frank nathen
Google
As an artist and small business owner, I rely heavily on my storage unit for both my creative work and business equipment. Unfortunately, my experience with Morningstar Storage has been nothing short of a disaster, and I feel it is important to share how this has severely impacted my livelihood.
In May, my Jeep was broken into while parked at their facility. The break-in was made possible due to a pod storage unit parked in the lot, which created a blind spot and provided coverage for the thief. This could have been prevented had the management taken the necessary precautions, as the manager was aware of the vulnerability at the time. Just a few weeks prior, there had been a similar incident, and no actions were taken to block off that area.
On the day of the break-in, I only stepped away from my car for a mere five minutes to grab something from my unit. In that time, my vehicle was targeted, and my bag—containing all my electronic art tools and devices—was stolen. While I acknowledge that I should not have left my bag in plain view, the lack of security measures in place at the facility only made this situation worse. There is no gate at this location, and access to I-10 is too convenient, leaving tenants vulnerable.
When I immediately went to the manager’s office for assistance, the staff member on duty was completely unhelpful. She was untrained and couldn’t even operate the security cameras to retrieve footage of the incident, let alone provide a description of the thief or vehicle to share with the police. The employee offered no real help, and since it was closing time, she simply left me standing outside. I returned the next day to speak with the General Manager, but she too struggled with operating the cameras and was unable to get in touch with the IT person who could help. Unfortunately, he was unavailable, and I was left with no assistance.
The GM then informed me that none of the cameras had been working for weeks due to a recent storm. They couldn’t retrieve any footage, and my case was essentially abandoned. To make matters worse, when I requested an incident report, I was met with resistance and frustration from the manager, even though it was something that should have been handled immediately. The lack of training, professionalism, and basic customer service was absolutely shocking.
As I dealt with the loss of my equipment and the impact on my business, I reached out to corporate multiple times, leaving messages and hoping for some assistance. Unfortunately, I never received a call back or any acknowledgment of my concerns. I was also told that the insurance I paid for would cover the loss, but when I contacted the insurance company, they declined my claim, leaving me without any recourse.
This entire experience has been a huge setback for me, both personally and professionally. Losing valuable tools for my art and business, coupled with the utter lack of care from the facility and corporate team, has been incredibly frustrating. I’ve since moved my belongings to a new storage facility—Community Storage on Washington—which is gated, secure, and has a manager on-site.
I would strongly advise against using Morningstar Storage. As a small business owner, the lack of security and the complete disregard for customer care has been detrimental to me in more ways than one. I hope this review helps others avoid the challenges I’ve faced.
