Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/07/2022

  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.

  I signed a contract for a wedding venue with Arturo *****,prior owner of business(still registered to his name according to DCAD) 4/12/20.Contract consisted of promotional package for $6,850 if paid in cash,no tax.Promotional package offered was for Ballroom rental(I was offered Ballroom A+Ballroom B w/bounce house),tablecloths,overlays&sashes,decorated Honor table(never received),table for the cake,sign-in table,&gift table,uplighting,event monitor (never received),&cleanup after event.Event rescheduled with prior approval 2 other times b/c covid curfew & my sudden kidney failure(w/approval from Owner's wife Marcela ***** + a $500 charge last time) b/c I was admitted for 4 months in ICU on dialysis 5 days a week.On 7/4/22 I text Marcela ***** about venue details.Stated she no longer had anything to do with DEC as her husband & her had decided to sell.Told me I needed to communicate with Alex Extrada(new owner)about recovering deposit.Upon speaking to Alex on July 13,he stated that Marcela&Arturo ***** had kept all customer deposits&he would be returning none.It was now a back and forth between former&new owner. Marcela&Alex both denied having my deposit.Alex later agreed to return my deposit after the event,but not honoring paid package or Venue B. Stated he wanted to cancel my event altogether b/c he had overbooked for $16,000.He stated he would not give me a refund either b/c I had not done business with him.He told me to go ahead and burn him on Facebook or elsewhere b/c he had means of defending himself or give him $900 for B.On 9/18/22,Marcela phoned& stated she would return deposit but that I "had to give Alex the money he was asking for."That same day Alex spoke to my mother in the office while I was in Venue A with Marcela.He took $1100 more from her for B which was more than agreed upon,then asked me to sign another contract,I had no choice.9/1 he became violent,attempted assault on my mother&brother&threw us out before finished.Never got deposit back.
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/03/2023

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/10/22) */
  Contact Name and Title: Alex E****** Owner
  Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX
  Contact Email: ************@gmail.com
  Hello, my name is **** E******. Thank you for the opportunity of allowing me to respond and address any concerns regarding the integrity of my company and one of its main objectives which is to provide excellent service. On April 1st of 2022, I became proud owner of what is now "Dallas Events Center, LLC", located where former business "Dallas Events Center dba Party Rentals" (owned by Arturo ***** and Marcela ****** once was. Having been made aware of the former company's client ******* *****'s pending event, in good ***** I agreed to allow them access to the venue during her programmed date 09/03/22. Please note, however, that the client had originally established a contract with "Dallas Event Center dba Party Rentals" and this said contract along with its expected services payments, deposits and all refunds continued to be the responsibilty of the previous entity and entirely independent from my person and company.
  While ******* Perez's original contract in the amount of $6850.00 for date 05/29/2021 with the previous company offered two halls, Hall "A" and Hall "B", her renegotiation and $500.00 rescheduling fee payment to Marcela ***** for postponed date of 09/04/2021 only covered one hall, Hall "A", not "B". This was the first of two postponements facilitated to the client. The second one being for the above date of 09/03/2022, for which a rescheduling fee was waived considering all circumstances with health and natural events, but still offering Hall A only. This is to clarify that in no instance did I, **** E******, nor my company, received any sort of payment, deposit or rescheduling fee pertaining to the client's pre-existing contract, and therefore not responsible to return any funds tied to that agreement nor her allegations.
  on 9/01/22, both ******* Perez and her mother came to the venue, decided to reserve and pay for use of Hall "B" under contract directly with me ("Dallas Events Center ,LLC"), which also included the services of facilitating ice, bounce house and one staff member of my team to overlook the bounce house, all for a total of $1,100.00, but not including a deposit. Therefore, per the described facts above of how client only entered an agrement for the later mentioned services and nothing more directly with "Dallas Events Center, LLC", and given that the services were in fact rendered, the company sees no requirement nor responsibility to provide the client with any refund nor deposit claimed, formal contract is attached(in spanish to accomodate clients language requirement).
  Also on 9/01/2022 the importance of having security was made clear to them. Due to the fact that Security was still a pending requirement, the need to ensure full payment of security was mentioned to ******* *****'s mother, to which she responded negatively to and in an unexpected matter, at no point in time was there any violence nor agressiveness nor attempted assault on my behalf nor the company. In good ***** I communicated all this to them despite the late hours and the need to close the office for the day, to the point where it was now necessary to close and exit the office. Due to this, eventually I did find it necessary to express the possible need of requiring police to intervene. "Dallas Events Center, LLC" strives to provide a safe and friendly environment to all its guests and customers and is comitted to meet this requirment. it is unfortunate that the client *** have found the urgent need to ensure this precautionary measure is met and not be ignored.
  I find it unecessary to hold me, **** E****** and "Dallas Events Center, LLC" accountable for miscommunication and misunderstandings not pertaining to the company, and ask that client ceases to request funds not owed. For this reason also, requesting that client remove false reiews negatiely impacting my company.
  
  
  Consumer Response /* (3000, 8, 2022/10/24) */
  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  These facts are being completely distorted.This business is violating the DTPA through Unconscionable action, an act or practice which, to a consumer's detriment, takes advantage of the lack of knowledge, ability, experience, or capacity of the consumer to a grossly unfair degree. My original contract in the amount of $6850.00 for date 05/29/2021 did offer 2 halls, Hall "A" and Hall "B", there was no renegotiation for the event,aside from the reasonable $500.00 rescheduling fee payment to Marcela *****. It makes no sense that after paying for a full event, I would agree to Hall "A" and not "B". The postponements where the rescheduling fee was waived were due to all circumstances with health and natural events, but not for Hall A only. This was never stated by any party. Alex E****** stated he would not give me my deposit because he never received it from the previous owner, but the previous owner stated that the sale of the venue included all deposits and that it was his decision to not return said deposit.
  
  On 9/01/2022, the money had already been given the money for security. The prior owner Marcela had it and specifically told me not to give it to Alex, she gave him the money and he came into the venue brandishing the money. My mother was bent down cleaning up a mess they should have cleaned, according to Marcela who after speaking to Alex changed her mind. **** was chanting "I got paid, I got paid for security" in spanish, to which my mother responded "could you put up the curtains?" Below are images of what my mother was cleaning. There was a massive spill and neither his nor Marcela's staff was there to assist us, and he stated that we were cleaning because "we wanted to"
  
  I see no way that this could have been seen as a negative reaction. Marcela agreed that his behavior was out of line and that she regretted ever doing business with a person like him. An opinion that as a customer, I did not need to know. I'm sure the businews had security cameras and the only reason charges haven't been pressed was because my event was 2 days away and **** had stated how terrible of a contract my event was, and pressed that he was losing money because of me. There were several witnesses there including 1 who has been blocked from the owner's business page for speaking on the events that transcended in her prescence. One of my vendors was also yelled at by **** and she had no idea what was going on. We were out by 6pm which per **** was still within office hours. He had also stated that if he was to leave, for whatever reason and Marcela the prior owner was still there, we were free to stay, but since he became hostile and I was in tears, experiencing an anxiety attack, that put me in the hospital, we exit the building and took out all the trash, without finalizing the setup.
  I see no misunderstandings here, only deceptive and misleading business practices. We were forced to re-pay for Hall B because he simply wouldn't ***** my previous contract, despite having already agreed to and then going back on his word once he saw that he was not making money off of the event. My mother was forced to give him the money for Hall B and he asked for more money to "help him out" which is why he added the 'ice fee'. We were 2 days away from my wedding, invitations were made and people had been encouraged to bring their children, so if I didn't set aside Hall B, I would have surely gone over the maximum capacity as well. Not to mention the staff's lack of ability to keep teenagers out from their Hall C who were drinking illegally. I was having to babysit and make sure they were staying out, constantly needing to call police to intervene. One of his event monitors was on my dance floor dancing with guests instead of watching over the event.
  Out of all 3 parties, he is the only one who has responded, and I thank him for doing so through these means.
  I just have to address that because of his prior hostile behavior towards me and my family and the fear of my anxiety and lupus symptoms flaring up once again, I will not be answering any call from him and would request that any response to me be sent in writing either through here or to my number.
  Orher people have been censored including myself. My reviews have been deleted and he says that the events that transpired did not, when other people have agreed to be there on my behalf.
  And in regards to ownership I feel that there is something going on here because **** claims to be the owner, when in reality it still belongs to Arturo *****.
  
  
  Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2022/11/04) */
  The original contract in the amount of $6850.00 for date 05/29/2021 and its services (such as cleaning and preparation), deposits and postponement agreements was not with myself nor company and therefore did not fall under my responsibility. Sale of the Venue also did not include a deposit to this event.
  While the concern for the requirement of having security service was once mentioned, it was in fact later verified that funds for the security was collected.
  There was no force involved to reserve Hall B, this was a voluntary agreement and the only other funds involved were for services actually rendered and not a hand-out.
  As mentioned before, I am the owner of "Dallas Events Center, LLC", and have rendered the services agreed upon, I kindly ask that any complaints regarding the services and deposits under the location's prior ownership be addressed to those responsible parties. Similarly I kindly ask that reviews posted under my company's social media are limited to the services i've been responsible for
  
  *******....please contac Marcela ****** remember that you made the original contract with her, you give her the $500.00 deposit, you did not give it to me.....Marcela ***** ask me as personal favor to hold your event since you and her are relatives, for that reason I agree to ***** that day for Hall A but i was very clear that Hall B was out of the question on agust 12 you send me a message that im including were you agree to the terms that I presented you a few days before.
  
  
  Consumer Response /* (4200, 12, 2022/11/09) */
  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  Per Mr. E******'s response, The original contract in the amount of $6850.00 for date 05/29/2021 (and all other dates that had been previously agreed upon by the *****s) & its services (such as cleaning & preparation which were not delivered as originally agreed), security deposit, & postponement agreements were not with him, but he is still linked to my event as per Marcela *****'s statements & his signature on my contracts/interactions regarding my event.
  I initially signed my contract with Arturo ****** not Marcela ***** nor **** E******, which is why they have all been named in this matter. Marcela stated that the business was still registered under the same name & for that reason, if I decided to take any action that she would be "clean of guilt as she does not 'keep' any deposits," & all sales in regards to the transfer of ownership including existing contracts & deposits were sold to E****** at the time the business was transferred, according to our phone conversation & the text messages I have attached. E******, himself stated over the phone on July 13 at 5:21pm, that he was taking over my event then retracted but still showed up during my event in Marcela's place.
  It is unfortunate that he & Marcela enraveled & confused me, as to who is in charge there. If he holds no responsibility for my event, why is his name on my contract? Why did I have to interact with him in the first place? He interacted with me through Marcela ******** orders & for that reason the responsibility for the disaster my event was, the disorder, the necessity for me to have to clean after paying over $9050 does fall under his responsibility as it does the other 2 paties involved in this matter.
  Per the Deceptive Trade Practices Act 17.46., False, misleading, or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce are hereby declared unlawful & are subject to action by the consumer protection division under sections 17.47, 17.58, 17.60, & 17.61 of this code. This includes passing off goods/svcs as those of another,causing confusion/misunderstanding as to affiliation, association,or connection with goods/svcs, representing that goods/svcs have sponsorship, approval characteristics,ingredients,benefits,uses, or quantities which they do not have,advertising goods/svcs with intent not to sell them as advertised,advertising goods/svcs with intent not to supply a reasonable expectable public demand,unless advertisements disclosed a limitation of quantity.
  As you can see by the messages which I have provided in spanish, on 7/14 Marcela stated that the sale of the Venue included all contracts for existing clients,& that all deposit reimbursements were @ his discretion,that same day over the phone she stated that he pocketed those amounts & that she could do nothing about it but would try to do whatever she could to provide a bounce house if I resolved the issue with Hall B,saying she tried to reason with him regarding the promotion I was given.On 9/1 she asked me not to speak about anything on the matter at the venue as she was also afraid of him.
  In regards to the discrepancies in his story,there was no concern for the requirement of security,in fact it was in my best interest since the beginning, a statement he now retracts from.Payment had been rendered,as you can see E****** now states he later verified that funds for the security HAD been collected. You can now see that there was no need for his extreme & violent behavior towards my mother & family if payment had indeed been rendered, or why was it even necessary if as he states I did not do business with him.There should never be reason for threats,violence,or any other menacing acts to make a consumer feel this way,& there are 0 EXCUSES for his actions that day.
  There was indeed pressure involved to reserve Hall B,as invitations had been printed,sent out,& E****** threatened to cancel the event entirely time after time with someone there to verify these statements at all times,in fact,as stated before, he had overbooked but called the other party to change their date to a day after mine.He had my mother sign a contract with MY name on it without my consent,she handed him the money w/out my prescence,then had me sign another one,possibly realizing it would be void because it needed to be signed by me & not her if the name above differed from the signature, due to the possibility of a civil suit.
  I was left with no choice in the matter,this was in no way a voluntary agreement,it was either sign this contract that had already been paid out & signed by my mother after he told her he was losing money & had so many reasons for why he should cancel the full event and send me on my way w/out any kind of refund.
  The "other funds" discussed by E****** were for Hall B,a bounce house, event monitor(Which I had already paid Arturo ***** & Marcela *****)I had no reason to pay twice for this & E****** put me between a rock & a hard place. I am insulted by the fact that E****** even mentioned a "hand-out."
  Nothing was gifted to me.I worked hard to clean this venue from top to bottom,even though the initial contract stated that even the most basic package includes clean-up after the event,& if EVERY event is cleaned afterwards,there is no excuse for this venue to have been as filthy as it was.If anything, my mother & I rendered this business a great deal of assistance by favorably & in good *****, going above & beyond to help clean ALL curtains,& keep things as amicable as possible even though E****** was very unkind to my family & I.
  E******'s favorite phrase since the moment I met him was "I am the owner of this place," he threatened to throw my family out because he was "the owner and could do so with whoever & whenever he wanted." He states he rendered the services agreed upon,but how could I approve if I was not allowed into the venue to verify that things were as I wanted and my bridal party had to set up the day of the event because nothing was as it was supposed to.A gentleman named **** promised he would do the best he could to arrange but made sure I was aware his hands were tied.He even tried to provide a speaker to play music in Hall B,as he would be controlling it, but was sent back with it by E****** who denied him use of it.
  Any and ALL complaints regarding the services & deposits under the location were under his ownership,since he is taking full responsibility as the owner,& took over all contracts including mine. All reviews posted under his company's social media are exactly for the services he's responsible for. I have 0 control for anyone else's reviews or negative comments regarding his behavior/interactions.His behavior is a reflection of his business & I hold no responsibility for any reviews not posted by myself.He deleted all of my reviews & blocked me so I don't have any clue as to what he's referring to.I gracefully wish to ask that he refrain from placing any rules on my person as I hold freedom of speech per the first amendment& as a forensic accountant refuse to be silenced when I see consumers taken advantage of, as these people have.I apologize if this seems harsh, but I am very upset with the way things ended up & that I was forced to purchase the same hall twice because he failed to honor my contract as agreed on 7/13 over the phone,later retracted when you saw no money was owed to you,& had all been paid to Arturo & Marcela *****.
  I did try to contact Marcela ***** 9/8 & she did not respond,I also had a request from Arturo ***** on FB but due to the incident that occurred with you,which landed me in the hospital with an anxiety attack I denied it.I never signed the original contract with Marcela,nor did I give her a $500.00 deposit,I gave it to Arturo *****,who per Marcela transferred to E****** at time of ownership transition.I did not give it to E****** but was told by Marcela that it would be returned if everything was fine & conclusion of event.They did NEITHER of those things.
  If Marcela ***** asked him as a personal favor to hold my event,&she lied about kinship(she is related to a relative,but nothing of mine),I have no say & he can contact her himself as they still hold events together per her FB post regarding the most recent event which was cancelled on 9/10.If E****** honored my contract as a favor that is out of my control,& was his choice alone.Even if that was the case,if this is the way he treats friends I would hate to see how he treats enemies,as his behavior throughout this whole ordeal was uncalled for.
  He initially agreed to ***** that day for both halls,because they both now held 3 paid contracts for services which were to be rendered,not as a favor to myself or anybody involved.I paid, bottom line.Alex,Marcela,& Arturo failed to deliver. August 12 I did send a send me a message because you asked me if I wanted Hall B, which I clearly couldn't deny as I had PAID for it & Marcela said she was trying to do everything to help me b