Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  08/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have a 10x10 unit I have been renting for years. Originally rent was $40/mo & has increased to $60/mo over the last couple of years. I have been using auto pay up until these past few months due to credit card changes. Rent is due on the 1st of each month. Since I no longer have been using auto pay, I have been calling & making payments over the phone. A few times I have not been able to call them on the 1st of each month to pay & they have been locking up my unit on the 2nd of each month until I pay. I believe legally I should have been given 10 days until lockout. They also have charged me late fee of $10 if not paid by the 10th of each month. This has happened 2 times before without any reaction from myself. I understand & accept having a late fee of $10.00, although did not like being locked out only 1 day after due date. I have spoken with someone in their office & informed them that they should not lockout customers until after a 10 period has passed. This month I was late again due to not having my new credit card on file. It is hard for me to communicate with them personally due to my work hours conflicting with their hours of operation. I tried to pay online but did not have the info needed to set up access to my account. Again, locked out of my unit on 2nd of the month. I tried to respond with texts. I received no response back but did miss a few calls. Again, my work hrs conflict to theirs. Aug 21, 2023, I received another text informing me that a 2nd late fee has been applied of $10 on 8/20/2023. I took time off today to try & handle these issues personally. I called them @ 5:04 pm, man answered, assuming that it was the owner because he told me the office had closed at 5pm. I asked him why I was being charged a 2nd late fee in same month. He replied, I signed an agreement to these terms. I explained I had not. He then became rude, stating he was using his time off w/me. Call became uncomfortable so I ended it. I would like fee & lockout time credited.

  Business response

  08/28/2023

  ****** *******
  
  We are sorry for the issues that you bring to light in your complaint. I see that on the 23rd after the complaint was filed but before our knowledge of it, that payment was taken and the second late fee for the month of August was waived.
  
  I have just emailed you instructions on how to get your online payments portal set up, this should solve the problem of not being available in our business hours for payments.
  
  The rent has increased over the last few years, most recently February 1st, from $55 to $60. The rent increase notice was generated on November 28th, 2022 and was emailed that day. The increase was also mailed later in the week to ensure that you had plenty of notice of the increase.
  
  You are correct that rent is due on the 1st, but we have a grace period through the 9th of each month where you still have access to your unit and can pay without any late fees. On the 10th, a $10 late fee is added to the account and an overlock placed on the unit to deny access. We have never overlocked units on the 2nd of the month. Starting on the 10th of the month your unit will be overlocked until the payment is made.
  
  We are sorry that you had issues getting ahold of us, which is why the second late fee was removed before our knowledge of this complaint. Please let us know if the online payment portal does not work after you follow the instructions that we emailed you. You can text us directly at ************ at anytime and as soon as someone is available in the office we will reply.
  
  Thanks
  
  
  **** ****
  Property Manager
  Marion Self Storage LLC 

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