Complaints

This profile includes complaints for SmartStop Self Storage's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  SmartStop Self Storage

  10 Terrace Rd Ladera Ranch, CA 92694-1182

  
• 

  SmartStop Self Storage

  28322 Airoso St Rancho Mission Viejo, CA 92694

  
• 

  SmartStop Self Storage

  7611 Talbert Avenue Huntington Beach, CA 92648

  
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  SmartStop Self Storage

  580 E Lambert Rd La Habra, CA 90631

  
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  SmartStop Self Storage

  13788 W Greenway Rd Surprise, AZ 85374

  

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/26/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I had gotten a storage unit for my family and all our belongings but the manager said that I had to put it in someone else's name because she didn't want to get in trouble for getting a unit there since I had previously had one. So my friend put it in his name for me but I paid for it. I had fallen behind because I ended up homeless for a brief time and couldn't make the payments. As soon as we got a place to stay I started making payments for the unit. They just took a $500 payment on October 16 2023. Had a reaming balance of $473. On October 24th I had told them I was going to pay the balance and get my stuff out of there. They put my unit up for auction I had bid on my own stuff and won, they canceled my winning bid and gave my unit to someone else but still took my $500. All my belongings were in that unit personal things stuff for school, my son's clothes so now he doesn't have any clothes but the few things he manage to get out. I would like help getting my belongings back because they did this auction illegally. I wasn't posted like it should have been and my friend never got notice that it was going to be auctioned since it was in his name. I had the money to pay for my unit but they couldn't wait for me to get the funds out of the bank. They never have given any one my friend of my self a printed out contract. So we don't even know who signed for the unit.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/03/2023

  Thank you for reaching out, **************. We have notified the District Manager, who has attempted to reach the leaseholder (tenant) listed on the account to discuss the matter. To protect the privacy of our customers, we are only able to discuss account information with the tenant. Please have the tenant contact us at ************ if they would like additional assistance.Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/26/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a storage unit, unit ****, 10x10 in March 2023 from Smartshop Self Storage in ********* ** when I was preparing to move to **. My job took me to ** in May and I kept my bill paid. I paid over $561 to the property on 10/14 to stop auctioning off on my property in the storage unit. I received a voicemail from the property stating that my unit was empty. I am in ** and did not give anyone access to my unit. Due to their negligence, my belongings were taken out of my unit without my permission.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/03/2023

  Thank you for contacting us ******************. Our District Manager reached out and settled this matter directly. If you require additional assistance, please reach out to us at ************. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/13/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have numerous issues with this facility. First of all, the storage facility is disgusting. It is a pretty new building with a lot of fancy security (you must enter your code everywhere), but it is gross. There is trash EVERYWHERE. There was a soiled diaper in the parking lot someone ran over. The elevators are so grimy, they look like they haven't been cleaned in weeks. The floors are also equally disgusting. Also, imagine my surprise when I had to ride in a pitch-black elevator because the light was out. There were also people propping the doors open. Tell me again why we care so much about entering access codes everywhere if the doors are propped open? Let's not forget the restrooms. I attempted to use the restroom once, and I immediately regretted that decision. It was in terrible condition. Now you have to use your code to use the restroom. But if staff has gone home or isn't working (ie Sunday) the restrooms won't open. Completely ridiculous. Now today I get a phone call from ******* at Smart Stop reminding me my payment is late. I always pay on the 15th because it's when I get paid. I told him I was aware, and I knew I was incurring a late fee of $15. That's what it is every month. I pay $115. Todday ******* tells me I owe $135. For what, I ask? He doesn't know. He can't explain anything to me other than, "that's what it says on my screen." I ask for the Manager. She's out. Just like every other time I have asked for one. This place is a joke. The facility is poorly managed and maintained POORLY. And the employees lack the knowledge they should have, before calling customers.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/18/2023

  Hello ****************,
  
  Thank you for reaching out to us. We understand that you spoke with *****, our district manager, who explained the rent increase and addressed the vandalism that has occurred at the location, including the elevator. We pride ourselves on keeping our facilities clean and safe for our customers and are dedicated to repairing any damaged equipment. Unfortunately, in order to reduce the chances of vandalism to the restrooms, weve had to limit access to store hours. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/08/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Smartstop took over bluebird storage I have been disputing the exuberant increased rent on the storage unit. I have expressed my concerns to the manager and have asked that they honour the initial rental agreement with Bluebird storage.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/13/2023

  Thank you for reaching out to us, ****************. Our district manager has contacted you and offered a one-time credit of $52 + HST as an act of good customer service. Please understand that rental agreements with SmartStop are strictly month-to-month, therefore, rates are not guaranteed for any specified amount of time. SmartStop informs customers of rent changes by the method of communication selected on their rental agreement at least thirty (30) days in advance. SmartStop regularly reviews its rental rates and makes rental rate changes to align with current market conditions. SmartStop cannot guarantee rates will not be changed.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/31/2023

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I began renting 2 spots here almost 3 years ago. Since signing the agreements, every 3-4 months they send a letter saying their costs have gone up and so theyre raising the rate on my spaces. At this point theyve doubled my initial rates from $205 to now $418 on a 10x15, and $150 to $284 on a 5x10 space (neither starting rate was a 1st-time introductory rate; the promo at the time was a free 1st month). The place is clean and the staff is nice enough, but this feels like a scam and Ill be moving on and putting SmartStop in the rear view.PS: They also require you to purchase a special lock from them

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/06/2023

  Thank you, **************, for reaching out.

  Our district manager has contacted you and offered a one-time price adjustment.Please understand that rental agreements with SmartStop are strictly month-to-month, therefore, rates are not guaranteed for any specified amount of time. With regard to rent changes, SmartStop informs customers of rent changes by the method of communication selected on their rental agreement at least thirty (30) days in advance. SmartStop regularly reviews its rental rates and makes rental rate changes to align with current market conditions. Proper notice is given on all adjustments. SmartStop cannot guarantee rates will not be revised based on market changes. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/19/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This complaint is regarding the facilities on 7 ****************** in North York that was previously a BlueBird facility. I gave notice on June 29th that I would be moving out by June 30th and the representative I spoke to said that he stopped the payment that was scheduled to come out on July 1st (the billing date). My credit card was charged the full amount for the month and a few days later I received a refund for $17.42 less than the full amount that was taken out. When I called and inquired the rep told me that I was being charged for 3 days as it was a holiday and my unit was closed out on July 4th. This makes absolute no sense as I had already given the representative my date of move out BEFORE the holiday and they can check in their cameras when the last time was that I used my code to enter the facility. I have called 4 times and visited the store in person to get this resolved and all Im hearing is that the regional director has decided not to pay me back the refund meanwhile he has never contacted me or tried to reach out and get this matter resolved. When I went to the store, the agents did not have any complaint resolution for me and keep telling me someone will get in touch and they dont. I am not paying for services I did not use. That is theft and not okay when I gave proper notice of when I would move out. There is proof in their system with all their cameras and last time my code was used. The unit number was **** under my dads name ( *********************) however I am authorized on the account and it was my credit card on file for the payments. I would like my money back and a proper resolution to my complaint. This company is insanely unprofessional.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/24/2023

  Dear **************,

   

  Thank you for reaching out to us. Our District Manager has contacted you and we agreed to refund the prorated rent of $17.42. The refund has been initiated.Please feel free to reach out to ************ if you have any further questions. Have a great day!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/24/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/31/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Their motorized roll door doesn't have any safety features required by law. I used it and it broke my personal belongings and instead of an apology they sent me a bill for 800 dollars. It is very unsafe, and if it was a child and not my belongings, they would have been severely injured if not killed.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/03/2023

  *****************,

  Thank you for contacting us. Our Regional Manager discussed this issue with you, and explained why you were being billed for the repairs. After an investigation, it is clear that the door was damaged due to you manually closing the door on your items. For this reason, SmartStop Self Storage feels that it is fair that you pay for the repair of the door.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/04/2023

  I understand that I did close the door on something.  My issue is the doors are not in compliance with UL 325.

  The **** Federal Law UL 325 requires all garage doors to include safety mechanisms, such as garage door sensors. Even though there are other safety tools, sensors are the most common. Your garage must have an approved safety device, like sensors, on your garage door.Jul 30, 2020

  Are you arguing that your door is in compliance with UL 325?  You can see in the video it is not.  

  Had there been such mandatory safety devices installed, this incident would not have happened.  If you can show me some documentation that safety regulations don't apply to your door, I'll happily pay.  -*********************;

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/09/2023

  Dear ******************,

  After speaking with our Senior District Manager, we are aware of your agreement to cover the costs associated with repairing the door. We appreciate your cooperation in resolving the matter.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/27/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I rented a storage unit via Smart Stop self storage years ago. I have paid on the unit for a decade. I have paid around ********* in rent only to have my items get auctioned off after not getting noticed properly and the facility refusing to accept the payments from me. I am very upset about this. There were other issues with the rental as well.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/27/2023

  We are unable to find an account for **************** in our system and need additional details so we can research the issue. In order to protect her privacy, we request that she send us a direct message on ******** (*************************************************) or Instagram (@smartstopselfstorage) and provide the name the account is under, the location of the SmartStop facility, and an approximate date of the auction. We will also need an email address and/or phone number so our customer service team can reach out. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/16/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I currently rent a storage unit at their facility in ********, **. I've never been late with my payment and I was for the month of April. Although I didn't know my payment was late until I received a late notice dated 4/7/23 but I didn't get it until 4/14/23. I think they should call everyone that has a failed payment instead of sending a late notice because by that time there isn't any time to resolve the issue. Their way adds a late fee that you can't take off. You're also not able to enter your unit until it's paid in full. Had I been notified that my auto pay didn't work, I would have been able to take care of it before the late fee was accessed. I was also told that when they raise the rent (which was 2 months ago) they would also improve the times the units could be accessed. They didn't. They have horrible entry times and I can never make it there due to those times. But, they didn't come through on their promise to make the entry times better which is one reason I:'m so upset about how they handle noitifying tenants of non payment. All they had to do was call me and I would have taken care of it. M debit card was compromised so I had to get another one and I can never get into my account at this facility and I can never get there while theyre open so I didn't know my card didn't work.I just think they need to work on their business practices. Plus my handle/lock on my unit was tampered with and I can't get into it easily and theyve known about it for months. Nothing is fixed yet.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/24/2023

  Hello,
  
  Regarding the subject complaint, we reached out to the customer directly on April ************************************************************************************* an amicable fashion. We consider this case closed.
  
  Thank you,
  ******
  
  SmartStop.com
  *****************************
  VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/25/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************