Planning a Move? Read this First!
Have you ever noticed that when you’re a) heartbroken or b) livid (or a combination of the two), you feel more compelled to write? Hell, look at the massive success of Taylor Swift and Adele! Anyhoo, while I am coincidentally licking my wounds over a recent breakup, that is not what this post is about. I’ll spare you with that and go right into my PSA about storage facilities.
Upon packing up my NYC apartment in the fall of 2022 to become a fulltime digital nomad, I decided to try a new moving company whose bright pink trucks caught my eye all over town. Piece of Cake Moving and Storage had a great vibe, logo, color scheme…and solid Google reviews, to boot! Sold. I hired them to pack me up, move me out of 231 E. 76th Street, and I even decided to utilize their storage facility to house my precious belongings while I tried to figure out the next steps in my so-called life. I mean, that only makes logical sense, right?
About a year into living a-la-digital-nomad, I called PoCMS (Piece of Cake Moving and Storage) and told them that I’d be in town and was hoping to come by and do some inventory. “Sorry ma’am, but we don’t allow anyone but staff inside of our storage facilities.” WHAT? Have you ever heard of a facility that doesn’t allow its PAYING CUSTOMERS direct access to their personal belongings? I don’t know about you, but I scoured their website’s “Storage” page and not once did I see this mentioned.
It wasn’t until I recently took a short-term lease in NYC that this situation escalated from annoying to downright sketchy and ‘what in the actual fcuk.’ Full disclosure: I want to be straight up when I say that I had no qualms with PoCMS’s moving services and my dedicated team; they could not have been more helpful, patient, or prompt. The issue came to fruition when I noticed dried pigeon droppings on multiple boxes, and learning that multiple pieces of my furniture were damaged by water. What the hell kind of facility are these scoundrels storing our belongings within? “Our Storage facility is monitored 24/7 by modern and up to date security systems. Your possessions are in safe hands. The conditions are optimum for short or long term storage, in a clean, secure environment.” Oh yah? Well, I call bullsh*t.
When I reported these issues to PoCMS, they offered me a measly $84 for my inconvenience. “$84?” I quipped. “Thanks, but that is totally unacceptable. From what I gather, the common denominator is WATER and humidity. Your storage units clearly are not properly equipped, and the result is on my furniture. Most recently, upon shifting my credenza over a bit, one of the legs gave way, and it appears to also be humidity/water damage. No wonder you all don't allow clients into the storage facility! You all should be ashamed of yourselves.”
Do you want to guess what they upped the ante to from $84? $300, which turned out to be a wash after I paid a furniture cleaning company to unsuccessfully remove the water stains on my armchair.
To conclude: For those of you who have plans to move and store your items in a facility, make sure to ASK the company if they allow you in to see your belongings. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever even fathomed this to be a thing, but please let my experience be a lesson that you will never have to learn.
