Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/16/2025

  Type:Product 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.

  In December 2024 we started communications with Social House about having our summer reunion at their space in July 2025 but became concerned about rain. Being an open-air venue we decided it was too risky and made the decision to pivot. They didn’t offer any kind of rain tent, suggesting we could last-minute rent one (which added SO much cost and logistical stress to the event), so it all became too risky and too costly. Plus who wants to worry about procuring a rain tent on your own and last-minute setting it up at someone else's venue the day of a reunion that occurs once every five years. Social House opted to keep our almost $700 deposit despite it being 7 months before the event. We understand businesses have policies but a change of plans this far in advance we felt warranted a refund, especially when costs were escalating due to their lack of necessary amenities. Fast forward to this week when I saw a video on social media and I noted they had a GIANT white outdoor rain cover tent sitting in the space we were hoping to have our reunion. I reached out to musician friends who were performing under it in the video and asked if it was their their tent and they replied, "No, it belongs to Social House." So my problem/issue of contention is this: The venue kept our deposit when we changed plans because they had no rain cover/tent. Then they invested in a rain cover/tent after they lost our business, likely recognizing it was an essential need for renting this space. It seems to me that WE paid for their rain cover with the deposit they won't give back. We simply want our deposit back.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/16/2025

  Response to Complaint ID: ********
  We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the concerns outlined in the complaint filed by **** ****** regarding her planned event at Social House.
  Ms. ****** initially booked our venue in December 2024 for a July 2025 reunion. However, she later decided to cancel due to concerns about potential rain, as our venue is open-air. While we understand her hesitation, our venue does not provide permanent rain coverage, and we offered the option of renting a tent separately if needed.
  Ms. ****** has expressed frustration over seeing a tent at our venue in recent social media content, suggesting that her forfeited deposit may have contributed to acquiring this tent. We want to clarify that the tent she saw was not a permanent addition to our venue but rather a temporary rental for specific events, including our Easter and Mother’s Day brunches. It is scheduled to come down on 5.21.25. It was not in place at the time of her initial booking and is not a standard amenity offered with our space.
  Regarding the deposit policy, we uphold our standard terms for event reservations. Deposits are non-refundable because they secure the date and allow us to plan accordingly. This policy ensures fairness to all our guests and protects our business against last-minute changes that can impact scheduling and reservations. Ms. ****** canceled her event seven months in advance, but our deposit policy remained applicable, as it is uniformly enforced for bookings. We turned away several events for that date, as the area was reserved by deposit.  We regret that Ms. ****** found our offerings unsuitable for her event and understand her concerns. However, our policies were clearly communicated from the outset, and our We also gave alternate ways to utilize the deposit, if another group books for that day, then we would give a full refund. Offered to host the cocktail reception that she mentioned the night before and utilize the funds that way. The last communications were by us on 2.19 We offered the amount deposited for an ice sculpture.  These terms are consistent with industry standards.

   

  E-mail correspondence with ****

  Hello ******* *** ****,
  
  
  After discussing costs and logistics with the planning team, we have decided to switch gears a bit and reserve only the patio.
  We'd like to have it 5pm - 10pm.
  We will only sell tickets to our Class of 1985 Classmates.
  
  I understand pricing to be $1350 and this includes $1000 in food (or $800 actual food).
  We'd still like to do the walk through and discuss the menu on February 6 @ 9:30am.
  
  Please feel free to forward any paperwork and we can coordinate payment of the 50% non-refundable deposit.
  
  The rain variable for the courtyard was ultimately the demise of our interest in reserving that area.
  It did not make sense to pay that much for space that could be unusable in the event of poor weather
  
  Please reach out with next steps.
  
  
  Many thanks,
  **** ******

  We hope this explanation clarifies any misunderstandings.
  Thank you for your time and consideration.
  

  Sincerely,

  ******* *********** Social House Owner

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/19/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: We have no interest in a $675 ice sculpture.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  **** ******