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How I legally got scammed for $250 by an upscale apartment complex

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Re: How I legally got scammed for $250 by an upscale apartment complex

#61

Post by aub3bhat »

ploxiln wrote: post #15

Maybe you've never attempted to rent an apartment in NYC. They typically require * scanned ID * recent bank statements * recent pay stubs * recent tax return or W2 * letter of employment on official company letterhead * company office number they can call to confirm employment * last two addresses you lived at * letter from previous landlord * yearly salary at least 40x (sometimes 50x) monthly rent * ~ $100 applicati…

I literally wrote the same comment. Though I must say that the relatively cheaper rent on a year/multi-year lease vs enormously overpriced sublets/AirBnB makes it a worthwhile investment.

Re: How I legally got scammed for $250 by an upscale apartment complex

#63

Post by 0xffff2 »

ufmace wrote: post #50
felipemnoa wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anecdote here: Once when I wanted to rent an apartment in a nice apartment complex they wouldn't even show me the apartment without me showing them my ID. I ended up renting the place and never had a problem.

That's pretty standard in most places AFAIK. Think about it - apartment salespeople are mostly women. Potential tenants are at least half men. When you walk in off the street to look at an apartment, they don't know you from Adam. And you're going into an empty apartment alone with a female salesperson. Do the math, they're gonna want some ID first.

Are you implying they are doing some kind of instant background check with the ID? If not, what good is checking ID?

Re: How I legally got scammed for $250 by an upscale apartment complex

#64

Post by azakai »

swang wrote: post #41
win_ini wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In California - it's the Law. You need to provide picture ID before the property management company can you show you around the property. At least that's what the little sign in each leasing office I've visited said.... (????)

Huh? Is this a viewing or something else? I have rented apartments and looked at housing in several places in CA, not once has anyone asked me for my ID. Only when it got down to the serious brass tacks was that required.

Every apartment complex I've looked at (bay area) has required me to leave my photo ID with them at the leasing office while one of them took me on a tour to show me the apartment.

Re: How I legally got scammed for $250 by an upscale apartment complex

#65

Post by FireBeyond »

lawnchair_larry wrote: post #9

Any company like this is going to scam you at move out time as well. One agent told me that nobody gets their full deposit back, ever. They'll make up a list of things they had to do and give you an inflated bill for it.

Yeah, I remember living at a high rise that, while waiting for our move-out inspection, my partner and I happened to sight on the PM's desk our already filled out move out report, complete with cleaning notes and charges.

As in before we'd had the inspection...

"Oh, I hadn't finished editing from the previous tenant..."

"Why would you print it then?"

"..."

Re: How I legally got scammed for $250 by an upscale apartment complex

#66

Post by 67726e »

0xffff2 wrote: post #63
ufmace wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's pretty standard in most places AFAIK. Think about it - apartment salespeople are mostly women. Potential tenants are at least half men. When you walk in off the street to look at an apartment, they don't know you from Adam. And you're going into an empty apartment alone with a female salesperson. Do the math, they're gonna want some ID first.

Are you implying they are doing some kind of instant background check with the ID? If not, what good is checking ID?

The knowledge that you won't get away with rape, kidnap, or robbery acts as a deterrent.

Re: How I legally got scammed for $250 by an upscale apartment complex

#67

Post by saghm »

wyldfire wrote: post #11
kbenson wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would love to see the look on their face if one of the people they had on the hook and about to sign somehow worked into the conversation that their uncle was State Attorney General, or a local District Attorney or something like that.

Since there really is a property there, they would probably cleverly slip their application into the "approved" pile.

Wouldn't they notice that they had no neighbors, and that literally every other apartment in the building is being shown multiple times per day?

Re: How I legally got scammed for $250 by an upscale apartment complex

#68

Post by rhizome »

akira2501 wrote: post #33
wyldfire wrote: post #6

If this happens to you, you should consider talking to: 1. Your state's AG [1] 2. The local TV news 3. Local police I don't think I would call it a "legal scam," it sounds remarkably like fraud. Lots of modern fraud takes place over international VoIP calls, so the fact that there's a brick and mortar business with assets that can be seized means you shouldn't give up quickly. > Even disputing a charge on the credit…

4. Go to your state legislature and try to get a bill passed. What surprises me is that CoreLogic is not bound by the same terms that any other credit reporting bureau is. There is no way any business is going to just write you a letter stating that you currently owe no money, not without talking to a lawyer first, I'd hope. If they want to impugn your credit with with this type of reporting, then it's their responsi…

Without any kind of accreditation I wonder if there's a slander angle here.

Re: How I legally got scammed for $250 by an upscale apartment complex

#69

Post by rhizome »

pm24601 wrote: post #24
67726e wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been burned by a major corporate rental before, and will never do that again. Moving in wasn't a problem, though the "Smart Saver" non-refundable deposit they offered should have been enough of a red flag. Once while on a week long company retreat they upgraded their payment system, which removed my payment information not only causing my rent to be late, but they then filed for eviction after only three days. T…

And this is why I love California... http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook/sec-deposit.... > What if the landlord doesn't provide a full refund, or a statement of deductions and a refund of amounts not deducted, by the end of the 21-day period as required by law? According to a California Supreme Court decision, the landlord loses the right to keep any of the security deposit and must return the entire depo…

At that moment the ex-tenant can also sue for 3x the deposit amount.
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