ComplaintsforMontaluce Winery & Estates

• Initial Complaint

  09/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Plans were made this March to have a wedding at Montaluce in November 2023. Once a meeting with *********************** and ***** were completed for scheduling and food, I was told we would do the tasting later, as we got closer to the date. At the meeting in March until the first week of July, I was not provided with a contract or completed any paperwork other then details for food and drink. Not sure when they were planning on getting everything signed and didn't want them shafting us because of that, so we made an initial deposit on the venue for $1691.12 on April 7, 2023. On 7/22/2023, I emailed the General Manager *************************** and informed him we didn't feel comfortable having our event there and asked to cancel the date and be issued a refund. Since Montaluce, as well as us, had never signed a contract, the statement is null and void. In a text, on 8/7/2023, **************** stated a refund was only applicable if they rebooked the date in question. I then requested a copy of the signed contract stating such rules since I never saw a contract. On 8/14/2023, ******* had their Event Director, ***********************, responded with an unsigned copy of the contract, nor completed credit card authorization form. Neither party had signed the attached copy of the contract. ******* then stated, in a text, he put the request for refund to his higher **** since as the *** I guess he can't do anything about that? After that date, I have tried emailing **************** about the status of the refund and have not gotten a response.In a text with **************** on 8/24/2023, ***** indicated the request had been escalated to higher up again, and that his hands were tied. We have tried reaching out several times by email since then and still no answer from this establishment.We'd like our refund back immediately.

  Business response

  10/02/2023

  The client is a former employee of Montaluce, who during her employment worked with our events team to have her wedding at Montaluce. Following multiple months of planning with our team, she paid the non-refundable deposit in April of 2023, securing the date for her wedding in November of 2023. We only do one wedding per day, so following the payment of the deposit, the date was taken off the market for other potential clients to book. As a former employee of Montaluce, the client was familiar with the cancellation and refund policy for private events. Following termination of the employee in August of 2023, we received the request to cancel her wedding and issue a full refund. The client was subsequently reminded that per the companys cancellation policy, any event that is cancelled within six months of the event date forfeits their initial deposit as the initial deposit was used to secure and take the date off the market. The client was also informed that should a potential client book an event on the date of her cancelled event, the deposit would be refunded as the date would no longer be lost. The date of the event was then put back on the market to be made available to book. The client requested an exception to the policy be made and began to contact various members of our management team via their personal phone numbers in an attempt to get them to get her the refund. Following further review, management determined that the standard policy should be upheld, with a refund to be issued only when a potential client booked the date. Should the date in question be re-booked, a refund will be immediately issued to the client.

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