Hmm.
I got a unit in Newark, on Cedar Blvd in the beginning of January. It was around $80 to get everything set-up. Getting a space is a relatively easy process. I moved all my stuff and the first month was awesome, no complaints, really. It was after I paid for February, however, that I found myself *slightly* annoyed. I was forced to move out of the area more quickly than anticipated, and I only had my storage space for 8 days in February. When I closed out the space, I didn't expect a large refund or anything, but I was hoping I could get some sort of pro-rated return with some sort of fee, or something. Nothing. It's kind of like, "Oh well, it's not our problem YOU had an emergency. We're just going to keep the rest of the money and send you on your way. I get it, I get it... it just seems a little...dare I say, shady? That's 20 days of storage being totally unused. It's a little unrealistic to expect people to coordinate their lives in accordance to an end-of-the-month deadline for a storage space. MOST people do, but emergencies happen, and we shouldn't be disregarded for being in a difficult situation. It's just bad business, overall. Good profit, for sure, but at the expense of another within an arguably unethical policy. I think a good solution would be this: charge a $15-25 "convenience fee," pro-rate the days unused, give back a portion of the money, and there you go. Problem solved, and it comes off as a really nice gesture to your customers. Just an idea.
- Darin MacDougall