Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Columbia Containers's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Columbia Containers

  5734 US Highway 2 W Mile Marker 133 Columbia Fls, MT 59912

  
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  Columbia Containers

  PO Box 1169 Columbia Fls, MT 59912-1169

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:09/26/2024

  Type:Order 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.

  My dad was buying a container from this business through their rent to own program. He died suddenly October 2019, and I finished paying the container off in 2021. I provided a copy of the receipt to finalize the sale and address to deliver it to. I was told by them that it had to be paid for before they could deliver it to my address 1 mile from where it was sitting. I was also told that I was not allowed to remove it from the property due to company policy and insurance issues. When I complained about it excuses were given to not deliver it. I was told that I had to empty the container before it could be delivered, so I emptied it and the contents sat outside for over a week and it wasnt delivered. I returned the contents to keep them safe. They kept charging me extra money whenever I went to get something from it by locking me out of my container and making me pay for storage fees that I didnt agree to or have any contract to keep paying them. The contents were not part of any deal that I agreed to that would allow them to keep making me pay for a service that I did not want. I was told they were busy etc. and August 2024 I went to the container and it was locked. A week later it was gone and the contents were sold for $600, and they kept the container. They told me that I had to pay another $2000 in storage fees! And whats worse they owe me in excess of $60,000 for the items they wrongfully sold. The items were part of the probate estate from his parents and were documented and valued as part of the inheritance. I tried to settle this with a letter of demand and was ignored. I followed up and offered a second deadline to answer but was ignored. I was then told to contact her attorney. My consumer rights are mine and Im not going to negotiate them away to some slick attorney. They cant just withhold my property from me and keep me from having access to it and then sell it and keep the money and my container! I never wanted it stored there to begin with.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/04/2024

  In response to Mr. ****** complaint

  His father was renting a container from us when he passed. It was not on Rent to Own. However, he was given a very reduced price to buy it. Which he did in payments. 

  He was aware that he could leave the container on our lot for a storage fee every month. He paid invoices sent to him for storage.  He quit making payments however- last one being 12/22/2022.

  If he had asked to have it moved off the lot to another location, he would have been told what we tell everybody: We are busy with our own containers and we have someone else we recommend move containers owned by anyone else. We would have also told him that at that time we did not know of anybody who could move them with contents still inside the container.

  ***** charged him to get his things out. It was Overlocked for non-payment. What he paid to get into his container was money he owed as payments on storage fees.

  The screenshot of the text message he attached is not the correct date. ******* has not worked here since 2021 therefore that was an old auction notice.

  In July 2024 we scheduled an auction. There were several units included in that auction.- He was not singled out. He had not made a storage payment in 19 months. Calls to him were not returned. Mail sent to him at the address he gave us did not come back.

  As per Montana Code Annotated he (like everyone else on the auction list) was sent a certified letter/notice of lein informing he owed $2,600 in storage and that the contents would be auctioned 07/31/2024. That certified letter was not signed for and it did come back. An auction notice was placed in the Daily Interlake as well.

  The auction of the contents brought $600 leaving him a balance due of $2,000. When he called in August 2024 I told him all of the above and that he could pay the $2,000 and remove the container. He wanted to argue- at the end of the phone conversation I told him I would talk to ****** and get back to him with an offered solution. ****** and I (****/Bookkeeper) decided we would forgive the $2,000 if he would have someone move the container off the lot- we were never able to tell him this though! I tried to call him; left voicemails to call me and he did not call back.

  His "Letter of demand" was a very long text message. In it he demanded we pay him $60,000. He would take payments. But he would not accept checks or money orders. He wanted Cash, or Silver and Gold only. And he would set up a place to meet. We screen-shot and printed the entire text message and gave it to our Lawyer. The lawyers advise was "You do not pay him anything and if he calls or texts again give him my name and phone number to call me."

  The bottom line:  He did not pay to leave his container on our property and he did not want to pay for someone to move if off for him. He went over a year without paying and he doesn't think there should be any consequences.