Has anyone had to rent a storage unit before?

[Left Coast2020]

I just barely escaped losing everything I own in a storage unit. Having not had any kind of work in last couple of months, I fell behind on my storage unit as a result. So it got to the point being just 2 months behind, I was threatened with having my stuff auctioned off. And there is a lot of stuff; clothes, furniture, personal memories, etc. I find it hard to believe that for just two stinkin months late these bastards would sell someones life. This does not sound right. And these people are rude. I was very fortunate to have a friend help me with the $240 to help me get more current( I still owe $40 as a balance since letter I received did not reflect this). There was no one in this company willing to talk to you or listen to your circunstances. Its pay or we sell. I was able to talk to the the regional GM (after being a persistant ass) to explain my situation and ask for some patience. I can't pay bill if I can't find work. So I received a call from my storage office saying they will hold off on auction proceedings till end of month. We paid the $240 today.

So I am wondering, has anyone ever had a similar situation? Or is this just this company that could give a rats ass about their customers? Is there a storage place (in Nor Cal) that treats people with some dignity? I hope this does not sound too odd, but coming back from another country into this economy and trying to start over can really affect your mental capacity. Its been a depressing period to say the least. I think I may try to find someone in the legislature who can change storage laws. Six months late? Okay, I can understand that. But two months? That is wrong to destroy someones life with what little they have. It is wrong and uncaring.

[elleng]

1. Its a contract, isn't it?

Lucky that they've agreed to hold off until end of the month.

[Edweird]

2. I've always lived 'on the edge' and have used storage units for close to 20 years.

Policies vary widely from company to company so it's important to ask a lot of questions and especially important to read EVERYTHING you sign.All my experience has been in the South East and mostly South Florida so I can't really help you with any kind of referral, sorry....

[Icicle]

3. My experience

...I've managed to find a couple of storage places that didn't give me a hassle because I told them what my situation was before it became a problem and they worked with me.
I'd say communication is the key, if they don't hear from you at all for a while, that's when they will make your stuff disappear. So even if you still find yourself in the same situation later on, keep talking to them.

[cynatnite]

4. We have rented on occasion with small companies in smaller towns...

If we found ourselves knowing we wouldn't make the bill we contacted the owners and worked something out.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. Storage units are a hard business

They have low margins and that often leads to hard bitten approach to the business. There is a reality show or two about those who buy the contents.

[DontTreadOnMe]

6. Yes, 60 days is common

If you don't pay, they lock you out of your own locker, and by the 90 days they CAN auction off everything in your unit. Each contract is different, but that is the common amount of time.

[rsmith6621]

7. Is There Another Storage Place In Town???

...If so try and find a place as cheap and as safe as you can find and if you still have gate access I would go in there with a van one afternoon and pack out and move in to the new place.

I have a PS locker and they have raised my rates twice this year saying it was because their cost have gone up. I ask them if the employees got raises..NO...Told them taxes haven't gone up and they haven't done any improvements...so where have the cost gone up so much that I am paying $20 more a month... No Answer so I assume their CEO wants a bigger bonus.

Yes I am looking cheaper as well.

[Johnny Rico]

8. Assuming they're following the contract that you signed with them, there's little you can do.

You could call other storage companies in you area and ask them about their policies; assuming you find one more to your liking, simply move to that one instead.

[MiniMe]

9. Agree with the prior poster

Read the contract you signed. I had to sell my house, and I rented a storage unit to put some of my belongings in. The first correspondence I got from them was something that said that I hadn't paid my bill, and they had locked my stuff up. Called them up, and they told me they don't send bills. I was a little upset, as I'm sure you were when you got the notice. I pitched a fit and told them that they needed to mention that you don't get a bill when you sign the contract as I was waiting to get a bill to pay it. Since I think a lot of people are putting stuff in storage because of situation like yours and mine (I am unemployed too) I think a lot of storage places are having people store their stuff, and not paying for the space. I can't defend the practice, but I understand why they are doing it, but they should disclose it when you sign the contract. In fact, I told the guy that he should do that for everybody and he will have a lot less upset people calling. When people are having to find storage space for their belongings, they don't always pay attention to the fine print

[Raine]

10. I had one for several years. I was usually a week or two late and they were always on my back about

it "giving me reminders". I finally gave the thing up because they were continally raising the rent on it. This place actually wanted a turn-over so they could advertise they had spaces available. Storage units are a trap, I went years longer than I should've in keeping it.

[EFerrari]

11. Yes. During one of the periods when Doug and I were separated

I put his stuff in storage and he fell behind. Exactly the same situation, he was this close to losing the whole record of his career, a roomful of media, scripts, manuscripts, let alone all the other stuff.

I found someone with a garage eventually. Because those people have as much heart as the payday loan sharks.

[JayhawkSD]

12. Why should they adhere to the contract

to provide you with space, and you not adhere to the contract to pay a monthly fee for it?
They have utilities to pay, property taxes, cost to keep the place clean, and employees to pay.
How are they going to do that if people who are occupying their spaces don't pay as agreed?
If you fail to hold up your end of the bargain by not paying as agreed, why do they owe you anything?

[tammywammy]

13. Yes, they can sell your stuff if you're behind on payments.

You should read the contract you signed with them. I believe usually at 60 days behind they send a notice of auction and at 90 days they can auction it off.

[jberryhill]

14. This is how the storage business operates

You seem to be under the impression that their behavior here is unusual.

It's what the storage business is ABOUT.

[HopeHoops]

15. I only deal with the manager of my unit. He calls me directly if there's a problem.

I get behind all the time and he'll say "don't worry about it until (date) because the next auction isn't until (another date)." I keep my '68 Galaxie fastback in there along with some "not immediate need" items like my extension ladder.

It sounds like it is time for you to look for a different unit - and get one with a security gate!

[MineralMan]

16. Storage units are useful, but dangerous if you're in economic trouble.

Get paid up, but then go to your unit and realistically assess the value of the stuff you have stored. Often, people are paying a monthly rental on a unit that ends up being more over a year or two than the value of the stuff in that unit. Where's the sense in that? Realistic value means what equivalent stuff sells for used in places like Goodwill, not what you think it's worth. Furniture, especially, has little value when used, and is easy to replace.

If, after a realistic assessment of the value of the stuff, it doesn't really make sense to store it all, consider selling most of it at a sale at the site of the locker. Remove personal memory stuff and irreplaceable stuff into a small pile and find somewhere free to store it, with family or friends or some such. Box it up compactly and take it with you. Leave the rest or put it in the storage company's big dumpster.

If people really considered the actual monetary value of the stuff they have in storage and compared it to the cost of that storage, the storage business would fail quickly.

Finally, never store important papers, personal records, or any other items that contain essential personal data or information that could lead to identity theft in a storage unit you pay for. Find another place for it with someone you trust.

[Javaman]

17. Always read the contract.

they are running a business based on storage.

any unit that goes unpaid is money out of their pocket.

Turn over is the name of the game.

Sorry for your misfortune. Hopefully things will get better for you.

[Sheepshank]

18. I used a storage unit only once.

I considered it a HUGE waste of money for storing mostly my crap. Anything of value wasn't put in there anyway.

I ended up having the local Home Depot build me a shed for $600. Much better long term value. The next time I was in need of storage and I was living in an apartment, I paid to have the shed built in my mom's yard. Once I moved my stuff out, she got an extra storage shed out of it for her troubles. At $80/mo, it doesn't take too many months before the shed pays for itself.

[Capt. Obvious]

19. They have a reality show about this now

Storage wars.