Complaints are piling up against a local storage company that has yet to deliver some college students' belongings at the start of the new school year.
Howard University junior Raegan Henderson told News4 on Tuesday that the company she used over the summer, Store4Summer, missed two deadlines to deliver her belongings to her dorm. On Wednesday afternoon, she was still waiting.
While sitting in her nearly empty room, Henderson delivered a message to the company: "I've paid you my money. I've now paid you over $300. I don't know where my things are."
Matt Mandell, founder of Store4Summer, told NBC Washington that the problems started because their primary moving company quit with no notice.
"The company we are working with has been working hard but has had numerous drivers walk off the job which has exacerbated some peoples delivery times," Mandell wrote in an email to NBC Washington.
Store4Summer's Facebook page has been flooded with complaints from other students and parents.
After a News4 report on the situation aired Tuesday evening, Henderson said the company told her she could pick up her items on the other side of Howard's campus around 11:30 p.m. that night.
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"So the truck is on my campus but asked me to go all the way across campus like blocks away to another dorm to receive my things. Its 11 30 at night and I have 8 boxes and a fridge.. how am I supposed to do that?" she posted on Store4Summer's Facebook page. She said she had paid for door-to-door service.
On Wednesday afternoon, Henderson posted that she still didn't have her belongings.
Mandell said employees have been working more than 20 hours per day to get things back on track, and 90 percent of customers have received their boxes.
According to the company's website, Store4Summer has just three year-round employees, but 40 to 60 seasonal employees and contractors.
On Facebook, customer Robyn Di Giacinto expressed frustration after staying up late for a delivery that never arrived.
"So you guys told me that you had my stuff on a late night delivery truck, so I stayed up until 2am this morning before finally giving up," Di Giacinto wrote on the company's Facebook page Wednesday morning. "Will be exhausted for first day of internship with nothing to show for it. Thanks for nothing."
Di Giacinto's boxes were first supposed to be delivered Saturday.
Several other commenters on Store4Summer's Facebook page complained about their messages not being returned.
Norann Noon Oleson, the parent of a college student, posted on Facebook, "My daughter has been at GW since Saturday with no bedding, no toiletries, no school supplies and very few clothes. "She has sent emails and left voice messages and no one has responded."
Another customer initially said she'd had success. "Yes - it's true. My daughter FINALLY received her boxes!!!" wrote Kristin M. Neff. "Don't give up!" However, Neff later posted a follow-up comment saying that her daughter realized she hadn't received all of her boxes.
Mandell said that Store4Summer will work to make sure this situation doesn't happen again.
"We have learned a lot from it and are getting better as a result," he told NBC Washington.
He said the company, which has been in business for nine years, plans to adjust their phone settings, improve communications with customers, and increase the number of delivery trucks in the future.
"There were a lot of unusual circumstances that we have faced this year, even though they are unlikely to happen again, we have a backup plan if they happen again," Mandell wrote.
He said all issues from previous days will be resolved by Thursday.
