Discussion forums were an integral part of the Inside Self-Storage World Expo that just wrapped up in Las Vegas last week. The forums gave those in the self storage industry an opportunity to talk directly with each other about topical issues. But when there’s no industry show to attend, where do those in the know go to discuss what’s on everyone’s mind?
An online discussion forum has been growing in numbers in recent years, giving the self storage industry an opportunity to voice their concerns, ideas and thoughts in a community setting. Self Storage Talk (SST), the official forum of Inside Self Storage has been gaining popularity since its beginning in January 2008. In addition to more than 4,100 registered members, SST has approximately 4,270 discussion threads and 37,700 posts in 23 different topical sub-forums. ISS provides publications, events and educational resources for the self-storage industry.
Here are some facts about SST:
• Self Storage Talk is free and those interested do not have to be members of ISS, subscribers to ISS magazine, or ISS Expo attendees.
• You do not have to be tech-savvy to use it. All you need is a computer with internet access.
• Moderators and administrators monitor the forum and members are generally friendly and respectful.
• Members can disclose their identities or chose to remain anonymous.
The latest discussion to heat up on SST is the topic of scams during the auction process. The new discussion called “New Auction Scam” involves how auction buyers are scamming each other. As appeared in an ISS article, member hurlco describes the scam:
"A well-respected auction buyer bought a unit at an auction that looked really, really good. He paid $2,600 for it. When he started going through the unit, he discovered that the boxes were taped up but empty. He also found boxes filled with trash. He was (angry) and told the facility and auctioneer that something was wrong with this space. He later found out that two other auction regular buyers who partnered on spaces rented a unit, filled it with their junk and trash, dressed the unit up to look good, stopped paying their rent and allowed the facility to sell their space. These two guys owed only $900 in back rent and fees and received a check from the facility for $1,700 since it sold for more than what was owed on it."
With the popularity of TV shows “Storage Wars” and “Auction Hunters,” storage auctions are frequented by larger numbers of bidders and have become more competitive. Auctions were a hot topic during seminars, workshops and forums at the ISS World Expo. Hurlco suggests facilities could escape these scams by taking a more detailed inventory of what's available in each delinquent unit. Many members seem to be on each side of this issue. Some states require facilities to inventory units and provide a general description of the goods to buyers.
To share your ideas, go to SelfStorageTalk.com, logging in or registering a free account.
Sources Used:
“5 Truths About Self-Storage Talk.” Inside Self-Storage. March 21, 2011.
“Self-Storage Staffers Discuss Latest Auction Scam.” Inside Self-Storage. March 22, 2011.