We’re in the process of putting our house up for sale. Part of that involves weeding through what we own, in an attempt to make the house look less full. Enter the rented storage garage, because heaven knows, a 4 bedroom, 2500 square foot house with an unfinished basement isn’t enough space for the 2 of us (ok, it really is, but we figure the house will sell better without all the winemaking gear and spare computer bits around.)
We rent a garage nearby and start schlepping stuff over there, in small loads after work. Yesterday, we discover that a second padlock has been added. Hmm. When my SO rented the place, he paid for for 3 months. We should be good for another 6 weeks. Today, we give them a call. “Oh. Sorry about that. We goofed up our record books for a couple of the units, and it looks like yours was one of them. Stop by and we will clear it up and take the lock off.”
Excuse me!! You admit that your books are messed up? You have craptacularly useful office hours (9-5 on weekdays) and I have to take time off of work to come in an clear it up? Just go remove the damn lock from the garage. You know the lock. The one you snapped on it some time last week. The one with a key on your key ring? Which part of this process requires that I be there to supervise? You locked it, you unlock it. Case closed.
They prpbably want to suck a couple of more months of pre-paid rent out of you. I have a friend who owns a small self-storage business, and the hoops the owners have to jump through to get rid of stuff people quit paying the storage fees for and abandon are ridiculous.
She doesn’t play that game, however. She wouldn’t padlock someone’s stuff befrore the rent became overdue - and usually not until it was over one month overdue. She says it is less expensive to let them get away owing a month’s rent that it is to have to go through the process to get rid of the stuff.
“I’m sorry, but that is not acceptable. We are very busy with our move. Either have things taken care of by 7 pm this evening, or we will take our business elsewhere”.
I’ve been working on a version of this. Thankfully, someone in the office seems to have a couple of braincells. Repeating “We paid, up front, for 3 months rental, and have a receipt for it” seems to be working. I’ll know tonight if they really do remove the extra padlock.