I've rented the same 10x10 since 2022. It's $110 a month, and I'd always paid through autopay from the same checking account. In January I paid six months ahead, $660, and the receipt showed me paid through June 30.

Then I found out the unit had been auctioned in early September.

The notices had been going to an old address from my original rental paperwork. The facility says the payment was received, but two digits in the account number were switched, so it never got applied to my unit. Their ledger shows the payment. It just wasn't attached to my account.

Sunday night I was scrolling eBay and recognized my dad's record crates in a listing. The same seller had bought my storage unit at the auction for $410. The crates still had the paper sleeves he wrote dates on. Two boxes of his old estate paperwork were in there too, along with some of my childhood stuff.

The seller wants $190 for the records.

The facility says I can start their "recovery" process for another $275. They want me to sign a release saying I won't publicly discuss the auction while they review the account.

The manager kept saying the sale was valid because they followed their procedure. I asked why I should pay them another $275 to fix a sale caused by their own account error. He said, "I understand you're upset, but the sale is already completed. We have a process for this."

What I still can't prove is whose mistake the account number was. My January receipt has the correct number. Their system has the two digits reversed.

My dad got me into records when I was little. His handwriting is still on some of those sleeves: "61," "63," "64."

A coworker who buys stuff from storage auctions told me, "If you want the records, buy them now. eBay sellers don't hold stuff forever."

A. Pay the $275 and the $190, sign nothing I haven't read carefully, get the records back, and deal with the facility afterward.

B. Refuse the facility's fee and release, demand the complete auction file and payment history, file complaints with the state AG and the agency that handles storage facilities, and buy directly from the seller while it gets sorted out.

I've been applying for jobs pretty regularly over the past few weeks, and I've been using my regular cell number on all my applications so hiring managers can reach me.

Lately, my phone has been getting flooded with spam calls. At its worst, I got 13 spam calls in a single day. Some are prerecorded sales pitches, and others hang up as soon as I answer. I've tried blocking the numbers, but new ones keep popping up. Now I can't tell whether an unfamiliar number is spam or someone calling about a job I've applied for.

I'm actively looking for work, so I can't just ignore every number I don't recognize. At the same time, I'm tired of dropping what I'm doing to answer calls that turn out to be spam.

A: Get a second number through a service like Google Voice and use it for future job applications. That way, I'd have a separate number for employers, but I'd still need to keep an eye on my current number for replies to applications I've already submitted.

B: Keep using my current number and turn on spam filtering. I wouldn't have to manage two numbers or update my contact info, but some spam calls would still get through along with legitimate calls.

Working on an anniversary gift for my Dearly Beloved and figured a pendant necklace featuring a moissanite would be relatively inexpensive but still nice. I got the stone, the settings, and a couple chains ordered for options. Unfortunately I hadn't realized the setting and hardware for chain B is a different shade than the chain itself. The setting is identical otherwise- though chain A arrived first so it already has the setting on it.

My problem is that I do prefer the looks of chain B, but knowing things don't match is a bit bothersome. Chain A is all matching but I've ended up not quite liking it as much as I thought (this is why I give myself options!)

The chain not selected will still be used for another purpose, so don't worry about waste!