Complaint Review: Value Place

I am a 62 year old retiree who had the misfortune of having to stay at this hotel for four months.  I was supposed to purchase a house in the area, but the deal fell through and I had to start all over again searching for reasonable housing.

On every receipt I was given by this hotel, there is an approximate charge of about $20 that is unaccounted for.  Because this hotel 'nickels and dimes to death' their quests, they list each charge separately on your receipt.  For example, there is a $7 weekly charge for bi-monthly housekeeping services, a $10 per week internet charge, etc.  Unfortunately for me there was always a $20 per week charge that was unaccounted for.  When I asked the manager, John to explain what  this charge was for, I got some world class "double speak".  I ended up totally confused about this charge, until I found out that Ohio law states that any person staying more  then 30 days in a hotel room is supposed to be refunded the state tax charges for the first month and never charged again for the state tax.  I believe that the reason the $20 never appeared on my receipt was because these people were pocketing the money.  I believe the state was never paid either.

Think how much money they take in with each quest that  stays there more then 30 days.  This hotel is a franchise business and is being run by a management company.

Along with what I believe is fraudulent business practice, my stay there was very uncomfortable.  For example, during the summer months this hotel had many transient worker guests staying there.  After the office closed, some of these quests would "prop" the back door open with a rock or other object to  allow their visitors easy access to the building.  One time one of these people who entered the building started pounding on my door.  I called security but by the time they got upstairs the person had already left.  I told management that if these guests continue leaving the door  propped open and if someone bangs on my door again, that I would call the police. John, the manager, started screaming at me that 'he would have me evicted' if I ever called the police to this building.  I asked him " even if a person was trying to break down my door and kill me I could not call the police?  He told me again if I did, I would be evicted.  This was a clear violation of my civil rights.  This is one of the many reasons why I never questioned anyone on staff again about the $20 per week 'extra' charge.

Did I mention how horribly these 'staff member' treat guests?  Like the guests or  customers are the enemy!!  At any time of the day you could find these lazy flunkies sitting on their butts in the office doing nothing!!  The only staff member who did anything quit in disgust.

On another matter, when I checked in, I was told to use a taxi company called 'Safe and Reliable Taxi service" if I ever needed a cab.  Not only was this the worst cab company I ever experienced but they overcharged for a trip to the Greyhound station by $20 dollars for a one way trip for $60.  Other companies not listed in the local phone book that they provided, charged only $40 for the same fare.  I believe that at least one or two of the staff members at Value Place are related to persons that are operating this cab company and I believe they are receiving kick-backs from them for directing guests to this taxi company instead of better and cheaper transportation companies.  On several occasions I witnessed the security guard bring a driver from 'safe and reliable' into the hotel as a guest and 'hanging out' on the grounds with this person.

The evening just prior to my vacating the  hotel, I went downstairs to get the caddy in order to remove some of my belongings into my car.  The security guard made sure he was watching my every move instead of watching the 'guests' outside who were having a  barbecue on the bed of a pick-up truck that was parked in between numerous  cars.  The whole place would have went up in flames with the gas explosion.  It was more important to watch a 62 year-old women struggling to remove some of her belongings.  The next morning at about 7 am I went to the elevator to go downstairs for the caddy again to remove the rest of my things and guess what, the elevator had an out of order sign on it!  I called the security guard and he told me that 'he did not like the way the doors were closing so he shut it down'. The hotel was only four months old.  Thank goodness I had hired an aide the previous day to help me move.  This lady has agreed to act as a reputable witness to these events and as a witness to the condition that I left the hotel's  property along with photos I took upon vacating.

Why would I feel that this garbage staff would and did retaliate against me?  On more then one occasion, I called customer service to complain about these people.  The scary part of this is that these people have access to mine and my sons personal information including my credit card number, the name and address of my bank, drivers license information, etc.  However, if I or my son experience any ID theft or other misfortune, I will know who to legally seek renumeration from.

I would not recommend staying at this  hotel.  I have notified certain authorities  in an effort to get the over $400 in tax money I believe is owed to me.