How to File a Complaint Against U-Haul

What is it? A claim against U-Haul in small claims court is a legal option that, in many cases, is the only one you have. Remember that the fine print you agree to when you sign a contract with U-Haul stipulates that you are not allowed to join a class action lawsuit, but small claims court is an option. 

When to try it: Small claims court takes time, energy, and money. If you want to make public your issue against U-Haul, this is a good legal tool.

What you need to do: Follow the steps laid out here in FairShake’s Guide to Sue U-Haul in Small Claims Court.

What to expect: The steps for small claims courts are very precise. You must follow them each to avoid your claim being thrown out. However, if you do, and your case is solid, it is very likely that you will get compensation. Note that each state has limits of how much you can win in small claims court, usually around $10,000.

What is it? Whenever you pay for a service or a product with a credit card, you and the company with whom you purchase that product or service (like U-Haul) agree to follow a set of rules. These rules are set up by the credit card provider. So, if there is fraudulent activity, if U-Haul over charges you for something, or if the U-Haul you were contractually supposed to get was not what you got, you might be able to dispute the charge with your credit card company. Credit card companies have procedures which allow you to dispute certain types of charges.

When to try it: If you paid for something one time using the credit card, you can submit a claim against U-Haul by disputing that charge through your credit card company as long as you have evidence to support that dispute.

What you need to do:  Typically credit card companies let you do this online. You just have to log into your account, find the charge in question, dispute it, and provide any other evidence or documents you have.

What to expect: Credit card companies will typically remove the charge from your account while they undergo an investigation. This investigation can take a couple of months during which time they will reach out to U-Haul, possibly ask for more information from both parties, and render a decision.

What is it? The Better Business Bureau and its local chapters are private organizations. Their job is to collect information and customer complaints in particular about different companies that operate Across the Nation. These complaints are categorized based on the subject matter and published online. Companies have a chance to review the complaints and respond to them.

When to try it: When U-Haul’s BBB page shows that the company is actively involved in responding to complaints, you have a much higher chance of them responding to you as well. However, you don’t have to wait for them to respond to other clients or customers before you post something. If you dealt with unethical behavior from U-Haul, you can submit a claim to the Better Business Bureau at any time.

What you need to do: Go to U-Haul’s BBB profile and follow the instructions for submitting a complaint.

What to expect: Just because you post something on the Better Business Bureau profile does not mean that U-Haul is legally required to respond to you. It is entirely up to the company to decide whether or not to respond and, further, to decide whether or not to give you compensation or some sort of remediation for the problem.

What is it? If you recall, the small print of your U-Haul contract does not let you start or join a class action lawsuit. However, it does let you utilize arbitration. Arbitration is a legally binding process very similar to a court case only instead of a judge, it uses an independent arbitrator. It also costs U-Haul money so once they realize that you are initiating arbitration, they are more likely to settle.

When to try it: Any situation where you believe U-Haul misled you, where U-Haul violated the contract you agreed to, or where U-Haul violated the law, you can use binding arbitration. Usually claims through arbitration involve a request for how U-Haul can fix the problem which is often by way of financial compensation. 

What you need to do: Fill out our form below, to start your claim against U-Haul . 

What to expect: For more details about arbitration, click here. You can also start your claim below and let FairShake help!