U Haul

During a humanitarian aid trip to the native american reservations in western new mexico, the van I had rented in albuquerque broke down. I thought the battery was dead so we tried charging it.. after half an hour it still wouldn't start. I had to call U Haul and ask them what I should do.

They were VERY helpful.. I was pretty impressed at how thorough they were with the information they asked for, finding someone after business hours to come look at the van.

I was half an hour away from where I was staying, and the mechanic they found gave me a ride back. He was very nice and assured me that there's no way that a three hour drive from albuquerque to where i was could have caused the van to break down. he said b/c it was a brand new ford, that it was probably just an assembly line mistake - that a wire had been knocked loose somehow, but that I was lucky it didn't break down late at night in the middle of the desert.

The next day U Haul assured me i would not have to pay for the tow or the repairs. That was the end of my good experience.

They did not offer to provide me with a rental car, to pay for a bus ticket, anything for me to get back to albuquerque for my flight. Not only that but I had flown across the country to work with these communities and without a vehicle I was unable to get to the locations for the rest of the week.

long story short uhaul had the van towed back to albuquerque - with me in it .. again the driver was so nice, but once we got to the shop the manager was not there - even though he assured me he would stay until close to speak with me. A couple of teenage guys said that they'd look at the van and get it to where it needed to be so the driver left it there in their 'oh so knowledgeable hands'

I needed a taxi or a bus or a ride to a hotel -- they couldn't help me --

Since I wasn't from there I walked down the street and sat in a pizza place for almost two hours until i could figure out where i was and how i could get to the airport...

I never heard from u haul, they charged my credit card for the rental fee.

about a month or two later i got a letter in the mail from a debt collector saying i owed a balance of $1,400.76

It didn't list what the charge was for.

Shame on you U Haul for assuring me I was not at fault and that I wouldn't have to pay for more than the rental cost!

It is now almost August and the situation is still not resolved.. I have offered to pay the mileage, gas, and tow...

Do not rent from U Haul!