ComplaintsforINTRNZ.com LLC

• Initial Complaint

  08/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Paid $8,100 on 5/3/22 for a single room for ~2 months at ***************************************************. Promised a full kitchen, $10 metro card, 1 block away from the subway, and more. Received a kitchenette, no metro card, and 3 blocks away from the subway. Many other promises on their website were certainly embellished but not flat out lies. For example, they promise curated group activities. Its just a list of free events going on in ***. They promise opportunities to meet movers and shakers in the industry and connect with interns from around the world. The only people at their events that I *** were other interns in ***, so not working professionals (movers and shakers), and not around the world (just ***). Attached are photos of the promises from their website, my receipt, a photo of the kitchenette, example event calendar mentioned earlier, and a map showing that 17th avenue 3 blocks (not 1 block as promised) from the *********** subway stop.

  Business response

  08/09/2022

  This is the first that we have heard from either of these parties. The complainant was not the tenant.

  The tenant vacated the residence on or about August 6th and never complained or contacted us regarding her issues.

  We wish she had mentioned some of her concerns earlier, prior to moving out.

  The distance to the subway of 1 block was a typo on our website. A *** block is 264 feet so we apologize for the additional 528 feet required to walk to the station.

  Our many weekly activities are both city and intrnz sponsored, our *** harbor trip with food and music was a big success as were other events.

  Most of our interns were very busy in their *** experience. We cannot guarantee that everyone will meet movers and shakers from around the world.

  The suite kitchens do not include an oven, they have microwaves, but there is also a central kitchen in the residence. 

  We will be pleased to send a check for $10 as replacement for the subway card that was not received.

  This residence houses 500 interns in the summer and we are pleased to say that 99% of them were satisfied.

  intrnz is very sorry that we did not meet this customer's expectations.

  Customer response

  08/10/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   The business failed to take responsibility or attempt to make amends for the repeated lies from their website. They also continued to lie. I am both the complainant and the tenant. There is not a centrally located kitchen, as per the building website. I did reach out to them with complaints as they sent out surveys throughout my stay in which I complained repeatedly. I also reached out to them regarding items that were not complaints, such as move-in questions and an emergency lockout situation, and I never once heard back. There were never any events on their calendar to meet movers and shakers from around the world. Finally, saying 3 blocks instead of 1 block is a choice, not a typo, as the keys are not near each other on the keyboard. Their minimizing of a simple 528 feet is an additional mile per week, for a minimum of 10 extra miles over the summer (if you only use the subway twice a day, 5 days a week). 

  Additionally, their website claims to have no broker fees, with utilities, wifi, and laundry included. People who booked directly through the building received everything but the events calendar for $5700, while Intrnz.com customers paid $8100. It begs the question as to whether their truly is no broker fee.

  This business exaggerates the amenities to convince young, naive interns to overpay for housing because they know their customer base does not know better. 

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Customer response

  09/19/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  Thank you for your response. While I understand that Intrnz.com believes it has addressed my issues in earlier responses, it is necessary to keep a running list of Intrnz.com’s failures to deliver on promises, poor customer service practices, and misleading remarks to determine an appropriate and reasonable redress. For the sake of consistency, the list below is in the same as those in previous correspondence. Items marked with an asterisk are those which Intrnz.com has failed to acknowledge in their responses.

  1. Intrnz.com advertises the building as 1 block away from subway, but in actuality it is 3 blocks away.

  
  2. * The market price of the room including 24-hour security, RAs on duty, laundry, wifi, and utilities is $5,788. Intrnz.com customers are charged $8,100 for this room.
  

  3. There are no itemized broker fees.

  
  4. * Intrnz.com falsely advertised the kitchen, and in responding to complaints, provided two alternatives, both of which are nonexistent or not in operation.
  a. Intrnz.com advertised a full kitchen, however the product they deliver only includes a kitchenette, without an oven.
  b. In response to this, Intrnz.com stated that there is a shared kitchen with an oven, but that is not true.
  c. In response to this, they apologized and explained that there is a café in this building. This café is not currently in operation, nor was it the entirety of the stay.
  

  5. * Intrnz.com misleadingly advertises their event schedule.
  a. They advertise the opportunity to meet “movers and shakers” in their industries, but provides no events with working professionals.
  b. Intrnz.com advertises the opportunity to meet interns from around the globe, but only has domestic interns from with in the U.S.
  

  6. * Intrnz.com failed me in an emergency situation because of their lack of information about their own locations. Over the summer, I was locked out of the building. In a panic, my mother reached out to Intrnz.com, who said they’d reach back out to me once they had a solution for how to get back in. I never received a call back, so as far as Intrnz.com is aware, I never regained access to the property. Now, they offer the information about the RAs, months later.
  

  7. * I am both the complainant and the tenant, which Intrnz.com immediately stated was not the case in their first response.
  

  8. * Intrnz.com claims I never reached out to complain. Again, I completed a survey on Google Forms midsummer voicing my issues. Given Intrnz.com lack of communication demonstrated in item 6, any other contact regarding my issues would likely not garner a response.

  
  9. Intrnz.com advertises a $10 metro card, but never supplied it.
  
  Intrnz.com has still failed to address issues 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. While the goodwill is a nice gesture, it does not account for the unaddressed issues. 

   

   

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *********  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business response

  09/26/2022

  We have responded to these issues and offered explanation and compensation. The customer continues to make the same points.Point#6 is not credible as the bldg has a 24x7 Security and Residence Life staff. At no point did the customer contact us by telephone. Apparently she felt that a survey and then a BBB complaint AFTER she had vacated the residence were sufficient. We are highly responsive to the few complaints expressed by residents.

  intrnz rates are on the website and in the rental documents. There were no brokers involved. This resident agreed to pay these rates as did all intrnz residents. We stand by our earlier offer to compensate her for the $10 metro card and our error in stating that the bldg was 1 block instead of 3 from the subway.

   

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩