Zippy Shell Incorporated

Listen, friend: DON'T. Don't even think about using Zippy Shell / 1-800-Pack-Rat unless you want weeks of your life lost to helpless frustration while this horribly negligent and deceptive company puts your and your family's life on hold and repeatedly lies and jerks you around about the status of your moving container. But don't just take my word for it--Google "BBB ZIPPY SHELL" for dozens of stories as bad as mine (some worse!) logged by the Better Business Bureau.

Only once before in my life have I felt compelled to post an online review (a positive one, ~9 yrs ago), but my recent experience trying to move cross-country with Zippy Shell was so bad I am now speaking up on every review site possible so others are aware. The short version is that they didn't even ship our unit for 27 days after they said it would (with no communication of delayed status--every time I called their customer service I got run-around excuses and empty promises), and this was after we were sent an email about a "confirmed delivery date" that came and went (though they charged me the 2nd half of the total before the unit reached the destination warehouse--in violation of the contract!); in the meantime my wife and I are having to care for our 2 year old in an empty place and I can't get started on my work without the shipment.

They ended up refunding me less than a quarter of the original price--not nearly enough to be worth the 3 additional weeks of aggravation, but just enough for me to rationalize that it's not worth taking any more of my time and energy to sue them (which I was fully prepared to do at that point).

Again, moral of the story: DON'T. Don't ever, EVER use Zippy Shell--you will regret it.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4000

There was initially no issues with picking up our possession, scheduling. the crew who came to load complained that they had to walk in grass and it would "mess up my new shoes" and didn't want to use their hand cart because it would also need to be cleaned after. As for delivery, that has not been completed yet. They called initially saying that they would be unable to deliver to the address I provided when they were hired. And told me that I'd have to dive the 2 hours to pick it up myself. Obviously I hired them due to not being able to move the items myself. They then offered to reschedule service to the following weekend. That day they did not call, but when I called just after noon (a morning delivery was promised) I was told that the crew called out and they were unable to deliver that day. They knew and did not even call me to inform me. I am now awaiting a second rescheduled delivery in 2 days and if it is not delivered I intend to file an insurance claim, as well as legal (theft) charges. Their staff was both unhelpful and not understanding in why I may be so upset with their lack of service.

TLDR: do NOT hire this service, you are better off loading your possessions onto a bicycle and riding that...

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5200

Wow.....

The price is right but wow...... The customer service is absolutely terrible. Recommend this company to people you don’t like. Saturday- your shell will be delivered between 8-12. 12= no shell. Customer service your shell will be delivered between 1-3. 3 = no shell. Customer service has no way to track or reach out to the third party delivery service and find any information out regarding delays or issues. Sunday- no shell. Monday morning it finally arrives. Honestly you’d get ahold of the cable guy easier than these people. Supervisors are few and far between and apparently don’t like to return calls. I would never ever recommend this company to anyone. I’ll update this post as needed as my belongings haven’t yet been picked up or delivered. It can’t get any worse..... or can it? I’ll update this as it transpires.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4000

The company has been horrible as far as customer service is concerned. We made a request for a time when I would actually be available to unload after work (1pm) which they said they would process but never informed us it was apparently denied. So they arrived early (10am) with no prior warning or heads up and we were not able to get our stuff at that time with me being at work. So the driver left just before I got home. A supervisor I talked to “apologized” but said my only are to pay another $1,500 for them to come out again (with a $50 removal from the fee, woohoo!) or come get it ourselves which I cannot do since the pod is over 4 hours away outside of South Dakota. I’m being punished for them dropping the ball. I don’t recommend this company to anyone. The stress has been unbelievable. We still don’t have our stuff yet.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4500

Corporate is terrible. I will never use or recommend Zippy Shell. First, they delivered the wrong container a month and a half later. They had lost our container and couldn't locate it for 2 full days, when they said it was in Cali. But the next day when I called they said it had been in Cleveland. Not even Zippy Shell can keep their story straight. All the while their communication was not very good. I had to call them to get an update on where my container was. After going through all of this, they won't give me a full refund. They offered a few hundred dollars, a fraction of the thousands of dollars I paid to ship my container across the country. I will never trust this company. Not only did Zippy Shell bring the wrong container to my house, lose my container, and not provide good customer service, we had mice poop in our container and on our belongings. I previously used PODS and they delivered the right container at exactly the time they promised.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5020

Helping our daughter move across country we found Zippy Shell. If moving across country look elsewhere, I would not recommend Zippy Shell to move you across the street. What they lack in professionalism they make up for it in being unreliable. Their company is blessed with a lack of communication and their problem solving abilities consist of saying “I’m sorry” which they say a lot. Our cross country move was scheduled for May 10th and apparently they only work with 4 movers in the Seattle area and when the local movers truck broke down their solution was to move the moving day to the 13th and to say “I’m sorry” . My daughter had to fight for this date as they wanted to schedule it on the 27th. It didn’t matter that this delay resulted in her family rescheduling their flight to Seattle, an extra night in a hotel and additional expenses plus a car rental. Oh but a discount of $200 which was less then ½ of a percent discount from the total cost of the move was given for the issue.

Expected delivery day was 10 business days from pick up, 20 business days later her stuff arrived in Oklahoma at their storage site. This was after several calls, and being told at one point they had not heard from their driver for 6 days!! No concern was shown for their missing driver or that all of her worldly possessions were MIA. Due to this issue a discount of $150 was given, with both discounts ($350 total) this super amazing discount was still less then one percent of the total invoice from Zippy. But they did say “I’m sorry” I hope their driver was ok.

At this time she asked to have access to her stuff, She did as asked per the contract and gave two day notice. She was told she would be charged a $150 access fee. This fee is not disclosed on the website or on your contract. I guess we should of read between the lines. She was done dealing with them at this time and asked for her stuff to be delivered to a family member’s home (her apartment is not ready) She was told that she needed to provide them with a 14 day notice to move her stuff. Hmm, her contract said 7 days which she had to point out. It was scheduled for a Saturday but changed to a Monday which they knew she had to work that day. I guess for Zippy Shell calendars are hard to understand, but they did say “I’m sorry”.

She finally had her stuff! But all her stuff was covered in grass, dirt and black soot stuff. Boxes were damaged, some crushed. She is still going through boxes and knows she will find more surprises.

So if you love working with a company that doesn’t know how to communicate, problem solve, read their own contract and sneak in undisclosed fees this is the company for you! They are nice and only a little condescending when working with you so do keep that in mind. I’m sorry my review was not shorter and hopefully I only took up less then 1% of your time.

Move size: Studio Service cost: $4172

Zippy has a few people working for them that are personable and sharp, but the initial impression from the sales person has nothing to do with their performance. I had two containers picked up at different times for an interstate move. They don't show up on the scheduled day and they don't deliver on the scheduled day. You may or may not be able to get through to them by phone, and they are adept at giving the side shuffle when you ask where your container is.. Our first container was dropped off and it was packed with someone else's garbage when we opened it up. Had to wait another day for the next clean container and there's no apologies from anyone but the driver. The second container didn't get picked up until after we had moved out. Didn't show when scheduled and no notification. We moved from California to Washington and the first container showed up a week after the scheduled date, the second container still hasn't shown up (It was scheduled for a delivery three days ago). I've probably logged about 20 hrs of time on the phone with them, but none of it has mattered. They don't do anything except say they'll look into it. That is if you don't get tired of waiting on hold. In another day I'll call the sheriff at the the facility they use in Puyallup Washington and see if I can get some response that way. Seriously, DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY! It's essentially criminal the way they operate.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $6200

It will have taken over a month for our stuff to arrive from Tucson to Baltimore. We had it picked up 6/8, it arrived in their Maryland facility on 6/29, and they will deliver it to our house on 7/16.

We are living in a mostly empty house because all of our belongings are in there. This has been an absolute nightmare. When you call customer service, no one seems to know anything and they just tell you what you want to hear.

Please please please read these negative reviews and listen to them. This is an unprofessional company who contracts out to other companies.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4500

Do not, under any circumstances, use Zippy Shell (also operates under the name Pack Rat). We ordered a Pod a month before needed. The day the pod was to be delivered we were told it couldn't be done because they had not pods available. We were told that the earliest date of POSSIBLE delivery was the day it was originally to be picked up and we were to move. Who runs a business like this when they cannot even keep track of their inventory versus their client needs? Very, very poor business practice. DO NOT RECOMMEND.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $1200

Zippy Shell was scheduled to arrive between 8 am and noon with movers to load. No show and no call. We called 12 times that day and each time talked to a different person. The last person said she would get back to us by 8 pm with answers. No call. Called the next day because received a rescheduled date by email and text. No personal contact and that date was unacceptable. The next day talked with a manager and canceled. Because we have to get a parking permit in the city, it creates lots of extra expenses and time. Now to find another mover with better reviews!

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2180

We have used zippy shell 3 times now and this past time has been a complete disaster. We booked them 2 months in advance and 2 days before the movers were to come they call and say they aren't available. They also have such loose control of their inventory, they didn't even know our shell arrived at their warehouse until I called demanding answers 8 days later. Even then it took 24 hours and 4 separate employees to find out they'd screwed up. Now they are fully paid and will not work with us to make up for their error. This is just the cherry on top of a disaster cake with them. We returned as customers because our other 2 moves were relatively good, but our research shows they have since sold to 1-800-PACK RAT and they are a terrible company now. You've been warned.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $1900

Absolutely horrible experience. Heads up if you have 2 deliveries there is a redelivery charge of 300 dollars that they never tell you about until a few days before your pod is supposed to be delivered. Customer service completely unhelpful unwilling or unable to reimburse you for any of these inconveniences and miscommunications. If they break an item which they did break my television it is 60 to 90 days for a reimbursement. They say a manager will call you back you will be waiting days for that call regardless of the timeline they gave you. Never will use this service again so unorganized and unhelpful.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3000

A one star review would be far too much credit to this company.

They have had our pod for over a month when we were told that we were to have our pod in 6-8 business days.

First it took our stuff almost 2 weeks to even get to Oregon from Oakland. They never gave us any update. We had to call over and over again with no communication as to when our stuff would even arrive in Oregon.

When it finally arrived in Oregon they scheduled our delivery date 10 days out. So at this point we are 3 weeks past.

The day of the delivery came and no time window so we called. They said we were scheduled on the route but anywhere between 8am-8pm. We had taken this day off work as well as the following to be able to move our stuff. No call, no communication whatsoever.

The next day we call they tell us it wont be here till the next day. Again same story, we call in the morning to get a time frame. Nothing. So this is the second scheduled delivery that never happened with no communcation.

I have had it trying to communicate with these people. I work in customer service and this is just trash. Nathan who is a supervisor has no communication skills or empathy to what this company is putting us through.

We are supposed to have friends in town to check out our new space and stay with us. Now will be having to potentially shell out money to stay in a hotel.

DO NOT WORK WITH ZIPPY SHELL.

We are ready to get a lawyer involved and have already contacted the Better Business Bureau to get help.

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3800

I have been a consumer for 50 years in America. I have never seen a company that lacks from top to bottom any form of control or communication as poorly as this outfit. Do yourself a favor. Never deal with these guys. Zippyshell and pack rat are absolutely incompetent and provide nothing in the way of customer service. They cannot figure out if they are delivering an empty pod or picking up a full one it is so bad I could go on and on but our experience with them and their delays are unconscionable. Avoid this company. Their call center in North Carolina literally is full of people that don't know what day of the week it is. It is that bad. I would give them a negative review if the stars above allowed it. Good luck!

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $100000

This review may change in more of a positive light if my issues with Zippy Shell ultimately get resolved. I did an out of state move with Zippy shell from Texas to Kentucky this fall. Six pods total. Two of the pods I loaded myself. I paid for loading services on the other 4 pods because it involved moving the more heavier furniture that I could not do myself. Because Zippy shell doesn't have a physical presents in Texas, they contract with 1-800 Packrat. 1-800 Packrat farms out the moving services to 3rd party moving companies. That said, the 3rd party moving company that was chosen for me was terrible. They did not come with simple moving items like moving blankets. Luckily I had a bunch saved from my previous move. They were not careful with the moving and loading of most of my future which resulted in thousands of dollars worth of damage (including damaged hardwood floors) for which I have a claim filed with Zippy shell. They showed up with a pod late in the day one day and said they could only load for 20 minutes because they had to get the pod back to the warehouse by 5 PM. That resulted in a pod that was only 1/3 loaded for which I had to pay full price of course. I will say that the unloading of the pods in Kentucky went very smooth and the difference was that it was done by Zippy Shell employees who took great care as apposed to a farmed out 3rd party mover. Adding insult to injury for the damaged furniture was the fact that over a month after I paid the final bill and had my 6 pods delivered, they charged my debit card out of the blue for an additional $4270. When I called Zippy Shell to get an explanation all they could say was it must have been a billing adjustment. At this point I have disputed all charges made by Zippy Shell with my bank because A.) I did not receive the services that I paid for (I.E. my furniture being delivered undamaged) and B.) I was charged $4270 30+ days after paying the final bill and Zippy Shell couldn't explain why. All of this said, I base my opinion of a company on not only how they perform, but how well they resolve issues. I am hopeful that Zippy Shell will do what is right to resolve my issues in which case I will be more than happy to update this review. We are 60+ days into my claim and Zippy Shell states that they have 90 days to process claims. I will report back in the next 30 days.

Move size: 4+ Bedroom Home Service cost: $21000

I hired zippy shell to pack two shells for me as they suggested to move me from Colorado to Illinois. It was two shells for $5000. They were to pack me on November 22. They came with two shells and an independent packing company not zippy shell. The guys are very nice and packed the two shells and said there’s no way they were packing everything into 2 shells so we had to get another one and they did. They came back the next day and packed that shell and then they said we have to get another shell because we don’t have enough room so then they got a fourth shell. Meanwhile my conversations with the office was jacking the price up more than double my original bill. I was buying a house I had to be at closing and I told him that I did not agree with their rationale but I didn’t have much of a choice. In my contract it said they were going to deliver within 6 to 10 days of packing my belongings. It is now January 14. Zippy shell has lied to me numerous times about where my belongings actually are I’ve been told that they have been delivered to a warehouse in Illinois and that is actually not true I have been told that three of them have been delivered to a warehouse in Illinois and that is actually has not been true the first two times they said it my fourth shell has been in flux for over a month I was told it was going to be delivered to the warehouse on December 21 when I called on December 21 I found out that it was still in Denver. They lie. They lie constantly. They now want me to pay thousands of dollars just to get into my shells so I can get a truck and other movers to move my things into my house they won’t do it unless I pay them thousands of dollars. They’re the worst company in the world. They have lied and told me there was a truckers strike in Denver and there was no truckers strike. They have gone into my bank account without my approval or my knowledge and taken money out. I reported them to the US DOT for Deceptive practices. I am going to talk to the CO and IL attorney generals office. I have hired a lawyer. I have a fused spine and I’ve been sleeping on an air mattress since December 1 and I can barely walk. I have a son with autism who is having meltdowns every single day because he does not have his belongings. But these people don’t care. They really don’t care. They should be put out of business .

If you want to read more negative reviews on zippy shell go to a website called Trust pilot you will not believe what people have written that they’ve done to them. In their reviews they have broken their furniture and belongings. I pray that they have not done that to mine. Go see for yourself. I wish I had never heard of this company. The information to report zippy shell to the US DOT is in the trustpilot website. I would highly recommend that everyone who has had a negative experience with this company to file a complaint against them and contact your states attorneys office and the Better Business Bureau. Even if you have resolved your issues it would be helpful for you to do this to stop them from being able to do this to others.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $10000

Pros: The subcontracted packers and unpackers arr. by Zippy Shell were professional and efficient once they showed up. All of our stuff was delivered intact wout damage. No unexpected charges and price was fair. Customer service people were very nice (when you could get them) even though they could not address delivery or scheduling problems. Cons: The logistics were a mess. Loading was delayed by 2 days with only 3 hour notice. Unloading was 10 days late with no delivery time given. We had to try to figure it out each day. The customer service people had no way of figuring out where and when movers would show up. Managers/Supervisor could find out where pod was and if there was 'MAYBE' a scheduled drop off IF you get a manager. Hours on hold every day to customer service even though they knew we had a problem. I realize this was in the middle of the COVID craziness but they never knew what was happening and never were proactive in communicating with us. On the actual delivery day movers were 5 hours late because the wharehouse loaded the wrong pod on the truck and had to call movers back and start over! Great idea but really need to figure out better coordination between delivery people, wharehouse and customer service. Won't use again.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4310

Be VERY careful when considering this company. They do NOT cover damage to personal items caused by their careless loading or unloading. We purchased their Content Protection Plan and upgraded it to cover up to $50,000 in damages per container. The cost of this insurance was $119.85 per container. A few of our furniture items were severely damaged due to poor wrapping and one priceless antique was damaged beyond repair due to loading heavy objects on top. We claimed $4900 in total damages and provided detailed photos of the damages, descriptions, and original cost for each item. One item was an original Stickley credenza that had nearly all the stain scratched off on the front bottom panel. Another item was a custom made dining room table that had deep scratches on the metal base because the loaders didn’t wrap the base.

The Claims Department offered us a $175 settlement! Below is the response that we received from the Claims Department at Zippy Shell. Their insurance basically covers natural disasters and other disasters, and they take NO responsibility for the damage caused by their careless loading or unloading. Avoid this company at all costs because they don’t take responsibility for their carelessness, even with purchased insurance. The insurance is a complete rip-off and scam company and their $175 settlement offer is insulting and ridiculous given the amount of damage caused by their company.

CLAIMS DEPARTMENT RESPONSE (typos included):

The 1-800-Pack-Rat Zippy Shell claims procss has concluded, and we appreciate your patience regarding this matter. We apologize for the damages sustained to your property and would like to present an offer. Please be advised that the “actual cash value” or the most reasonable “replacement value” of an item is always taken into consideration by the 1-800-Pack-Rat claims team when arriving at an settlement offer. An “appearance allowance” is also offered when the damage has been determined to be cosmetic in nature, and no evidence has been submitted to support the property was broken or no longer in operable condition. Below you will find the amount offered for each item listed on your submitted claim form and an outline detailing the determination.

Again, avoid this company at all costs because your personal items will NOT be protected by their insurance, even if you purchase insurance from them and show proof of the damage.

Move size: 4+ Bedroom Home Service cost: $7000

Please do not consider using Zippy Shell. I have lived in nine different countries, and I have never experienced anything as bad as Zippy Shell.

I ordered a move from California to Michigan. The salesperson I talked to initially where very “professional” and “service-minded.” I told him we were moving a 1-bedroom and a 10 feet storage. He said I would need the 15-feet container. I asked him several times if he believed that was enough, and he ensured me their containers easily would take that. As I compared prices, Zippy Shell came out as giving the best price, and also, according to their website, the process looked very smooth and fast, 7-10 business days according to the salesperson. Huge mistake.

It started on the day of the move from CA. The movers came out, looked at the stuff, and immediately said, “everything won’t fit; you need to call Zippy Shell for another container.” Interestingly enough, the movers said that “this is how Zippy Shell is doing it.” What they meant is that they sell a container that’s too small, and then they leave the customer to buy an extra container on the day of the move.

As my daughter and I were flying out later that day, we had to solve this issue. I called Zippy Shell and eventually got to talk to a Manager named Nathan. I asked how they would help me solve this to get all my belongings over to MI. He told me I had to get another 15-feet container paying up another $2250 that day. When I asked the prices for a small 10-feet container, he said they had stopped using them and hadn’t updated the website yet. However, the website still offers a 10-feet container..

Nathan didn’t do anything to help us. He only wanted the money for the second container. I told him that it wasn’t right for me to pay double the price I had initially signed up for. If I had known that, I would have picked a company that offered a lower price and, as it turned out, better service. Nathan then asked me, “do you want another container or not. I can have it out there sometime tomorrow”. I tried explaining to him that we had flight tickets leaving that night.

I then asked him if we could take a U-Haul and move the belongings that didn’t fit to a Zippy Shell warehouse and have it shipped later. Nathan then came back and said it would cost me for a local move if I drove the stuff to their local warehouse, around $2000. At that point, we had no other choice than to urgently find another storage for the rest of our stuff, put it there and fly out the same evening. Thanks to the moving people (NOT ZIPPY SHELL) for apologizing on Zippy’s behalf.

The container left the apartment in CA on November 23, 2020. There is no way to track the container, and you are just left hanging. I called Zippy Shell, and they said it would be delivered latest December 11, 2020.

On December 7, 2020, I received an email confirming that my container arrived and please let us know when we can deliver. I called and said I wanted the delivery asap. I then received an email confirming that my delivery was scheduled for December 24, 2020….

I called and again was met with no understanding, poor customer service, and no efforts to try to come up with an alternative solution. I will now have to rent a U-Haul, go out to the warehouse and get the stuff myself. Interestingly enough, they kept saying both in CA and here in MI that they could not contact the warehouse. However, when I asked to pick it up myself, they could suddenly contact them.

This is absolutely the worst experience I have had during all my moves. Once they have sold you the initial container, they will not care about you as a customer. I even had to call to confirm they received my container at the origin as they never communicated anything.

This is the first time I write a review in my entire life, but I feel so strongly about how Zippy Shell treated us after signing on the dotted line.

I want to urge everyone that considers using Zippy to think long and hard and look for alternatives. The service is as poor as it gets, and the initial price that looks good will end up much higher than expected. For me, it was double the price that we agreed on!

Walk away from Zippy Shell!

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4500

This is a service company without the customer service. They outright canceled our (signed) agreement and didn't pick up my stuff, and after more then an hour talking to their reps, I found out because my move would cost more to service then they anticipated at the time of the quote. They outbid a competitor to get my business, and because of the delays related to them pretending like they thought they might do my move, ended up going with the other company but more then 600 dollars more then the original price. ZippyShell was like "Oh well, we said we'd do it for more money too." Worst, worst, worst company experience I can remember. Feels like an outright scam. Their real name is 1800 packrat and they do business under that name as well. Make sure to avoid both. Moved alot because of the military and I would recommend U-pack and then PODS for self service moves. Can't go wrong with U-haul/Penske if you can make the drive.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2800

They do not have a good network in other states and keep billing you even when your container has left storage. I gave them notice well in advance to move my container from Virginia to Texas but it took them almost 1 month to do that after calling and e mailing them a number of times. In Texas I had to hire a truck to pick my items as they’re partner in the DFW area in Texas wanted to deliver my container after 2 weeks. They are only after your money and not interested in providing a reliable service. I have been charged for storage even thou my container is not in storage. Pathetic Service!

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2500

After reviewing other relocation options, I hired this company for my move from Seattle to Central Pennsylvania. I wanted to avid the stress of driving a truck while towing my car across the country, and had a lot of furniture and sentimental items that could not fit in my car.

Customer service was hit or miss, although some agents were very friendly. During my initial booking I was told my stuff would arrive 10-14 business days after it left Seattle (May 1), and I would receive an email/call so I could schedule the drop-off time. I was told I would have three hours to unload. Zippy offered unloading services, but the rates appeared to be 2-3x other loading/unloading help in the area. The agent that signed my moving agreement ignored follow-up emails I had with questions. I did not learn until after arriving in Pennsylvania that once my shell arrived at the storage facility here, it could be 5-10 days before it would be delivered. They then give you a vague window of time, so is impossible to try and hire local unloading help.

My time frame was 10am-1300, and at 1300 I received a call that the drive was here. However, an empty zippy shell arrived, instead of one with all my belongings. Currently trying to reschedule for stuff to come on the 24th. We will see how this goes. Very little faith in the company at this point in time.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $4000