“Only $800. Cable, Water, Trash all included.” I read this on the website, was confirmed this via
phone and then again in person when I came to tour. Knowing it was well above
my price range ( I’m a struggling post college kid) but thinking I could
stretch to make the $800, I agreed to sign the papers immediately before the
price jumped any higher as they tend to do. I was already sacrificing having a washer and dryer as
well as a microwave ( my main source of food seeing as I'm not the cook) to have this place. I didn’t want
to wait until this last “discounted unit” was gone. You can imagine how happy
my leasing agent was when I came in already Sold. As I began putting ink on paper I noticed the price at
the bottom was well over the $800. Next to the lines for cable, water and trash
were separate fees.
“What is
this about?” I asked pointing to the separated dollar amounts.
“Oh,” the agent responded in a matter-of-factly
tone, “ This is your included water, cable, etc.”.
“How is it included if it is extra?” I laughed
but was becoming a little annoyed. I already knew I wasn’t getting this
bundled.
“It’s included because we offer it.” She
explained, “So you pay your rent which is the $800. Then you pay the $50 for
cable. Your water depends on use and the trash is a $10 fee. Then you are
required to purchase $95 dollars of renters insurance to us as well. Your
electric is separate though.”
I went from thinking I would struggle to make
the $800 and wound up looking at paying the very least $955 not including
electricity and whatever I used for my water. I’ve never been one for math but I can assume that
with the addition of water and electric I was looking at paying at least $1000 a month.
How did I even get in the door there? I did my research, read the facts then
checked them twice and even sacrificed some “non-essentials” that are actually
fairly essential to me in order to be conned.
Strong word choice but when you’re in my little shoes ( I’m only a size
five on a good day) it seemed appropriate. Fortunately, I picked up on this
before my signatures went any further. I politely explained that I
misunderstood and would not be able to commit at this time.
This incident made me somewhat wiser as I
continued to home hunt. I then would ask when seeing the word “included” if these utilities were really included in the
listed price already. Surprise! I feel as if it was safe to say that 9 out of
10 times they were not.
This long rant has a point. I found that in
marketing it is easy to say things like “only this much” but in separate
payments. Show huge signs with the word “FREE” and then in tiny print put with
two other purchases. Sure it grabs attention but at the same time I feel that I
am being misled. Am I paranoid? Maybe. Either way I think that this all relates
to the type of business I hope to run one day. I don’t want to mislead clients.
I don’t want to mislead their clients. It’s not worth getting them in the door
if they are dying to leave and telling everyone not to come in. Even if I had
signed on the dotted line that day without catching all the additional fees my
trust would have been broken. I would not recommended the complex to others and
my relationship with the agents would have been tainted.
I currently work in reviews. I know and
have seen what a bad vs good review can do. We look to others, especially
people we know to provide us with insight on their experiences with something
we have never tried. How would I review
the apartment complex if I had been “tricked” into signing or year? Sure they
had me in the door but how many potential clients would they loose after I blew
the whistle? No one
likes the thought of being intentionally mislead. Don’t even get me started on
how I purchased my first car ha ha. I am still paying for that one! Which is
also partially the reason an $800 apartment is a struggle. Fool me once shame
on you, but it was not going to happen again. I feel like clients, customers,
partners, people feel the same way. Just the facts please, no fillers.
