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Picture of holdem
posted
My wife and I have a 10'x10' storage unit at Public Storage. I had to rent it when her mother passed and we had to clean out her condo. Over the years we have disposed of many of those items but re-filled the unit with stuff from our school age children.

This week we are spring cleaning. I have already filled the entire back my of Suburban twice, up to the driver's seat, for trips to Goodwill. And that was just the house. One of the tasks was the storage unit. I figured it was time to upgrade to a 10'x15'. So I go online and look at prices.

Backtracking a little bit, when I rented the current unit, with taxes it was something like $106. Then after 6 months it went to about $130. And 12 months after that it went to $156.

I see a 10'x15' starts at $165, and I know after 6 months that thing will be over $200 and I just cannot swallow that, so I decide we should purge first and then make a decision.

So we start cleaning and giving away and throwing away. And when I look at what we have left, I realize a 10'x10' will work just fine. But the whole unit is in disarray, and I will have to re-organize anyway, so let me check prices on the 10'x10'. I see a 10'x10' starts at $80 and the first month is $1. "Well, that seems like a no brainer" I think. Figured I would sleep on it and check my cancellation date on the other unit the next morning.

The next day arrives, I check the terms, and perfect, I have a day to spare before paying for a whole extra month. I go back online to rent the unit and the price is now $100. "WTH?" I think. "Well, screw it, I am still going to save a ton of money over the course of the year" I think to myself. I start to do the online process. But then a nagging thought hits me and I holler to my wife, "Please log onto the Public Storage site from your computer."

Anyone want to guess what price she sees on her computer, which has not logged into the site before? That's right, the $80 rate.

So, as a longtime customer, I was paying $156 per month. As a new customer, I got the first month for a dollar, and at least the next 6 months for $80. Over the first 6 months I will save about $600. I figure that was worth the 3 hours I spent pushing the hand truck back and forth with boxes today.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: holdem,
 
Posts: 2280 | Location: Orlando | Registered: April 22, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
אַרְיֵה
Picture of V-Tail
posted Hide Post
It would be interesting to see the price if you cleared your cache and cookies for that site, and then checked the price again.

By the way, Time-Warner, or BrightHouse, or Spectrum, or whatever they are calling themselves this week, do the same thing. A new customer gets a MUCH better price for internet & RV service than an existing customer.



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Posts: 30544 | Location: Central Florida, Orlando area | Registered: January 03, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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This is common. Ever tried to book a flight? Try it with your phone, then compare with your desktop. The price is likely different. Did you check the price on a Windows PC? Now try it with a Mac. The flight is likely going to cost more.
 
Posts: 1150 | Registered: October 05, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I have a 10x10 to keep the snow off my motorcycle. 55 bucks a month.


End of Earth: 2 Miles
Upper Peninsula: 4 Miles
 
Posts: 16004 | Location: Marquette MI | Registered: July 08, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Stop Talking, Start Doing
posted Hide Post
We got a storage unit in July as we moved across the state and are waiting for our house to be built. First time ever getting one.

10x15 for $102 a month.

I got a thing in the mail last week that the rate is going to $142.

40% increase?!?!

I called them and bitched and they cut the increase to 20% .. $124 a month. A little better.

I understand there will be increases .. but 40% is ridiculous.


_______________
Mind. Over. Matter.
 
Posts: 5070 | Location: The (R)ight side of Washington State | Registered: August 31, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Leatherneck
posted Hide Post
I see you are in FL. Not sure if you have a Big Jim’s near you but I’m renting a 20x20 for under $200 a month. And my locker is inside. Outside access lockers are cheaper. My rent went up a little after 12 months but that’s been the only increase and it was only around 10 bucks IIRC. I’m very happy with them.




“Everybody wants a Sig in the sheets but a Glock on the streets.” -bionic218 04-02-2014
 
Posts: 15249 | Location: Florida | Registered: May 07, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
אַרְיֵה
Picture of V-Tail
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Pale Horse:

I see you are in FL. Not sure if you have a Big Jim’s near you . . . I’m very happy with them.
OP is in the Orlando area. Big Jim's storage locations are all on the west (Gulf) side of the peninsula, an hour or more away.



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Posts: 30544 | Location: Central Florida, Orlando area | Registered: January 03, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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posted Hide Post
quote:
So, as a longtime customer, I was paying $156 per month. As a new customer, I got the first month for a dollar, and at least the next 6 months for $80. Over the first 6 months I will save about $600. I figure that was worth the 3 hours I spent pushing the hand truck back and forth with boxes today.

^^^^^^^^^^^
Sounds like they borrowed a page from Direct TV or similar providers.
 
Posts: 17175 | Location: Stuck at home | Registered: January 02, 2015Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Do the next
right thing
Picture of bobtheelf
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It's more difficult to move a bunch of stuff to a new location than to pay a little more I guess. Roll Eyes

Although I'm just here wondering how they get away with charging almost as much per sqft as my apartment.
 
Posts: 3655 | Location: Nashville | Registered: July 23, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by bobtheelf:
It's more difficult to move a bunch of stuff to a new location than to pay a little more I guess. Roll Eyes

Although I'm just here wondering how they get away with charging almost as much per sqft as my apartment.


Because they get it. I had a yacht owners stuff in a 10x10' air conditioned and same thing after the first month it goes up to something else.....etc. etc. I think it was around $130 a month. I was talking to one of the guys that worked there and it took $3 million to build the place 10 years ago when they built it and the payback was around 2 years and they have over 96% occupancy all of the time.
 
Posts: 21335 | Registered: June 12, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Thank you
Very little
Picture of HRK
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It goes up over time because the more you have in the place, the less likely you are going to move to a new place over a small price increase.

But in this case you're close to 50% by signing for a new unit.

Did you have to move out of your unit into a new one to get the better price?



 
Posts: 23238 | Location: Florida | Registered: November 07, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of holdem
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quote:
Originally posted by HRK:

Did you have to move out of your unit into a new one to get the better price?


Of course, no way they were going to lower the price. My wife just went online and signed up. I have a nice dolly / handtruck and spent a few hours walking back and forth, probably about 150 feet each way, all indoors.

I was going to have to take everything out anyway to organize it, so in this instance, it really wasn't much more work than the walking.

I did put nearly everything in storage bins. And I have 4 shelving units from Costco which I can move as one piece. When I have to do this again in 2-3 years, it will be very easy.
 
Posts: 2280 | Location: Orlando | Registered: April 22, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Don’t you have a basement? I guess you can keep the unit and as your kids get out of school they can come get there stuff or start paying for storage themselves.
 
Posts: 3874 | Registered: January 25, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
אַרְיֵה
Picture of V-Tail
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by 1s1k:

Don’t you have a basement?
He is in the Orlando area. In the 35 years that I have lived here, I have never seen a house with a basement.



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Posts: 30544 | Location: Central Florida, Orlando area | Registered: January 03, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Mensch
Picture of kz1000
posted Hide Post
Storage facilities typically raise rates when occupancy is high.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Yidn, shreibt un fershreibt"

"The Nazis entered this war under the rather childish delusion that they were going to bomb everyone else, and nobody was going to bomb them. At Rotterdam, London, Warsaw and half a hundred other places, they put their rather naive theory into operation. They sowed the wind, and now they are going to reap the whirlwind."
-Bomber Harris
 
Posts: 16119 | Location: Ivorydale | Registered: January 21, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Just because you can,
doesn't mean you should
posted Hide Post
I have a different approach. I've found as I get older that too much storage space is an expensive curse.
Paying rent for things you will give or throw away later seems counterproductive. When I get a bill for that space it helps me put a number on just how much I really need to keep the stuff.


___________________________
Avoid buying ChiCom/CCP products whenever possible.
 
Posts: 9456 | Location: NE GA | Registered: August 22, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of SR
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The other game they play is on insurance. I just got a bill for my little 10x5 unit. The rent is like $50/month but they added $11.00 for property loss waiver. Got them an updated proof that I had 'other structures' coverage on my homeowners insurance (which is part of a standard policy) and the $11.00/month went away.

You can buy a lot of homeowners (or renters) insurance for $132/year. Total rip off!!




Speak softly and carry a big stick loaded Sig
 
Posts: 4887 | Location: Raleigh, North Carolina | Registered: September 27, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of Krazeehorse
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Ask yourself how often do you go and retrieve something from the unit. If it's seldom or never then have a yard sale, donate to goodwill or whatever but quit hoarding stuff you don't use, sentimental or not.


_____________________

Be careful what you tolerate. You are teaching people how to treat you.
 
Posts: 5680 | Location: Ohio | Registered: December 27, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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posted Hide Post
"Rolling back prices" at Wal Mart, comes to mind.

They have 90 food items that they jack around the prices on.

They start with a low price, raise that price twice in six months and the
Roll back the price to .25 cents higher than the original low price

The lowest price is 25% less than competitors, the highest price is 40% more than the competition.





Safety, Situational Awareness and proficiency.



Neck Ties, Hats and ammo brass, Never ,ever touch'em w/o asking first
 
Posts: 54500 | Location: Henry County , Il | Registered: February 10, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Thank you
Very little
Picture of HRK
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by V-Tail:
quote:
Originally posted by 1s1k:

Don’t you have a basement?
He is in the Orlando area. In the 35 years that I have lived here, I have never seen a house with a basement.


They are all over the place, we call them pools... Big Grin



 
Posts: 23238 | Location: Florida | Registered: November 07, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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