Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  12/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I paid Ashley ******* (wife/owner of the farm) $190 for a photo event they were having on their property. The day of the event she blocked me on all social media platforms removing my access to the event and any information pertaining to it with zero explanation or communication. After realizing this I texted her requesting a refund to which she replied "thanks" and did not refund me. I continued twice more to ask for a refund with no response.

  Business response

  01/03/2023

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/12/13) */ We reached out to Ruth confirming her time spots booked with us for our photo event and she responded "Thanks", we then asked how many people total were coming so we had bough for the cocoa and cookie bar and gifts for the kids. She never responded. We have a no refund policy as stated on our event information that she was well aware of (she has been working with us since April and has known about our no refund policy). She chose not to show up to her time spots booked. We did not cancel our event, our event took place and everyone who booked had a blast! We never blocked her from the event, we tried reaching out to confirm her spots and she never confirmed nor did she show up to her time spots booked. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/12/14) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) When the farm reached out to confirm I responded "thanks" which is my confirmation. I did not respond further or could not see a request for more information because the next time I went to reach out to the farm I was blocked across all social media. Being blocked means I cannot look up the farm, the event, messages, or any information that would allow me to communicate with the business or access event information. So I could not communicate any further with the business and was blocked from the event and all information. I did try to text the owner stating that I was blocked and could not access the event or information, from there she could have replied or told me I wasn't blocked if that were true and sent the information for the event I no longer had access to, but she did not. She proceeded to ignore my request for a refund upon being blocked. While I understand a no refund policy if I simply did not show up or try to communicate that was not the case. I was charged $190 for an event and then blocked from the event with no response or communication. That is not ethical, that is scamming, unacceptable practice for any business, and for that reason I believe I am entitled to a refund. I have attached the text messages, which is the only communication I have available, to show I tried to reach out the morning of the event and she knew I had been blocked at that point. I've attached a receipt for my payment sent. And I've attached Instagram and Facebook showing when I try to look them up I cannot because I am blocked. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/12/20) */ �Why Most Event's Have a 'NO REFUND' Policy� Every now and again we come across people that book, reserve and pay a time spot(s) for our 2022 BYOC (Bring Your Own Camera) events and something happens last minute and they don't show up and they want their money back. After all, there's no harm in giving someone their money back if they didn't use the product or service they purchased, right? The answer is a little trickier than you may think. Between bookkeeping issues and the nature of our event planning, refunds policies are unacceptable in the event industry. Most of the time, if you don't show up, you don't get your money back. BUT why is that? It sounds sort-of like a scam, right? Believe it or not, there's a good reason that you're not getting back your money once you book, reserve and pay for your time spot. Here's why. 1. A time spot refunded isn't a time spot sold -Let's say you bought a ticket for your favorite show, you're super excited. But when it comes close to the night of the event, you feel sick, and you can't make it. You should be able to get your money back, right? You didn't go to the show, and you still have your ticket to prove it. Well, how is the event organizer supposed to sell a ticket to an event that's already happened? You paid for that seat that the event planner can't sell. Even if you know you can't attend the event beforehand, selling a ticket twice is not easy. If you decide not to go the night of the event, there's no guarantee that the event planner will be able to sell your ticket at the door. And if they do, it can cause additional issues. 2. It would be a bookkeeping nightmare 3. Events are built on attendance -Building an BYOC event require time spots booked. An event coordinator's first priority is creating a wonderful, engaging event. Sure. Not being able to get your money back on an event May sound like a pain. But, there's definitely a reason that you can't. It could cripple the event and drain everyone involved. Always think twice before you book, reserve and pay on BYOC events. You probably won't be getting your money back. Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2022/12/21) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Again, while a no refund policy is understood if I had simply not shown up or been unable to make the event for whatever reason of my own choosing that was not the case here. I was charged money and then blocked from all information, social media, and the event. Further action will be taken to spread awareness or receive a refund. Thank you BBB for trying to assist in this case, unfortunately it seems there can be no agreement through these means of navigating the situation.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩