FAQ

We recommend placing your order at least two weeks before your pickup date/departure so that you have adequate time to receive your packing supplies and pack. We do our best to accommodate last minute signups but cannot guarantee that we can accommodate signups with less than 48 hours notice.

The average student stores 5-8 boxes. We encourage students to overestimate. You will only be invoiced for what you ultimately store and we will pick up any unused boxes when we pick up your storage order.

You can update your delivery address and date later. To ensure your items are delivered on time, please give us at least three weeks notice prior to your delivery date/arrival back on campus.

Yes. Parents can sign up and input their student’s details. There is also a place on the form for parents to include their contact information.

We ask that each individual student have their own order. Combined orders can present invoicing issues and create delivery delays, especially in cases where a student’s plans change.

We accept items that cannot be packed into boxes. Generally, unboxed items just need to be labeled by the student (we will provide adhesive labels along with the other packing supplies). In most cases, if necessary, additional wrapping is done by our crew. Please refer to our packing guidelines for additional details and instructions.

Yes, you can add items to your order all the way up until the time of your pickup/departure. All items must be labeled and recorded on your pickup slip. You can print additional labels at college-butler.com/labels, pickup slips can be downloaded and printed via this link. Additional stored items will be added to your final invoice. Please refer to the pricing page on our website for storage rates.

Yes, you will only be invoiced for storage fees for the items you store. Any unused boxes will be picked up with your storage items. If you choose to keep any College Butler boxes for non-storage use, they will be added to your invoice at the rate of $5 per box.

Yes. If you have not yet received your packing supplies, orders can be canceled without penalty 14 or more days prior to your scheduled storage pickup/departure.  If you have already received your packing materials, a $50 cancellation fee in addition to the cost for supplies ($5 per box) will apply. Any cancellations after May 1st, 2024 will be subject to a $50 cancellation fee, plus the cost of packing supplies (if applicable).

Yes, you can make an appointment to come to our facility to retrieve the item. To make an appointment, please email support@thecollegebutler.com with the subject line “EMERGENCY ITEM RETRIEVAL REQUEST” and we will respond to set up an appointment for you to come to our facility. Additional fees may apply.

To update your contact or housing information, use the link provided in your confirmation email. If you are unable to locate it, please email us at support@college-butler.com

If you need to extend your storage term, please email us at support@college-butler.com with the subject line “EXTEND STORAGE”. Storage is priced by the semester (up to four months); you may store for a shorter period but we do not prorate. We offer discounts for extended storage: 10% off the first additional semester, and 15% off the second additional semester (and any subsequent semesters).

Storage is priced by the item. The prices indicated on our pricing page are for the entire summer (or semester, up to four months). Additional fees apply for in-room pickup/delivery services, out-of-window pickups/deliveries, and pickups/deliveries outside of our service area (generally a three-mile radius around the school, Center City service carries an additional surcharge). For a comprehensive pricing list, please check out your school page.

Your final cost will vary based on the items that you store. Please visit your respective college page and utilize our Registration and Estimate Form to determine costs for your particular needs.

The rates are listed on the pricing page of our website in both monthly and semester format. The default prices are shown monthly and you can determine the price for the entire summer by toggling the button above the pricing list to switch to “semester” format. Please note that while we can provide storage for periods less than a semester, we do not prorate storage pricing for shorter durations.

Invoices are sent out within 14 days after your storage pickup and are due within 10 days after they are issued. There is an initial administrative fee of $30 for any past-due invoice. Interest for past-due invoices is calculated at 2% per month that the invoice is past due.

Invoices can be paid using a credit card, debit card, or via ACH (bank transfer).

Pickups and deliveries occurring outside of established university move-in/move-out dates carry an additional surcharge to offset our costs for sending a dedicated crew and vehicle to perform services outside of standard dates. At select schools, we offer a complimentary early arrival date for student athletes and RAs returning early.

Some apartment buildings, while on or near campus, are independently operated and classified as off campus housing by the school. Only dorms and officially recognized on-campus housing are considered “on-campus” for pickup and delivery purposes.

Packing supplies are delivered to select locations on campus on predetermined supply drop-off dates. There are generally multiple locations serving various parts of the campus. When placing your order, you can select the date that works best for you. If you need to change the date, you can update your order form or email us. Dates, times, and locations are also posted on the bottom of your respective school page.

Yes, please refer to supply distribution dates for your school and email us with your request. You can pick up your additional packing materials at any of our supply distribution locations.

Yes. While we recommend using the boxes we provide, you may also provide your own boxes and tape. If you are not receiving packing supplies from us, we require that you print your own packing slip, packing instructions and labels (labes should be securely taped to the boxes).

Packing Guidelines

Packing Labels & Packing Slips

Yes, we offer other packing supplies such as bubble wrap, packing paper, wardrobe boxes, and more for purchase. You can order additional packing supplies when placing your order and they will be delivered along with your free boxes and tape. If you have already placed your storage order, you can request additional packing supplies using our contact form.

The weight limit for boxes, suitcases, totes, bins, and other containers is 50 lbs (22.7 kg). Items that exceed the weight limit are subject to a 50% surcharge. If the excessive weight of a box causes the box to open or tear, then the order will also incur a $30 repacking charge.

Do not overload your boxes. Boxes that are bulging or have items protruding from them may have to be repacked by our personnel and will incur a $30 fee. If an additional box is required to resolve the bulging issue, then the order will also incur storage charges for the additional box.

Yes, it is very important that every item you store be labeled. For College Butler boxes, use the space provided on the box to write your name, school, phone number, and item number. For unboxed items, use the adhesive labels provided with your packing supplies. If you did not receive labels or need additional labels, you can download/print them here. Please securely tape them to your items.

Items that do not fit into boxes are taken as-is and must be labeled. Please use the adhesive labels provided with your packing supplies. If you did not receive labels or need additional, you can download/print them here. Please securely tape them to your items.

When numbering, please include the item number along with the total number of items you are storing. (Eg: you are storing 3 boxes, a suitcase and a TV. Number the items “1 of 5”, “2 of 5”, etc.)

Please use a marker to write “SHIPPING” in large letters on the front and side of any boxes that are being shipped. In the comments section of your pickup slip, please write the box numbers of the boxes being shipped.

Whenever possible, TVs should be stored in their original box. If you do not have the original box, we will provide one at your storage pickup (mandatory). The cost for small/medium TV boxes (up to 40”) is $20, and large TV boxes are $30. XL and oversize TBD on an individual basis.

Mirrors should be wrapped and protected with bubble wrap. If your mirror is unprotected, the crew will wrap it at the cost of $10 (standard mirror) and $20 (large mirror).

Please make sure your fridge is labeled. If needed, the crew will add shrink wrap for protection. Important: Refrigerators must be unplugged at least 48 hours prior to your pickup. Any refrigerator that is not entirely defrosted and is leaking water at the time of pickup will incur a $30 fee.

Perishable food items are strictly prohibited. Responsibility for damage resulting from storage of perishable items falls entirely upon the customer.  

Yes – you can edit your pickup date by using the update order link in your confirmation email . Your first date change is free, additional changes are $50. Dates are subject to availability and changes must be requested at least 72 hours in advance of the new date. After May 1st, pickup date changes must be confirmed through email.

Unless your school offers contactless pickups, you or someone you designate in your place must be present for the pickup.

Contactless pickups are conducted for students living on-campus at Villanova, Swarthmore, and Bryn Mawr. We work in conjunction with Campus Safety and facilities to access the dorm rooms after the students depart and prior to their arrival back to campus.

If you live off-campus, you or someone who you designate in your place, will need to be present for the pickup regardless of which school you attend.

Is my pickup/delivery in-person or contactless?

*If your school is not listed above, your pickup/delivery will be in-person.

Main Entrance pickup is from the main entrance of the dorm building, apartment, or house. Our crew will call about 15 minutes prior to their arrival and you will meet them at the main entrance of your residence. 

In-Room pickup is from the dorm room or unit itself and carries an additional fee of $50 each way.

Please note: In-Room service is mandatory for students living on campus at Villanova, Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr and carries a fee of $25 each way. We pick up storage items directly from their dorm rooms after the students depart campus.

Yes, you may designate someone else to be the point of contact for your storage pickup. You will have the opportunity to do so when placing your order. If you have already placed your order, please email us at support@college-butler.com and provide us with the name, phone number, and email of the person you wish to designate as your point of contact.

We offer the choice of a morning or afternoon pickup window. The morning window is from 8am to 12pm; the afternoon window is from 12pm to 4pm. While we are not able to accommodate specific time requests, you may request to be earlier or later within the pickup window by adding a note in the comment section of your order. We will text you the day prior to your storage pickup with a more precise arrival window (generally 90 min to 2 hours) and our crew will call when they are about 15 minutes away on your pickup date.

Please note: Pickup windows do not apply to students living on campus at Villanova, Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr. Pickups on those campuses are conducted after the students depart.

While we are not able to accommodate specific time requests, you may request to be earlier or later within the standard pickup windows by adding a note in the comment section of your order. We will text you the day prior to your storage pickup with a more precise arrival window (generally 90 min to 2 hours); our crew will call when they are about 15 minutes away on the day of your pickup.

Yes. We conduct pickups seven days a week during move-in/move-out season. Outside of those dates, weekend service is generally available with some exclusions. Please refer to your respective college page for more information.

Generally, no. However, on select peak days, we offer evening pickups for an additional surcharge. If evening service is offered for your selected date, it will be indicated on the signup form. If you have an emergency or extenuating circumstances that necessitate an evening pickup, please email us about setting up a dedicated, special pickup (subject to availability).

Our standard pickup windows are morning (8am – 12pm) and afternoon (12pm – 4pm). While we do our best to accommodate more specific time requests within those windows, your pickup/delivery could occur anytime within that window. We strongly recommend that flights are scheduled to allow a bit of a buffer between your pickup time and when you need to depart for the airport. You can always designate a friend, roommate, etc. to be your point of contact for the pickup if you will be unavailable.

When placing your order, please let us know about any conflicting final examinations in the comments section and we will schedule your pickup accordingly. If you will be available for less than 2 hours of your selected pickup window (Morning 8am-12pm, Afternoon 12pm-4pm), it is recommended that you change your pickup date and/or window to a time when you will have more availability. You can always designate a friend, roommate, etc. to be your point of contact for the pickup if you will be unavailable.

If you are not ready during your scheduled pickup window, your storage pickup will need to be rescheduled (subject to availability). If time and circumstances permit, our crews will do their best to come back to you later on your scheduled day however, this is not guaranteed. Additional fees may apply. If you anticipate not being ready for your scheduled storage pickup, it is vital that you let us know ASAP and/or reschedule.

Yes, we can ship some or all of your items home (or elsewhere) via UPS. During peak times, please allow up to 48 hours after your pickup for your items to be submitted to UPS. We do not provide estimates for UPS shipping charges but encourage you to utilize the UPS Pricing Calculator to estimate shipping costs. There is a per item handling fee ($20/item if you are also storing; $25/item if you are only shipping) for each item shipped, in addition to UPS shipping charges. For reference, our College Butler boxes dimensions are 24” x 18” x 16” and ship from zip code 19405.

We do not provide estimates for UPS shipping charges but encourage you to utilize the UPS Pricing Calculator to estimate shipping costs. There is a per item handling fee for each item shipped, in addition to UPS shipping charges. ($20/item if you are also storing; $25/item if you are only shipping)  For reference, our College Butler boxes dimensions are 24” x 18” x 16” and ship from zip code 19405.

Processing and handling time is up to one week. Once submitted to UPS, transit times vary based on distance. Please refer to the UPS Transit Times Map for transit times to your particular region. Please note that any boxes/items intended for shipping that are not clearly marked (“SHIPPING” should be clearly written on the item/label) may experience processing and handling delays.

UPS automatically covers each item for $100. Additional declared value insurance can be purchased for $4 for each additional $100 of coverage per item.

Please use a marker to write “SHIPPING” in large letters on the front and side of any  boxes that are being shipped. In the comments section of your packling slip, please write the box numbers of the boxes being shipped.

We maintain our own, local, year-round facility in Bridgeport PA where our offices are also located. The facility is temperature controlled with state-of-the-art video surveillance.

Yes. You can make an appointment to come to our facility or schedule a delivery of your items during your storage period. Additional fees and restrictions may apply, please email us for details.

Yes. We maintain our own, local, year-round facility in Bridgeport PA where our offices are also located. The facility is temperature controlled with state-of-the-art video surveillance.

Yes. Our facility is temperature controlled.

Facility drop-offs and pickups are available and subject to availability. Please email us to inquire.

Yes. Each item stored is insured for $100. You can also purchase additional declared value insurance for any box/item at the rate of $5 per additional $100 of coverage when placing your order. Additionally, most homeowners insurance policies also cover items in storage. Please check with your carrier.

Yes. Each item stored is insured for $100. You can also purchase additional declared value insurance for any box/item at the rate of $5 per additional $100 of coverage when placing your order.

Yes – you can edit your delivery date by using the update order link in your confirmation email . Your first date change is free, additional changes are $50. Dates are subject to availability and changes must be requested at least 72 hours in advance of the new date. After August 1st, delivery date changes must be confirmed through email.

Unless your school offers contactless pickups, you or someone you designate in your place must be present for the pickup.

Contactless pickups are conducted for students living on-campus at Villanova, Swarthmore, and Bryn Mawr. We work in conjunction with Campus Safety and facilities to access the dorm rooms after the students depart and prior to their arrival back to campus.

If you live off-campus, you or someone who you designate in your place, will need to be present for the pickup regardless of which school you attend.

Is my pickup/delivery in-person or contactless?

You can't use multiple times the same shortcode.

*If your school is not listed above, your pickup/delivery will be in-person.

Main Entrance delivery is to the main entrance of the dorm building, apartment, or house. Our crew will call about 15 minutes prior to their arrival and you will meet them at the main entrance of your residence to receive your items.

In-Room delivery to the dorm room or unit itself and carries an additional fee of $50 each way. You will likely need to sign our personnel in for them to perform the delivery.

In-Room service is mandatory for students living on campus at Villanova, Swarthmore, and Bryn Mawr and carries a fee of $25 each way.

Yes, you may designate someone else to be the point of contact for your storage delivery. You will have the opportunity to do so when updating your delivery information. If you have already provided your delivery information, please email us at support@college-butler.com and provide us with the name, phone number, and email of the person you wish to designate as your point of contact.

We offer the choice of a morning or afternoon delivery window. The morning window is from 8am to 12pm, the afternoon window is from 12pm to 4pm. While we are not able to accommodate specific time requests, you may request to be earlier or later within the delivery window by adding a note in the comment section of your order. We will text you the day prior to your delivery with a more precise arrival window (generally 90 min to 2 hours) and our crew will call when they are about 15 minutes away on your delivery date.

Please note: Delivery windows do not apply to students living on campus at Villanova, Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr. Deliveries on those campuses are conducted prior to student’s arrival.

While we are not able to accommodate specific time requests, you may request to be earlier or later within the pickup/delivery windows (Morning 8am-12pm; Afternoon 12pm-4pm) by adding a note in the comment section of your order. We will text you the day prior to your delivery with a more precise arrival window (generally 90 min to 2 hours) and our crew will call when they are about 15 minutes away on your pickup/delivery date.

Yes. We conduct pickups and deliveries seven days a week during move-in/move-out season. Outside of those dates, weekend service is generally available with some exclusions. Please refer to your respective college for more information.

Generally, no. However, on some select peak days, we offer evening service for an additional surcharge. If evening service is offered for your selected date, it will be indicated on the signup form. If you have an emergency or extenuating circumstances that necessitate evening service, please email us about setting up a dedicated, special delivery (subject to availability and additional fees).

Our standard delivery windows are morning (8am – 12pm) and afternoon (12pm – 4pm). While we do our best to accommodate more specific time requests within those windows, your delivery could occur anytime within that window. We strongly recommend that flights be scheduled to allow a bit of a buffer between your arrival time and scheduled delivery. To avoid delivery delays, we recommend that you designate a friend, roommate, etc. to be your point of contact for the delivery if you think you might be running late. Rescheduling of missed delivery appointments is subject to availability and may carry additional fees.

When placing your order, please let us know about any conflict in the comments section and we will schedule your delivery accordingly. If you will be available for less than 2 hours of your selected delivery window (Morning 8am-12pm, Afternoon 12pm-4pm), it is recommended that you change your delivery date and/or window to a time when you will have more availability. You can also designate a friend, roommate, etc. to be your point of contact for the pickup if you will be unavailable.

If you are not available during your scheduled delivery window you may designate someone else to accept the delivery on your behalf. Otherwise, your delivery would need to be rescheduled (subject to availability). If time and circumstances permit, our crews will do their best to come back to you later on your scheduled day however, this is not guaranteed. Additional fees may apply. If you anticipate being unavailable for your scheduled storage delivery, it is vital that you let us know ASAP and/or reschedule.

We will email you with a link to the delivery request form over the summer (or during your storage term). Please fill out and submit the form to update your housing information and confirm your delivery. Changes can be made via the link in your confirmation email.

If you need to extend your storage term, please email us at support@college-butler.com with the subject line “Extend Storage”. Storage is priced by the semester (up to four months); you may store for a shorter period but we do not prorate. We offer discounts for extended storage: 10% off the first additional semester, 15% off the second additional semester; and 20% off the third additional semester (and any subsequent semesters).