a house with enough storage room for all those totes!! I already have an empty one I was just going to toss in one way or another. Forget that now!!!
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jeckasue said:
Re: Hmmm to banter with ya some
The whole budget thing, that’s where I think the company is so wrong. If you haven’t met your “budget” for moving expenses, then it shouldn’t matter. I do think it sucks that they won’t pay it even though paying it would still put you under budget. $1000 is $1000 and you should get it flat out, I think. Hmph!
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Lady Ozma said:
Re: Hmmm to banter with ya some
That’s what I thought too. I mean if I was really close and they wanted to quibble I might not be so irate. But the fact we were something like 1150 under what they offered us. So since we came so far under and that is money they are saving, why be PITA about it?
Anyway the thing is insane. Like I said, boxes are boxes. I dont’ see why it matters if I get plastic or paper or use garbage bags. LOL. bwahahaha.. garbage bag movers… that would not be wise…
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