StorageMart Treats Loyal Customers with Contempt
I’ve never encountered a company so willing to sacrifice thousands in revenue to enforce a $47 late fee. Here’s my story: For over 3.5 years, we’ve been loyal StorageMart (Hopkins, MN) customers, paying them over $7,322.59 in rent. We use Wells Fargo bill-pay to send monthly checks. On February 16, 2025, we mailed our March rent check of $208.99, unaware that they had quietly increased our rent earlier in the month. The only notice was an autopay invoice email—easy to miss due to its generic subject line. On February 26, 2025, an employee of ours visited the StorageMart facility and was informed that the check, received before March 1, was going to be shredded because it wasn’t for the full amount. Instead of depositing the payment and requesting the difference, they chose to discard it. Why not accept the payment and notify us? We immediately sent another check for the correct amount—$234.99—via USPS. Unfortunately, this check didn’t arrive until March 8, 2025. By this time, StorageMart had already imposed a $47 late fee on March 4, 2025, bringing the total due to $281.99. When the March 8 check arrived, they refused to deposit it, citing the missing late fee. As a result, I had now written two valid rent checks that StorageMart refused to deposit. Over email, I appealed to have the late fee waived, considering their refusal to deposit partial checks contributed to the delay. Amy at StorageMart responded dismissively: “Well, first we don’t take partial payments.” This is demonstrably false. In the past, they have accepted partial payments when raising rents without sufficient notification. In fact, their rent increases don’t follow a yearly schedule—they occur on an irregular 275-day cycle, something I had to research for this review. Despite escalating my concerns to both Jake and Dale Brumbaugh at their office, my appeals were denied. Left with no choice, I paid the full amount, including the late fee, and made the decision to vacate our locker. I informed my CEO that I would never do business with a company that treats its customers with such disdain. If you’re considering renting with StorageMart, be prepared for sneaky rent hikes (typically 13% APR increases, disguised by their irregular schedule) and an unbending, customer-unfriendly approach to any billing issues. For StorageMart’s leadership—Chris Burnam, CEO in Columbia, MO—feel free to contact us via Jake, Amy, or Dale at the Hopkins, MN location: 11001 Excelsior Blvd.