Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/15/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  When I was first searching for a shipping container for storage several years ago, I called around to several places checking on prices and if their monthly price was subject to periodic rate increases. When I called Highway 85 storage and spoke to the office manager Jody, she had quoted me the price of $185 and assured me that my rate would stay the same and would NOT go up.
  
  Now, in February of 2024 they sent me a rate increase and I called Jody to inquire, she said she remembered telling me my rate would not increase, then became extremely arrogant, rude, and unprofessional telling me "I know what I told you but the rates are going up and there is nothing you can do about it".
  
  After she insisted she would not allow me to speak to the Dan, the owner of Highway 85 Storage, Dan chose to call me after I told Jody I would be filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau if I did not hear back from him.
  
  Dan proceeded to tell me that there was some fine print in the contract related to fees that gave him the right to raise rental prices whenever he wants to which is irrelevant when the issue is ethical customer service!
  
  It is clear to me that Jody gets her little commission or bonus for signing new customers up and will say whatever she has to say to get a new rental customer. I know with 100% certainty and recollect as if it were yesterday, that Jody told me that the price would stay the same so long as I was a continuous renter of that unit.
  
  Jody KNOWS that she told me that and admitted it on 4 different occasions. Over the phone before I ever signed up, then again in person when signing paperwork, then again when I had an issue with my unit several months back she told me "You're lucky you're at $185 because this unit now goes for $240 but your rent will stay the same", then she admitted again on the phone when I called about the rate increase telling me, "I know I told you rates wouldn't go up, but now they are and there's nothing you can do about it!".

  Business Response

  Date: 02/19/2024

  On February 14,
  2024, Highway 85 Self Storage office manager Jody, sent me Mr. Shelton’s
  voicemail, stating the owner needed to call him within 24 hours, or he was
  going to file a complaint with the BBB. I called him the next morning and left
  a message for him, and he called me back within about an hour. He immediately
  started with his threat to turn us in to BBB. I said ,“so that’s how you are going
  to start this, by threatening me?” and he said he wasn’t threatening me just
  telling me. He was very argumentative and condescending to me. I finally had to
  cut in on him, after several
  times of him saying “can I finish”. I asked what did he want me to do to make
  this right with him. He never gave me an answer and continued to criticize us.
  I cut in again and told him that I was willing to waive his rate increase for 1
  year, but next year he would get a rate increase. He then told me I needed to
  give him two years. I told him I would only go one. He continued on, saying it
  would take him two years to get it all organized so he could move out. He
  continued arguing and criticizing me. I told him I was not going to sit here
  and listen to him, what did he want to do? He stuck with two years without a
  rate change or report me to BBB. I then told him I was done and said goodbye
  about three times because he wouldn’t stop talking and I hung up on him. I
  built this facility and have run it for 26 years. This is only the second rate
  increase to existing customers in those 26 years. We do not just continuously
  raise rates to get as much as we can from our customers. I run Highway 85 Self Storage
  like I want to be treated. I too hate my bills going up however as costs such
  as wages, insurance, property taxes, utilities etc, increase revenue cannot
  remain stagnant. In order to remain in business, I have to increase my prices
  periodically as I have tenants paying 26 year old rates. Mr. Shelton is paying
  a 5 year old rate of $185 per month for a unit we are charging $240 for now. We
  were raising him $10 a month to $195, nowhere near the current market rate. We
  do not raise our rates very often but it is not our policy to guarantee our
  customers we will never raise their rates. Jody told me she did tell him we
  don’t do business that way, when he asked if we were going to raise his rate
  all the time. She says she did not guarantee him they would never be raised, and
  I believe her. Our rental agreement, signed by every tenant, states that with a
  thirty day notice we can raise their rates.
  
  Mr. Shelton
  states in his complaint that he called several facilities when searching for
  storage.  It should be noted that he
  leased his unit from us in September of 2019, it is now 2024 almost 5 years
  later.  He indicates that he can recall
  that one conversation 5 years ago after speaking with several facilities with
  100% recollection as if it were yesterday. 
  Five years is a long time to remember with 100% accuracy a conversation
  had with a specific individual regarding unit pricing.  The law goes by reasonable expectation, what
  would a reasonable person expect under the circumstances?  Would a reasonable person expect the price of
  a service to never increase as long as that service is being continuously
  utilized?  Would someone expect their
  electricity rate or their phone service rate or their automobile insurance rate
  to remain constant indefinitely? 
  Businesses would fail without the periodic rate increase to accommodate
  for current conditions.
  
  During his
  almost 5 year occupancy at Highway 85 Self Storage Mr. Shelton has been
  habitual issue for our staff.  On
  multiple occasions he has called stating he couldn’t pay on his due date, we
  have accommodated his situations and even waived late fees on occasion.  In 2022 Mr. Shelton failed to make two months
  of payments in a row.  His unit was put
  into lien and scheduled to dispose of. 
  Our policy is to call multiple times, send multiple letters via USPS and
  send multiple emails over a 4-6 week period. 
  Mr. Shelton stated that he did not receive any of this communication and
  was belligerent and laying blame because these methods did not suite him.  On multiple occasions our staff has bent over
  backwards even crediting him $35 because his unit was dustier than he thought
  it should be.  Mr. Shelton is not about
  conducting business in a manner fair to both parties, but is about manipulating
  every situation to get his way.
  
  Basically, it
  is his word against Jody’s (as well as a signed contract) and I have to stand
  behind my manager and do not think she would say that. He is using the BBB as a
  platform to try and bully us into not raising his rate. I would rather work
  something out with an unhappy customer, but he was not willing to do that.
  Legally, he does not have any proof that Jody said we would never raise his
  rate. If he was that adamant, he should have got it in writing. I feel whatever
  I offered, he would want more.
  
  I feel the best
  resolution is that he moves out. Jody does not like dealing with him. He is a
  bully and intimidating. I have only dealt with him this one time and feel the
  same way. He has a month-to-month lease. He can leave anytime he wants if he is
  not happy with us.  I have never
  dealt with the BBB before, but I hope you see the business owners side as well as the
  consumers. We should not have to put up with people like this just for their business. I
  will attach his voicemail and email he left us. I think you can tell what I’m talking about
  from them.

  Thank You,
  Dan Brennan
  Owner, Highway 85 Self Storage
  (303)881-0320

   

  Business Response

  Date: 02/26/2024

  Additional information from location manager.