- Report: #355114
Complaint Review: The Castilian - Austin Texas
-
Author Confirmed
Why?
The Castilian
2323 San Antonio Street Austin, 78705 Texas, U.S.A.
Phone:
512-4789811
Web:
N/A
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
The Castilian ,The Castilian uses deceptive tactics to makes money off naive college students and parents. Austin Texas
Background:
I'm a college student and was, until recently, looking for housing in Austin. I liked the Castilian because it catered towards college students and had a convenient location. I was also impressed by the sleek offices and overall well kept facilities. Unfortunately the Castilian is not as rosy a place as they advertise.
To apply at the Castilian I paid a 50$ application fee and later handed over a 400$ Deposit/Activation Fee along with a signed loan agreement.
I had applied and signed for a fall only lease without the meal plan the Castilian offers students. Having accepted my deposit, The Castilian informed me that I would have to fix my loan agreement and purchase the meal plan if I wished to live there, (an additional 860$). I had not been informed that I needed to purchase the meal plan before I paid my deposit. Moreover, the website's pricing page advertises the option to stay for the fall semester without having to purchase the meal plan.
I told the Castilian I would have to reconsider the offer. Since then I have found another apartment and am no longer interested in staying at the Castilian. Upon informing the Castilian of my plans I was told that they did not legally have to return my deposit and that I would have to pay a 500$ cancellation fee unless I found someone to replace my spot. While I may be able to find a replacement I am aware that The Castilian ALWAYS manages to fill all of its rooms and will easily find a replacement without me.
While I do not know whether the Castilian is acting illegally, (false advertising for one), I think it is obvious such business practices are unethical and dishonest.
Apparently I'm not the only one to have encountered such problems with the Castilian. Upon searching the internet for reviews I found numerous complaints of the Castilian using deceitful tactics such lying or fooling current and prospective residents.
http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/TX-Austin-Castilian-Apartments-College-Park.html
Tobias
Dripping Springs, Texas
U.S.A.
I'm a college student and was, until recently, looking for housing in Austin. I liked the Castilian because it catered towards college students and had a convenient location. I was also impressed by the sleek offices and overall well kept facilities. Unfortunately the Castilian is not as rosy a place as they advertise.
To apply at the Castilian I paid a 50$ application fee and later handed over a 400$ Deposit/Activation Fee along with a signed loan agreement.
I had applied and signed for a fall only lease without the meal plan the Castilian offers students. Having accepted my deposit, The Castilian informed me that I would have to fix my loan agreement and purchase the meal plan if I wished to live there, (an additional 860$). I had not been informed that I needed to purchase the meal plan before I paid my deposit. Moreover, the website's pricing page advertises the option to stay for the fall semester without having to purchase the meal plan.
I told the Castilian I would have to reconsider the offer. Since then I have found another apartment and am no longer interested in staying at the Castilian. Upon informing the Castilian of my plans I was told that they did not legally have to return my deposit and that I would have to pay a 500$ cancellation fee unless I found someone to replace my spot. While I may be able to find a replacement I am aware that The Castilian ALWAYS manages to fill all of its rooms and will easily find a replacement without me.
While I do not know whether the Castilian is acting illegally, (false advertising for one), I think it is obvious such business practices are unethical and dishonest.
Apparently I'm not the only one to have encountered such problems with the Castilian. Upon searching the internet for reviews I found numerous complaints of the Castilian using deceitful tactics such lying or fooling current and prospective residents.
http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/TX-Austin-Castilian-Apartments-College-Park.html
Tobias
Dripping Springs, Texas
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Joe
Austin,Texas,
U.S.A.
ANYTHING AND ALMOST EVERY BUSINESS WITHIN A MILE OF THE UT CAMPUS PRICE GOUGES STUDENTS --EVEN UT
#2Consumer Comment
Sat, May 23, 2009
Screw over the students. It is a way of life in Austin,Texas. You hear the propaganda go to college, go to college, go to college or else you will be a homeless bum or something... Never mind that a good tradesperson can always get a job and are always in demand! And so you go to college and all it does is get you a ticket to a casino called real life where you may not EVER get a job in your major and have to settle for UNDEREMPLOYENT with an awfully expensive education. You should have consulted a real estate attorney and maybe you could have gotten them to write a letter to these frauds who were screwing you over. Austin used to be a very poor, unsophisticated but country crafty kind of place. When the college came, they figured the rich people's kids were easy pickins and it has always been that way and always will be that way. Welcome to the real world. This place is just plain evil. When you charge a huge amount per semester per student and then pack these students in classrooms of 500 -800 students and expect them to get a REAL education -- you are getting INDOCTRINATION and not even GOOD indoctrination at that. I think you are paying for the prestige of the degree based on the record primarily of their reputation as a FOOTBALL FACTORY. So if you are NOT a FOOTBALL GUY who wants to be signed to the PROS, you would be better off attending a TRADE SCHOOL. Or else attending a better college somewhere else. Austin,Texas is a town that has way too many yuppies, students, EXPLOITATIVE employers, CROOKED POLITICIANS, DO NOTHING LAWYERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO BECOME CROOKED POLITICIANS or are waiting for their next multi million dollar class action discrimination suit... There are just too many secrets here and too much CORRUPTION and DIRTY DEALING and GOUGING COLLEGE STUDENTS has become a way of life for these people and the economy of this entire town. Because there will always be rich Texas exes who have graduated from UT with the party experience and belonged to the right sororities and frats to send their spawn back... and some of these have had such beautiful experiences in school that they want to stay here forever and drink beer and never work and... Dude, if you are serious about a REAL education, get out of this accursed place while you are still young enough to start over and don't look back!
