CSI Rentals – Brooklyn

I’ve rented from them several times and customer service is great, fast and haven’t had any problems with them.

I’ve been using CSI on and off over the years but after I moved my studio from Manhattan to Brooklyn I was psyched to see they opened a Brooklyn outlet right around the corner from me at the same time. Since then I’ve put in many last minute orders and they’ve been able to fill every one. I’ve also been late on a number of my returns and so far each time they’ve called to remind me and in all but one case have let me slide on the extra charge. Last week there was a small issue with my order. It was a Sunday so I had to do my pickup that day in Manhattan as Brooklyn isn’t open Sundays. When I got back to my studio and started setting up I realized that I was given the wrong grid for the Chimera. When I called them and told them this, one of the guys who runs the Manhattan office offered to personally bring the right grid to me in Brooklyn. I had it in about 30 mins. I don’t know them all by name yet but I know I eventually will. This is currently the only rental house I’m using and so far I am very happy with their service and their gear.

DO NOT RENT FROM THESE GUYS!!!
I have used Unilocal for 5 years now and have never been compelled to write a review, much less a negative one. However, the experience I had today with CSI RENTALS has given me the proper amount of motivation. I have 10 years of film production experience between Los Angeles and New York, and I can say without a doubt that the people who run CSI are the most unprofessional and discourteous I have ever run into. I just got off the phone with one of the «partners» who yelled at me for at least 5 minutes before I hung up. Here’s what happened: I extended a $ 168 day rental for two days, then returned one day late. They did two things… they tweeted «Hi PLEASE CONTACT CSI ASAP Regarding gear due to return
» and then charged $ 3500 to my card. When I called today to ask why I was charged, they said it was because they billed me for the value of the lens I had rented, thinking I was not coming back. They did not inform me they were doing so or after the fact when I returned the gear. I had to find out at the ATM. When I expressed my concern that they would charge a customer’s card $ 3500 (over 20 times the rental price!) and not inform that customer, they turned all the blame on me, said it was my problem and continued to berate me for another five minutes… all for being ONE DAY LATE; which with these guys apparently means they have the right to charge their customers thousands of dollars. And I was a return customer, this was something like my 5^th rental. Unbelievable. What a business these guys run.
I’m taking all my business to B&H in Manhattan. 9^th Ave. & 34^th St. (
), VER Rentals (
) or AbelCine (
…) … and you should too!
And I hope they actually refund me the $ 3500 like they said they would. Although in reading Allison H.‘s review, they might not do it unless I take down my review. Which I won’t.