ComplaintsforThe Antique Fox with Southern Grace

• Initial Complaint

  10/18/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  After renting a space from this business they made changes to hours, moved me to a smaller space for the same cost and often did not honor the hours they had posted as open. During pandemic I was charged rental when the store was barely open. On multiple occasions I had merchandise to load in and when I reached the store found it closed. This even happened at times I told them I was coming. I requested copies of my sales reports because they are no longer available on line as the contract I signed states and the management refuses to mail them. Refuses to return phones calls. Refuses to answer emails. This business cost me a lot of money by not following through with what their contract said they would. Maybe it's afront. They are bartering instead of doing payroll. Just all around shady. I need my sales reports to do taxes and inventory my merchandise.

  Business response

  11/15/2021

  Please find our response to the subject line complaint below.  I will fax a copy of the signed contract under separate cover. 

   

  Regards,

   

  ***** ** ******, Manager

   

  The Antique Fox with Southern Grace

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  I’ve included *** ******s complaint:  A contract dispute. The store’s comments are in italics below.

   

  After renting a space from this business they made changes to hours, moved me to a smaller space for the same cost and often did not honor the hours they had posted as open.  During [the] pandemic I was charged rental when the store was barely open.  On multiple occasions I had merchandise to load in and when I reached the store found it closed. This even happened at times I told them I was coming.  I requested copies of my sales reports because they are no longer available on line [sic] as the contract I signed states and the management refuses to mail them.  Refuses to return phone calls. Refuses to answer emails.  This business cost me a lot of money by not following through with what their contract said they would.  Maybe it’s afront [sic].  They are bartering instead of doing payroll.  Just all around shady.  I need my sales reports to do taxes and inventory my merchandise.

   

  Let me start by explaining the contractual arrangement we have at The Antique Fox with Southern Grace.  We are an antique store.  We have 2 seller types:  consignors, and vendors (who rent booths.)  Both types sign a contract that outlines store policies. Ms. ***** rented a booth at the store and was considered a vendor.

   

  ___________________

   

   

   

  1.            After renting a space from this business they made changes to hours,

   

   

  Nowhere in the store’s contracts does it specify hours or days of operations.  The hours change to reflect business flow based on sales data.  In addition, the Covid-19 Pandemic required us to drastically adjust our hours.  Staffing was at times an issue due to COVID as well as the health restrictions imposed by the CDC.

   

  2.            moved me to a smaller space for the same cost

   

  Ms. ***** requested to move to the aforementioned space.  The size of both spaces is exactly the same: 7 ft by 7 ft.

   

  3.            and often did not honor the hours they had posted as open. 

   

  We acknowledge that the store hours have been confusing.  Our website is maintained by a third party who does not make timely edits to the page.  We post our current hours on our Facebook page and let customers and sellers know this is where to find the most current hours.  In addition, hours are posted on Google; however, there have been several instances that the hours have been inadvertently changed back to old hours.  We monitor as best we can.  However, we have hours posted at the store location.  If there is a deviation from those hours due to emergency or illness we make every effort to post a notification both at the store and on our Facebook page.

   

  4.            During [the] pandemic I was charged rental when the store was barely open. 

   

  The store was closed from March 13 through May 8th in 2020.  After reopening the store was initially open on Saturday and Sunday.  The days open increased through the end of the year.  By Thanksgiving we were back to 6 days per week (Tuesday through Sunday).  From January 2020 through March 2020 rent was reduced by 50%.  This was in part because the store was undergoing changes due to new management.  No rents were charged for April, May or June 2020. July 2020 through September 2020 rent was also reduced by 50%.  (Note we charge for rent at the beginning of the month; rent is deducted from the previous month’s sales when available).   

   

  5.            On multiple occasions I had merchandise to load in and when I reached the store found it closed. This even happened at times I told them I was coming. 

   

   

  See response to item 3 above.  I admit that I had erroneously scheduled an appointment with Ms. ***** on a day that the store was closed and I had a doctor’s appointment. I apologized for this mistake. 

   

   

  6.            I requested copies of my sales reports because they are no longer available on line [sic} as the contract I signed states and the management refuses to mail them.

   

  As you can see from the enclosed contract, there is no contractual obligation to provide online sales reports. 

   

   

   

  During her last visit to the store when she moved out of her booth, Ms. ***** behaved in a very unprofessional manner making disparaging remarks about the owners.  She was belligerent to the point that the sales clerk on duty was ready to call the police.  Luckily Ms. ***** left before this became necessary.  Ms. ***** demanded the sales reports at that time.   The sales clerk did not have access to the sales reports.

   

   

  7.            Refuses to return phone calls. Refuses to answer emails. 

   

  This item is non responsive.  To our knowledge no phone calls have not been returned; nor emails not answered save the last one as the BBB complaint had been filed.

   

   

  8.            This business cost me a lot of money by not following through with what their contract said they would. 

   

  Ms. ***** failed to maintain her booth for several months.  We recommend in our contract that the vendors refresh their booths on a regular basis.

   

  9.            Maybe it’s afront [sic].  They are bartering instead of doing payroll.  Just all around shady. 

   

  The Antique Fox with Southern Grace pays our subcontractors per instructions from our accountant. 

   

  10.         I need my sales reports to do taxes and inventory my merchandise.

   

  Ms. ***** failed to mention that she did not provide 30 days written notice of vacating her booth to the store management as is stipulated in the contract.  She claimed to have told the office next door which has nothing to do with the antique store.  In addition, she is several months in arrears on rent.  She owes the store $319.90.  The store, as a courtesy, did not charge the monthly $25 late fee on rent that is outlined in the contract.

   

   

  The store maintained its contractual obligations.  Ms. *****, on the other hand, did not.

   

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