Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  10/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Tereeon Early, the owner of Couture Expressions, did not provide everything in the contract agreement I was suppose to have 39 tables of 10 seating and I only had 37 and she would not listen to me nor the Venue Owner there was suppose to be a head table and she did not provide it for me. I had to set up the table for myself. with her nasty attitude that she had all day she and her crew started moving the linen and decorations off the tables before 9:00 pm the event was from 6pm-11pm I still had lots of guest, some left early because of them clearing the tables. I confronted them as to why they were breaking down the tables the owner said the event director told her to do so, well I was the director, coordinator and the payer. They continued to clear the tables I got so frustrated I had the band to stop playing which I lost money because they had two more hours of playing and I rented the place until 12 Midnight but the party over at 11pm. I would like for she and her business to be placed on the DO NOT USE LIST.I would also like for BBB to make sure she has a LLC and registered with the State of Georgia because she would not allow me to make the cashier checks out in the business name it had to be in her name. Thanking you in advance for your help in this matter. ***** ** ********

  Business response

  10/19/2023

  
  

  Business response

  10/20/2023

  This letter is in response to a complaint filed by ***** ******** (ID# ********).

  Earlier this year *** ******** called me about a party for his wife. He said he wanted something Nice and “Elegant” for his wife’s 60th birthday (and 400 guests). I said, sure! What is your budget? He did not respond with an amount, instead, he said, he didn’t have one.

  I reached out to *** ******** several times after our initial conversation and requested to meet or speak with him about the event, his budget and to provide the contract, but he never responded. As time grew nearer, I sent him a quote and contract via email (which he never acknowledged, abided by, signed or returned to me) for an Elegant event with 400 guests. He immediately called (SCREAMING) and said the cost was OUTRAGEOUS and referred to the quote as HIGHWAY ROBBERY! He said, “It’s a Birthday NOT a wedding.” I explained that he never responded to any of my attempts to speak with him about the event, or to disclose his budget. I attempted to explain the factors that lead to my proposal for an Elegant event with 400 guests (i.e. consulting with other colleagues, color combinations, tablescapes, rentals, fresh flowers, and other Elegant décor), but at this point he was not listening, instead he kept repeating and SCREAMING, this is HIGHWAY ROBBERY!

  I quickly realized that his idea of elegance and my idea of Elegance were two different worlds.

  Prior to this discussion, I had (what I thought was) a great professional relationship and friendship with both *** ******** and his wife, **** ********. As a matter of fact, it was **** ******** who told me (personally) that she told her husband that she wanted me to provide the decor for her party.

  During our conversation, I offered a lower price with less “elegance” and he still wasn’t happy. I told him that I could work with his budget, but I needed to know what it was. He said he would get back to me. The following Thursday, two weeks prior to the event, he called and said that the count was now 300 guests and he asked me to send a revised invoice. Against my better judgment and due to my friendship with and my admiration for his wife, I agreed to the lower price that he offered (low-ball). A few days later he sent the seating chart for 350 guests. Approximately, four days prior to the event, I went to the venue with one of my team members to meet with the owner (******) for a second time to do the final walk through. She (******) provided the setup that she said *** ******** wanted and that would best fit his 360 guests. The seating chart she provided did not include a head table. I told her that the seating chart that was emailed to me had 370 guests. She told us that she only had 33 round tables and asked if I could redo my set-up to include rectangle tables in order to accommodate (the ever changing number of guests) 370 guests (which would be 42 tables).

  The tables and chairs were provided by the venue and should have been included in the rental agreement. Since *** ******** was not responding to me, I believed ****** and I revised my set-up as she requested. She also told us that we had to have everything out of the venue by 11 p.m. or, we could come back on the following Tuesday, to retrieve our items. I told her that we would have all of our decor out by 11 p.m. as I did not want to incur more expenses by keeping the rental truck (U-HAUL) additional days, plus we were attending the party and would already be on-site (anyway) so that would work out perfectly.

  The day of the event. *** ******** walked into the venue at about 12:30 pm. He did not speak or acknowledge my team or me. He sat at the bar near us, but did not utter a word. Nonetheless, we continued to work as we were (also) waiting for the fresh flowers to be delivered. *** ******** asked one of my team members how many tables we had because he was supposed to have 39 tables. She told him to ask me. He hesitated, but finally asked me and I told him exactly what ****** stated in our meeting, which was he had 42 tables. A few minutes later, a couple (man and woman) walked in and was conversing with *** ********. My team and I decided to step outside to wait for the floral delivery. *** ******** came outside along with the couple and they approached me, and that is when the lady (dressed in red) and in front of *** ******** told me she was the Coordinator. She proceeded to ask questions about different things… some I could answer and others I could not due to the lack of communication with *** ********. Since there wasn’t a head table, and he really wanted one, it would have been an easy fix for me and my team, IF he would have communicated with us. The whole time he was there he seemed annoyed/tense/frustrated/angry (bad attitude). We completed the set-up and left.

  Later that afternoon when we returned (4:30 pm) to light the candles,the lady in red approached me again, this time she asked my name and told me her name was ******. She apologized for having a bad attitude and said, *** ******** did not give her all the details either. She (too) did not know about the 360-photo booth or the live band. She seemed a little annoyed and said she had 37 tables, but he gave her a revised seating chart earlier that morning (day of the event). She asked if I needed help with anything since she is the coordinator and would be working with me all night especially when it’s time to breakdown. I gave her a lighter and she started helping light the candles. She said *** ******** told her that she could have one of the fresh flower centerpieces. I told her that he could not give away something that he did not purchase. She asked again and I said yes, I will give you one at the end of the event.

  Towards the end of the night/event, I was outside talking with some of the guests who are also church members when ****** (the coordinator) came to me and told me to start breaking down. It was about 9:45 p.m.and the majority of the guests were gone, following her direction, I gathered my team and we started breaking down the event. That is when *** ******** approached one of my team members angrily, yelled and cursed at her and said, “WTH are you doing?” She told him that he needed to talk to ****** or myself because she is just doing what she was told to do. He proceeded to come to me indignantly, using profanity and asked why we were breaking down and he still had guests. I told him ****** (the lady in red) summoned me from outside and told me to start breaking down the tables where no one was seated. He SCREAMED (more) profanity and said he was going to report my A** to the BBB for lying. I asked, what lie? He did not answer, he seemed to grow more angrily, then he said I didn’t honor the contract. I said what contract? We do not have a contract; you never signed it.

   

  I remained calm. I did not raise my voice, I answered his questions, but he continued to curse and speak down to me. He was ANGRY! He picked up a chair and slammed it down and that is when a few of his family members ran over and pulled him away. **** ******** (the honoree) asked me what I wanted to do. I told her that my team and I were going to get my stuff and leave because *** ******** has lost his mind; and I am done! I have NEVER been spoken to like that. I don’t know what made him think it was okay to speak to me (female) in that manner and slamming a chair down to try and intimidate me. His behavior was OUTRAGEOUS. Especially when I did everything above and beyond to make the event special. I believe *** ********’s complaint is malicious, vindictive, without merit and has nothing to do with my work performance, my team or me. His anger is due to his lack of communication and his refusal to respond and engage in an adult conversation regarding the initial quote. I am a vendor with other state agencies that requires you to be licensed. I do have a business license from the State of Georgia. Throughout this entire process, I had to keep reaching out to him for payment. *** ******** did not meet with me until four days before the event to pay which payment is required two weeks prior to the event. I remained patient and worked with him as I viewed him as a friend. He had a copy of the contract, and the business name is listed, but he did not sign it. He decided to pay with a Cashier’s Check. He could have made the check payable to the company or to me (last minute). Again, his complaint has nothing to do with the decor that I provided. Since he refused to have a conversation with me, his dissatisfaction should have been discussed with the venue owner (******) as she told us that we had to be out by 11 p.m. and/or his coordinator who told us to break down the event. His guest list changed multiple times (including the day of the event) and he relied whole-heartedly on other people to speak on his behalf. The decor was splendid. I know my worth. I OWE HIM NOTHING!

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