[X]
Write ReviewJump to 
3
Helpful
Votes
Votes
Public Storage Employees in Austin, TX Helped Couple Take My Car From Behind Secured Gates
Complaint
Review by pro_surveyor on 2012-05-21
Rating: 
AUSTIN, TEXAS -- Today, May 21, 2012 at around 9:55 in the morning, I went to Public Storage at 13675 N US Highway 183, Austin, TX 78750 location. The reason I was going was to close out my account (in excellent standing - I paid my dues each month just fine). I was also going there to let the buyer of my vehicle through the password-protected gates to get the vehicle I sold him. Mind you the title of the car is in my name and the vehicle is paid off with no liens or anything on it. It's a clear title. Public Storage had no recollection that I was in the process of selling my vehicle so their actions today cannot be justified in any way possible. This was complete disregard for customers property stored at this particular location. And as of now, all customers property is at risk of being stolen due to the employees currently working there today. I don't know when their shift ends but they were there at 9:55 this morning. The place opens at 9:30am. Please read on.
Upon arrival at this Public Storage location, I noticed the buyer had a big truck (I'm guessing a F1 something -- one of those models) and he had already gotten my car out from behind the gate. I'm assuming using his truck. I was a annoyed at seeing this because I specifically told him that he was not allowed to get the vehicle until I let him in. So I know I didn't give him the password to get in nor out. So since I knew I didn't let him in and out, I wondered if the staff let him in. So I did inquire.
I went in and asked the two employees working if they let the man and his wife in the gates. And the African-American (or black American or however she prefers to be defined) female stated they followed her in. She then used the word "snuck in". That's not possible if you're seeing them right behind you. She didn't bother to check to make sure they were customers. She just let them in. Now the thing is with the protected gates is that you not only need a code to get in, but you need that same code to get out, otherwise you're stuck. So the question came up, "Who let them out?" And the Caucasian-American (or white American or however he prefers to be defined) male spoke and said he let them out. Now if someone doesn't have the code to get out, then that must mean they aren't customers. So why did he let them out?
He had no idea who they were nor could he safely assume they were customers because customers have the code to get out. I looked at them and said, that's my car they have. And they looked like they didn't hear me. So I repeated myself. I said, "That's my car you let them take. I told them I'd meet them here so I can let them in." After all, my transaction with the husband was not complete. Had I shown up too late, my car would have been gone and that would have been a huge lawsuit again Public Storage.
I can understand if a person misspells my name on a document, but to let people in passed secured gates both in AND out -- people who are not customers -- this is a serious problem for the company and current customers who have their things stored at this location. What is the point of having secured gates if Public Storage employees are going to let anyone in AND anyone out? Their decision threatens the company and customers because those two people could have EASILY (with the help of those two employees) taken any other vehicle that was on the premises if not just robbed the storage units. And they would have done this again with the help of Public Storage employees. The employees just let these two people come and go without asking for identification whatsoever.
Again, my transaction with the couple was not complete, which is why the vehicle was still behind the gates in my paid for parking space on the Public Storage premises. I am disturbed greatly that such reckless employees are working for this company. This isn't even a case of being a "honest mistake" or a slap on the hand don't do it again type of thing. This is a huge threat for all of customers who currently have property at that location. Such a huge breach in security should result in firing them. They are clearly not responsible people and are a financial threat to customers and Public Storage.
And to top it all off, they sort of chuckled about their error and did not even bother to apologize. Can you believe that?! It's a good thing I've closed my account today. Again, we're not talking about a small item being taken, this was a VEHICLE in broad daylight and they let non-customers behind the gates and then let them OUT of the closed and secured gates without question. If they didn't have the code to get out, why in hell did he let them out?!
There was a reason I did not give these this couple the code myself and that reason I've given in this message: the transaction was not complete until I showed up with the remaining paperwork. But transaction or not, what in the world were these two employees thinking to let people in who are not customers? And nobody can rightfully say they didn't know because in order to get out, a person NEEDS the code otherwise the gate will NOT open. And Public Storage employees today, not only let them in without any sort of identification of who they are, but they ALSO helped them OUT by putting in the code so the gate would open. Had the employees checked the names of the couple in the system, they would have seen that no such customers by either name exists in the system anywhere. And they should have immediately called me to let me know someone is trying to take my vehicle in addition to contacting the police. But they did none of this, instead they chose to help the couple remove a vehicle from the property, that they had no right to remove at that time until I showed up with the final paperwork and the transaction made complete.
This was beyond reckless and sloppy. This was just lack of concern for the security of Public Storage customers' property and also shows a lack of concern for the financial risk they've caused their employer (Public Storage). These two people don't deserve a second chance. This was unthinkable. I was lucky I arrived when I did, otherwise Public Storage would be facing a huge lawsuit that they'd easily lose.
If you have property at this location, then I would strongly recommend you get it removed immediately until the two employees have been fired. I don't even know their names, but if Public Storage would make a public announcement to let everyone know of this firing then that would help customers a great deal in putting their trust back into Public Storage. As of now, I don't trust them. They will not get my business ever again, until they fire them. I will not store my property at such a company who have careless employees working who help non-customers in and out of the secured gates to take other people's property without question.
Remove your property if you don't want to be a victim of such carelessness. I got lucky I arrived when I did. But will you be as lucky as I was? Is it worth testing your luck just to see? There are other storage companines in the Austin area. Uncle Bob is pretty good from what I hear. But there are so many that you can chose from to secure your belongings with a staff that doesn't let any old person behind the secured gates and doors. Why take the risk when there are many storage companies in the area?
Upon arrival at this Public Storage location, I noticed the buyer had a big truck (I'm guessing a F1 something -- one of those models) and he had already gotten my car out from behind the gate. I'm assuming using his truck. I was a annoyed at seeing this because I specifically told him that he was not allowed to get the vehicle until I let him in. So I know I didn't give him the password to get in nor out. So since I knew I didn't let him in and out, I wondered if the staff let him in. So I did inquire.
I went in and asked the two employees working if they let the man and his wife in the gates. And the African-American (or black American or however she prefers to be defined) female stated they followed her in. She then used the word "snuck in". That's not possible if you're seeing them right behind you. She didn't bother to check to make sure they were customers. She just let them in. Now the thing is with the protected gates is that you not only need a code to get in, but you need that same code to get out, otherwise you're stuck. So the question came up, "Who let them out?" And the Caucasian-American (or white American or however he prefers to be defined) male spoke and said he let them out. Now if someone doesn't have the code to get out, then that must mean they aren't customers. So why did he let them out?
He had no idea who they were nor could he safely assume they were customers because customers have the code to get out. I looked at them and said, that's my car they have. And they looked like they didn't hear me. So I repeated myself. I said, "That's my car you let them take. I told them I'd meet them here so I can let them in." After all, my transaction with the husband was not complete. Had I shown up too late, my car would have been gone and that would have been a huge lawsuit again Public Storage.
I can understand if a person misspells my name on a document, but to let people in passed secured gates both in AND out -- people who are not customers -- this is a serious problem for the company and current customers who have their things stored at this location. What is the point of having secured gates if Public Storage employees are going to let anyone in AND anyone out? Their decision threatens the company and customers because those two people could have EASILY (with the help of those two employees) taken any other vehicle that was on the premises if not just robbed the storage units. And they would have done this again with the help of Public Storage employees. The employees just let these two people come and go without asking for identification whatsoever.
Again, my transaction with the couple was not complete, which is why the vehicle was still behind the gates in my paid for parking space on the Public Storage premises. I am disturbed greatly that such reckless employees are working for this company. This isn't even a case of being a "honest mistake" or a slap on the hand don't do it again type of thing. This is a huge threat for all of customers who currently have property at that location. Such a huge breach in security should result in firing them. They are clearly not responsible people and are a financial threat to customers and Public Storage.
And to top it all off, they sort of chuckled about their error and did not even bother to apologize. Can you believe that?! It's a good thing I've closed my account today. Again, we're not talking about a small item being taken, this was a VEHICLE in broad daylight and they let non-customers behind the gates and then let them OUT of the closed and secured gates without question. If they didn't have the code to get out, why in hell did he let them out?!
There was a reason I did not give these this couple the code myself and that reason I've given in this message: the transaction was not complete until I showed up with the remaining paperwork. But transaction or not, what in the world were these two employees thinking to let people in who are not customers? And nobody can rightfully say they didn't know because in order to get out, a person NEEDS the code otherwise the gate will NOT open. And Public Storage employees today, not only let them in without any sort of identification of who they are, but they ALSO helped them OUT by putting in the code so the gate would open. Had the employees checked the names of the couple in the system, they would have seen that no such customers by either name exists in the system anywhere. And they should have immediately called me to let me know someone is trying to take my vehicle in addition to contacting the police. But they did none of this, instead they chose to help the couple remove a vehicle from the property, that they had no right to remove at that time until I showed up with the final paperwork and the transaction made complete.
This was beyond reckless and sloppy. This was just lack of concern for the security of Public Storage customers' property and also shows a lack of concern for the financial risk they've caused their employer (Public Storage). These two people don't deserve a second chance. This was unthinkable. I was lucky I arrived when I did, otherwise Public Storage would be facing a huge lawsuit that they'd easily lose.
If you have property at this location, then I would strongly recommend you get it removed immediately until the two employees have been fired. I don't even know their names, but if Public Storage would make a public announcement to let everyone know of this firing then that would help customers a great deal in putting their trust back into Public Storage. As of now, I don't trust them. They will not get my business ever again, until they fire them. I will not store my property at such a company who have careless employees working who help non-customers in and out of the secured gates to take other people's property without question.
Remove your property if you don't want to be a victim of such carelessness. I got lucky I arrived when I did. But will you be as lucky as I was? Is it worth testing your luck just to see? There are other storage companines in the Austin area. Uncle Bob is pretty good from what I hear. But there are so many that you can chose from to secure your belongings with a staff that doesn't let any old person behind the secured gates and doors. Why take the risk when there are many storage companies in the area?
Comments:
Posted by Amy on 2012-05-22:
In addition to having it out with the storage facility employees, I certainly would have had some words for the car buyers also. The agreement was for you to meet them, let them in at that point and then finish the transaction to allow them final possession of the car. Unless there was some misunderstanding between parties there was no excuse for their circumventing the agreement as they did before you arrived. If they were above board they would not have tried to get to the car until you arrived. I think they as well as the storage facility were in the wrong. Glad you got there before it went any further but I definitely would never do business with that storage place again and make it clear why.
Note: All comments are reviewed by a moderator before being published. Please be sure to read our guidelines before commenting.
Company Reps: Post your company response!
