Scarlett
27-05-2005, 12:22
I like many others use storage to give myself more room in our small house (all we could afford when we took the mortgage out) we started up with space personal sorage in Bedford (unfourtunatly the nearest to us.) I had no problems with them monthly billing come and go as I pleased...
At the begining of this year, they sent me a letter to say that they had 'merged' with safe store uk but that it was just a merger of equals etc. nothing to worry about.
At the time I was quite cynical about it being an amicable merger but since it wasn't directly affecting me I didn't worry.
until now...
Okay looks like this merger is safestore uk coming in and changing spaces processes and procedures to be the same as there (IMO worse) processes.
1. I am still paying monthly, safe stor uk want every one to pay on a 4 weekly cycle ??? WTF who ever gets paid 4 weekly ????
2. Insurance of the contents is now compulsary I'm not talking about for their protection, you have to have AT LEAST 5K of contents insurance on your stuff. If you can't provide a copy of you home insurance certificate then you will be charged by them for the insurance (about £20 / four weeks as well). This is downright dodgy in my book. (Can anyone say commission ?).
3. They had an offer where you could double your storage and get the first 2 months free (on the condition that you took the bigger storage for at least 3 months) oh when I tried to take that, the temp guy covering tried to charge me for 12 weeks up front which is apparently how it now works...
I have to point out at this point however that the manager of the local spaces is excellent. I've managed to duck all three of the above problems because Im still covered by the existing contract that I origianlly signed.
However
4. Originally the main gate had a keypad and you selected the pin when you signed up. You could then come and go as you pleased at any time of the day (or at least that was the impression that I got). They recently changed the system to a swipe card type thing. I turned up at 18:45, office shut and all and the swipe card doesn't work! Grumbled a bit and went home, Rushed out the next day to get there i opening hours and low and behold. Its no longer all 24 hour access, Now you can have 24 hour access but you have to pay a premium for it.
The problem I have now is that we are getting the house ready to go on the market and need to shift a large amount of cr*p out to make it look spacious (hey we have a lot of stuff so sue me) and we don't actually have any storage places even vaugly near apart from this one otherwise I'd have looked to leave. I'm waiting to see how long it is before they try and push me into a four weekly pay cycle.
Has anyone else had this sort of problem ?
I know this is mainly a winge but I wanted to get it off my chest
At the begining of this year, they sent me a letter to say that they had 'merged' with safe store uk but that it was just a merger of equals etc. nothing to worry about.
At the time I was quite cynical about it being an amicable merger but since it wasn't directly affecting me I didn't worry.
until now...
Okay looks like this merger is safestore uk coming in and changing spaces processes and procedures to be the same as there (IMO worse) processes.
1. I am still paying monthly, safe stor uk want every one to pay on a 4 weekly cycle ??? WTF who ever gets paid 4 weekly ????
2. Insurance of the contents is now compulsary I'm not talking about for their protection, you have to have AT LEAST 5K of contents insurance on your stuff. If you can't provide a copy of you home insurance certificate then you will be charged by them for the insurance (about £20 / four weeks as well). This is downright dodgy in my book. (Can anyone say commission ?).
3. They had an offer where you could double your storage and get the first 2 months free (on the condition that you took the bigger storage for at least 3 months) oh when I tried to take that, the temp guy covering tried to charge me for 12 weeks up front which is apparently how it now works...
I have to point out at this point however that the manager of the local spaces is excellent. I've managed to duck all three of the above problems because Im still covered by the existing contract that I origianlly signed.
However
4. Originally the main gate had a keypad and you selected the pin when you signed up. You could then come and go as you pleased at any time of the day (or at least that was the impression that I got). They recently changed the system to a swipe card type thing. I turned up at 18:45, office shut and all and the swipe card doesn't work! Grumbled a bit and went home, Rushed out the next day to get there i opening hours and low and behold. Its no longer all 24 hour access, Now you can have 24 hour access but you have to pay a premium for it.
The problem I have now is that we are getting the house ready to go on the market and need to shift a large amount of cr*p out to make it look spacious (hey we have a lot of stuff so sue me) and we don't actually have any storage places even vaugly near apart from this one otherwise I'd have looked to leave. I'm waiting to see how long it is before they try and push me into a four weekly pay cycle.
Has anyone else had this sort of problem ?
I know this is mainly a winge but I wanted to get it off my chest