- Report: #1311371
Complaint Review: Padspin - Internet
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Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Padspin
Internet, USA
Phone:
(929) 265-0089
Web:
https://www.padspin.com/
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
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Padspin; Jeff Segal (CEO) Did not refund my deposit for an apartment; withdrew before application process New York Internet
This start-up business connects prospective renters with tenants willing to break the lease on apartments in NYC, arranges a showing and charges $350 fee for the service. It only tells customers that the fee will only be kept after the apartment deal goes through.
I found them on Streeteasy & went to see the studio in Hell's kitchen. The current tenant showed the place, and asked if I can buy off all furniture. She informed that this is a deal-breaker. She also informed me that she is currently paying $1725, and there is a possibility of lease transfer and keeping the same price.
Even estimating the rent to be $1800 a month, additional $600 dollars made sense. I expressed interest in applying and promptly transferred $350 to Padpin.
It was explained to me that they only way they will keep the money is if the "deal goes through". Nothing was mentioned about the 50% refund or 24 cancellation period. It was also not mentioned that expressing interest is considered "applying".
In the email communication that the tenant CC'd me on, I learned that the landlord didn't deal with customers directly, always going through a specific broker. This is when the legality and legitimacy of the whole arrangement started becoming suspicious.
After 2 more days I got application materials from the landlord. At that point I had to withdraw my interest due to external circumstances. After notifying the business, the landlord and the tenant that I won't be pursuing the application I got zero response from Padspin.
Several emails and calls later they finally responded refusing to issue a refund. Moreover, the CEO (it's a 3-person operation apparently) was extremely rude, and unprofessional suggesting that I ruined business for them and the tenant. Where in fact this is a business process flaw, that the customer should not be responsible for. As many Yelp reviews indicate, lots of other clients struggled with the exact same opaque processes.
Full refund of $350 seems like a proper resultion in this case.
