Public Storage Company publicstorage.com - storage space rented was innundated with rats

# 30 for April 15, 2003

Complaints.com received the following on April 14, 2003:

From: Email User

RE: Public Storage Company publicstorage.com - storage space rented was innundated with rats

In January I flew to CA to help my daughter, who had stored her belongings for 7 months with Public Storage. She paid a little extra each month for insurance, thinking that she would be covered if any damage were to occur. When the crate was delivered back to her and opened, the stench was overpowering. Sometime during these months rats had gotten into the container and EVERYTHING was covered with urine, feces, blood, and fur. It was unbelievable.

But...even more unbelievable was the refusal of the company to claim any responsibility at all. Their contract, they maintained, stated that they were not responsible for rodent damage, unless they were guilty of gross negligence. Then they tried to say that there must have been food in the container. Even the insurance was of no value at all. I do not want this to happen to anyone else, so I would advise that before contracting for storage, the consumer should check for these rodent clauses and make sure that their belongings are protected. And never again would I even consider a company that would take no responsibility at all.

One of the vice presidents even went so far as to tell me that "After all, vermin are a part of our world." Would you want this man storing your belongings? This is the time of year when many college students are considering storage, so I want to warn as many as possible. Thank you for making this possible. Charlotte Treadwell