A costly service delivery blunder

I used the services of Xtraspace in Booysens from Feb'20 to Feb'21 eventhough it was never my intention to have stored my belongings for that long but due to Covid and the restrictions attached, I was forced to so do.

My payments were due on the 4th of every month but I committed to making my payments at least a week or more prior to the due date. In December I had a problem whereby I contacted the relevant persons and explained that I was not paid from a certain source due to reasons that I made known to them and it was then decided by them that I needed to pay a settlement amount of R1600 (20% discount) by end Feb'21 and remove my stuff from the unit and if I failed to pay, they would then require a letter from me giving them permission to sell my stuff to settle the outstanding amount.

I made a plan to settle the amount and it was agreed upon that I would collect my property from the unit by 27th Feb which I did. On arrival at the place I found my stuff in a mess with rodent droppings on everything from my brand new fridge to washing machine to every box and these went as far as gnawing at the seams of my new bed which eventually exposed the internal layers of the mattress. I brought all this to the attention of the branch manager who even took pics and explained that their pest control service provider would investigate the matter further. I sent an email to the company on 1st March enquiring about the outcome of their investigation and explained that I was unhappy about the fact that because their insurance does not cover "rodent/vermin or deterioration", that there was nothing that they could do for me and that I should carry the loss. The responses came from Laurel from their Wynberg branch who, during her last mail was very dismissive towards me after I told her that I felt it was not fair the way their business was treating a long-standing client such as myself.

I demand that my bed be replaced or I will have to other alternative but to seek legal representation. My payments were always made timeously and if I was experiencing any issues for whatever reason, I always advised the relevant persons accordingly. My argument is that I left my belongings in their care and eventhough their contract may have stipulated (at your own risk) I do believe that the first thing that comes to mind is theft and/or fire but no one took the time to explain what happens in a case where one's belongings are mauled by rats.

Should Xtraspace and myself not reach an agreement amicably regarding this issue, I will not hesitate to take this matter further on the grounds of negligence on their part.