It is all I can do not to drive my truck through their plate glass window. This is what the local storage place has done to me in the last six months since I became a customer.

- Upon move-in, neglected to tell me that when I returned later in the day to move in my stuff, they needed to be there to remove their lock from the unit. I was not told they had to be there or that the unit would be locked and their office would need to be open. Here I am with a truck load of stuff and no place to unload it.

- They also neglected to tell me that the gate is locked tight after 9pm. I am now stuck inside the storage unit with a truckful of stuff, no place to put it, and unable to drive my truck anywhere. I had to call a friend to come get me.

- Illegally charged my credit card for a month's rent there. They had a copy of my credit card, and charged it without authorization. They know it's illegal, I asked them - they did it anyway.

- When I called them to ask how this happened, one of their employees was very surprised, apologized, and promised to get to the bottom of it. Never heard from her again.

- They cut the lock off my unit because I was one day late on the rent. Now I have an extra lock at home, and I'm sure not going to buy one from them while I was there paying the rent. I was going to come back tomorrow.

- A friend was going to take some stuff (couch & bed) and we were going to meet at the storage place to get it. I needed to replace the lock from yesterday, so I called to make sure they'd be open. I also called to ask what the rental rate is on their truck - my friend was renting the truck to deliver the sofa & bed. We were quoted $25 a day and $.39 a mile by the man who works there. He also assured me that they'd be open until 6. We show up around 4, and the office is closed - with a note that says he'll return at 5:15 in the afternoon. When I finally get him on the phone at 5:30, he lies to me about how long he was gone, insisting it was no longer than 20 minutes.

So we finally get there, change the lock, and get ready to rent the truck.

Now it's $.79 a mile. He denies that he ever said it was $.39 a mile.

Obviously, I am getting my stuff out of there as soon as humanly possible. I am not paying the last month's rent, either. They can kiss my hairy behind.

What am I asking of my fellow FTE'rs? I am asking for the most creative ways to exact revenge upon these incompetent liars. Nothing illegal, nothing that can get me in trouble - just something creative and VERY bothersome for them.

I have already considered leaving a flaming bag of poop on their doorstep, but I have nixed the idea because I don't want to be accused of arson.

So - any ideas? I'll entertain about anything here.

 

How about filing an official complaint with your local BBB? Or contacting your local news station. Our local new stations have those segments where ordinary citizens call in requesting help for something out of their control. As for the pranks, I've got no advice there. (I would hope that you don't do something to that rental space that could affect the next unsuspecting renter and their property.)

 

I agree with cigarxtc, call the BBB, or the news station locally, and let em have at it, fire away with all barrrels on the ship. if you get lucky, they'll either straighten up, and do business right, or they'll leave, and someoen new will take over.

 

depending on the room at home. buy a car port its like a giant tent. as long as you put stuff down on skids/Pallets usually free at ur local lumber supply or Home Depot and it will stay dry. we did it for my friend when he wreaked his 96 mustang gt. everythings still in good shape and we've had them in there about 5 months.

 

No room at home at all. No garage, no driveway. I hate apartment living.

The BBB is a good idea. I'm also going to claim credit card fraud for the unauthorized charges.

Anybody got anything clever? Like I said, I don't want to cause permanent damage, I don't have anything against the future occupants, I just want to get under their skin as far as I can.

 

contact the parent company with a detailed list of complaints, and your reason for leaving, and let them know the next unit that you get will not be owned by them. also inform them you will be letting everyone you know about their associates shady business dealings.

if nothing else, this should at least get the manager in some hot water.

 

Like TJC Transport said call the parent company but try the nice approach first most of the time it works and they are willing to work with you. As of today its working for me with my laptop and Comp USA with their mistake. When that aproach doesnt work then get mean.

 

I actually talked to the regional supervisor after the first two bullet points. She was no help at all. Wouldn't even apologize. Took the manager's side on everything. I'd do it, but I just don't know how much good it would do.

 

You'll have to go over her head, and talk to someone higher up.

We had our stuff in storage for a couple months before we moved into our house, my wife (fiancee at the time) and I lived separately with our parents for those two months.

Anyway, storage is a big hassle any way you look at it. Our place was okay, but we probably could have gotten a warmer reception. See, we were guaranteed all our stuff would fit. Well, it didn't. Instead of moving our stuff into a bigger space, they let us have a second smaller unit to put the rest of our stuff in. Two transactions instead of one, two admin fees, etc. We decided to just suck it up and not worry about it.

 

call your credit card
tell them you did not authorize that charge, If they ask you about it, state that the merchant does not have a signed rerciept. I did it a few months ago, when a "no show" fee showed up on my card at my wedding reception

 

Just be really polite and work your way up the corporate ladder, until you find someone that can help you. Then toss a couple frozen chickens in an empty unit on your last load out of there.

 

Whenever someone requires a credit card number in order to open an account, first of all be very leary of them.

The second thing you do is call your credit card company immediately after the merchant checks that your card is good and tell the credit card company that your number was compromised and you would feel more comfortable with a new number. The credit companies don't like doing this and it will show up on your credit report as a lost card but I have done this a bunch of times and it has never hurt me.

The first time the merchant tries to charge to your "lost/stolen" card, it will obviously be rejected......

Works every time......