Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/20/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Place: Laurel Ridge Barn ** ***** ****** **. If anyone is looking for a place to hold an event, stay far away from Laurel Ridge Barn. **** *** ****** ******* ** *** ****** **** *** *** ***** ************ Yes the place is beautiful, yet the people are less than transparent and money-hungry. Everything is nickel-and-dimed. I had no problems with the way my wedding went and didn't have problems with them until they "returned" $****** of my original $****. I had my husband reach out to the company (as I was currently working). He was told that I'd get an invoice for what was deducted. I looked at it and it states I'm deducted for "popcorn cleanup($***), general cleanup($**/hr= $****=***), brides room pillow($***), ***** TV remote($**), labor to replace pillow and remote($***) plus tax(***%) brings the total to $******. The day after the wedding I got an email from LRB about a missing ***** TV remote from the groom's room, I asked all the men if they had any ideas. No one knew of anything, so I said to take the $** out of the security deposit. If they had a problem with a pillow from the bride's room this should've been the time to tell me, but they didn't. I was not aware of any issue with a pillow until I asked why I was deducted and then given the invoice. By the way I got the deposit more than TWO MONTHS after the wedding. So if there was an issue with the pillow it should've been brought to my attention way before now. When I first signed the initial contract on 08/17/2021, I paid the extra $*** for "walk away cleaning". So what exactly is the "walk away cleaning" fee used for if I still have to pay for "general cleanup" and "popcorn cleanup"? No where in the contract did it state that popcorn was an additional $**/hr for cleanup. Photos will be attached with quotes so that they can't say that I embellished or am supplying false information.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/26/2023

  Clients signed contract explains the $** per hour of cleaning that is subtracted from the deposit.
  
  Whether it is from candy, popcorn, etc it would all be charged at $** per hour as contract states.
  
  The pillow was unable to be cleaned and had to be replaced. The missing remote had to be replaced.
  
  All security deposits are 30-60 days.
  
  We are so happy for the newly wed couple.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/28/2023

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  Laurel Ridge Barn has been very vague on the contract as to what the walk away cleaning was for. $*** dollars was paid and yet they still took money from the security deposit about cleaning. We were not aware of the pillow until 2 months after the wedding, after I pried into the reason we didn't get our full amount back minus the $** for the ***** TV remote(which we were aware of). Also Laurel Ridge Barn keeps bringing up the fact that they gave us the deposit back within the time promised (which I wasn't going to bring up) which isn't true. The envelope was stamped days after the 60 day time frame. So that is also another part of the broken contract. It is inappropriate to pay for another addition of cleaning when walk away cleaning was already paid for.
  *** **************** ************************************

  Business Response

  Date: 02/08/2023

  The walk away cleaning handles lines, centerpieces, decor, boxing items, taking out garbage, etc things beyond the tables, chairs, and floors.
  
  The tables, chairs, and floors are part of our normal $** per hour. This is discussed in the final invoice. You even told us your understood the $** per hour prior to the event.
  
  We estimated 30-60 days, this is not a contractual item. We listed this estimate in the final invoice.
  
  We wish you the very best.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/09/2023

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  If that is the case with the Walk away cleaning fee, then that needed to have been disclosed in the contract. The title of the cleaning "Walk Away" implies that the customer does not need to clean up anything. Yet you are saying that only applies to "linens, centerpieces, décor, boxing items, taking out garbage, etc things beyond the tables, chairs, and floors", not other cleaning. That is your responsibility of a company to make sure that your contract reads exactly the way it should. It is inappropriate to leave it vague. You (Laurel Ridge Barn), did have in your contract the 30-60 day obligation of getting back the deposit, so how is it not contractual? If you look on page 7 of the contract it states "The security deposit will be returned within 60 days after the event or when all accounts are settled, whichever is later". If I am correct that is in the contract, making it contractual. Also I would like to know when I "agreed" to the **/hr cleaning fee prior to the reception. I had no problem paying for the $**/hr cleaning fee, but then I would like my $*** back for the walk away cleaning fee as apparently I was already going to pay the $**/hr. This also goes along with the fact that you never told us about the "damaged pillow" until you got caught trying to pull the wool over our eyes. You (Laurel Ridge Barn) should have messaged us (the couple) and told us the pillow was damaged like you did with the ***** tv remote, at that point we would not have had a problem paying for it, although you kept this a secret until after two months after the reception. Which seems like you were trying to find excuses to keep the security deposit. You are wrong and you know it. We appreciate that you wish us the best, but that does not negate the fact that your contract is vague. The way you do business is morally wrong.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/19/2023

  You confirmed you understood the $** per hour. This is noted inside the contract and you initialed you agree to it. ********* has a copy of the contract if you want to see it. Correct "whatever is later" was waiting on the cost to replace the pillow. We are not the party that ruined the pillow. Maybe ask your bridal party who spilled on it?
  
  We also recommend event insurance. Did you you get event insurance with our recommendation? Reason I ask your event insurance may cover for the damage.
  
  Cleaning was notated at $** in your previous email said you understood that. Now you are recanting this.
  
  Inside our contract it discusses this. You initialed you understood this.
  
  In the final invoice it talks about this as well. We cant be more clear than 3 times with two initials.
  
  The missing remote was needed for the next event so this was a priority.
  
  We were trying to save you from having to replace the pillow and we tried many cleaning options.
  
  Again, when an item is damaged this is what the security deposit is for.
  
  This is not uncommon to have damage or missing items. So we deduct this out of the deposit just like the contract states.
  
  We wish you the very best. If you have event insurance like we recommended then we would suggest filing a claim for the missing and damaged items.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/20/2023

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  This "proposed resolution" is no resolution. I will be making this complaint public with all of the following responses from the business. The "whichever is later" for the "ruined pillow", is an unacceptable answer. You had the security deposit for the "ruined pillow" since day one (08/17/21), so what were you waiting for? You just stated "Again, when an item is damaged this is what the security deposit is for", stating that the security deposit is for the "damages", so what were you "waiting for", that you couldn't get the rest of the deposit back to us within 60 days, as stated in your contract? You had the security deposit sent to you on 08/17/21. That does not make sense. Like I said before the walk away cleaning is not what it says it is, you need to put in your contract what you define it as. I never said that you were the ones that "damaged" the pillow, those are your words. I said that you did not notify us of an issue at all about that issue. Your lack of communication has you in this predicament, with not elaborating on what "walk-away cleaning" is along with not notifying the couple about these "damages". Keeping this as a secret is not acceptable, especially if you are deducting from the security deposit. You did not reach out to us and give us an itemized "bill" of what you were deducting, WE had to reach out to you. I don't think you are understanding what was previously stated, I said I had no problem paying the $**/hour of cleaning but I paid for the walk away cleaning under false pretenses (because it was not "walk-away cleaning"). This makes your customers, that did or do plan to pay for the "walk-away cleaning" feel like you are "double dipping" and making them pay for the same thing multiple times. That is false advertising, "False advertisement is untrue or misleading information given to you to get you to buy something, or to come visit their store. Those who make and sell products must honestly present their products, services and prices to you" (False Advertising, April 14, 2011). "When consumers see or hear an advertisement, whether it's on the Internet, radio or television, or anywhere else, federal law says that ad must be truthful, not misleading, and, when appropriate, backed by scientific evidence" (Truth in Advertising, n.d.). I will continue to not accept this "proposed resolution" for as long as I see fit.
  
  Resources:
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  Federal Trade Commission. (n.d.). Truth in Advertising. ********* **** *********************************************************