When 'free' isn't free.

The self storage sector is awfully fond of advertising 'free' moves into storage.

Today, we have had a graphic illustration of what we have known for a long old time. Nothing in this life comes for free. We have seen for years how this con works, today though we've had an example we can write-up with authority.

We moved a lady into her Henley in Arden home April 2023 (it's Oct 4th, 2024 today). Around 2 weeks or so later she decided she had way too much in the very small property and as she'd seen a flyer offering 'free moves into storage' she rang them. The first really important point is that when we moved her in we moved her out of our storage facility. The lady had, with us a 1000cuft storage unit.

She put 'roughly half' into storage she told us. Then informed us that that the firm who moved it 'free' used a 100sqft unit.

‍

This was our first moment of bafflement. Pondering how half of 1000cuft could be adding up to a unit of at least 800 cubic feet and possibly the very same 1000cubic feet she had here. Much questioning and conversation was had but no, the lady hadn't bought nor sold anything.

‍

This lady advised us she thought it was a good deal, that the move was free. That's why she didn't call us to come back and collect the volume she wished to have out of the way.

‍

Today, upon collecting this, we find that in the storage unit there absolutely was not more than 450 cubic feet of volume.

‍

450 cubic feet here would cost £112.50 per calendar month. The unit the lady had 'there' was over £165 per month, and that is still marketed today as a 'special offer'/reduced price. The lady had been in storage for 18 months. An overpayment of @ £945.

If the lady had called us to collect, not only would she have been fully insured for the moving of those items from start to finish, (as we would have been in control start to finish) but last years rate for the moving into our storage would have been £545.

‍

In truth, given that we'd only just moved her in we would likely have massively discounted this too.

‍

Over the 18 months this lady has paid out £400 more than she needed to. And has naff all real-world cover for the possessions being moved.

‍

Still think its a 'free move into storage'?

‍

Save yourself funds, hassle and just call professional movers if you would like things moved. They know their craft, know the art and won't con you on the storage unit size.

‍