Central Self Storage

It’s mid-​day, and all I can get is a recording.

Since the ownership changed to Central Self Storage (and the management changed), I’ve had the worst experience possible. They charged me all sorts of scam fees (like a $ 50 advertising fee and other fees) when I told them I was going to vacate my unit. Apparently they didn’t receive my notice of cancelling when I called to cancel, said my card did not run when they ran it (which ran fine in other places) — I did not get any notice of this either! I told them to run my card again and they said they would only accept cash or money order at this point. Seriously???
The manager (Steven) is rude, unprofessional, defensive, and very patronizing on the phone… also impossible to reach (you cannot call him directly so expect a lot of back and forth in calls)…
Do not store your belongings here. Leave as quickly as possible if you can!

I actually would’ve given this place four or five stars as my experience of both having a storage unit and a mailbox there for a full year was a positive experience.
However a month or so after I moved out I got a ridiculous bill stating I never had closed my account and even though my one year contract had ended I was still responsible for another months worth of charges and penalties.
After going back-​and-​forth and not being able to actually reach the manager of the facility I was able to prove I had indeed closed my account and they dismissed all charges and penalties.
Clearly the people working here are not competent if they «claim» to have closed my account but never really did.
If your going to do any business with the storage facility you better hold on to all your paperwork or you’ll get screwed!

This place is awful. I wish I could see review earlier before I gave my business to them. The general manager is very difficult to talk to and lack of professional working attitude. I will never go back to this place and advise you to stay away from them. You will be trapped. Lesson learned, please read the review before you approach to them.

Awful. Even more so highlighted by comparison with the previous ownership and management:
This used to be University Storage, and it used to be an awesome place: The staff used to be friendly, the knew you, they’d help you, and the reception area was light and bright. Staff took care of business, and it was fun to interact with them: No matter how good your existing mood, you’d leave a little bit happier than you entered. I had my mailbox with them since 2010. Unfortunately, since the place got sold to central storage, it’s been the most negligent service I’ve ever experienced:
1) Cost:
Prices for mailboxes increased by 50%. Yeah, 50%. For my small one, from $ 120/​year to $ 180/​year. It’s still a fair price if backed by the same reliable service University Storage used to provide.
2) Atmosphere:
The front room is dark and dim. Staff is impersonable. No fun. A bit like interacting with dead people, though you might actually get more action and interaction there.
3) Closed during open business hours:
In December 2014, I go there during opening hours, 10 – 12 on that day during the holiday season, to get my mail. It takes me a 30 – 45 minutes to drive there from where I live, so I make sure to go when it’s actually open. Right?
No one is there. It’s 11am. I look at the door to verify. Yep, «open 10 – 12.» There is another customer outside, waiting. I call. It’s a central line now, for all central storage places. The guy looks up this location and says:
«They should be open.»
«Yeah, I know. It says on the door. No one’s there.»
«That’s odd. I’ll make sure someone will call you back.»
No one ever calls back.
4) Strange invoicing:
In January 2015, I receive a late fee notice. This is weird, because I’m paid up (new 50% increased rate and all!) through August 2015. I open the attached pdf, and the bottom line says I owe 0. Still, the email itself is worded in the usual threatening tone: «If you don’t pay by…» and so on. For the sake of clarity, to make sure misunderstandings are prevented, I send an email inquiring what’s going on here. No reply ever.
5) No notice for packages, neither via email, nor via note in the box (previous management did both):
In June 2015, I decide to close my mailbox two month before the prepaid year is up, in order to be done with the stress of it. I can’t get a refund for the remaining months, I’ve already been told in February. There hasn’t been a notice for arrived packages, neither by email, nor in the mailbox. The guy doesn’t check whether there are packages, and I (, overwhelmed by the anticipation of the relief of being done with this place,) forget to ask. Now I’ve closed my box, but now discover, reviewing my
shipments to have arrived, that there should have been a package.
I call. Of course, I can’t get through to the location, only to the overall phone customer pseudo-​service. As before, they promise to have the local store email me and hold my package for one more day (even though I’ve closed an account that’s still prepaid through August). But as before, no one ever has emailed to this day.
I have since reordered that book, rather than try and retrieve it from them. It cost me $ 17. Maybe a price well worth for the peace of dropping the bullshit.
Other concerns:
The rates got raised some time in June 2014 or so, by the old management. You had to pay for the year upfront, with no refund option should you decide to cancel midyear. Well, by October or November of 2014, suddenly the place was being owned by a new company. I received several notices of change of terms and service, including high late fees and so on, that I had no choice over, because I’d been prepaid. Maybe I would have had a choice had I gone through a lot of calling and so forth. But that wouldn’t have been worth my time.
This means that likely the rates were raised by 50% in preparation for the sale, but that hadn’t been made transparent. Existing customers like myself got forced into doing business for the remainder of the term of their prepaid service with a company that beyond fell short of the quality of service of the previous one: Lack of transparency and honesty. Absence of value, for money paid upfront.
Don’t use them. That’s all I can say.

Good luck trying to cancel with these guys. I sent an e-​mail indicating I wanted to cancel with them and they just kept billing me. Also, the customer service representative was rude and disrespectful, started yelling over the phone in a patronizing manner. Seriously leave this place … if you can.

I am long delayed in writing this review. I used Central Self Storage when they were still named UC Storage. I used their storage space for about a year (from June 2012 to June 2013). I was in and out about 4 times a week b/​c I needed to regularly access my belongings. I had great service from the representatives from the start. They were always very friendly to me, gave me great prices, are in a very convenient location, and helped me out a lot when I moved out of my space.

I went in today to buy boxes for an upcoming move. The staff were friendly, but the prices were not. Medium sized boxes were priced at $ 4.50. Boxes with the same dimensions were available at U-​Haul for $ 1.35.
(Originally posted under UC Storage.)