I Googled "Monterey storage units" (CA) and was attracted by cheap, "discounted" rates at several local storage businesses. I phoned one, SpareFoot.com, to find out how many months the discounted rate was good for. The agent repeated promised that the $86/month special (for a 10x12-foot storage unit) was guaranteed for at least six months, that the reservation would be held open for me, free of charge, for almost a month, etc. I found that these were not the terms when I visited the local site, and that their "special" rate was actually $3 less per month, but good for only one month, and then would go up to $149. The employee I talked with told me that SpareFoot is owned by a company that advertises under several storage-marketing businesses, including SelfStorage.com, which I also contacted with similar results. The local employee said that "this is not the first time this has happened." The local employee is forced to deliver the bad news to customers referred by these online entities. Later the same day, I received an email from SpareFoot, taking credit for the referral. I replied to them that I would not be using the referral, citing their agent's misrepresentations, and not to contact me again. . . . so if you are tempted to reply to an online-only deal, look to see if the business name matches the name of the local storage facility. If the business name is different, or if you "smell a commission" because the agent is promising you the moon, contact the local storage business directly. You may get an even better discount, as I was offered.