Yeah it sounds like a hard sell. Trying to get people off the fence.

The real switch is probably that rates won’t actually go up at all.

This was my thought exactly. I have been looking at multiple units all over the city and hadn't had a chance to get back to this specific landlord in about a day following a question I'd sent to them, so this email felt like a way to try and light a fire under me.

It's a terrible, predatory system, but that's what it means when units are "market rent", the prices fluctuate on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis and if you dont lock in a unit, you will miss out on that "sale" price.

It shouldn't be that way, as housing shouldn't be allowed to be treated as a fluctuating luxury item, but it currently is.

If you are worried about coming across this again, keep an eye out for "market rent" listings, just know that many many properties are doing this and that at some point you may have to bite the bullet just to get a good unit at a decent price.

high pressure sales tactics = GTFO of there.

Yea they all do for the most part … under the glass counter or behind the register. Which blvd do you speak of

Common tactic for big property management outfits that are competing for tenants.

That would make sense (especially for student places at the beginning of a semester), if and only if it's advertised upfront. Being advertised upfront as introductory or sale price or special is the key point, to me. Obviously all I have to go on is a screen capture of an email reply, but I don't get that vibe from this. As OP states, this is a coordinated strategy, not just one landlord.

Either way, nobody will find me being a landlord apologist in this economy. If they submit a complaint and it's unwarranted, no big deal, live continues. If they submit a complaint and it ends up doing consumers a solid service, excellent work my dude.

Scam

I mean, if you are taking them at their word maybe. If it's happening this often it's probably not that they're actually raising their rates on March 5 but it's just a high pressure sales tactic and next week they'll be advertising the same "introductory" rate and now it's ending March 12.

The one on the Blvd has an over priced wall behind the counter.

I’ve never seen anything that expensive at any thrift store … they were probably fake tbh

When you look at some of the big rental operations they have a calendar of rates that varies depending on when in the month the term starts, what month it starts, how far away that date is and how long the term is.

They will advertise the rate for the start of the next month though usually because that is what most people are looking for.

I don't think it needs to be a bait-and-switch to warrant a complaint, it just needs to feel or seem like one to the ordinary consumer. Basically if we as a community don't act against that practice, it will become standard practice that any advertised rate is only valid for a small number of days.

Look at it this way. If they already have a large queue of willing consumers at their current prices, why would they need to advertise one price and act like they're doing a prospect a good favor by granting that advertised price? They already have a queue of willing consumers, right? Close enough to bait and switch.

Ya I don't think goodwill or salvation army would have priced anything for $500

Yeah that’s real scummy. Fuck these landlords

I can’t go back to school until I pay off that $3000, so that would change my life by helping me get a degree, thus changing my life dramatically considering I don’t have one. If I have a better car I can get a job at a different place that pays more, cause my current car can’t really make it anywhere so I have to work close to home or within a certain distance by bus. a new and better job with better benefits such as healthcare would change my life. A new car and a better paying job would also let me visit my family more often since they live far away in a town without a train station, leave the country for the first time in my life which would be a life changing experience, and it would generally change my quality of life since rn I’m pouring money into keeping the car running. And my current apartment is poorly built, has mold issues, lead paint, and doesn’t even have enough windows to get sunlight so moving to a new place that wasn’t actively worsening my health would also dramatically change my life. I could also move to a neighborhood closer to the aforementioned better job. Like these are all pretty life changing things, $3000 is a life changing amount of money to most people who make less than say, $20 an hour. Just cause it wouldn’t change your life doesn’t mean it wouldn’t change others

Sorry it's happened with different landlords and realtors, not just this one company. I phrased that poorly

They are offering that rate though. I’m not sure you have to advertise when rates will change.

No different than any other thrift store; some things are overpriced but a great deal of shit is underpriced. One day they had Prada shoes in there for $500, like wtf this isn’t a consignment shop 😂

If it's happening that often and it's not marked on their web sites as an introductory rate, I would send a bait-and-switch complaint to the PA Attorney General. It's entirely possible this is increasingly common, and once they get a mass of complaints about this happening, they may pressure these landlords. In the short term though, walking away is the right move in my opinion.

I feel like they are crazy over priced. Also I'll add i worked at the one on the Blvd and.... it's not a great place. Very little of proceeds get donated to Vets, and cheap affordable items are "thrown out" after less then one week. "Thrown out" means they are sold to second hand deals over seas to Africa. If you look into it its really shady. Instead of putting good things on sell they will just reprice it with this weeks color and same price instead of marking down like they should.

Also because I know some people will ask, all personal information has been removed because of Reddit's privacy policy and an abundance of caution, not out of respect for these people and their practices.

Homophobia is ugly dude. Do better.

Yeah, thanks bud. Did Mommy have your fruit loops ready for you fruity?

I hope you enjoy the boot leather breakfast.