For a moving and storage company born in 2002, SMARTBOX sure does recognize the struggles of traditional moving. No wonder they dedicated their efforts towards eliminating the aspects of stress and excessive time consumption from the process of moving. They sought to find novel ways to solve this age-old problem of stress associated with moving.
SMARTBOX offers its customers a highly developed moving and storage system that gives them more flexibility and greater convenience at good prices. If you are wondering whether you should choose SMARTBOX, you should definitely go through this article before you make any solid decisions.
Everything you need to know about SMARTBOX services
Before we explore the plethora of services offered by SMARTBOX, let us first understand how SMARTBOX works. Once you have assessed the quantity of your belongings, you can place an order for SMARTBOX moving containers. These containers will be delivered at your doorstep. You can then take your own sweet time and load these containers.
After you are done loading, the containers will be picked up by the company and will either be shipped to your new house directly or will be taken to their storage facilities. This completely depends on what you want to do with your stuff. If in case your new home isn’t ready or if you are still in the process of searching for a new home, the company can store your stuff and then deliver it to your new house according to when you schedule the delivery of your stuff.
Let us now look at the various services offered by SMARTBOX and then, you can decide for yourself which service suits you the best.
Residential Moves
Residential moves can be either local or a long-distance move. Let us look at how SMARTBOX fares at local moves. This company can make your local move very easy. They have a team of qualified and experienced employees who ensure that you are given all the accurate information so as to help you to plan your move. Once you figure out how many moving containers you will need, the company representative will give you an accurate quote for your move.
In order to make your move more convenient, the customer service representative will tell you which SMARTBOX store is the nearest to where you stay. They can also provide you with help to load and unload your containers at an additional charge. As it’s a local move, you can immediately be provided with extra containers if you are to realize that the number of containers you reserved aren’t enough.
SMARTBOX understands that a long-distance move requires more meticulous planning as compared to a local move. Their moving consults ensure that you get all the services you need. When the containers are dropped off at your pace, there is no time limit to how long you can take to load them. This is beneficial for you as it is difficult to come back for forgotten stuff when it’s a long-distance move. They coordinate with the staff of the facility that’s located in the city where you are planning to move and also arrange for helpers when you unpack/unload the container.
Corporate Relocation
You can go for a SMARTBOX container when your employee needs to transfer to another location. They will deliver a water and weather resistant container to your employee’s place. The best part about a SMARTBOX container is that it can fit in your driveway. A corporate relocation service works out the best for employees who fall in these categories:
- Need to declutter their houses.
- Need more time to load their containers.
- Need to relocate ahead of their family members.
- Avail lump sum employee move offers so as to move at affordable rates.
Commercial Move
Business owners who are looking to either remodel their offices, expand, relocate or close down their business can avail of the services provided by SMARTBOX. Most organizations have highly confidential material which needs to be stored during these transitional times. SMARTBOX ensures that all the possessions are stored in a secure storage facility and transported to the new location in a safe manner.
Storage Facilities
There is undeniably a growing need for storage facilities and SMARTBOX provides you with the perfect space that you need when you wish to store your belongings. SMARTBOX containers are designed for long term storage. They allow small air passages in their container which prevents your items from rusting. Their storage centers are extremely safe and there is no risk of your objects getting damaged or stolen. Here are some of the storage options that Smart Box offers to its customers
- Long-term storage
- On-site storage
- Seasonal storage
- Temporary storage
- Residential storage
- Business storage
- Military storage
- College student storage
What Size of Containers does SMARTBOX Offer?
SMARTBOX offers its customers with containers that are of one standard size. The dimensions of the container are 8ft (length) x 5ft (breadth) x 7 ft (height). One SMARTBOX container can carry around 3,000 pounds of weight and there is 231 cubic feet space for you to load your stuff. The size of SMARTBOX containers gives an advantage to those who do not have enough space in their driveways or streets. One parking space can accommodate two SMARTBOX containers at the same time.
The number of containers you will be needing can be calculated on the basis of the square footage area of your house. If you live in a studio apartment, you will most probably need only one container to move your stuff. However, if you stay in a 3-room house, you will be needing at least 3-4 containers. SMARTBOX lets you order a maximum of 8 containers at once. On top of that, this company follows a pay-per-use policy. This means that you won’t be charged for the containers that you don’t use.
Note: In order to maximize the amount of space you use, make sure that you load the heavier objects towards the bottom of the container and odd shaped and light weighted objects towards the top. The SMARTBOX container is placed at the ground level. Now that’s precisely why you don’t have to use ramps and other equipment. In this way, loading becomes hassle free and easy for their customers.
How much does a SMARTBOX Cost?
SMARTBOX moving and storage company provides its customers with varied kinds of services. The cost of hiring SMARTBOX depends on a few factors including:
● The type of service you need
● The size of your house
● The distance of your move
● Season of your move (moving is generally expensive during summers and springs)
● Additional services availed by you (help with loading/unloading packaging supplies)
One notable thing about SMARTBOX is that it offers you a quote for the service you need and you can rest assured that it is the final amount you have to pay. SMARTBOX follows a transparent pricing policy in which what you see is what you pay. There are absolutely no surprises towards the end.
SMARTBOX charges you around $89 for each of the containers you rent. 30 days of free storage is included in this price. This means that you can keep the container with you for up to 30 days. You will also be asked to pay a $99 delivery fee when you rent containers. If you are going for a local move, it can cost you anywhere in the range of $200 to $1,000. If the distance of your move exceeds 250 miles, you can expect the quoted price to be anywhere between $400 to $2,500. Lastly, a long-distance move will cost you in the range of $2,500 to $8,000.
With SMARTBOX’s storage services, you can opt to store the container in their warehouse or on your property. You will be charged per container and 30 days of free storage will be included in this charged price, as mentioned above. Each SMARTBOX franchise sets their own prices for their services. So don’t be surprised if the storage fees may vary in different locations. If you want to store the container in the warehouse, you will have to pay $49 to $109. On the other hand, if you wish to store the containers on your property, you will have to pay around $59 to $159.
Does SMARTBOX Provide Coverage Options?
If you own some very expensive and valuable items, you will surely be a little bit skeptical about using SMARTBOX containers for your move. SMARTBOX does not provide any insurance for local moves and storage options. In this case, you might have to check whether your homeowners’ or renters’ insurance covers your objects when they are in transit.
Meanwhile, SMARTBOX includes $10,000 of insurance coverage when it comes to long distance moves. This coverage begins the moment your loaded container is picked up by the driver and lasts till the container is safely dropped off at your new place. If your stuff is really expensive and valuable, you always have the option to purchase up to $70,000 of coverage for each of your containers if you pay the additional charges.
What if I Cancel my Move?
SMARTBOX starts charging your credit card three days prior to when the containers are scheduled to be dropped off at your place. If you cancel till that time, there will be no cancellation fees applied. Apart from that, if you cancel within those three days, you will be either charged 15% or $400 (the lower of the two options). Now, there is a possibility that you would want to cancel the reservation on the day of the delivery. Cancellation on the day of the delivery will cost you 15% or $400 (the higher of the two options).
The cancellation policy isn’t that bad when you compare it with the cancellation policies of other companies. Yet, some companies do allow their customers to cancel 24 hours before the delivery completely free of cost.
Reasons to Choose SMARTBOX
1. Transparent Pricing: Most of the companies will give you an initial estimate along with the cost break up. But later on, you will have to pay extra for other additional charges like taxes, fuel etc. This isn’t the case with SMARTBOX. You can expect a final quote which has all the additional charges like taxes included. Best part is that hidden costs are but a fiction with them!
2. Price Matching: Sometimes you might see the same service being offered at a lower price on the website of a different moving company. If you show this to SMARTBOX, they won’t hesitate to lower their own quote in order to match the price that you saw.
3. Ground Level Loading: Their container can be placed at the ground level so that there is no need to navigate and work with ramps and other lifting equipment. Your loading process becomes extremely convenient and easy. Their wide access doors let you load bigger items like furniture with ease.
4. Secure Storage: Their containers are designed to protect your stuff from extreme temperatures and harsh weather. The container is made up of wood and a layer of waterproof canvas is then added in order to make sure that your belongings remain dry and protected throughout the move. The interiors of the wooden box allow passages for air. This allows your belongings to breath and prevents the growth of rust and mold.
Their storage facilities are also extremely secure. These facilities are climate controlled in nature. Top that off with the fact that the company provides you with a lock so that only you can access the contents of your box.
5. Container Size: The size of the container is ideal as you can plan your loading process in a systematic manner and segregate your contents room by room. This reduces confusion when you unload as you know where exactly to find what. To add to that, people who do not have space in their driveways need not worry. The compact size allows you to place two containers in one parking space.
6. Pay-Per-Use Policy: SMARTBOX understands that sometimes, it is difficult for you to estimate the number containers you will need for your move. For instance, you might think that you need two containers for your move, but you later realize that your work will get done with one. SMARTBOX lets its customers order as many as containers they want and also lets them return the unused containers. Customers are not asked to pay a single penny for the unused container.
7. Student Discounts: College education anyway costs a bomb. Throw in the cost of moving and you start worrying about where you are going to get all this money from. SMARTBOX tries to make moves affordable and convenient for college students. They will also account for your class schedules when it comes to deliveries. You also get a $20 discount for all college students and staff. Here is a list of people who can avail these discounts:
- Dormitory students
- Faculty and staff
- Individual students
- International students
- Off-campus students
- Sororities/Fraternities
- Study abroad students
8. Military Discounts: SMARTBOX recognizes that the people employed by the military have to move several times and these relocation expenses can pile up to a huge amount. The military discounts offered by SMARTBOX can help you save your money. But to avail this discount, you must be an active-duty member of the US military.
9. Packaging Supplies: Moving gets chaotic, especially if you are planning your own move. SMARTBOX wants to be a one-stop go-place, so that’s why you can always purchase good quality packaging supplies from their website. You definitely won’t have to worry about running around in the market and searching for good quality.
10. Excellent Customer Service: SMARTBOX provides its customers with excellent customer service. The customer service representatives are extremely responsive, helpful and friendly in nature. If you report any difficulty, you can rest assured that they will solve it for you. SMARTBOX does emphasize on prioritizing your convenience, so any issue faced by you is taken care of immediately by them.
Things To Keep In Mind When Choosing SMARTBOX
1. Limited Availability: SMARTBOX does claim on its website that it is available in all 50 states. Then again, they actually have very limited locations and they probably aren’t present in all the states. If you plan a move to a particular city with no SMARTBOX location, you might have to pay extra for the distance traveled by their truck.
A positive way to look at this would be to realize that while working with smaller companies, you will be able to reserve your moves more easily and the customer service would be more responsive. Bigger companies tend to have a lot of demand because of which reservations are difficult to make even 6 months before the move and getting hold of a representative to talk to sounds almost impossible.
2. No coverage: SMARTBOX does not provide coverage for your stuff when you book a local move. You will have to check whether your homeowner or renter’s insurance covers your move. If it doesn’t, you might have to purchase insurance from third party insurance companies.
3. Website glitches: Their website sometimes doesn’t work properly. If you are booking your move online and trying to get a quote, you will most probably get a wrong quote as their estimator tool does not work properly. There is generally a discrepancy between what the customer service representative and the website tell you. However, on the brighter side, when you get on the phone with their representatives, they will give you all the accurate information and a comprehensive quote.
Frequently Asked Questions about SMARTBOX
Is SMARTBOX legit?
SMARTBOX has been in operation since 2006, and it is a legitimate company.
Is SMARTBOX climate controlled?
SMARTBOX containers are designed to protect your belongings with a waterproof canvas that guards against the changing weather. Do not worry about it raining when you begin loading up because SMARTBOX has got your back!
Conclusion
SMARTBOX is a good company that you should definitely consider hiring if you wish to move or store your stuff. They might come off as expensive, but it is important to remember that they are extremely transparent with their pricing. Other companies will give you a quote and your final cost will end up being double the quoted amount. This does not happen with SMARTBOX. There are certainly some areas where SMARTBOX can get better, but they aren’t the ultimate deal breakers, you can always work around them.
See also: PODS Review | U-Haul’s U-Box Review | Big Ben’s Moving And Storage Review | Zippy Shell Review
