Security Self Storage

February 13, 2015We are responding to a letter received today from the Revdex.com regarding the above noted complaint[redacted] has been a tenant of ours since 5/21/On 11/7/she reported seeing evidence of mice in her unit and that her mattress had been chewed by these miceOn that day, she stated she was going to vacate her unit and contact her attorneyTo date, [redacted] is still renting her storage unit from us and is current on her rentWe have not heard from her attorney as she stated we wouldOn 11/10/she called our office to ask the name of the owner (David S***) and did not mention or talk about anything else during that callHer latest visit to our office was on 1/30/and she asked about how the situation with the mice in her unit wasShe was told to return to our office at 8:a.mMonday through Friday to insure she would be able to speak to the owner before he started his day with outside appointmentsThis is the best time of the day to catch him at the office as he always opens the office by himself at that time because the office staff does not come in until 9:a.mMonday through FridayShe was told she did not need to make an appointment if she came at 8:a.m– she was guaranteed to see him if she came at that time barring any emergencies or scheduled vacationWe have not heard from her since 1/30/and we were expecting to see her as that was the way she left if with the Secretary [redacted] simply needs to stop by our office at 8:a.mMonday–Friday to see MrS [redacted] and they can proceed from thereAgain, she does not need to make an appointment if coming at 8:a.mas the owner will be in the office at that timeJust as a cautionary measure, she should touch base with our office the night before via telephone in case he is on a scheduled vacation, etcUpon seeing the damage [redacted] has reported, he would be able to make a proper assessment

March 2, On February 21st, received a paper in the mail (copy attached with this letter) stating that my storage rent would be $148/monthAn increase in $50/month, from what I had signed a contract for of $98/monthI checked security self storages website for any changes in rates and the rate that I found was $95/month for a 10xunit, the same size I had rentedSo clearly he is doing anything he can to get me out of the unit, or take more money from meSince security self storage isn't open on the weekends I called Monday February 23rd and told Holly that I was going to remove my items from the storage unit and take them to another facilityOriginally I was told to give a day notice, but Holly said that it would be okay to get my items out by Friday February 27, with no penalty held due to the late change in rent, I later spoke to Dave about us removing the items on Friday, and asked him if he could be available so I could show him the damagesHe said he would be there between 7:30am and 4pmI had also asked him why he decided to change the rent, and he said that's just how you do businessFriday morning arrived to the storage place and Dave had locked my code so I couldn't access my unit without calling him, I paid until the end of the month which was up until Saturday the 28th, so my unit should have been accessibleI'm still unsure of his reason for this, but I think it's very unprofessionalAlso, after removing most of the items, my daughter had asked Dave to stop by the unit to visibly see the damagesHe looked at a box that was labeled "Kitchen", and said "This says kitchen, you obviously have food in here"In the box labeled kitchen, I have brand new sealed Tupperware and brand new pots (see attached photos)He didn't even look at the damages to the brand new mattress (see attached photos)Dave was extremely rudel I've worked in a hospital for over years and have come in contact with a numerous amount of diverse peopleI've never met anyone like him beforePrior to leaving I stopped in the office to let Dave know that I did take pictures and am willing to give him a copy of eachHe turned down the picturesI also asked him if we could do a walk through, to ensure I receive my $deposit, and he declinedI also asked Dave what's going to come out of the mattress damages, and he said nothingPreviously when he sent a letter to the Revdex.com he said he would be able to make a proper assessment of the damages and move forward from there, but clearly he led on paperHe could care less about any damagesI'm happy that my items are removed from his propertyI hope no one else has to experience what I had to, but based on web reviews some people already have

We appreciate the opportunity to be able to respond to the complaint from our previous customer Security Self Storage does everything within our power to make a customer’s storage experience the best that it possibly can be and have been awarded for those efforts by being voted as “Best storage in Central Ohio” Every unit is alarmed and monitored, cameras record hours a day, we have a manager that lives on site, also have a seamless stainless steel roofs system to eliminate leaks as well as our doors close ½” below floor level to prevent water from running under the door and dampening customer items Each unit is individually lighted our facility is completely fenced in and paved up to each unit door We pride ourselves for being in business for over years and having a very minimal number of complaints It is our opinion that there are some situations that are out of our control and no matter what you do to deter the possibility of an issue, there will be those that we can’t make happy under any circumstancesSo, we expect there will be those times when something goes wrong and while we can expect this, we are never happy when a customer walks away unhappy We do take every precaution to guard our facilities against rodents and go the extra mile by placing rodent bait stations along our fence lines to deter mice from entering our buildings Bait is placed in bait stations to draw them to eat from the bait block Once they have ingested the bait from the bait block, it causes thirst and it causes them to run away from our buildings in search for a water source While the customer stated that ‘we failed to tell them to place bait in their unit ..” We DO NOT suggest that customers put bait, traps or poison inside of their unit as it actually becomes a draw for the rodents INTO the building We also suggest NOT storing any kind of food/water in the unit as that will also serve as a means to satisfy their search for food As you may or may not be aware, mice can enter thru any hole as small as a 1/2” opening, and it is virtually impossible to keep them out of a building with multiple doors, especially if you have a neighboring unit that’s tenant opens / closes their door oftenSelf -Storage building manufacturers do not provide the ability to construct air-tight units; even your home is susceptible to rodent entryOf course, if we would get them in our home or garage, we would know about them and take care of itUnfortunately, in our business we have over units that we do NOT have access into, so its difficult to determine if there is a problem, especially with outside access units Over the years any problem that has arisen where mice were involved was caused from a food source in a unit Although you may not have a recognizable food source or a traditional box of food, sources can come from couch crevices full of food crumbs, kid’s toys or even a highchair with food residue that was not properly cleaned prior to storing Drioutside storage units, like this tenant chose to rent, are naturally more susceptible as you can drive up right to the door These units are not air-tight and are more prone to dust as well This is why we suggest covering your furniture before storing, especially when storing items for a long amount of time We offer a full line of mattress, sofa & furniture covers in our office and offer a discount upon move in on all of these items to help assist those interested in choosing this extra precaution Unfortunately, the customer chose not to cover their items to take this extra protection and precaution The customer also chose not to utilize one of the climate- controlled storage units as this type of unit offers an extra layer of protection from the outside elements as they are located inside of a building behind a hallway entry door and yet another pudoor to the individual unit Security Self Storage strives to do everything possible to help protect our customer and their belongings However, we cannot guard against customers not following suggested guidelines or taking those extra precautions if storing something of great valueThe first line of paragraph of our rental agreement clearly states our position on improperly packaged food and perishable goods(See below.) Use of Premises and Compliance with LawOccupant shall not store any improperly packaged food or any perishable goods, goods with noxious odors, combustible materials, explosives or other inherently dangerous material, nor perform any welding on the Premises or in the ProjectOccupant shall not store any personal property on the Premises which would result in the violation of any law or regulation of any governmental authority and Occupant shall comply with all laws, rules, regulations and ordinances of any and all governmental authorities concerning the Premises or the use thereofOccupant shall not use the Premises in any manner that will constitute waste, nuisance, or unreasonable annoyance to other occupants in the Project or for human or animal habitationThe Premises may be used for storage onlyOccupant agrees not to store property with a total value in excess of $without the written permission of the Owner If such written permission is not obtained, the value of Occupant’s property shall be deemed not to exceed $By this agreement, Owner is generally not liable for the loss of Occupant’s propertyIn the event any competent court of law adjudicates Owner liable for any loss, for any reason, Owner’s liability shall not exceed $ This provision shall not constitute an admission that Occupant’s property has any value whatsoeverThe premises is not appropriate for storage of irreplaceable property such as books, writings, objects which have a special or emotional value to the Occupant and Occupant agrees not to store such types of property in the leased premisesOccupant agrees, at his /her sole expense, to maintain insurance on all property stored in the space with actual cash value coverage against all perils, without exception Occupant’s failure to maintain such insurance shall be a Default under this agreement and Occupant shall assume risk of loss or damage that would have been covered by such insuranceOwner may (but shall be under no obligation) to provide an electronic entry device for access to the project Notwithstanding installation of such a device, Owner in no event shall be liable for any damages or injury caused be Occupant’s inability to gain access to, or exit from, the project, whether because of mechanical or electrical failure of the electronic device, or for any other reason

We are responding to Ms***'s rejection of our letter dated August 8, explaining why she was not refunded her July rent for storage unit #*** in the amount of $77.00.It is stated in plain black and white in the lease Section item bthat if occupant vacates space before the end of the month, a rent refund will not be madeThis was explained to her on 8/28/when she rented the unit and she initialed the lease stating she understoodAlso, Ms***'s $security deposit was issued on 8/15/as a refund on her *** card ending in *** which was the same credit card she paid June and July's rent withShe changed her credit card information on 5/6/so the card we issued her deposit on was the most current one on file.We are sure if Ms*** checks her credit card statement she will see there is a $refund dated 8/15/from usAlso, if she reads her copy of the lease Section item bshe will see where it states that if occupant vacates space before the end of the month, a rent refund will not be madeWe have included both of these items along with this letter.Because our lease states that a refund will not be made and the fact that we have a credit card refund receipt given to Ms*** we will not change our standard operating procedure for customer's across the board for Ms*** and give her a refund for her July rent

January 26, 2015We rented *** *** a 10’ x 15' storage unit #*** for $per monthRent is due and payable on or before the first of each month with a late fee of $being assessed on the 5th of each month if not paid on timeOur company called *** *** and advised her her
late was rent and there is now a late fee of $on her accountThe rent and late fee was paid on 11/7/2014.We were contacted by *** *** on 11/7/reporting she had found mouse droppings in her storage unit as well as a mattress being stored having been chewedShe advised us she was moving out and would be contacting her attorney regarding this matter*** *** then called us on 11/10/asking the name of the owner so her attorney would know who to contactAs of that date, she had not vacated her Storage unit nor did she make any arrangements for anyone to look at the issue she was having,On 12/1/the owner, David S***, checked the unit to see if it was in deed vacantIt was "chock full” of personal belongings including the mattress that had been previously reported as being chewed, *** *** decided to remain in the storage unit for unknown reasons for the month of December*** *** had still not cleared her unit out as of 1/1/which meant another month of rent due and because she paid it on 1/6/there was a late fee of $She paid her January rent of $and we gave her an allowance on the late fee and did not collect it for January as a favor to her,As of this date, *** *** is still renting her storage unit and we have not heard from her attorneyWe feel we are not liable for any moving fees because she obviously isn't that upset about anything being “ruined" by mice due to the fact that she remains in her unitShe has never produced any chewed up mattress to us for replacement

*** *** rented storage unit #*** on 8/28/for a total of $per month, Her rent was prorated from 8/28/2015-8/31/for a total of $10,which included sales taxShe also paid a $refundable security depositWe had an internet special for that month which was pay for three
months upfront and get fourth month at no chargeMs*** took advantage of this offer and paid for three months at $per month, the prorated rent from 8/28/through 8/31/and the $20,refundable security depositHer rent was then paid in full through 12/31/2015.On 12/28/she called our office and set up her account on automatic pay beginning 1/1/and she stated she was using her uncle's credit cardOn 1/1/her rent was raised to $per monthHer rent was due on or before the first of each month as stated in the lease she signed on 8/28/in the 4th paragraph Section a(Exhibit #1).Ms*** stated she emptied her unit on 7/4/According to her rental lease, Paragraph Section b(Exhibit #2) it states the rental term starts the first day of the month and ends on the last day of the monthIf Occupant vacates their space before the end of the month, a rent refund will not be made.Paragraph Section b(Exhibit #3) states that the $refundable security deposit shall be returned to Occupant, without interest after termination of the agreement providing the tenant is not in default of the agreementMs***'s deposit was returned on 8/15/as a refund on her *** credit card ending in *** per her request.Security Self Storage does not owe any pre-paid rent to Ms*** because she acknowledged, by signing lease, that her rental term began on the first of each month and there would be no rent refund if she was still using the storage unit into any given month.We do acknowledge that Ms*** did make several attempts to speak to the Owner for her refund and was told due to the terms of her lease and the company's standing operating procedure, no tenant receives arent refund if using their unit into that monthWe are sorry Ms*** does not agree with this but she did sign a lease stating she understood the terms of the contract and if Security Self Storage started refunding partial rent for her we would have to do it for everyone which is not our standard operating procedure

February 7, 2015
I rent a 10'x15' storage unit, #[redacted] for $98/month. I have been late for a payment, but I paid the late fee within a couple days of the due date. There was a late fee that had been taken off of my account for January, because my contract states that I have until the 5th of the month to make my monthly payment. When I tried to pay my bill on January 5th, David S[redacted] had locked my account shutting down my access to the storage and office area. That was an error on his end so he waived the late fee. My account balance is $0, and I am paid up to date, My fees and payments haven't been an issue, so they're irrelevant to the issue that is at hand.
When I had spoken to Mr. S[redacted] about the problems he was very rude and told me to take my belongings and go elsewhere, I did inform him that I was going to speak to an attorney. The attorney advised me to start by contacting the Revdex.com. As per rny contract I'm suppose to inform Mr. S[redacted] or his secretary when I'm leaving, and I never gave them a notice, I did let them know that I was going to look into other nearby storage units. At this point I have found a storage unit that I would like to move my items to.
I have recently spoken to Mr. S[redacted]'s secretary about scheduling an appointment to pull the mattress out of storage to show proof of the damage. She advised me to NOT make an appointment because based off his character he would avoid meeting me. She said it would be best to just show up one day early in the morning so he wouldn't have the opportunity to avoid me, My 14 year old daughter witnessed the conversation, I have no problem showing him the damages. If he was a respectful person then we could have been able to talk about the problem when I initially tried to, I am concerned about my belongings, as any person would be. I don't think its right that I should have to pay the moving expenses, and the fee for a new mattress.I'm taking the proper steps to try and solve the issue. If the problem isn't resolved shortly, yes | will remove my belongings to another unit and try to explore other options that I have in terms of trying to get my mattress replaced, and reimbursed for the moving expenses. The way things are handled at this facility is very unprofessional.

March 2, 2015
On February 21st, 2015 received a paper in the mail (copy attached with this letter) stating that my storage rent would be $148/month. An increase in $50/month, from what I had signed a contract for of $98/month. I checked security self storages website for any changes in rates and the rate that I found was $95/month for a 10x15 unit, the same size I had rented. So clearly he is doing anything he can to get me out of the unit, or take more money from me.
Since security self storage isn't open on the weekends I called Monday February 23rd and told Holly that I was going to remove my items from the storage unit and take them to another facility. Originally I was told to give a 7 day notice, but Holly said that it would be okay to get my items out by Friday February 27, with no penalty held due to the late change in rent, I later spoke to Dave about us removing the items on Friday, and asked him if he could be available so I could show him the damages. He said he would be there between 7:30am and 4pm. I had also asked him why he decided to change the rent, and he said that's just how you do business.
Friday morning arrived to the storage place and Dave had locked my code so I couldn't access my unit without calling him, I paid until the end of the month which was up until Saturday the 28th, so my unit should have been accessible. I'm still unsure of his reason for this, but I think it's very unprofessional. Also, after removing most of the items, my daughter had asked Dave to stop by the unit to visibly see the damages. He looked at a box that was labeled "Kitchen", and said "This says kitchen, you obviously have food in here". In the box labeled kitchen, I have brand new sealed Tupperware and brand new pots (see attached photos). He didn't even look at the damages to the brand new mattress (see attached photos). Dave was extremely rudel I've worked in a hospital for over 8 years and have come in contact with a numerous amount of diverse people. I've never met anyone like him before.
Prior to leaving I stopped in the office to let Dave know that I did take pictures and am willing to give him a copy of each. He turned down the pictures. I also asked him if we could do a walk through, to ensure I receive my $20 deposit, and he declined. I also asked Dave what's going to come out of the mattress damages, and he said nothing. Previously when he sent a letter to the Revdex.com he said he would be able to make a proper assessment of the damages and move forward from there, but clearly he led on paper. He could care less about any damages. I'm happy that my items are removed from his property. I hope no one else has to experience what I had to, but based on web reviews some people already have.

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: I was promised a refund.  The secretary told me over and over that she would be sending the check.  I am not asking for a full refund.  I am asking for a pro-rated refund.  I was told by the secretary that the owner cooperated with others in the past in the same situation.  The owner would not be making an exception with me as he has done this for others in the past.  I don't understand why he seems to be making an example of me.  I was an excellent customer.  I paid on time and I cleaned the storage shed when I left.  I gave  notice before I emptied the unit.  I feel he needs to do what is morally right .  Return the payment pro-rated.   Why would a business take the risk of losing future customers when the right thing to do is just return the payment.  I have filed for a refund with my credit card company.   
Regards,
[redacted]

February 13, 2015We are responding to a letter received today from the Revdex.com regarding the above noted complaint.[redacted] has been a tenant of ours since 5/21/2014. On 11/7/2014 she reported seeing evidence of mice in her unit and that her mattress had been chewed by these mice. On that day, she stated she was going to vacate her unit and contact her attorney. To date, [redacted] is still renting her storage unit from us and is current on her rent. We have not heard from her attorney as she stated we would. On 11/10/2014 she called our office to ask the name of the owner (David S[redacted]) and did not mention or talk about anything else during that call.
Her latest visit to our office was on 1/30/2015 and she asked about how the situation with the mice in her unit was. She was told to return to our office at 8:00 a.m. Monday through Friday to insure she would be able to speak to the owner before he started his day with outside appointments. This is the best time of the day to catch him at the office as he always opens the office by himself at that time because the office staff does not come in until 9:00 a.m. Monday through Friday. She was told she did not need to make an appointment if she came at 8:00 a.m. – she was guaranteed to see him if she came at that time barring any emergencies or scheduled vacation. We have not heard from her since 1/30/2015 and we were expecting to see her as that was the way she left if with the Secretary.
[redacted] simply needs to stop by our office at 8:00 a.m. Monday–Friday to see Mr. S[redacted] and they can proceed from there. Again, she does not need to make an appointment if coming at 8:00 a.m. as the owner will be in the office at that time. Just as a cautionary measure, she should touch base with our office the night before via telephone in case he is on a scheduled vacation, etc. Upon seeing the damage [redacted] has reported, he would be able to make a proper assessment

We
appreciate the opportunity to be able to respond to the complaint from our
previous customer.  Security Self Storage
does everything within our power to make a customer’s storage experience the
best that it possibly can be and have been awarded for those efforts by being
voted as “Best...

storage in Central Ohio”.   Every unit is alarmed and monitored, cameras
record 24 hours a day, we have a manager that lives on site, also have a
seamless stainless steel roofs system to eliminate leaks  as well as our doors close 1 ½” below floor
level to prevent water from running under the door and dampening customer
items.  Each unit is individually lighted
our facility is completely fenced in and paved up to each unit door.  We pride ourselves for being in business for
over 15 years and having a very minimal number of complaints.  It is our opinion that there are some
situations that are out of our control and no matter what you do to deter the
possibility of an issue, there will be those that we can’t make happy under
any circumstances. So, we expect there will be those times when something goes
wrong and while we can expect this, we are never happy when a customer walks
away unhappy.
We do take
every precaution to guard our facilities against rodents and go the extra mile
by placing rodent bait stations along our fence lines to deter mice from
entering our buildings.  Bait is placed
in bait stations to draw them to eat from the bait block.  Once they have ingested the bait from the
bait block, it causes thirst and it causes them to run away from our buildings in
search for a water source.  While the
customer stated that ‘we failed to tell them to place bait in their unit…..”  We DO NOT suggest that customers put bait,
traps or poison inside of their unit as it actually becomes a draw for the
rodents INTO the building.  We also
suggest NOT storing any kind of food/water in the unit as that will also serve
as a means to satisfy their search for food. 
As you may or may not be aware, mice can enter thru any hole as small as
a 1/2” opening, and it is virtually impossible to keep them out of a building
with multiple doors, especially if you have a neighboring unit that’s tenant
opens / closes their door often. Self -Storage building manufacturers do not
provide the ability to construct air-tight units; even your home is susceptible
to rodent entry. Of course, if we would get them in our home or garage, we
would know about them and take care of it. Unfortunately, in our business we
have over 600 units that we do NOT have access into, so its difficult to
determine if there is a problem, especially with outside access units.
Over the
years any problem that has arisen where mice were involved was caused from a
food source in a unit.  Although you may
not have a recognizable food source or a traditional box of food, sources can
come from couch crevices full of food crumbs, kid’s toys or even a highchair
with food residue that was not properly cleaned prior to storing.  Drive-up outside storage units, like this
tenant chose to rent, are naturally more susceptible as you can drive up right
to the door.  These units are not air-tight and are more prone to dust as well. 
This is why we suggest covering your furniture before storing,
especially when storing items for a long amount of time.  We offer a full line of mattress, sofa &
furniture covers in our office and offer a discount upon move in on all of
these items to help assist those interested in choosing this extra precaution.  Unfortunately, the customer chose not to
cover their items to take this extra protection and precaution.  The customer also chose not to utilize one of
the climate- controlled storage units as this type of unit offers an extra layer
of protection from the outside elements as they are located inside of a
building behind a hallway entry door and yet another pull-up door to the
individual unit.
Security
Self Storage strives to do everything possible to help protect our customer and
their belongings.  However, we cannot
guard against customers not following suggested guidelines or taking those
extra precautions if storing something of great value. The first line of
paragraph 5 of our rental agreement clearly states our position on improperly packaged food and perishable goods. (See below.)
5.
Use of Premises and Compliance with Law. Occupant shall not store any
improperly packaged food or any perishable goods, goods with noxious odors,
combustible materials, explosives or other inherently dangerous material, nor
perform any welding on the Premises or in the Project. Occupant shall not store
any personal property on the Premises which would result in the violation of
any law or regulation of any governmental authority and Occupant shall comply
with all laws, rules, regulations and ordinances of any and all governmental
authorities concerning the Premises or the use thereof. Occupant shall not use
the Premises in any manner that will constitute waste, nuisance, or
unreasonable annoyance to other occupants in the Project or for human or animal
habitation. The Premises may be used for storage only. Occupant agrees not
to store property with a total value in excess of $5000.00 without the written
permission of the Owner.  If such written
permission is not obtained, the value of Occupant’s property shall be deemed
not to exceed $5000.00. By this agreement, Owner is generally not liable for
the loss of Occupant’s property. In the event any competent court of law
adjudicates Owner liable for any loss, for any reason, Owner’s liability shall
not exceed $5000.00.  This provision
shall not constitute an admission that Occupant’s property has any value
whatsoever. The premises is not appropriate for storage of irreplaceable
property such as books, writings, objects which have a special or emotional
value to the Occupant and Occupant agrees not to store such types of property
in the leased premises. Occupant agrees, at his /her sole expense, to maintain
insurance on all property stored in the space with actual cash value coverage
against all perils, without exception. 
Occupant’s failure to maintain such insurance shall be a Default under
this agreement and Occupant shall assume risk of loss or damage that would have
been covered by such insurance. Owner may (but shall be under no
obligation) to provide an electronic entry device for access to the project.
Notwithstanding installation of such a device, Owner in no event shall be
liable for any damages or injury caused be Occupant’s inability to gain access
to, or exit from, the project, whether because of mechanical or electrical
failure of the electronic device, or for any other reason.