They want me to pay for their mistake!

simplysmiling

Hello

I hope you can help me.

 

I am a single, 64yr old female.  I have got very basic household goods in storage with a local Removal/Storage firm for four and a half years.

 

Out of the blue last week I received a very odd statement and upon enquiry they have told me that they have just found out I have two storage containers not one (which is always shown on my invoices).  They are now demanding I recompensate the difference.  Can they do this?

 

I am very worried but also astounded it has taken them this long to realise their istake.

 

Any help/advice would be appreciated

Many thanks.

eskbanker

If you've only been paying for one container while using two then you should pay up, even if they should have realised sooner that they were undercharging you.

Ayr_Rage

Did you know that you had two units and were only being charged for one all that time?

Have you ever checked on your goods?

Going forward you'll obviously have to pay, as for the arrears, time to negotiate but don't expect to get completely off the hook.

Jenni_D

Who loaded the contents into the container(s)? If it was you then by default you must have known ... if it was them (or their contractor), and you're paying for sufficient area/volume of storage for the amount of contents then the fact that they have used two containers is their issue not yours - in which case arrange for the contents to be amalgamated into a single container (of the size you're paying for).

kazwookie

If after all this time, you have only just found out, do you not visit your goods or need them at times?

If you haven't needed them after all this time, may be it is time to sell them on, and cancel the storage.

Have you been to check you do actually have 2 lock ups

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Would depend upon the original contract as to what you had rented and how much it says you should pay, do you have any paperwork from when you originally started the storage OP?

simplysmiling

Always been charged for one container.

The reason they are in storage is that I became critically ill and had to be moved to a place that could look after me until I was mobile again so please, think first before some of you comment.

They said they only just realised they had only been charging me for one.

I thought places like this did audit/stock chacks.

Aylesbury_Duck

simplysmiling said:

Always been charged for one container.

The reason they are in storage is that I became critically ill and had to be moved to a place that could look after me until I was mobile again so please, think first before some of you comment.

They said they only just realised they had only been charging me for one.

I thought places like this did audit/stock chacks.

Yes, but if you've been charged for one container when you have in fact been using two, you may owe them.  They've clearly messed up somewhere, but that doesn't necessarily mean you can avoid paying what you owe.

The important questions have been asked above, and without answers to them, we can't advise properly.

Did you know your goods were in two containers?
Did you spot you were only being charged with one and ever query that?
Could your possessions have fitted in one container and it was their choice to spread them over two?

If the debt is genuine and enforceable then you can of course insist on a payment plan rather than paying the whole debt in one go.

eskbanker

simplysmiling said:

Always been charged for one container.

The reason they are in storage is that I became critically ill and had to be moved to a place that could look after me until I was mobile again so please, think first before some of you comment.

They said they only just realised they had only been charging me for one.

I thought places like this did audit/stock chacks.

But with all due respect, that doesn't really answer any of the questions you've been asked - you'd already said that you were being charged for one container, but posters are trying to ascertain whether you're using two, i.e. are you just hoping to benefit from delayed billing or are they trying to charge you for more than you're using?

Your health (and age, gender and marital status for that matter) don't really affect your rights here....

p00hsticks

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

Would depend upon the original contract as to what you had rented and how much it says you should pay, do you have any paperwork from when you originally started the storage OP?

Agree, this is what you need to check.

Note that it's not necessarily the number of containers your need to look at, but the size.

If it is one of the storage places that offers different sizes, then from our experience sometimes they'll offer e.g. 2 x 20m storage places if you really want 1 x 40m one but they don't have one of the larger ones available (and they then billed us at the 1 x 40m rate).