BoxMyDorm Wants To Be The Netflix Of College Storage

Could a monthly online service change the way college students store and haul their items? MadTravelers, a personal property management solutions company, thinks that the answer is yes. The firm is promoting one of its subsidiaries,

, as the "Netflix of college storage." BoxMyDorm uses

to ship items (both to and from its warehouses) to any college in the United States. The company, which started as a local enterprise, transformed into a national, service-based company after being acquired by MadTravelers in 2009. Brian Altomare, co-founder and managing partner of MadTravelers, told Benzinga that the process is very simple. Students sign up for an account, choose a plan, enter some personal data (shipping address, order info, etc.) and they're done. As a storage company, BoxMyDorm allows its users to ship anything they want so long as it meets two requirements: it must fit in one of the provided boxes and the total weight must not exceed 45lbs (per box).

While some students may not like the idea of sending their personal belongings to a warehouse they cannot personally visit, Altomare said that they shouldn't be worried. "[Users] print the shipping label [themselves]," said Altomare. "It'll be their first and last name and their physical address. It's going to be sent to and from their own address. So if the customer messes up and puts the wrong first and last name and the wrong address, that's the only time it would get sent to the wrong place." Monthly fees range from $45 for three boxes to $129 for 12 boxes.

, MadTravelers' luggage shipping service, offers an alternative to traditional airport services. Starting at $69 for a traditional carry on-sized bag, LugLess provides door-to-door service for users who are shipping golf clubs ($89), skis and snowboards ($99) and bicycles ($139). Altomare said that this service wasn't designed for everyone. But for those who have a special item or multiple bags, LugLess might be cheaper. At the very least, the company insists that it is more convenient. "If they want express service, that price obviously increases," said Altomare. "But for that we are always less than any express domestic or international [shipping company] -- UPS, FedEx or DHL. That's where the value comes in for those that want to ship express or international. We actually win on price and convenience, but for the standard service, we've made it more of a product and we simplify it. So sometimes we are less than UPS and FedEx, sometimes we may be a little bit more, but we do always provide convenience."

How is LugLess able to offer lower prices than the shipment companies it uses to transport users' items? "We are just treated like a business account, and they provide us with deep discounts," Altomare explained. "We have really deep discounts internationally with DHL and also UPS since we've given them some of our international orders." Altomare said that LugLess has also received discounts for ground shipping.

No shipping service is foolproof, but LugLess offers a $500 service guarantee to replace/rent items that are lost or delayed. "If it's not weather-related and it's on UPS and now it's on us, we will cover up to $500 for that delayed luggage until it arrives," said Altomare. "If you need to rent skis, we will allow you to do that up to $500 for items that are directly related to the luggage that is not there. We also refund your money immediately. I don't think there's any better service guarantee. It's something else we do to convert someone that is on the fence about using LugLess."

If the problem

weather-related, Altomare said that LugLess isn't responsible for the delayed luggage. Even so, the company is still likely to refund the traveler's order. "We have more of an emotional side of this because we are smaller," said Altomare. "We are more personable, and we want to be part of travelers' lives and be more intimate with them than UPS or FedEx. That's something we do that's kind of on a case-by-case basis when it's not our fault." Disclosure: