ComplaintsforRepublic Storage of Idaho

• Initial Complaint

  11/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Misguided, misled, bad information, undisclosed restrictions, poor representation of their service. Lack of a means to effectively communicate with the appropriate personnel to get a resolution. My wife and I rented space 70 from Republic Storage in Meridian, Idaho for the month of Oct 2022. We did a visual inspection of the bay and found it to be what we BELIEVED to be acceptable once the blocking cars where removed from the right-o-way at the end of the structures. When we returned 4 days later with our trailer and attempted to park by having to back down the entire length of the structure to the END slot that we had procured. I thought that when we got the slot it was actually an ideal location because it was on the end and would be an EASY slot to hit with MINIMAL effort. I have YEARS driving big rigs with trailers and have never come across this particular false means of representation. Republic storage did there best to "convince" me that the prior tenant had a 30' RV that fit in that bay with no problem. If that is indeed true, it had to be a class A or C motor home and not a trailer. Nonetheless, having to back down the length of the structure and make the swing while avoiding the timber roof support that is NOT located in all end bays is extremely challenging and couldnt be done with my setup. It WOULD be quite useable if there wasn't *********** parked at the end caps blocking the right-o-way. We ultimately did NOT stay and moved to another location. In the mean time, I requested a refund of our short rental period and was shot down with out hesitation. The old adage, "all sales are final" regardless of who lies or misleads you. I had to search the internet to get an eMail contact to create a complaint and explain our position and still received some less than comforting answers. In fact, ******* offered to credit our account with "provisions", but we haven't heard from her since. We want a refund.

  

  Business response

  02/01/2023

  First, I would like to thank the Blackburns and the BBB the leniency for my late response.  During that communication I was dealing with the stress of caring for my husband under hospice care.  Sadly, he lost his battle with Glioblastoma shortly thereafter, so your leniency in allowing me the time to take care of things is very appreciated.  

  ********************** has supplied you with our communication.  It is unfortunate that by his own admission, ********************** misjudged his ability to maneuver in/out of the space he rented.  Our policy is to have all tenants check the space "PRIOR" to renting for this very reason.  In addition, ************************** claim that his inability to park properly was because he was blocked by vehicles parked in the "right of way".  As I explained to **********************, the space was not a right of way, but in fact, outside parking spaces.  His pictures shows this.  If memory serves me, there were three of four possible vehicles parked there.  The space numbers are displayed on the fence adjacent to the space.  In 2008 we found ourselves in need of expansion, and were able to make that happen by adding additional spaces.  That's 15 years of tenants who have successfully maneuvered in/out of their spaces without the "right of way" ********************** describes.

  More importantly, Our leases are month to month.  This means, we do not offer daily, weekly or prorated rents.  This is also the reason tenants are encouraged to check out the space prior to renting.  Self storage is just that, the responsibility falls on the tenant to make sure they have the comfort level, ability and experience to maneuver through these parking spaces.  We do not have the staff to assist in these maneuvers.  Had ********************** come into the office within an hour or so, even that very day explaining he was unable to use the space, I would have gladly cancelled his lease for him or found a space at another RSI facility.  That didn't happen.  It had been at least 4 days.  At that point, I am unable to prorate his rental.  Doing so would be unfair and unethical for every other tenant we have had to hold to our lease terms at this or any other RSI location.

  The advantage to the tenant with our lease terms, is we do not keep anything beyond their initial 1 month rental.  In short, it is the minimal lease term.  There are two documents the tenants sign acknowledging they understand this policy.   As for me offering to credit ********************** his monies, was predicated on the belief that he moved to another RSI facility.  He did not, so I am unable to transfer the funds to his new unit.   Staying with Republic Storage would have allowed me the opportunity to extend that courtesy.  

  ********************** would like to make this about money and greed.  For us a company, we want to be known as honest, fair and integral.  In my experience, it is far more integral to hold all tenants to the same standards.  I do not allow the tenants to pick and choose who is credited.  It comes down to what both parties agree to when signing the lease documents.  

  Sincerely,

  ***********************************

   

  Customer response

  02/02/2023

   
  Complaint: 18438131
  
  I am rejecting this response because,

  In my original letter, yes it is correct that the length, width, and height of the offered space was VERY misleading and again without a compass, site survey, abacus, protractor, and even my TRAILER it was clearly an educated assumption.  I did look at it as I was advised to do, and I did point out that it would be much easier to occupy once those vehicle blocking the end R-O-W were removed.  REGARDLESS at this point, I want to address Ms. ************ response.  

  1.  She states that there are space numbers posted on the fence.  According to the pictures I took, there isn't any space numbers posted as she alleges.  (see attached photo)

  2.  She also alleges that since 2008 those R-O-W spaces have been in use for *************.  Again, this is not a true statement.  (See attached photos)  

  3.  *********************** states that had I come to the office after I discovered that we had an issue she would have taken appropriate action.  She clearly never talked to her on duty staff for the day in question.  As stated in my original complaint, I DID bring it up to the office, but was told that there are no refunds and that I was also advised that for this reason is why we tell potential renters to inspect the location.  I was also told by the male on-duty that no refunds or help would be offered and that I was basically screwed.  (not his exact words, but definitely what he meant)  SO, AS *********************** IMPLIED, WE DID GO TOT THE OFFICE AND MADE OUR VOICE HEARD.

  3.  It was within the next 45 min or so that we contacted Republic Storage in Middleton for our backup plan of OUTDOOR storage and headed that way.

  4.  Apparently while driving to the Middleton storage location, Meridian storage made a (courtesy) call to the office in Middleton advising them that we were on our way.  

  5.  When we arrived at the Middleton location we made and signed the appropriate docs for outdoor storage and ASKED if our already paid for space from Meridian was transferable.  The answer was NO.

  6.  *********************** states that 4 days had passed since the rental agreement was made.  This is true, it is also true that the Trailer was new and that we used it for those 4 days before we attempted to put in storage.  I'm not sure what the 4 days has to do with ANYTHING?

  7.  I signed all documents in good faith as I was already familiar with Republic Storage operations because we had been using the Linden Storage location prior for almost 2 years without any issues there.

  8.  *********************** states that we did not stay with Republic Storage after all this went down.  That is an accurate statement, and we didn't stay because THERE WASN'T ANY AVAILABLE COVERED STORAGE by this time.  

  9.  *********************** can hold me to the same standards as other tenants, I expect that, but I don't expect being mislead.  

  10.  As was Ms *********** original offer, YES we'll take the offer of a refund of the cost that we incurred at the Middleton location.  

  Sincerely,

  ***************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  11/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The manager of this property accused me of robbing a storage unit that I just rented and paid two months in advance. They have now locked out my storage unit and are openly accusing me of having something to do with it and refusing to release my belongings. I now am out the money for the second month plus all my personal effects. The manager refuses to allow me to have access to my property or even have a civil conversation with me. I have never been treated this bad and now have to pay again for another unit somewhere else because she's rude and I refuse to let her defame my character any longer.

  

  Business response

  02/01/2023

  On 10/30/2022, ****************** entered into the facility using her code, she was accompanied by two gentleman.  They left and later on the same day, the truck came back with another vehicle following.  Again, they used ********************** gate code.  This raised suspicions of *******************, so he went to check on them as they were "unloading" something from a nearby unit into their vehicle.  Upon questioning, they immediately jumped in their vehicles and raced out of the facility, smashing through the gate board. 

  The police were called and showed up immediately.  It was discovered that there were cut locks and break-ins on 4-5 units; Video and still pictures, license plates have all been submitted to law enforcement and as far as we understand, this is still under investigation.  ****************** is tied to this incident and as per company policy, she was locked out of the facility for two reasons; the gate would have to be paid for first and we wait to hear back from authorities as they often want to check contents of units associated with burglaries.  

  ********************** belongings remain safe and secured, she is still obligated to her lease but has yet to pay for the damaged gate.  As far as we know, this is still an open case, however, we would rather ****************** come and pay her rent and fees associated with the damage and she is free to remove her belongings.   Incidentally, the manager had spoken to her on 1/18/23 to follow up on collecting rent/fees.  ****************** had indicated she would pay this off soon.  

  Our apologies go to the victims associated with this incident.  

  Sincerely,

  ***********************************

  Customer response

  02/06/2023

   
  Complaint: 18350371
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  had the management of the facility actually spoken to me instead of accusing me of being a thief and calling me a liar when I called to find out why I was locked out of my unit two weeks later they wouldve found out that I had hired two people to help me move stuff into my unit. I was unable to access the unit that morning because I had looked at my clock wrong. I never heard back from these guys after we went there that morning so they never helped me move my belongings. They obviously use my code because they took it for me while I was with them that morning to move my belongings. I have no time. Did anybody ever question me or talk to me about anything happened That day, and although I am a victim as well in this crime, Im being forced to pay for damage to a gate that I did not cause at this point Im gonna have to file legal action in order to get my money back. No one ever contacted me or even thought possibly maybe they should ask me a couple questions they just wanted to accuse me of something *** never done. I have a clean criminal background which remains clean to this day and now Im in for an extra month rent because they wouldnt give me my belongings back after the police told me that they were not having them hold my belongings, They obviously use this as an opportunity to get an extra months rent because they withheld my belongings for a month and a half and Im now forcing me to pay another month rent. This is a poly behavior Im part of the business and I thought in our country its innocent until proven guilty, and nobody even tried to prove me guilty. They just assumed. Everything was made on an assumption by somebody that was not there, and not in my head. I was at work with all of this happened, which *** offered to prove numerous times. It would make absolutely no sense for me to rent a storage unit for two months and then have somebody break into it two weeks after I get it and put my belongings in there. This whole situation couldve been resolved quickly if somebody had made contact with me and actually asked a couple questions I will be paying off the money on the storage unit and then Ill be filing a small claims case due to being not involved in this incident and Ill be removing my belongings as soon as I possibly can
  . 
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

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