Public Storage Bait-and-Switch Billing Tactics, Broken Promises, and Now Collections After Resolution Midvale Utah

Date Problem Occurred: April 2025 – July 2025
Status: Resolved then all the sudden Unresolved
Customer Impact: Sent to collections for a charge previously waived by regional manager

Complaint Summary:

In April 2025, I rented two storage units at the Midvale Public Storage location for my sister. We were verbally assured the first month was free and that, if vacated early the following month, we’d only pay a pro-rated amount. My sister moved in on April 28 and moved out completely by May 2. Despite this, we were billed for the entire month of May.

When I disputed the charge, I was told by staff that prorated billing "wasn't company policy" and that the contract didn't support what we were told. This is a classic bait-and-switch tactic: we were promised one thing verbally, then held to another in the contract.

I escalated to a regional manager. After multiple calls and denials, we finally heard from Tina Black, the regional manager, who called both me and my sister on May 21, 2025, and agreed to waive the May charges entirely, confirming we owed nothing further. We were grateful and considered the issue resolved.

But it wasn’t.

July 2025 Update – Sent to Collections Despite Resolution

To our shock, in July 2025, we received notice we had been sent to collections over the very charges Tina Black had assured us were waived. I called a customer service rep who confirmed there were notes from Ms. Black on the account and that we had a $0 balance. But when I visited the location to get written confirmation, I discovered it was a self-service kiosk. The rep via video screen claimed there was still a balance and refused to show me the notes.

I called corporate, who said they couldn’t show account notes “for security reasons.” I asked again to speak with Tina Black. I was told there was no way to contact her and was transferred to “escalations,” who also wouldn’t provide help. Instead, they emailed a new district manager. Eventually, I was told there were no notes from Tina Black at all.

This feels like a cover-up. One rep saw the note and confirmed we owed nothing. Everyone else denies its existence. Now we are dealing with a collections agency for a charge that should have been waived per the regional manager’s own decision.

Key Issues:

• Misleading and false verbal promises

• Refusal to provide written confirmation

• Conflicting internal communication and documentation

• Lack of accountability from staff and corporate

• Being sent to collections after resolution was supposedly reached

Final Thoughts:

This experience has been an emotional and financial nightmare. Public Storage has shown a complete lack of transparency, accountability, and customer care. Their bait-and-switch pricing, refusal to honor verbal commitments, and eventual sending to collections—even after resolution—shows just how broken their system is.

If Public Storage truly wants to resolve this, I’m willing to talk. But as it stands, this company cannot be trusted. I strongly urge others to avoid renting from this location—or any Public Storage facility—unless you enjoy deceptive practices, broken promises, and being sent to collections over charges that were supposed to be waived.