ComplaintsforNautical Hosting, LLC.

• Initial Complaint

  07/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  At the beginning of June I called their number to make my Sunset Cruise reservation. A lady by the name of Suzanne F***** answered the call. Said she wasn't in front of her desk but would write down all my information and get my reservation taken care of. She gave me very little information but ensured me all the information would come via email. I requested our cruise be scheduled for Saturday, June 25th (mine and my partners 13th anniversary date). She proceeded to get my card information and said she had to go. It felt a little strange and unprofessional but after giving payment, I was hopeful for the best. After getting off the call, they charged me $360.82, mind you I was never told an amount to exact to be billed because she said couldn't remember the exact amount and that it would be roughly $300 dollars which I was cool with. I received the payment confirmation email a few minutes after the call. She also had informed me I'd get an email that would have all the information for the reservation (ie. Where to go, what we're doing for the evening, where to park etc). I did receive it shortly after the payment confirmation. After realizing she put down July 23rd as our Reservation date (I clearly communicated to her June 25th and she did confirm and I said Yeap that day is perfect, this is our anniversary celebration). I reached out to her and she said oh no I'm so sorry, yes you have to do the cruise on July 23rd because they only do the cruises once a month. I told her no thank you that if we couldn't do June 25th, I'd find something else for our anniversary celebration to please issue me a full refund. She proceeded to tell me she would not issue a refund and that she would hold my money as a credit for a future cruise date in August. I again, told her no that I would like a full refund. I work in the music business and have more free weekends for the last 2 quarters of the year. I still have no refund and she isn't willing to resolve this issue.

  Business response

  10/27/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2022/07/19) */ We received a call from ******* on Monday, June 13, 2022 at 2:15pm wanting to purchase two tickets on our Southport dinner cruise. The caller was asked how he had heard of our cruises. He replied, "on Facebook." I acknowledged that was our July 23rd cruise. He proceeded with the sale. The order was placed at 2:20pm according to Square Reports. A confirmation email was sent (that same day) on June 13, 2022 at 3:02pm. The confirmation stated the date, time, location and cancellation policy. Note: The Facebook ad that ******* saw was an "Event" posted for our next cruise of Saturday, July 23, 2022 stating time, location and price. On Saturday, June 25, 2022 ******* called our office at approximately 5:00pm saying he was at the boat but nobody was there. I acknowledged there was not a dinner cruise scheduled that date and apologized. He kept repeating "but today is my anniversary" which I congratulated him and asked if he received my email confirmation with all the terms listed. He said he had and saw the email with the date on it. I told him I was not in my office as I was at a wedding at the moment and that the email would have the exact date and time but that I knew it was not that evening. He then hung up on me. Two days later he emailed me asking for a refund. I reiterated the confirmation email. We do not issue refunds but would be happy to credit him towards his next cruise. He then began to threaten with a lawsuit and complaining to BBB. " It won't be a waste of my time or money to expose your unethical business" was one of his messages. I once again told him I was sorry he felt that way and that we would hold his credit toward any of our cruises in the future. Our rates are posted on our website as well as the ad ******* saw on Facebook. He acknowledged he received our confirmation and therefore knew the terms, price and conditions of the sale. We will continue to hold *******'s credit toward a future cruise. Consumer Response /* (3000, 10, 2022/07/27) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) We received a call from ******* on Monday, June 13, 2022 at 2:15pm wanting to purchase two tickets on our Southport dinner cruise. The caller was asked how he had heard of our cruises. He replied, "on Facebook." I acknowledged that was our July 23rd cruise. He proceeded with the sale. MY RESPONSE: This paragraph is not entirely true. The date is correct. How I found her and her saying I said Facebook, that isn't true. I found her business in an article put in the Brunswick Beacon new paper. I NEVER told her I found them on Facebook. The order was placed at 2:20pm according to Square Reports. A confirmation email was sent (that same day) on June 13, 2022 at 3:02pm. The confirmation stated the date, time, location and cancellation policy. MY RESPONSE: This is correct on the date of the processed payment. She never told me the total I was going to be charged (was only able to guestimate) and I 100% told her the date I was looking to cruise was on June 25th for our anniversary gift. She told me awww that's awesome, I'm excited you guys are choosing to do your special day with us. She never stated the date requested was not available nor that this would be a group cruise. Very vague and misleading on her end. I read receive an email from her with instructions for the day of cruise (ie where to go, where to park, what to wear, etc.) I never signed any agreement stating I accepted the terms or the date. As far as cancellation policy, I have what she sent and I am happy to provide. It only discusses weather related rescheduling. Nothing else is mentioned. Here is the ONLY small disclosure mentioned in her email with her instructions which I received once she got off the phone with me without explaining anything or going over any of this with me (again no formal contract): Disclosure: In the event of unforeseen weather conditions, the Captain has the final say on departure. Tickets then become credited toward a future date. This is copy and pasted straight from her email and I am happy to provide the initial email in it entirety if needed. Note: The Facebook ad that ******* saw was an "Event" posted for our next cruise of Saturday, July 23, 2022 stating time, location and price. MY RESPONSE: Again, she is completely making this up here, I NEVER saw any Facebook ad. I call her after doing a google search for their number once I read the Brunswick Beacon newspaper. So no, I never saw an "event" posted. I find it comical she is trying to convince herself this is to be true. Wow! On Saturday, June 25, 2022 ******* called our office at approximately 5:00pm saying he was at the boat but nobody was there. I acknowledged there was not a dinner cruise scheduled that date and apologized. He kept repeating "but today is my anniversary" which I congratulated him and asked if he received my email confirmation with all the terms listed. He said he had and saw the email with the date on it. I told him I was not in my office as I was at a wedding at the moment and that the email would have the exact date and time but that I knew it was not that evening. He then hung up on me. MY RESPONSE: At this point, she's adding in white lies. I did indeed call her as I was waiting at their boat at the marina in Southport which we drove an hour to get to. She never congratulated me, never once said anything about being at a wedding. I called her and said I was there at the boat and wanted to make sure I was at the right location. She confirmed I was an ONLY at that point she went on to say "Oh my goodness *******, I am so sorry. I must have not understood your date request, we only do our GROUP cruises once a month and our captain will not be able to make it out the today. I am so sorry. I hope you aren't upset and you guys can still have a special anniversary today. I then immediately told her I would have to talk with my partner (which mind you she is formally dressed ready for this special evening) and see what she wants to do and I then got off the phone with Suzanne. I never hung up. After discussing with my partner, I tried calling Suzanne back roughly 15 minutes later and could not get an answer so I tried again. Nothing. I felt immediately I had been screwed, was super embarrassed, and the business lost all credibility with us at that point. I felt scammed completely. It is a day that I will NEVER forget having to tell my girlfriend about what has happened, her crying and hurting for me, the embarrassment, the planning with our family members to come get pictures from afar as we headed out for our evening on the water. I did tell her, that I noticed a date of July 23rd at the very end of the subject line on her initial email to me which I had to turn my phone sideways to see that. It was basically hidden which I feel was done intentionally, if not, it would have been listed on her initial email to me with the instructions. Very sketch in my opinion and super misleading and shady business practices. Two days later he emailed me asking for a refund. I reiterated the confirmation email. We do not issue refunds but would be happy to credit him towards his next cruise. MY RESPONSE: Correct, I did reach out to her and requested a refund very kindly and professionally trying to be understanding of their side but hoping for the same from their side. I still do not believe a "confirmation email" which was actually an email just giving me instructions of what to do, where to go, etc. is enough to hold someone contractually to a date. This isn't a weather related issue which is the only disclosure they mentioned on their initial instructional email to me. This is a mess up on their part for not clarifying on our initial call that June 25th wasn't a date available for their cruise and she's stating a date she put hidden at the end of the subject line justifies a legally binding deal leading her to say she will not issue the refund because I received a confirmation email from them that they created post my payment for the reservation. Lets all look at this...its sketchy, shady, and not anywhere close to normal business practices when it comes to confirming reservations to not send over an agreement and to think that is substantial enough to lock someone in and hold them to a date that they did not request and then to not issue a simple refund back. After learning she isn't going to issue the politely requested refund, I am now even more nervous at this point that my payment of $360.82 is somehow keeping their business afloat and they can't afford to issue a refund or the money has been spent for something else and they can't provide the refund. It was at this point, the upset feelings really started to set in with everything that I am experiencing. Why not do the right thing here and issue the refund? Why try to convince me I have some sort of formal agreement with your company that states I can't receive a refund for your mistake on scheduling this special event for us and we both move on and I just keep them in mind for our next special occasion in the future. Why? Because once again they do business in a shady way and far from best practices. He then began to threaten with a lawsuit and complaining to BBB. " It won't be a waste of my time or money to expose your unethical business" was one of his messages. I once again told him I was sorry he felt that way and that we would hold his credit toward any of our cruises in the future. MY RESPONSE: I never threatened her because I meant what I said, if it needed to get to that point, which I'm still trying to be hopeful and optimistic they are going to do the right thing here and respect my request to issue my a full refund of my money. I think this is very unethical of the company and if they get away with doing this to me, I want to make others aware to be cautious. It's called reviews. You can do a public review on a business and there's nothing wrong about that. I have a right to do that. Customer/consumers rely heavily on reviews today. I have a right to share my experiences publicly. But never a threat, just a demand to issue my refund after politely asking them to issue the refund and them denying me my money back with some BS statement saying I have a confirmation email. NO MA'AM. I have an instructional email from you with a date that was never disclosed to me that is not the same date that I requested and paid money for. Plus I have no signed any thing binding me to my reservation. What if I had covid or a family member passed or I had to move? Still no refund? Not normal and good business practice and I still stand by that. I still feel I am deserving of the refund and still request the issue of the refund be granted rightfully so. Our rates are posted on our website as well as the ad ******* saw on Facebook. He acknowledged he received our confirmation and therefore knew the terms, price and conditions of the sale. MY RESPONSE: When I visited the website initially

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