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:24/07/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  We confirmed the banquet hall booking on May 7 (paid $3000) for July 8, 2023 event (milestone ceremony for our 14 years son), 6:00pm to 1:00am for 200 guest. During the meeting ******* (owner of the business) said hall decoration will be completed by 11:00am and will be available for viewing by 2:00pm on July 8th. Discussed photographer, and my family will be at the hall by 4:30pm to start the preparation and photo shoot as other starts coming at 6:00pm which he agreed. On July 5th we paid the balance $13, 800. When we visited the venue at 2:00pm on July 8th, there was another event happening (clothing and jeweler market), over 300 people selling and buying the stuffs. Organizer said they booked the hall until 8:00pm and will start packing up at 6:00pm. The supervisor said hall will be vacated by 4:30pm and dcor will be done by 5:30pm. When we went back to the hall at 4:45pm, the market was still on and there was no indication when they may leave. Our children went to each vender and begged them to pack up the stuffs. No effort from staffs to vacate the hall causing an hour-long delay to start our event. Children were already distressed and worried because our event might not happen. We were left to clean up garbage off the floor and setting up tables. Disrupted our event schedule and guests were forced wait in the lobby by security. The owner demonstrated a dismissive attitude and threated to close the doors and cancel our event. Some of our guests returned as they could not enter to the venue. Due to delay, photographer could not set-up live cast and our elderly parents and other relatives could not watch the event remotely. Our lifetime event was fully ruined by this business owner. *** ******** *** ***** ******* ******** ****** after the event because they worked hard to plan the event and it was ruined. We were not told the hall was double booked. We met the owners once after the event and we are asking for a full refund and owner is avoiding having a meeting.

  Business Response

  Date: 28/07/2023

  To
  BBB Representative,
  
  First and foremost, we would like to apologize for the unexpected delay in the hall's availability, resulting in a 30-minute delay to the scheduled start time of the event. *** hall was ready by 6:30 PM. We understand the importance of punctuality and the impact it can have on the overall experience of our esteemed clients.
  
  Upon realizing the situation, our team took immediate action to mitigate the impact on the event. We promptly communicated the delay to all relevant parties involved and made every effort to expedite the set-up process while ensuring the quality of the arrangements was not compromised.
  Furthermore, following the event, we met the client the next day, which is July 09, 2023, at ********* ********* located at ******************************** and initiate the compensation process. We engaged in transparent discussions with the client and agreed to a compensation amount which is $7,000.00 that we believed was fair and appropriate considering the inconvenience caused. This compensation was duly paid as per the agreed terms.You can find attached the agreement between our client and ********* ********* ********* *** cheque number for the payment was ****** and dated July 09, 2023.
  We can also provide footage and pictures of the hall with time.
  If you need any further information, please let us know.
  Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in this matter. We look forward to receiving your response at your earliest convenience.
  
  Best regards,
  ********* ********* Banquet Hall ****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 30/07/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I signed the settlement amount $7000 on July 9th with the ********* ********* Banquet Hall (Company); however, my *** *** ******** *** children, and my wife did not agree on the decision, and they are demanding the full refund as the company did not fulfill their business commitment and they **** to us.  
  

  
  The amount of ****** ** ******** *** **** are going through is enormous because of the companys intentional negligence by double booking of the hall (see the vendors advertisement in the attachment) and our program was ruined: we could not do program preparation such as dancing and singing rehearsal, family photo shoot, music, and light testing, setting up the welcome desk at the front etc. We did not organize the event only to eat the food.
  
  Attached see one of the text messages our daughter is sending to my wife and me which shows the level of stress this Company created to my family.
  
  Follow-up meeting was requested, and meeting happened on July 23, 2023, at the ************************* ***** and ******* from the company attended. In the meeting they did not acknowledge their wrongdoing, said they will send an email to their insurance company so that they would be off of the file and it would be the insurance companys responsibilities to deal with us and not theirs duty. My children shared the amount of ****** ****** they are having as they could not organize the event as planned. ***** and ******* left from the meeting, and they sent their bother, ******* to ******** us. ******* told my *** *** ******* *** children that he will be calling the police (see attached) and he was yelling in front of them.
  
  The hall would not be ready before 8:00pm on July 8th if my children and our guests did not rush to clean the garbage and set up majority of the tables (tablecloths, runners, glasses with napkins) ourselves. The company staff did not take any timely action to mitigation the impact. The hall supervisor, *********, was helpless as none of the vendors were listening to him. The owner ******* came to the hall around 5:45pm and he also witnessed the garbage we were cleaning, and he ran into his room after the afternoon event organizer started yelling at him because he was not honest with them either by double booking the hall. When my wife went to talk to him and asked him to come out and talk to the vendors who were refusing to leave, he asked if that event organizer is still at the hall because he *** ****** ** ***.
  
  The hall should be available to us when we arrived at 4:45pm to start the preparation and photo shoot as guests start coming at 6:00pm which could not happen.
  
  No contract and payment receipt were provided though I asked ******* many times (see attached). Cash $7000 was also part of the total payment; no receipts provided.
  
  The company never informed my family and I that another event was taking place in the same hall right until 6:00pm, otherwise we would have never booked this hall for our well-prepared event for our son.
  
  I am asking the Company to provide the video footage from 4:45pm to 7:00pm of July 8th to Better Business Bureau so the Bureau can independently assess the situation.
  
  This company did not follow the service protocol to the customer. They **** to the vendors and to us as well. Can they justify how they would make the hall ready and give to us when the other event organizer was booked the hall until 6:00pm? The company did not give us the written contract and invoices after I made the payment. All payments were made before July 8th event. I am questioning, isn't this the violation of the business regulation and licensing policies in BC? 
  
  My children and wife are asking for a full refund. In this case the company also should be liable to pay the additional ************ *** ** *** ****** ****** this company intentionally created to my family. Total payment made was $16000 ($7000 cash, $3000 e-transfer, and $6800 cheque). Company paid us $7000. We are asking for the remaining $9800 refund. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Business Response

  Date: 21/08/2023

  After carefully reviewing your message, we'd like to provide our response.
  We understand that your family's experience at the event did not meet your expectations, and for that, we apologize. Our intention is to provide a seamless and enjoyable event experience for all our clients, and we're truly sorry for any inconveniences that occurred.

  Regarding your concern about double booking, we acknowledge that there was an unfortunate scheduling error that led to the conflict. We deeply regret this oversight and the impact it had on your event.
  

  Regarding the dance practice and as we can see in the footage that some of your guests are doing practice on stage, please see attached image.
  
  Regarding the refund, Client has already received a refund of $7,000 as agreed upon. This amount was issued in acknowledgment of the issues you faced during the event after the agreement of both parties. While we empathize with the distress your family experienced, we believe that the $7,000 refund is in line with the compensation for the challenges that occurred. We're unable to accommodate a further refund.
  

  We are committed to addressing your concerns and improving our services. We value your feedback as it helps us enhance the experiences of all our clients.
  Once again, we apologize for the inconvenience caused and appreciate your understanding. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you better in the future.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 27/08/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  As mentioned in my last response,this company did not follow the service protocol and double booked the hall. It was not simply a scheduling error; they were aware about the double booking and they even told the daytime vendor that the hall was booked for the evening but they could have their time as scheduled. We even came to know from the daytime vendor that the company told them that a ******* ****** was having a wedding reception in the evening of that day and that they would not be punctual so the vendors could take their time until 8:00pm, which was a complete lie. We do not have any ******* heritage. Moreover, how could they easily be so offensive and ****** to another race by making stereotypical assumptions like that?
  

  I and my family are again asking to address the following and resolve this complain without further delay:

  The company to provide complete CCTV video footage without any modifications at least from 4:45pm to 7:00pm of July 8th to Better Business Bureau (BBB) so the Bureau can independently assess the situation and come up with a resolution. The hall would not be ready before 8:00pm on July 8th if my children and our guests did not rush to clean the garbage and set up majority of the tables (tablecloths, runners, glasses with napkins) ourselves, as can be seen in the video footage. In their response on July 28th, the company agreed to provide the video footage of the hall with real time, why this has not been followed yet?

  Does this company not feel ashamed claiming our guests were practicing on the stage after 6:00pm? We confirmed the banquet hall booking on May 7th,and during the meeting ******* (owner of the business) said hall decorations would be completed by 11:00am and will be available for viewing by 2:00pm on July 8th. I told ******* that my family, relatives and our photo/videographers would be at the hall by 4:30pm to start the preparation, photo shoot,conversation with the *** and the full dance practices with music as other guests start coming at 6:00pm which he agreed.

  The company did not give us the written contract and invoices after I made the payment. All payments were made before the event on July 8th. I am questioning, isn't this a violation of the business regulation and licensing policies in BC? This company failed to issue the payment confirmation to the customer. I asked them to issue the payment invoice before July 8th event which they ignored.

  BBB can review the feedback of what our guests experienced on the July 8th event on the companys ****** review page. We have many guests willing to voluntarily talk to the BBB representatives to share their experience about this company and what they witnessed on July 8th.

  The company called a meeting with my family at their Richmond location on July 23, 2023. During the meeting my children shared the amount of ****** ****** they are having as they could not organize the event as planned. ***** and ******* left from the meeting, and they sent their bother, ******* to ******** us. ******* told my *** *** *********** children that he will be calling the police (document provided in my previous correspondence)and he was yelling in front of them. When my wife approached him to ask why he was ********ing to my children, he started filming my wife without asking her permission. The company intentionally tried to ******** to my family so we would stop taking further actions about their wrongdoing on July 8th.

  My wife and children are still in ****** cased by this companys planned negligence because they worked hard to plan the event and it was ruined. As mentioned in my previous response, my children and my wife did not agree on the decision, and they are demanding the full refund as the company did not fulfill their business commitment and they **** to us. The company did this double booking intentionally and purposefully neglected the issue for their financial gain by double booking the hall and ruining our event. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************