Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  06/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 5/11/22 I paid $59 to rent an internal building storage box. The first two times I accessed it things went smoothly but from then on it has been one problem after another. I have called the local and toll free numbers numerous times and tried to use the website to resolve the problem to no avail. After the first set of calls I could get in with the new passcode they provided but that stopped working suddently. I paid an additional $59 for the second month even though I couldn't access my property but I was concerned if I didn't pay I would have no way of ever getting my property back. Concerns include: building passcodes switched without notification, passcode not working to access building C, main gates not opening without signage about entry hours/closing hours, no return calls from managers, website not recognizing my log in information after I made an account, website errors. Unfortunately I did not keep records for all the calls I made prior to the most recent set of calls Although I knew that there was no onsite staff, it took me awhile to realize that their call center is based out of ******* and that might be one reason why it was so hard to have them transfer me to a manager. The call center staff have all been very polite but all they can tell me is that someone will call me back yet no one ever does. I most recently spoke with a manager, *****, on 6/10/22. He indicated he would put in a work order and request for reimbursement for my first month's rent. He indicated he would call back but as of 6/14/22 I had not heard anything and called to leave another message. I've left additional messages with staff on 6/16/22, 6/20/22 and on 6/21/22. At this point I am requesting a refund of $118 as I have not been able to access my unit as promised.

  Business response

  06/29/2022

  Hi ****, thank you for reaching out. We have gone ahead and refunded your rent for a month due to the issues that you faced. We will not be able to create a full refund for you, however we can work to get you moved into a different unit of the same size. Please let us know if this would accommodate your needs properly. We are in the process of working with a sign vendor to accurately display where units are located facility grounds.

   

  We look forward to hearing from you and thank you for using SpareBox Storage.

   

  Customer response

  06/30/2022

   
  Complaint: 17491498
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I do not have enough information to understand why you cannot refund my 2 months payment given the numerous and ongoing problems I have had accessing my unit. Although I did not provide details of all my initial calls those can be accessed under my account as your staff documented each call. 
  

  I also need additional information as to how you will refund me please. 
  

  Thank you for working on signage. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Business response

  07/13/2022

  ****,

   

  We are sorry for the frustration that this caused. We would happy to set up an appointment with yourself and our property manager to help you access the climate controlled doors leading to your unit. Please provide a few dates and times that would be most convenient for you. We will be happy to accommodate this appointment. On 6/17/2022 we credited a months rent for you in an attempt to ease the stress caused by this issue. Our property manager is aware of the troubles that have stemmed from this interior access door and it has been confirmed that this is no longer an issue.

  Customer response

  07/20/2022

   
  Complaint: 17491498
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  the prior difficulties in getting anyone from the company to call me back leave me to doubt that we would be able to schedule a meeting.  I do not have time to waste on this any further.  The credit for another month at the facility does me no good if I cannot access my unit.

  Please close my account immediately.

  I am still requesting 2 months refund for the initial expenses you charged me when I could not access my unit.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Business response

  07/27/2022

  We have refunded your payments of $59.00. You should see the refund in 5 to 10 business days. Thanks!

  Customer response

  08/02/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and I will accept your proposal although I am not sure if you mean you are returning the two months I paid when I could not access my unit per your contract.

  I hope that the concerns that customers have expressed through the BBB and the reviews will prompt management/owners to make necessary changes.

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

• Initial Complaint

  06/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  The keypad on the inside of the gate does not work. The first time I was able to call the **** number and someone was able to open it remotely, but it was a huge waste of time.The second time I was not so lucky because it was outside of business hours when I called so I was essentially locked inside. The ************ were to hop a barbed wire fence or call someone to come and open it from the outside.If the keypad is broken, the gate should be left open so people do not get locked inside, but you should also not have to compromise security either since you are paying for a secure facility.There was also no notice posted anywhere informing people of the issue.Based on what another customer said, it sounds like it has been broken for a while so it doesnt seem like getting it fixed is a top priority when it should be. The customer service also refused any form of compensation, which is unacceptable, especially when I have 2 units and am spending nearly $500/month.

  Business response

  06/28/2022

  Hello ****, we are truly sorry for our keypad being down, resulting in you having to be let out of our facility remotely. We have confirmed with the property manager that our gate vendor is scheduled to repair this keypad as soon as they are able to make it out to the facility. For the time being, we are going to leave the facility gate open to ensure all of our tenant's have access to their units. We completely understand your concern with the gate being left open. We have expressed our urgency to the gate vendor to have this handled as quickly as possible to ensure that yourself and our other tenant's don't have to go through this situation again. We have credited unit 8 with $66.33 and unit 389 with $96.33, to compensate you for the the stress and frustration you had to endure from this situation. 

  Customer response

  06/28/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  06/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  this a complaint about the company of sparebox storage and sparebox facility located at **************************************************************** 4/12/22 i recieved a text message stated that my overlock code and proceded by a 4 digit number.I then got a voicemail stating that my storage building had been broken into.I then ask what the procedure was for the whole transaction and they said i must have a police report.Officer ******* from horry co *********** was the reporting officer that did the report.It was then he noticed that the gates were wide open no cameras and poor lighting.This facilty has been like this since january gates have been wide open there was 1 camera right above the door for the kiosk.This storage facility used to be called holmestown self storage and i have had my belongings there for a couple of years and never had any problems gates had always been shut which you had to use a code to enter the facility.The gates to this facility has been open since january open 24hrs a day so anybody could come in there and it is so dark there at night a individual or individuals could do whatever they wanted to in there and no one would see what was going on.If you go on their website it planly says secured storage their is nothing secure about this facility.I had set up a meeting with the facility manager taking off work and nobody showed up the first time.The second time i had set up a meeting was 30 minutes late.The first meeting i had got to facilty and their was a gentleman standing there and i asked if he was the manager and he stated that he was waiting on the *********** for a police report someone had stole his exhaust system off of his brandnew motorhome.My major complaint is i would appreciate and deserve the funding which is the sum of $1900 that the insurance co didnt cover.This is 100 percent sparebox storage facility fault.

  Business response

  06/03/2022

  Hello ****, We are truly sorry for the frustration and the stress that you have had to endure. This location has been plagued by continuous setbacks that stemmed from vendor scheduling, supplies shortages, electrical reconfiguration, and gate reconfiguration. With a project of this size and the scheduling needed for completion, we were presented with delays that were out of our control. During this project, we were forced to change contractors on multiple fronts. As of Wednesday, June 1st, 2022, This property is now complete. The first attempt to meet with our property manager was not confirmed on our side due to the fact that our property manager was unavailable to meet on the day that was proposed. There was a second meeting scheduled and confirmed, that took place on May 23rd, at 9:00 a.m. Unfortunately, we are not going to cover the $1900 in compensation you are requesting. However, we are more than happy to take care of the next two months of rent for you. 

  Customer response

  06/03/2022

   
  Complaint: 17299228
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  Thanks for the offer for 2 months rent but that is not feasible.I understand about not getting parts or back orders deal with it everyday being a business manger myself but knowing how times are now I plan better for future endeavors. But this is different you have a business of storing other peoples belongings in what is supposed to a safe and secure facility as what it says on your website and everyone else that stores there has the same mindset. The not being able to get the job done or having to change things around is not my responsibility as a client or customer of ******************** nor should it be because I pay sparebox to keep my belongings. The very reason I rent a unit from sparebox is to protect my belongings. The fact that the facility was not properly secured is negligence and should have no bearing on me the customer and I should not be penalized for the loss of payment for my belongings which I worked very hard for. I have all the paperwork from this ordeal if needed and can supply. Im not trying to be hard backside about this whole ordeal but you know if the roles were changed you would feel the same way or I hope you would. So in closing hopefully we can come to some kind of settlement with this issue. Thank
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  04/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Since i have started using this storage facility i have had many issues with them when i first moved into the unit the closing access time for the facility i believe was 12p.m according to the website i tried to access my unit multiple times at different times in the evening the earliest being around 8:30p.m and latest around 10:30p.m and could not get into the facility due to the gates being locked i called multiple times and made a complaint because you could not make a complaint in person due to they have no staff at the facility at any time of the day ever and every time i would file a complaint over the phone i would be told they would have somebody go out to the facility and fix the problem and that i would be notified when the issue had been taken care of well the issue was never fixed and of course i never got a reply back from anyone about anything until over a month later when i finally got an email saying thay they apologized and they would now be changing the facility access closing time to 9p.m also twice i have made my monthly payment before the actual due date and both times ended up getting emails saying i was late on my payments and owed money which i didnt and this recent time they cancelled my access code and put a lock on my storage unit the morning after the due date of my payment even though i had made my payment online the day before the payment due date and paid exactly what the storage facilities website had told me to pay i have the receipt and everything they did give me a new code and took the lock off of my unit and the lady i talked to on the phone told me that there was a mistake on there part of the payment amount but that since that was not my fault i would be good and not owe any more money for the rest of this month other than the payment i had already made now they are telling me i owe more money plus late fees and threatening to lock up my belongings again and possibly putting a lien on my belongings.

  Business response

  04/08/2022

  Hello *****, we apologize for the frustration caused by changing our operational hours at this facility. These changes were implemented for added security purposes, with the main goal of upholding the promise of a secure facility to store in. The root problem behind the payment and gate access code issues that you were subjected to, stem from a glitch in our property management software we use to manage the accounts for our tenants. On April 1st, 2022, a team member submitted a repair ticket to have the paid through date on your account changed. This glitch caused our system to automatically generate late payment notices, even though payment was received from you. This software glitch also led to the erroneous denial of your gate access code. Once this repair is made, your paid through date will reflect a date of March 31st, 2022. We will have one of our team members contact you to provide you with a valid temporary code to ensure your access into our facility within the operational hours. We are also more than happy to cover the balance of $63.66 for this month, to make sure that your account is is in good standing while we wait for your account to be repaired. 

  Customer response

  04/13/2022

   
  Complaint: 17004001
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********************* . well I don't really understand why y'all think that cutting down the storage access hours is going to make the storage facility more safe that doesn't make any sense really y'all should invest in more cameras or maybe an actual person on site that works there because since I've got my storage unit and since y'all have changed all the hours to supposedly make it a safer facility I know of at least two different storage units right next to mine that have gotten broken into so yeah it's obviously not working and it just makes it harder for other people that have different schedules to get in and out of their storage unit and about the glitch you say that when your employee put in the ticket to change my paid through date is what caused all the errors and stuff like that which is a lie because I was told I guess that the glitch or the problem happened before with the price of my prepay option payment on your website for the month of April that I had made which I didn't know was a mistake but had thought i was actually getting a discount i had requested for prior issues and the employee didn't even put in that ticket request until after I had called and talked to them on the phone on April 1st but before then and the reason for why I called that day y'all had already denied my gate access put a lock on my belongings and sent me 2 late payment emails so that means y'all did all that before the employee sent the ticket in which you say supposedly caused the glitch and also I was told there was a glitch way before all that too with my pay-through date so what you're saying doesn't make any sense and it seems like you're lying I really do think that at the very least I deserve one month free rent for all that I've had to put up with because I also think it's pretty messed up how I've tried to get multiple problems and things taken care of over the phone or at the actual storage facility for weeks or months and y'all never got to it got it done or took forever to even just respond to me if yall even did that which you didnt on more than 1 occasion but that very first day after the payment due day on the 1st even though I had made a payment regardless of whether y'all thought I did or not y'all were very very quick to get out there that morning the very next day after the payment due date and deny my access code of the gate and put a lock on my storage building but I couldn't get you all to do anything for weeks and months before then

• Initial Complaint

  03/25/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The company Sparebox Storage bought StopNStor in my area last year, 2021. I received a letter letting me know of the sale. My rent on the storage unit has increased every month for "market adjustment." I did post a previous complaint about this company but was able to speak to a local Sparebox person suggesting things would change. I have a new storage unit contract that allows increases in rent at any time. I moved to a smaller storage unit to reduce the rental cost. The following month the unit cost increased and continued every month since. I tried to contact the company because their website says my unit rents for $105/month, but they charge me $119. I asked to renegotiate the rent but found I was talking to a call center in the *********. They gave me another number. When I called, it went right back to the call center. I went to the Sparebox website and ****** looking for a number to call.EVERY NUMBER on the internet goes to the call center. There is no one at any location to talk to or with. Additionally, I find ********************************* listed as the owner, but she does not exist. Her phone numbers also go to the call center. Their advertisements are misleading at best. There is no local individual to talk to nor an actual company to communicate with, as evident by the complaints on the BBB site. The only option I have is to fill out the moveout forms. Every call center operator says the same thing. There is nothing that they can do. They don't know anything about the company and only have the mentioned forms and phone numbers given to the call center. There has to be something improper about this.

  Business response

  03/28/2022

  At the time the tenant moved into unit ****, the standard rate was $119/mo. Standard rates fluctuate weekly based on market demand and occupancy, similar to dynamic pricing for airline tickets. There was no "rent increase" on Unit ****, and the standard rate for this unit will very likely increase above $119 in the coming weeks, as we are expecting an increase in demand. All of the phone numbers lead to our call center, because that is our customer service department. Different units have different rates, so when a transfer is performed, a new rate will be assigned based upon the pricing of that particular unit. Each lease is specific to each unit. SpareBox Storage now has over 101 properties across *****************, and our customer service team will be able to assist with any other requests. We hope this helps!
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩