PODS Moving Review 2024

PODS is one of the better do-it-yourself moving companies we reviewed, outperforming several competitors on pricing policies and breadth of offerings. People who want good protection of their stuff or who want day-certain delivery might find a good fit with PODS. Also, it doesn't charge fees to pay with a credit card. Compared to the other DIY moving companies we reviewed, it had a less-than-stellar customer complaint rate with the Better Business Bureau.

» MORE: See our picks for the year's best full-service moving companies

PODS basics

PODS is a container-shipping company that is headquartered in Clearwater, Florida. It operates in 46 states as well as Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Here are some of the company’s major offerings and what we think you should know.

How PODS works

In basic terms, the company delivers the container to you, you load the container however you want and then you either keep the container on your property, have the company move the container to one of its own storage facilities or have the company take the container to a new address.

• You need a space that’s level, paved, 12 feet wide, 40 feet long and 15 feet high in order to get a PODS container delivered. If the spot isn’t paved, the company will charge you a nonpaved surface fee.

• If you need help, you can contact customer service via phone, email, chat, text or online portal.

• The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan acquired PODS in 2015.

Container choices

PODS offers three sizes of containers for cross-town, interstate and cross-country moves. The containers are made with steel frames and aluminum panels. There are no shelves, but there are wood beams every three or four feet; some have hooks in the beams. The containers have steel roll-up doors.

Pickup and delivery options

You schedule your drop-off, pickup and delivery dates on the PODS website or by calling the company. The company will email you an estimated service window after 6 p.m. local time on the day before your service date. The driver will call you before they arrive. You don’t have to be there.

If a delivery is late, you might get some of your money back. The company told us that if it has to reschedule to a different day, “compensation will be considered and determined on a case-by-case basis pending a review of which party is responsible for the delay.”

Priority Scheduling

For an extra fee, PODS lets you choose one of three delivery windows for pickup or delivery on one or more of your containers:

• Early morning: between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m.

• Morning: between 7 a.m. and noon.

• Afternoon: After 12 p.m.

Express Service

For an extra fee, PODS provides same-day delivery and pick-up. The company delivers the container in the morning, gives you at least three hours to load it and then comes back to pick it up. (If you run out of time, you can reschedule the pickup.)

• This might be especially useful for people with homeowners associations that don’t allow storage containers to sit on properties overnight. 

• If you need to cancel, do it at least three days in advance or else you might get hit with a cancellation fee. 

City Service

This is available in about 20 urban areas in the United States. Instead of dropping off the container, the driver arrives at a scheduled time, stays there for four hours while you load the container and then drives it away.

International moves

PODS ships between the United States and Canada. PODS has a license from the Canada Border Services Agency, which lets the company ship PODS from the U.S. to Canadian PODS facilities. Here are some key things to know about moving to Canada.

• You have to complete the customs forms and return them to PODS in order for it to schedule the shipment. 

• You don’t have to meet the driver at the border, but if you’re moving to Canada, you have to be in Canada before the container ships, and you have to stay in Canada until the container arrives.

• You have to go in person to a Canadian Border Service Agency office to clear customs, and that involves bringing ID, paperwork and your travel documents. 

• Everybody who is moving to Canada has to provide PODS with proof of Canadian citizenship or a work permit or visa that is valid for at least one year after the move date. 

• Once the shipment enters Canada, the rental rate switches to Canadian dollars.

Storage

This can be really helpful because many people who move may need extra time to find or prepare their new homes.

We like that PODS containers are fundamentally their own storage units that can stay on your property for as long as you need. But for an extra fee you can also have the company store your PODS container in one of its 250+ storage facilities. That can provide an extra layer of security versus leaving the container outside on your property or other location.

You can access your stuff while it’s in storage, though you have to make an appointment to do so a day or two ahead of time.

Packing and unpacking

PODS doesn’t provide packing and unpacking services, but it partners with third-party service providers that may be able to do this for you.

» MORE: Where to find cheap or free moving boxes

Car and vehicle shipping

PODS doesn’t ship vehicles, and you can’t put a car inside one of the company’s shipping containers. It partners with third-party partners Acertus and Mr. Car Shipper.

Customer service

PODS scored relatively low in the customer service portion of our rubric. We evaluate customer service based on Better Business Bureau rating for the company and the number of complaints to the BBB and Department of Transportation. This company had a very high complaint ratio relative to other companies we reviewed.

PODS cost

Like most moving companies, PODS doesn’t provide actual price quotes online. The quote depends on several specific-to-you factors, such as:

• How much stuff you have.

• What size container you want.

• Where your stuff is going.

• When you want to move.

Pricing

Here are some estimates from PODS, sorted by distance.

How PODS billing works

You don’t pay all at once. Instead, PODS charges little by little over time. We like that the company does not require an upfront deposit or prepayment, and there is no fee to pay with a credit card.

If you cancel

• You can cancel by 4 p.m. local time at least three days before your first container is scheduled to be delivered. Otherwise, you may be charged a cancellation fee. 

• If you cancel after your first container is delivered, the delivery fee, first month’s rent and Contents Protection coverage (if applicable) are nonrefundable.

Things PODS won’t allow

PODS will ship a lot of things, but not everything.

Not allowed:

• Humans and other animals.

• Items with lithium batteries.

• Lawn mowers.

• Motorcycles and dirt bikes.

• Motorized scooters, golf carts, off-highway vehicles, watercraft and aircraft.

• Machinery, generators, grills, smokers and fire pits with oils, fuel, gases, liquids and/or other substances.

• Ammunition.

• Items containing corrosives, mercury, bleach, ammonia, etc.

• Propane tanks.

• Oxygen tanks.

• Aerosols.

• Fireworks and flares.

• Paint and varnish.

• Nail polish and nail polish remover.

• Cleaning supplies.

• Weed killers, fertilizers, pesticides, etc.

• Pool chemicals.

• Alcohol.

• Tobacco.

Not recommended:

• Food.

• Pet food.

• Personal, financial or legal documents.

• Medication.

• Medical equipment.

• Firearms.

• Heirlooms.

• Irreplaceable or precious items.

• Cash.

• Credit and debit cards.

• Hard drives.

• Plants.

• Items that aren’t yours.

What if PODS damages my stuff?

You have to pay for any damage to the container while you have it. But there are two types of protection.

Container Only Option (COO)

• What it covers: Damage to the container (not the stuff inside the container). 

• Cost: $10 per month per container.

• Beware: The coverage doesn’t apply if the damage is “willful or intentional” or occurs because you put prohibited items in the container.

Contents Protection Option (CPO)

• What it covers: Damage to container as well as the stuff inside the container.

• Cost: Depends on how much coverage you want; $34.95 per month for $5,000 of coverage, for example, or as much as $439.95 per month for $300,000 of coverage.

• Deductible: $100 per claim ($2,500 if the damage is due to a “named storm” such as a hurricane).

• Beware: This doesn’t cover water damage, mold damage, bug or animal infestations, or damage due to earthquakes, landslides, sinkholes or other ground-related problems.  

Another option is to get third-party insurance for your move. Sometimes movers will sell you a policy. Your homeowners insurance might also provide some coverage.

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