Complaint Review: Rent-Direct - New York New York

In response to Kenneth's comments; I am "Nathan" the Customer Support Manager referred to above. I would like to address each of this gentleman's complaints individually; but first it is important to know who we are and what we do. RDNY is what is called an AIV (Apartment Information Vendor); an information service. We provide our clients access to a database of no broker-fee apartment listings (currently listing over 3000 apartments in New York City). Our site, and each listing, contains comprehensive information about the unit itself, the building, and the neighborhood. This is information that other sites like Craigslist simply does not provide. We also provide personal rental advisers/customer support for those who need additional assistance. Kenneths first complaint states: I canceled because out of ten apartments that I inquired about...four apartments had third party contacts (not the numbers of the landlord or owner like I was told) who knew very little about the apartment". Third party contacts are common in NYC rentals. Generally the actual landlord or leasing agent is not the first point of contact. To view an apartment you generally need to contact the super of the building to set up and appointment. After you have gone to see the apartment and you are ready to apply, in most cases you will then contact the actual landlord or leasing agent. supers generally do not have a lot of information on the actual unit, they simply have the keys to allow you to view the unit for yourself. Any specific questions you may have are then generally directed to the leasing agent. I honestly do not understand why this was an issue for Kenneth! Next: Seven out of ten had the same pictures with different addresses...and three out of ten of the apartments were much higher in rent then what was listed on www.rent-direct.com. In this case Kenneth viewed an apartment complex that had multiple entrances (thus the multiple addresses) but in essence were the same building. Simple answer, again i do not see the issue in that. As for the rent increases, this is New York City! the market fluctuates rapidly! If someone lists an apartment for $1500 and gets a hundred phone calls they may decide to ask $1600 to test the response at that price. Obviously landlords are going to try to make raise the rent as high as they can. If the lease is not stabilized a landlord has the right to ask whatever the market will dictate. I can only assure you that we do everything in our power to keep our information up-to-date and accurate. In fact we have a full listings team who's sole responsibility is to contact every one of our landlords to verify the information we post is accurate and current. Next: So when I asked to speak with a manager (Nathan), he tells me that I can't get my refund back until after 60 days. Kenneth failed to mention the other options I offered him. Please understand that we are an information service. You are purchasing access to information that can not be returned once accessed. In order to protect ourselves from fraudulent claims we do need to ask for some form of evidence that the information accessed was not actually used; ie. you did not rent one of the apartments you saw through us. You can do so by providing a copy of your new lease (front & signature pages only) or by providing a copy of a utility bill dated 60 days after cancellation. This shows us that you have not moved. There was no scam! RDNY is in the business of helping people in their time of need with something that can be very difficult and frustrating. We save our clients thousands of dollars by helping them avoid broker fees. We help people find their new homes! Obviously not every client is going to walk away satisfied but I stand behind this company, the service we provide, and our actual success rate. Thank You