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:02/20/2025

  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.

  I booked a charter with a couple other guests and 2 hours before showing up they canceled because of inclement weather. We no longer want to do business with this company, seeking refund.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/23/2025

  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  Subject: Response to Complaint Regarding *********** Day Cruise Cancellation
  I hope this letter finds you in good health. I am writing to formally address the complaint submitted by one of our customers concerning the cancellation of our Valentines Day cruise on February 15, 2025, due to severe fog. As the captain and representative of Lanier Boat Charter, I wish to provide a thorough account of the events that led to the cancellation and address the customers request for a full refund.
  On February 15, 2025, our highly anticipated Valentines Day cruise was scheduled to depart in the evening. Unfortunately, about two to three hours before the event, a sudden and dense fog began to move in from the south end of the lake, significantly reducing visibility to less than a quarter mile by 2:30 PM. As the captain responsible for the safety of our passengers, I made the difficult but necessary decision to cancel the cruise for that evening. This decision was made with the utmost concern for the well-being and safety of all guests and crew on board.
  Our company has a clear and consistently communicated inclement weather policy that states we will provide guests with a raincheck,not a refund, in the event of cancellations due to weather conditions. This policy is prominently displayed in multiple locations during the booking process:
  1. **Above the Description of the Outing (See Figure 1)**:Our policy concerning inclement weather is clearly explained directly above the description of the cruise. Guests are informed that in the event of bad weather, we will issue a raincheck for a future date rather than a refund.
  2. **End of the Webpage for Valentines Offering (See Figure 2)**: Additional details regarding cancellations and inclement weather are provided at the bottom of the webpage specifically designed for our Valentines cruise offering. This section reiterates our raincheck policy.
  
  3. **During the Purchase Process (See Figure 3)**: When guests enter their credit card information to finalize their purchase, they encounter a third iteration of our inclement weather policy. This ensures that they are fully aware of the terms and conditions before completing their transaction.
  Additionally, once a guest makes their purchase, they automatically receive a confirmation email that includes our standard inclement weather policy. This serves as an extra reminder of the terms and conditions they agreed to upon booking (See Figure 4).
  On February 14, 2025, one day before the event, we sent out a communication to all guests, informing them that we were closely monitoring the weather conditions and that there was no immediate threat, with only a 24%chance of rain. This email also reiterated our cancellation and inclement weather policies.
  On the day of the event, despite the initial optimistic weather forecast, conditions changed rapidly. While our staff was preparing for the eventsetting up food, chilling champagne and sparkling cider, and adding final touches to the boatthe fog began to envelop the lake. By 2:15 PM, the fog had become noticeably thick, and by 2:30 PM, visibility had decreased to less than a quarter mile, making it unsafe to proceed with the cruise.
  Recognizing the potential dangers posed by the reduced visibility, we promptly sent out text messages and emails to all guests,informing them of the cancellation and reiterating our raincheck policy. We deeply regret any inconvenience caused by this unavoidable decision, but the safety of our passengers and crew is always our top priority. Please note that we acted promptly to address the safety hazard in hopes that our guests would not incur additional travel expenses. However, if they were in the vicinity, we invited them to come on board for champagne and treats to see that the boat was fully prepared for the outing.
  In the complaint filed with the Better Business Bureau, the customer expressed dissatisfaction with receiving a raincheck and demanded a full refund. We understand the disappointment that comes with the cancellation of a highly anticipated event; however, our policy is designed to handle such situations fairly and transparently when events are canceled due to conditions beyond our control that impact the safety of our guests. The use of rainchecks is considered a best business practice by outdoor venues and attractions. The raincheck allows guests to return and enjoy the experience they originally booked on a future date when weather conditions are more favorable or to book one of our other popular outings available throughout the year. Our rainchecks have no expiration, are transferable so they may be given as a gift, and they mitigate losses beyond our investment, ensuring that Lanier Boat Charter can continue to operate for future events.
  As a retired governance, risk, and compliance consultant to the Fortune 100 for 25 years, I apply the recommendations I would make to a Fortune 100 company to my own organization, which includes the consistent application of our well-communicated policies. This way, we treat all guests equally with respect and eliminate concerns of conflicts of interest,favoritism, harassment, and discriminationissues that many small businesses like ours contend with due to inconsistent practices.
  We take all customer complaints seriously and strive to address them in a fair and respectful manner. However, as previously mentioned,we must adhere to the policies and terms that were clearly communicated and agreed upon at the time of purchase. In this case, our policy regarding inclement weather was made explicitly clear to the guest multiple times throughout the booking process and in subsequent communications. We have taken multiple steps to resolve or come to an agreement, but we are at a stalemate.Activities to Date
  1.  Engaged in a 30-minute telephone conversation on 2/17/2025.  During the course of the discussion
       1.1.We informed the guest that their upgrade (gift basket), was reimbursed since those items were returnable.
            1.2.I was informed that if I did not cooperate with a refund then the following actions would occur:
                 1.2.1.A claim would be filed with his bank to reverse the charges.
                 1.2.2.A report would be filed with the BBB, which is why we are taking the time to respond to our first complaint in our nine years of operation.
                 1.2.3.He and the other guests would never use our services in the future.
            1.3.These threats meant to intimidate made the call counterproductive, rather than continue to engage,  I informed the guest I needed to speak with the other guests and I would arrive at a response the following day.
  

  2.  On 2/18/2025, I spoke with the guest that had organized a group to attend this event from a local church that included the individual that is the subject of this response who was calling to inform me that their group was unable to make it to the rescheduled event and we agreed that he would work with the other members of this group to provide me a date I could take them out on a private outing.
  

  3.  On 2/18/2025, I refunded the upgraded portion of the guests reservation, a gift basket priced at about $90 as those items were able to be returned.  I sent a communication via email informing the guest of my decision to follow through and provided a raincheck which was attached to the email correspondence (see Figure 5)

  4.  On 2/19/2025, I received 2 back-to-back phone calls from the guest and texted them I was in meetings til 5PM and would call shortly thereafter.  I returned the guests call at about 7PM and left a message for them to contact me on my personal line as I had just dropped my work phone in the lake between 5 and 7
  

  5.  On 2/20/2025 I received a very **** email accusing me of blocking his phone and further informing me he had no time to deal with this situation.
  

  The following email I received was the notification from the Better Business Bureau regarding this complaint.  I determined I would discontinue any direct communication with this individual and finalize this topic in this public forum.
  

  In conclusion, my decision to apply our inclement weather policy to provide a raincheck to guests when their event is cancelled due to circumstances out of our control stands.  The purchaser of the ticket agreed to our terms, including this policy, that was displayed 3 times before the purchase occurred, and a 4th time with the receipt of the ticket via email.  We have gone to great strides to immediately reschedule the event, which all originally scheduled guests attended on 2/22/2025 except for the 6 individuals from this church.  We have even offered to take this group out privately at no additional cost. 

  
  Thank you for bringing this guests concern to our attention,and please feel free to contact us if you require any further information or have any additional questions.
  Sincerely,
  Cpt ****** J **********
  Owner, Lanier Boat Charters LLC
  ************