Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/08/2025

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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.

  Dear Sir/Madam, I am filing a formal complaint to report online fraud by the surrogacy company Await LLC (*** ******** ** ***** ** Greenville, SC 29601; Phone: ************* Website:, owned by Casey B***** On August 25, 2022, I wired $7,000 as a non-refundable deposit based on their promise to match me with a gestational carrier. Despite their assurances, they failed to fulfill this promise and rejected my refund request after the prolonged contract expired. Await LLC engaged in deceptive practices, including: Unrealistic Claims: Their website features fabricated success stories to lure clients. Unusually Low Fees: They quoted $15,000, well below the industry standard of $30,000+. High-Pressure Sales Tactics: They demanded a $7,000 upfront payment to view surrogate profiles. False Guarantees: Promised quick matches and numerous carriers, which were untrue. Unqualified Candidates: Offered profiles of unsuitable candidates, including one with a history of STDs. Blame Shifting: Required explanations for rejecting matches and manipulated timelines to avoid refunds. When I later requested a refund, Casey B**** misrepresented the contract duration and delayed resolution. On December 20, 2024, she outright refused the refund. Their actions demonstrate predatory behavior, exploiting emotionally vulnerable individuals while failing to honor commitments. This company profits by collecting large deposits without delivering promised services, violating ethical and legal standards. I request a thorough investigation and assistance in recovering my $7,000. I have preserved evidence (emails, texts, recordings) and am prepared to provide further information. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, ******** ** ****

  Business Response

  Date: 01/08/2025

  There has been no fraud. We do charge lower than most agencies, which has been part of our success. At the time ******** signed the contract, the first fee was $7,000. That was explained to her very clearly and guided by the contract. All of these fees are non-refundable, as explained in the contract. All of our website content is 100% authentic from real clients. We presented ******** 81 surrogate options during her active time with us. All of which were within ASRM and SEED ethics guidelines. Those are the two ethical organizations that guide surrogacy ethics. Most of these 81 surrogates are either matched, pregnant, or have delivered babies at this time. None of these surrogates have been denied by fertility clinic physicians, negating the accusation of "unsuitable candidates." We do require some explanations as far as rejecting 81 suitable options. At that point it seemed like she was not seriously pursuing surrogacy, as we have never had any intended parents refuse that many suitable options. It is also important to note that her multiple on-hold periods-- totaling over a year-- significantly impacted the overall timeline of her journey. Despite these pauses, our team remained committed to supporting her when she returned to active status. The contract that she attached explains that the fee covers one year of active time as a client. As previously stated, she was presented with 81 suitable options during that time, and refused to meet with a single one of them. As any good agency should do, we followed up with her to ask what questions she had. Instead of being reasonable, she now accuses us of blame shifting and timeline manipulation. The contract she attached also addresses all funds as non-refundable and states that there is no guarantee of a baby, as we cannot control everything. ******** initially with Await on 8/25/2022 and was active until 2/25/23 (6 months active). She then went on hold from 2/25/23-9/29/23. She was back on the active status until she again went on hold 11/7/23 (1.5 months active). She was on hold from then until 3/18/24, when she went back on active status. She was active until she requested a refund on 12/20/24 ( 9 months active). That totals 16.5 months active time. Our contract specifies that the initial fee is good for 1 year (12 months). The contract states that after one year, if not matched, you must pay a new fee to continue. We did not require ******** to pay this fee and allowed her to remain active, continuing to present her with suitable options. We were trying to be understanding of her needs and generous with our services. I mentioned when she signed the contract, over two years ago, and she has accused us of altering time lines. That is obviously a false statement. Nothing we have done is fraudulent or unethical. Again, we are members of the SEEDS ethics committee and follow ASRM guidelines. As we have explained to ********* the fee was non-refundable over two years ago when she signed. We presented her with 81 options during 16.5 months of active time, which is actually quite impressive. 

  Best, 

  Casey

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/08/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ******** and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. 

  Reply: You charged $7,000 as a non-refundable agency fee upfront, unlike other surrogacy agencies that charge fees only after a successful match and then begin the customized work for each client. I didn’t even receive the initial service or start step one, making your justification for this fee baseless.

  While you claim the fee was clearly outlined in the contract, your deceptive practices—promising quick matches, guaranteeing many suitable candidates, and quoting an unusually low fee—are classic bait-and-switch tactics designed to exploit vulnerable clients.
  

  You pressured me to accept a surrogate with a history of ********* and ********, my doctor firmly rejected after the consultation. Claiming to have presented "81 surrogate options" is both misleading and fraudulent. Many profiles were simultaneously shown to other clients as well, and there’s no way to verify the authenticity of these profiles. Some were even delayed by months before being sent to me, further exposing your inability to deliver on promises.
  

  Presenting unqualified candidates and applying pressure violated the trust inherent in your role and raised serious ethical concerns. Shifting responsibility onto clients only deepens distrust, especially when your repeated failures prevented a qualified match despite my willingness to accept every profile and the ample time given for you to fulfill your contractual obligations.
  

  Your deflection highlights your inability to meet contractual expectations. Your practices are unethical and betray the trust and high hope that clients place in your agency, 

  Business Response

  Date: 01/09/2025

  YOU signed a contract that explained the terms of the agreement. YOU signed with the understanding that the money was non-refundable. YOU chose to go with our agency. YOU voluntarily agreed to the terms by signing and hiring us. YOU did all of this almost 2.5 years ago and now have a problem. Again, YOU chose when to go on hold. YOU chose not to respond to all of the surrogates we sent out. 

  As far as being "pressured." It?s our job to recommend surrogates and encourage you to match. That?s was you hired us for. If we didn't say anything to you, you would complain that we didn't do enough. 

  We have not done anything deceptive, in fact we have been nothing but transparent. You stated "while you claim the fee was clearly outlined in the contract." I looked back at your contract and in section 3. a. 1. it says: 

  First Installment: $7,000 flat fee paid upon an approval of your application to become an active client with Await Surrogacy, L.L.C. This fee is non-refundable should the Intended Parent(s) decide to no longer pursue surrogacy.   

  I?m not sure how that could be any more clear or how you could misunderstand that, calling it "deceptive." 

  I also reviewed all of the times we have emailed you during your time with us. 91 emails. 81 of those presented possible surrogates. You can say all the same things in all the different ways that you would like, but your perception is not the reality of the situation. We have numerous families sitting at home with their babies, some more than one, because of the stellar service we provided them. We offered you the same level of service and you did nothing to make yourself successful. 

  I also looked back at text messages from you when you first became our client. You were obviously not disgruntled. Your previous text messages contradict the current baseless accusations. You were not pressured, coerced, manipulated or otherwise. Here are some examples of the texts you sent. I copied and pasted them below:

  Wonderful, let's get the journey started!

  The bank transfer was made. Please let me know once you received the fund. Please keep me posted for any updates.

  I absolutely love it! Everything is perfect. Greatest thanks to you and your team.. Im looking forward to work with someone who is willing to help soon.

  Thanks,

  Casey

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/12/2025

  Your response is nothing but an attempt to deflect responsibility for your failure to fulfill your contractual obligations. While you insist that I signed the contract with full understanding, the fact is that you knowingly exploited vulnerable clients through manipulative and deceptive practices. Charging an upfront, non-refundable fee for a service that was never provided is unethical and amounts to fraud.

  I was promised multiple suitable matches, yet none were ever provided, and the few candidates you presented were either unsuitable or outright rejected by my doctor. You pressured me to consider candidates with a history of ********* and ********* which was not only irresponsible but downright negligent on your part.

  Your attempts to shift blame onto me for the delays or pauses in my process fail to acknowledge that these decisions were made due to your incompetence and lack of professionalism. It was your inability to deliver a qualified surrogate that led to my distrust and frustration. And to now say that it’s my fault for not accepting every profile you sent is both misleading and dishonest. You failed to provide the service you promised, and you are now resorting to shifting blame onto me to cover up your incompetence.

  Your claim that the fee was "clearly outlined" in the contract doesn't change the fact that your actions were deceptive. The contract did not justify the gross negligence I experienced, nor the lack of transparency in the surrogacy process. You charged a steep, non-refundable fee upfront with no real intent to fulfill your promises or meet the contractual obligations. The fact that you presented “81 surrogates” that were unsuitable, delayed for months, and no way to proof for the authenticity of the profile. Your actions demonstrate not only a lack of professionalism but a clear disregard for the ethical standards you claim to uphold.

  The text messages you referenced are irrelevant to the reality of the situation. Initially, I was hopeful, but as your failures mounted and my trust in you dissolved, the situation became untenable. Your attempt to use these early, positive messages as proof of your integrity is a feeble defense at best. You are simply trying to cover up your shortcomings and manipulate the narrative to make it seem like I was the problem when, in fact, your agency was the one that repeatedly failed to deliver.

  Your argument that other families had successful outcomes is irrelevant to my case, I hold high doubt in the authenticity, and it didn't provide any proof in my case. You claim "stellar service," yet your handling of my journey shows anything but. Collecting a $7,000 fee while failing to provide a single viable match is unethical and unprofessional. Your agency's practices demonstrate a clear breach of trust and accountability.
  
  
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/03/2024

  Type:Order 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 signed a surrogacy agreement with this agency. The agency breached the contract in a number of ways: they booked travel/lodging accommodations without our knowledge/consent and they set us up for psychological evaluations with a provider who was untrained/unlicensed to do so. They paid this provider without discussing said fees with us and/or getting our authorization. The surrogate they matched us with is now getting divorced. The agency notified us via text of this on 05 15 2024. The agency has not matched us with another surrogate because the owner of the company fees "bullied" and "threatened" by me/us for bringing to their attention the breach of contract matters. We paid the agency: 10/09/2023 7,000.00 03/15/2024 8,600.00 We paid ***** ***** ********* ******* 04/11/2024 4,500.00 We paid ********* ****** *******: 05/07/2024 15,450.00 We want Await Surrogacy to reimburse us for these expenses given their breach of the contract.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/03/2024

  Hello *** ******* 
  
  
  I am responding to your accusations of a breeched contract. You said we booked accommodations without your consent for a surrogate. If you refer to section 3. f., it states “Await Surrogacy will direct ********* ****** to disburse funds according to the Gestational Carrier Agreement” In section 3.,I, ii&iii it says “the Surrogate will need to be reimbursed for all pregnancy and surrogacy expenses incurred during the process, including but NOT LIMITED TO: Medical Costs, Counseling Services, Travel Expenses, and Maternity clothes” It also specifies that “depending on the circumstances” and also gives example “NOT LIMITED TO.” 
  
  
  I know you are going to say that you never signed the gestational carrier agreement so we never should have booked travel. We already had a conversation with you directly about this and you stated that you understood and ultimately agreed that we should not bring it up and that you would not bring it up to the surrogate. The surrogate later informed us that she would no longer be pursuing surrogacy due to her getting divorced. We had no way of knowing this was going to happen and adequately cleared her mentally and medically as dictated by the contract. We try to be a step ahead to help lessen the burden of your journey, such as booking things so that you don?t have to. We also specify, as shown above that we will submit things to **** ***** ****** and they will reimbursed to us. This is all covered in the contract that you signed and that we discussed on your initial call and follow up call. We will refund you the money that was paid for travel for the travel companion in the amount of approximately $800. I will have the exact amount documented and sent to you by the end of the week. However, we did cover this information on numerous occasions, laid out in the expense estimation sheet. It is called an estimation because it is not set in stone. 
  
  
  As for your complaint of the psychological Evaluation: Section 3. g. States “Psychological evaluations will be performed on the Intended Parent(s), the Surrogate (and her partner if applicable), and a group evaluation if required by the fertility clinic. All parties are required to use the mental health professional recommended by Await Surrogacy.” The provider that did your mental health evaluation is, as specified, a “mental health professional.” 
  
  
  As far as rematching you, we have been working on it. As of this complaint, you gave us two weeks to do so and then recklessly stated that the agency has not rematched you. If you refer to section 3.d. it states that if a match fails, the second installment will roll over toward any other matches during the term of this agreement (1 year). 
  
  
  Before you went to Iceland I told you that I would rematch you, but did not want to present profiles to you until we could have a phone call and clarify some things. I spoke to *** ***** (the mental health professional) and she agreed to rollover your fees, which is not her typical practice. I spoke to the Surrogate and she even said she would try to reimburse you since she was backing out. I informed you of all of this prior to you leaving. At that time, you asked how soon you could rematch. I did not contact you while you were on your trip, as I was trying to remain professional. The night you returned, you made this complaint. This is extremely conflicting to what you had said before you left. 
  
  
  The fact that you continue to make false accusations regarding our service, which is all within contract, as is clearly shown above, is where you have exemplified “bullying and threatening behavior.” 
  
  
  Furthermore, if you refer to section 3. c. In the contract it states “Any/all fees paid to Await Surrogacy, L.L.C are NON-REFUNDABLE.” It also states, “IP?s (Intended Parents) agree to pay the fees due and understands they are non-refundable for any reason.” 
  
  
  As far as the other companies outside Await Surrogacy go, that is not in our control and is between you and those companies. Given the fact that you have stated you wanted a refund and have complained to the better business bureau, we understand that you no longer want to work with us. We wish you the best of luck.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/04/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. 
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, Please let us know below why you are rejecting the offer made by the business.]
  

  So you are clearly breaching the contract by not providing us new profiles and attempting to rematch us.

  We have not stated in any form of communication us not wanting to work with your agency per our signed contract.

  Please let us know when we can expect new profiles.

  Thank you.

  Regards,
  
  ******* ******

  Business Response

  Date: 06/04/2024

  Ok, so I?m slightly confused. Maybe you can help me clarify. On 5/22/24 you were disgruntled about the travel expenses that you are contracted to cover. I have since agreed to refund you the expenses related to the partner travel on the trip, even though we addressed that via zoom several times, and is common courtesy to the woman planning on carrying your child. On 5/23 you left the country on a trip with your wife and retuned on 6/3/24.The same evening you returned, you filed a complaint here with the better business bureau requesting refunds for all services and now you want to continue being our client. Does that mean your request for a refund is void at this point? Which would leave this entire complaint a waste of time. As I?ve explained numerous times, there is no breech of contract because we haven?t sent a profile in two weeks. We are well within our contracted agreement. I did not want to bother you while you were out of the country. I also wanted to speak with you about your disgruntlement before we continued. I know when you had previously gone on hold because your wife said she did not want to be any part of this journey and you were getting divorced, you acted somewhat similar. Due to this I wanted to clear up some of the misunderstandings you seem to have about how the process works. Not even given the opportunity to do so, you file a complaint and stated that you want a refund and us to pay for services you received from other companies. Now our response to the complaint is not satisfactory and you are still demanding to see profiles. Please clarify what you would like at this point.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/05/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. 

  There should be no confusion.

  Await breached the contract related to the travel expenses. We were to book the travel and/or be notified and approve the travel expenses. Neither occurred.

  We did not sign any documents related to expenses (psychological evaluation costs or any gestational screening fees).

  You texted us on 05 15 2024 asking us to call. We did. You could not talk. Your daughter fell.

  You and I spoke 05 16 2024. You said on 05 17 2024 you would send us new profiles. As you were on a school field trip. This never occurred. Still has not occurred.

  We did not leave until 05 24 2024 and we returned 06 03 2024.

  There was ample time for you to send us profiles.

  You can decide what occurs next. Either we are sent new profiles or you provide us a full refund.

  Please let us know what you decide.

  This is not about your feelings. It is about contractual obligations.

  You make interpretations that we are no longer interested in working with your agency. How can you do so? We never communicated that in any shape or form.

  Thank you and let us know how you want to proceed.

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, Please let us know below why you are rejecting the offer made by the business.]
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ******

  Business Response

  Date: 06/07/2024

  I have clearly laid out the contract for you and Await has in no way breeched the contract. You signed the contract agreeing to the terms of reimbursement for travel and all fees ("not limited too") those that were mentioned. 

  When you ask someone for a refund that means you no longer want the product, so that seems to be obvious that you would not want to continue. However, your last correspondence through this platform you stated "You can decide what occurs next. Either we are sent new profiles or you provide us a full refund." So this now means you want profiles and no refund. We are happy to oblige and send you profiles. Just so we are clear....this complaint will be closed and satisfied once you receive profiles? 

  You mentioned "ample time" to send you profiles. There is absolutely no contractual agreement or timeline for profiles. Your definition of "ample" may differ, but there is no timeline guaranteed anywhere in the contract. 

  Thanks,
  Casey

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/10/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. 

  No it will not be closed.

  Either you offer us a full refund (are you willing to do that)?

  Or you send us new profiles.

  Which do you prefer?

  We signed no contract stating you can disburse any fees/expenses without our knowledge/permission (which you did on several occasions) and admit to in these threads (even offering reimbursements for travel).

  Please advise on which of the above you are willing to do?

  Issue a full refund and/or provide new profiles.

  We will then decide which route we want to take.

  We will await your response.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, Please let us know below why you are rejecting the offer made by the business.]
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ******

  Business Response

  Date: 06/10/2024

  Hello. As we’ve explained numerous times, you signed a contract and we in no way have breeched that contract. You say that we didn’t have permission to disburse funds but we do, because you signed a contract that says you are legally responsible to cover expenses of the surrogate. We also explained this in length on our zoom calls. That is why you set up an escrow account. You have complete access to that account which you are also aware of. We maintain transparency in every transaction we do. We do not just get money out of the account. Escrow has an entire team that reviews all things before disbursing funds. We do that to protect you. We initially offered to reimburse the travel expense, in an effort to resolve your disgruntlement. We are not obligated to refund you anything, as per the contract. You however, are obligated to pay all these fees. That is also covered in the contract, when it says “not limited to.” That means that you are responsible for all fees relating to the surrogate in regards to surrogacy. You obviously have knowledge of all these occurrences because you willingly agreed to these terms and proceeded to set up the escrow account, also paying escrow for the creation of your account. You initially requested a refund when you and your wife were pursuing divorce. At that time, we explained to you that the funds were not refundable. Now, you continue to make false accusations and have opened this complaint in an effort to bully us into a refund. You began this by asking for a refund. When you request, or demand, a full refund for a product, that indicates that you no longer want that product. You seemed surprised by that concept. You stated you wanted a refund or for us to send you profiles. Given that your words have been contradictory, we tried to clarify what you wanted and asked if we sent profiles would that appease you and satisfy your complaint. You have answered that it will not satisfy the complaint. You said “Issue a full refund and/or provide new profiles. We will then decide which route we want to take.” This statement is extortion. Stating that we must follow your demands and you will then “see” what you want to do. That is not how this works. At this point, you have rejected all solutions and continue to argue. It appears that you do not actually want a reasonable resolution but that you would rather continue to this course of complaint. We have maintained transparency through this entire process, despite your coercive demands. Our surrogates are precious and deserve to be cared for. After all, they are giving others the gift of life. We cannot trust that you will ever close the complaint or do anything that is required, since you have held this over our head in such a manner. How could we trust that you will meet your financial obligations for any future surrogates? 
  
  
  Best, 
  Josh B***** RN
  Director of Operations

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/11/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. 

  We never even funded the escrow (we received no emails/communications from them). Until Casey mentioned something about a 150.00 meal voucher for the surrogate. By the way there is no mention of a meal voucher in our signed contract?

  We then funded the escrow.

  Await never received approval from us in any form of communication for any disbursements from the escrow account (email, text, phone call).

  We were never notified of any these disbursement amounts.

  Await just booked travel without our knowledge/approval.

  The surrogate then backed out after her medical screening.

  Casey notified us via text. Could not talk because her child fell.

  Then has made excuses ever since as to why profiles were not sent?

  We still have no new profiles.

  Why is that?

  She promised to send them beginning May 17th. It is now June 11th?

  Await clearly breached the contract as above. 

  And continues to do so.

  We did not sign the attached documents nor did the surrogate?

  Please advise on next steps....

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, Please let us know below why you are rejecting the offer made by the business.]
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ******