A-1 Storage damaged the majority of my property, denied a dangerous mold problem, tried to cover it up, threatened to sue me when I wouldn't settle for peanuts and warned other renters, & denied all liability. I've since learned the company gave more than $400,000 to fight against Gay Marriage Initiative-PROP 8. I stored my property w/A1 in April of 2017. The Caster Group's (owner of A-1) website boasts a "Core Values" commitment section that promises " These beliefs drive our team to excel in all aspects of development and management of our A-1 Self Storage locations. We believe these Core Values are the pillars on which we stand. We count win these basic beliefs to guide us in the development of our strategies and implementation of tasks required to achieve our goals." It further states: "We will honor God in our conduct of the business. The Caster family has a long history of faith and the belief that God is good and that we serve Him above all else. We believe in hard work for a greater purpose of serving others less fortunate than ourselves. We are dedicated to conducting ourselves and our business dealings to honor God at all times. We strive to do this every day with our business associates, team members, and customers." Honest Brian Caster boasts "At A-1 Self Storage in San Diego, CA, we are dedicated to providing you with the best in self storage. We offer month-to-month rentals in a clean, well-lit environment. Our state-of-the-art facility features extended hours, convenient online bill payment, and climate controlled storage units." The Google headline to this website states, "A-1 Self Storage Provides Clean Storage Units." Another Google headline for this website states, "Secure, convenient and clean." But A-1 is not climate controlled and safe, at least not my unit. In August 2019 I was told my unit was being up for lien sale. I had previously told the staff at the storage facility that there was a moldy smell in the unit and the staff agreed have manager contact me. He didn't. So I wrote a letter highlighting how she had been assaulted on the storage premises & was promised by staff that the manager would call me re: the mold. The manager then told me that he had done an inspection of the unit & there was ****NO MOLD*****. So, I told him I'd sue. Suddenly, he said he would hold the lien sale and forward this to his district manager, Dave Ratliff, for resolution. Ratliff & I met at the storage facility to view the unit. There was a strong smell of mold, and ***VISIBLE MOLD***growing on my property. (See photos). Ratliff also suggested I had lied when I told him I had told the manager (who lied about there being mold) that there was mold. So much for Catholic values. Ratliff and I greed to have a mold assessment & I was to choose the expert. *****Then Ratliff REFUSED to give me the results******. While withholding what I would later learn to be a devastating mold report, Ratliff made me a ridiculous "offer to settle" in an attempt to get to sign a release of liability BEFORE I even knew the extend of the damage. So much for those honest, Catholic values. I ultimately got a hold of the mold report which indicated MOST of my clothing, and MOST of my furniture, luggage, etc... would have to be discarded. Almost everything I owned was destroyed by this mold. THAT's why Ratliff withheld the report & tried to get me to sign off on a release of liability. Sleazy. After warning other renters, I was met with a "cease & desist" letter from attorney Leanne Maestre of Kimball, Tirey & St. John, LLP saying I'd harmed A-1. I promptly told her if she filed a harassment SLAPP suit, I would reply & it would cost her client more than $50,000. She backed off her sleazy, strong-armed tactics. The mold report stated "Analysis of the air sample collected in storage unit 318 showed elevated levels of Penicillium/Aspergillus." SD Mold Inspection evaluated the storage unit and determined the damage was caused by "elevated levels of humidity." So much for their promised climate-controlled facility. No wonder why Ratliff withheld the damning report all the while trying to coerce me to enter into settlement without knowing the extend of the mold damage. Not very Catholic or Godly, right? I am now in litigation w/a company I reasonably conclude makes about $1 million per month, that lies about its facility, falsely advertises its services, uses strong-armed tactics to beat up customers and then promotes itself as honest and Godly. And to end it all, the Caster Group, owners of A-1, were the second largest donors trying to defeat the CA gay marriage proposal, because the senior Mr. Caster believes gay marriage would sicken society. Don't rent here. See the below Yelp complaints I've attached. It appears they engage in predatory tactics, raising rents constantly well above the rising cost of business. Contact me if you'd like a copy of the lawsuit. read more

I decided to store my apartment rather than renew a lease because I was serious thinking of moving to Seattle, but the time frame wasn't cast in concrete. So I took the great offer A-1 advertises to lure you in, moved my stuff in, and rented a friend's spare bedroom, and reduced my stress. Lo and behold, I'm still hanging in San Diego, loving the money I'm saving on rent (and surfing every morning) rather than planning my escape to the great northwest when I get notification from A-1 that my rent is gonna be raised about ten percent. What the....? I get "cost of living" raises....but my last apartment raised my rent 10 per cent after a YEAR, and A-1 jacked it up ten per cent in four months. Scam. I get the play. Moving is stressful and one of the things people hate most in the world is moving. Once they've got you locked in, they jack the rent knowing its less stressful to pay them than move out. Kinda like the Cosa Nostra (give me your money, or you're hacked!). So yea, they got me by the huevos, I'm not gonna lie. I'm still hanging and planning my departure, but their scam hooked me and I'm one of the majority who isn't going to hassle a move. Yep, I'll just pay them their ransom. So the moral of the story is: Do not do what I have done. Go somewhere else. read more

The A-1 Storage in Pacific Beach is by far the best location to become a tenant. Monique and Mayra are awesome! Thee best customer service i have ever received. They went above and beyond. I use to rent at another location but the customer service there was never pleasant. But here at the PB location they made sure that the lease is something I was comfortable with, Monique the manager gave me all detailed information on everything i needed to know about the unit i picked to rent and Mayra gave me a full tour of the place and showed me where carts were kept and stored, in the previous location it was always so hard to get a cart it was very inconvenient. I couldnt be more grateful of Monique and Mayra they work hard to make sure all tenats needs are met always! Thanks ladies for making me feel comfortable and welcomed and giving me the best customer service i have ever received. -Charlie Gonzalez (Tenant) read more

It's crazy to sound overly excited about a storage place, but I really can't say enough good things about the experience here. I was traveling between moves for months, so everything I had was in my storage unit. The staff was incredibly professional, upgrading to larger space is just a few dollars more for 5 extra feet of length. The building is new, and kept very clean, great lighting, state of the art sensor lighting in hallways and security systems. Everything is laid out well; I had a 2nd floor unit and could zip in and out of there - grabbing a cart, hopping in elevator and right there. Anyway, if this is anywhere near where you or your stuff needs to be, jump on it. You absolutely will not regret it. read more

So happy with A-1 Self Storage and (Mayra) in particular. My wife and i carefully researched 4 highly recommended and credentialed Self Storage Facilities to store our priceless/precious belongings before choosing A-1. Mayra was very attentive and extremely well prepared with detailed market pricing comparisons and well reasoned advice. Mayra was ALWAYS readily available and extremely knowledgeable and did a great job. She is ALWAYS professional, reliable, and available on short notice to answer your calls and emails. She is an expert in her field and a delightful person, with integrity and a great sense of humor. We can highly recommend her for all of your Self Storage endeavors. read more

Evan was amazing. I recently moved my company's storage to A-1 off of Garnet and although it can be tough turning in or out of the driveway, everything else is great. It's clean, there are lights (which seems simple but was lacking at my last storage unit), it's in a convenient location, etc. Evan was so helpful with the paperwork process and picking out 3 units that were close and efficient for me :) read more

A-1 Storage is best around in the town of PB! I viewed other storage units and this location by far was the best. The staff was helpful, nice, and prompt. Their location is convenient and the facility is all new and very nice. Additionally, I like how each individual has a personal code to get into the building and the system recognizes who you are and who is entering the building! read more

A-1 is a Brand and Company of Great People. Evan and Jennifer treat you like family and they always have exactly what you need when you need it. A-1 is the only company i'd recommend for storage short and long term, they meet or beat your expectations at every opportunity, even after you repeatedly set off the alarm... read more

Great staff and great customer service (Evan is awesome; very friendly and helpful). The whole property is clean and secure, inside and out. It is easy to navigate the facility and there are sturdy carts available to help transport your stuff to your unit. read more

Wow. This place is awesome. Jennifer and Evan are very personable and friendly. The place is sparkling clean. Every time I visit my storage unit they are cleaning something. Totally stoked to find this place and Jennifer and Evan. read more

Jennifer and Evan helped me find the best size storage, the most affordable and a moving co. that ended up being excellent! Quick service, honest and very helpful! The complex itself is clean and bright. read more

Monique was an amazing help! Great experience, would recommend!!! Use this location, I promise it will be the best A1 storage you go to.

Very helpful staff! Just give them a call and they'll guide you through. They were generous enough to offer me a first month discount.

This is basically a homeless encampment. Been accosted by homeless here more than once. Absolutely do not rent here it is unsafe.

Evan was incredible! While moving is so stressful he made the process of it all so smooth! It's much appreciated :)

Daniel was a great help. Facilities were clean and I got what I was looking for immediately! Thank you read more

Great experience! Evan was super helpful! Fascility is very clean and easily accessible. Price is right.

Was easy to reserve a unit. Access was secure. Closing and leaving was easy. All around good experience. read more

Tessie was great. ................................ .......... Zzz. Zzzzzzzzxxxzxxxzzxxxx read more