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:05/01/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  Mr. ********************** was contracted and money paid in the amount totally $5103 beginning December 19th, 2022 and final payment on April 7, 2023 to cater my engagement reception. On April 20, 2023 (two days prior to the event) contacted me saying he did not have the proper licensing to cater my event being held on April 22, 2023. For five months Mr. **********************, the venue, and me worked together to plan this event. Mr. ********************** failed to ensure he had proper licensing to cater this event and upon realizing he was not going to be able to obtain the proper licensing became difficult to reach via phone or email. Mr. ********************** has repeatedly admitted his mistakes and naivety on the required licensing and has apologized for the inconvenience, however, Mr. ********************** is refusing to refund the $5103 in payment for services he never rendered. Additionally, Mr. ********************** stated he was going to loose money since he was no longer catering my event, however, I have proof Mr. ********************** cooked for another event the night he was contracted for my reception.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/09/2023

  Hello, **** (Client) contact me in December 2023 about her April event. I was told the Venue needing insurance and a sanitation certificate which I have. We continued to communicate over months until the event week about menus and payments, a non refundable deposit was put down. The client (****) did s final walk through of her venue on April 20th and sent me an email after stating I need now THREE things, insurance, the certificate, and a cater license. I immediately responded by email saying I do not have a license and that this was the first I heard of it. Out of all the documents submitted by **** she has yet to produced a document thats dated before April 20th that states she is asking for licensing for her venue. After I found out two days prior I did attempt to see if I could expedite a licensing but that didnt work, since this incident **** has provided all of my personal information to her family and friends to ****** my business, attract my race, sexuality, and character and I have proof of all the messages. ***** neglect of telling me about the licensing is whats caused me to not be able to work her event. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/09/2023

   
  Complaint: 19995330
  
  I am rejecting this response because: A "non-refundable deposit" is used to protect the business (Mr. *********************** from losing money should I, the consumer, cancel, however, Mr. ********************** was the one that actually canceled, telling me to "yes, secure plan B". Additionally, my original "deposit" of $2,441.10 on December 19, 2022 would be the payment in question. The "final payment" made on April 7, 2023 for $2,733 has yet to be returned. Regardless of a deposit (in question), there are $2,733 that Mr. ********************** received for services he never provided per our contract. Please see original documents. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****************************;

  Business Response

  Date: 05/10/2023

  There are multiple problems with this respond, yes the balance ultimately was paid and I attempted numerous times to offer a partial refund however it was rejected by ****. I absolutely worked another job that was booked last minute after I was told I could not work ***** due to the licensing confusion I will ask again for her to provide proof of me knowing I needed a LICENSE before 2 days prior to her event. I was offering a partial refund up until less then 24 hours after offering she and her fan base go on a rampage of slander on my business on ********* linked in, instagram, contacting thumbtack (I have proof) which she is not even affiliated with so now when I factor in the amount of business she has cost me instead of coming to a professional common ground I am not comfortable with any settle out side of a court where I will be asking for compensation for slander on my business. **** has not attempted to contact me since her last demanding and disrespectful email I have not received any calls or communications out side of her multiple friends she has provided my personal information to to harass me. This situation is unfortunate and I have remained apologetic and sympathetic and offered in every communication to help resolve it however she is not flexible in taking part ownership in her lack of communication. I also have proof of these things that my lawyer will publish when needed. 
  

  once my race, sexuality, and charter was attacked I chose not to respond to her any longer and I have proof of the disgusting nothings stated from **** and her friends. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/12/2023

   
  Complaint: 19995330
  
  I am rejecting this response because: It is untrue and contains numerous falsehoods.  Mr. ********************** has fabricated self-serving explanations that are untrue and continues to be untruthful and avoidant. From the inception of the contract, the venue was known to Mr. *********************** He was in contact with the *************************************** at all times held himself out as a "Caterer" operating in the ***************. Mr. ********************** entered into a contract to perform catering at the Venue ** the ***************. It was thus Mr. **********************'s obligation to know and abide by any Legal Requirements in place to perform the services he was contractually obligated to perform in the ***************.  I have (since my unfortunate experience with Mr. **********************) been informed that the *************** has mandated licenses for catering at venues for at least a decade.  But Mr. ********************** did not hire ME to find out what he was legally required to possess to perform his services, I hired HIM to perform his services based on his representations that he was experienced in performing such services in *******.   When the venue asked for customary proof of the legally obligated licensing paperwork, Mr. ********************** failed to provide it.   He later admitted, after the fact, he never has had a catering license, and that he usually avoids gigs/venues seeking to enforce the law.  That admission from him came too late to help me, I had already paid him in full and was on the eve of my event.  It seems to me that this information would be pertinent to the BBB and the reason why the BBB exists.  
  
  
  The only obligation under the contract for me to perform was payment in full, which I performed.  Mr. ********************** did not perform a single obligation on his side under the contract, despite taking full payment.   I am not the one "avoiding" a refund.  Mr. ********************** is avoiding contact with me and refusing to make a refund, despite acknowledging his fault.  Given no services were performed and Mr. ********************** is in breach of the contract, a FULL refund is owed by him, and he is further liable for incidental expenses from the replacement caterer hired to do the job he didn't do.  Mr. ********************** himself authorized (by text message) for me to go ahead and engage a replacement caterer.  Per the multiple emails and texts messages, Mr. ********************** began avoiding payment of any amount of money once he realized he did not have proper licensing. The day prior to my event, Mr. ********************** stated he was out of town and would be unable to make it to the bank until the next day sometime after 12pm. There has never been an attempt to set up a return payment despite the fact that  Mr. ********************** has my Venmo information as that is how he was paid. If he was truthful about his multiple attempts to pay me a partial refund,  I challenge Mr. ********************** to provide documentation evidencing these "multiple attempts" to the BBB.  Since he never did, that documentation doesn't exist (just like his non-existent catering license).    Furthermore, if Mr. ********************** genuinely wanted to do the right thing, he would have put any considered refund back into my Venmo, which he has access to, without need for further communication with me.  In short - the response filed by Mr. ********************** in every shape and form is untruthful, unsupported by any evidence, and in fact contradicted by his own recorded admissions in text and email.  Mr. ********************** has taken no steps to resolve this matter, and rather his response slings mud at me and my partner and our character.   My spouse is a proud Black woman and WE are part of the ***** community as two married women.  As such we certainly do not engage in disparaging persons based on race or sexual orientation.  I therefore refuse to engage with Mr. **********************'s spurilous and untrue allegations in the Response on the topics of race and sexual orientation, which are obviously intended to hurt me and my partner, and are not presented in the spirit of resolveing this dispute.   
  
  
  I consider that this complaint is unresolved, and would kindly request the BBB to advise me of the next steps needed to pursue this matter.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************