Handle With Care Packaging Store - Berkeley, California

Carson

This is a copy of a review that I posted on Yelp. I want to make sure that anyone considering having them set up a long-distance shipping job sees this.

I really want to give this place two and a half stars, but I can't go up to 3. My fiancé and I needed our couch shipped from Berkeley to
Boston, but didn't need a full moving service. Dan gave a quote of $1200 for packaging, shipping, and pick up/delivery combined, but told me that would probably be an overestimate (b/c I overestimated the weight). While that's on the high end for this kind of service (with no white glove movers involved) I was told that paying this would ensure delivery by 5-6 days after pickup.

First, the reasons for the low rating: what actually happened is that they tried to charge us $1275 for a delivery that took *three weeks*. After complaining about the delay during the process, they only refunded $100 of that amount. Dan always answered the phone when I called to check up on what was happening, but he was either misleading me throughout or wasn't bothering to properly check up on the delivery status. After an initial delay of several days, he continually made false promises about how soon it would arrive, while reminding me of how it was "out of his hands."

Once I finally got the contact info for the shipping company from him, I suddenly got a very clear answer that ended up being accurate. However, as the delay caused the couch to arrive when I was at work, and all that money didn't even cover help in getting the couch up to our fourth-floor apartment, the couch was left sitting outside in the rain until I could make it home. I'm just grateful that the super of my building graciously helped to move the couch in once I did.

Now, the reason that I rate my experience as a 2.5 instead of a 1: the couch did arrive in perfect condition. Ultimately, that is the most important thing, and is the reason that I was willing to pay a bit over a grand for the service. Dan was always available on the phone during the process, and it does appear to be true that the delay was the fault of YRC Freight.

However, the large delay would not have caused such a headache if Dan been able to provide reliable updates on how soon the package would be arriving. I also never forgot about the fact that he initially led me to expect $1200 to be a substantial overestimate of the cost. In the end, I should not have had to pay the $1175 that I did for something that turned into such a hassle.

Edythe V.

“I don’t pay the bills, I just work here.” That was Dan's response when I called to tell him the shipping company would not deliver my belongings because they had not received payment from the Packaging Store. This was four weeks after I had relocated to another state.

After I made several phone calls and emails and I finally got my belongings (the shipping process took an entire month). It took a threat to involve the Better Business Bureau before Dan would put me in touch with his boss, Darren Armor. He apologized for his employee's behavior and explained the cause of the delayed payment.

This encounter has left me infuriated. The Packaging Store gets a one-star rating from me. I have been treated rudely before, but this was over the top. I believe this is a case of what is now euphemistically called “unconscious bias.”

Richard K.

Thank you For taking care of picking up and sending my package to Alabama. You guys went out of your way to help me in my situation.I recomend this company for your shipping needs

Judy S.

Excellent Service

I buy on-line, and hesitate to have expensive items left at my front door where they can be scooped up by thieves.

So I use this store as a 'mail drop'.... they call when a package is delivered and only charge $2 per package... with 2-3 packages delivered per month, this is a lot cheaper than paying for a mailbox for package deliveries

Gabor B.

57 dollars for a cartoon box (full price up front needs to be pre-paid), takes a week to have it ready. The box is open on the bottom as well as the top and when I try to close it up, the large gap between folds makes that hardly possible without buying extra tapes

Charley W.

Did a phenomenal job shipping two large, delicate framed pieces. Very reasonable rates, and first-rate packaging. I'd trust them to ship just about anything.

Joseph S.

Dan is the best. He is always courteous and a pleasure, and visiting his dog Bao Bao is often the highlight of my day. Thanks for all the hard work, Dan & Bao Bao!!

Joe Z.

The owner was very helpful. He even directed me to the post office because it would have been cheaper. Highly recommended.