South Street Business Center — Local services in Philadelphia

I’ve come here twice in a vain attempt to complete my Pre Check application. Six months ago, I walked into a store staffed with three clerks with masks down around their chins. Once I walked in, they all immediately donned their masks, demanding that I do the same. Of course, I didn’t have a mask, because, at that point, it had been a solid year since the City dropped its mask mandate, and longer yet since the CDC dropped its recommendation. I was advised I could just walk down the street to purchase one from the corner store. I declined, deciding instead to chalk my wasted time up as a sunk cost and proceed with my day.

Fast forward six months and my wife is tired of my not having access to the speedy lane. Because the South Street Business Center is the only place to apply for Pre Check near where I work, I lament, leave work early (again) and give it another shot. This time I walk in and I am at least greeted without being looked upon as some kind of maskless leper, but alas that was the end of my good experience. I let the clerk know that I had an appointment at 4:50 (I arrived at 4:52), and he took my passport. After a couple minutes, he tells me that they are behind on Pre Check and it is going to take a few minutes. I inquire as to how many minutes are in a “few minutes,” to which he responds twenty or so. I reminded him that I had an appointment, and he in turn reminded me that I was late. So, somehow my two minute tardiness resulted in a twenty minute delay.

At this point, I will gladly drive to New Jersey or further to get my Pre Check taken care of rather than make a third attempt at completing what one would hope to be a simple task. For those reading this review and deciding to go forth with attempting to complete any task at the South Street Business Center, as they say in the Hunger Games series, “may the odds be ever in...

Where Shady Practices Meets Zero Competence

Visited this business center for a simple black and white copy of sensitive documents. Despite asking specifically for black and white copies twice, the one male staff member screwed up and made color copies instead. When I declined the incorrect copies and asked for the color ones back due to their sensitive nature, this genius told me he’d keep them to dispose of them in the basement shredder. Because nothing says trustworthy like "just trust me bro" when handling someone else’s sensitive data and information.

When I insisted on taking my own documents to destroy (you know, like any rational person would), he got snarky and asked “what you want me to bring the shredder upstairs?” Then had the audacity to charge me for HIS mistake. So my options were either to pay extra for copies I didn't want, or leave my sensitive information in the hands of this stranger who clearly doesn't understand basic document security.

For a place that supposedly handles fingerprints and sensitive documentation, their understanding of privacy and customer service is an absolute joke. The fact that they think charging customers for their own errors while holding sensitive documents hostage is acceptable business practice tells you everything you need to know.

Save yourself the headache and find literally...

DO NOT USE THIS PLACE TO PACK AND SHIP ANYTHING for you. Despite claiming that their "certified retail packing specialists" will "professionally pack and ship your fragile items" (actual quotes from the website). They were visibly uneasy when I showed up with 2 boxes of ceramics to be packed and shipped. The guy at the counter began grabbing multiple small rolls of bubble wrap from the retail display and was confused when I asked if they didn't have a a large commercial reel in the shipping area. He quoted me $120 to pack and ship 2 boxes ground from Philly to Brooklyn and said it would take a day or more to wrap and pack everything! When I returned the next day he said actually it would cost $270 for the shipping in part because one of the boxes was "oversized" ! I paid him $85 (for the wrapping alone) against my better judgement and then took the boxes to the UPS store (which he claimed would be "much more expensive"). UPS charged me only $60 to ship the two boxes, no "oversized" charges, and they arrived in less than 24 hours. This place will totally rip you off if need to pack and ship anything. It's obvious that they are unaccustomed to doing it despite what the...