Storage Usa
COMPANY Rip-Off

They said they have full security with security cameras.
Then why can't they find my $40,000 of my belongings

My story begins with a planned move from the Midwest to Phoenix, AZ. As I was going to have to store everything in my home for a number of months I did extensive research on the various storage companies.

In the end I selected Storage USA because they assured me their
storage units and my possessions were perfectly safe due to their excellent security measures. I was told they video tape each alleyway to the storage units 24 hours a day. As my 10' x 30' unit had a front and back door my unit would be covered on both sides.

Also the entire area was gated and walled in, you needed an access code to drive in. Also our padlocks had stickers placed on them so management could tell if the lock had been tampered with.

I moved my possessions in on September 1,1998, with feelings of
security that they would be perfectly safe. The last time I went to my unit was in December of 1998 and all was well. Imagine my shock, when on April 2,1999, I arrived with three friends and a truck to load my things and move them to my new home, that my lock was gone and it had been replaced with a different lock which also had a sticker on it. We were able to get into my unit by the back door which still had my other lock on it. It turns out someone had a field day cleaning out my possessions and taking their pick of my most valuable things.

This theft will run in the neighbor hood of a $40,000 claim. We woke the manager who lived on the premises and told him the story. He said too bad but there wasn't anything he could do about it. They are not responsible and that my insurance company will have to take the loss. I of course told him he had better start looking at the tapes. That is when I was informed that they tape over the tapes every 30 to 60 days. I was livid to say the least, and asked how can they do that when they have long term renters who will go months without coming to their units. And why should we when we have been assured that our things were perfectly safe.

I called the local police to file a report and a detective was
assigned to my case. When I spoke with him he said thefts from
storage units were common. I asked him about Storage USA's record.

He said they (Storage USA) aren't obligated to notify the police in cases such as mine. Only if the customer files a report do they hear about it. He also informed me that they have a "Safe Storage Program" in effect. The police work with the various companies and set up procedures to assure safety. Well, guess what, "Storage USA had dropped out of the program in November 1998, but we renters were not informed. That had been another selling point on my selection of storage companies. The detective also informed me that when he spoke with a lady at Storage USA (909 S. Country Club Drive, Mesa, AZ) she
informed him that the manager had been fired.

I have since spoken with the District Manager for Storage USA. He basically told me the same story as the manager, but in a nicer way.

He denied that the manager had been fired, instead he praised him. He supposedly looked at what tapes remained and saw nothing. His explanation for dropping out of the "Safe Storage Program" was that it invaded the renters rights by asking for fingerprints. I stated that they were in the program when I moved in but no one asked for my fingerprints. OH WELL! He eventually offered to reimburse me 3 months rent. That figure was arrived at by the fact that my last visit to my unit was in December and all was well so lets just give her the remaining three months during which time the theft took place. I'm sure everyone would be as moved as I was by such a generous offer. HA!

So, my life goes on without any of the things I cared the most for and some of which are irreplaceable.

I am confident there are many such horror stories such as mine. I am sorry for your loss. These companies need to be held accountable!!!

Barbara Anderson

Company: Storage Usa
Country: USA
State: Nationwide
Address: 165 Madison Ave. Suite 1300
Phone: 9012522000

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