Public Storage – My Experience 12 March 2009

I have a client that is in the process of preparing their home to sell.  We decided that getting some off site storage was a good idea.  After looking around we settled on a 10′ x 10′ storage unit with Public Storage. I called and made a reservation and got a reservation number that held our spot for 1 week.  Today I got a call from the storage company and was asked when we were looking to come in to rent the unit.  I said that we would be there in less than an hour.  We got there and had to wait for a few minutes for the on site staff member to return from some errands.  The first thing they did was take us out to the unit to make sure that it is going to work for our needs.  We were driven in a golf cart out to see the unit and then brought back to sign the papers.  The first paper that was presented was an insurance policy paper.  There was a chart that showed the rates of the policies and the coverage offered.  I said that we wanted to decline the insurance.  I was told that insurance was not optional and that they would not rent us a unit unless we got insurance.  I persisted and said that insurance was not mentioned when I made my reservation and discussed pricing with the person on the phone.  She said that they should have told us about it.   I suppose that most people would have just accepted this and paid for the insurance or left and took their business elsewhere.  I was not going to relent so easily.   I asked where in the rental agreement it was specified that insurance was mandatory?  She said that it was not in the agreement but it was their  policy non the less.  I said that we had homeowners insurance that covered our stored contents and that this additional insurance was not necessary.  She asked if I could provide proof that we had coverage.  I called the insurance company and the agent said in fact that my clients policy did cover the contents of a storage locker.  I put the agent on the phone and had her explain this to the Public Storage employee.  After the phone call the Public Storage person then took a copy of our insurance card and had a change of heart in requiring us to purchase additional insurance we neither wanted or needed.  We finished the paperwork and paid for the unit after which we went and deposited the first items we had with us to put in storage.  This was my first experience with Public Storage.  In the end I feel  that Public Storage offers a good service at an affordable price.  They have no long term contract and you can pay month to month.  Access at this particular facility was good 6am-9pm 7 days a week.  I would definitely recommend this storage as an option.  Just make sure that you aren’t sold a bill of goods you don’t want.  In the case of insurance make sure you have proof of insurance so you aren’t charged for a frivilous policy that in the end just adds to the businesses bottom line.  If you do want or need insurance that is a different story all together.  Let me know of any experiences you have had with Public Storage or any other storage facility I’d love to hear from you.