05/15/2017
Ridgeback Lodge - my story.
Sorry, there will be a lot of back information to help set the tone of frustration, so bare with my writing.
January 30th I scrolled through Instagram and saw photos of a beautiful dome sites in the woods. You could camp in the winter or summer, the domes were covered but clear, so you could stargaze. Appropriately named stargazer domes.
I immediately knew this would be an experience Shawn and I would both love. It's camping, but with a twist! I went to the website, they were so popular, the first dates available were May 14th, 15, 16th. I booked on the spot. Paid in full for one night as a deposit. 175' I also added the second night (175) the hot tub (40) per night. It's not cheap, but it's an experience.
Skip to three and a half months later when our trip gets here.
I decide to add on the BBQ (25) emailed to add that on- no problem!
The seventh of May they emailed to confirm. Perfect.
I wanted to do this right, it's my only away vacation for the year, so I rented a 2017 Chevy Equinox, from enterprise. The service there was on-point. (Car cost 321)
We packed our car. Dropped off my dog with my Mother, as Ridgeback Lodge is not pet friendly site and left on our five hour excursion.
Just before 3pm (check in time) my gps told me we still had an hour and a half to go. So I made a courtesy call to the owner, to say we were on our way, not to worry. No problem! *This is a special note, I respect small business owners, and even though they had my deposit, I didn't want any concern that we were not arriving.
Finally! Five hours of driving, we arrive! The owner (the woman from the phone)comes out of the office to greet us.
We are told standing in the driveway, that we would not be staying in a dome, that they were damaged, tarped and in winter mode, we would be staying in a cabin.
My jaw literally dropped, my questions flew, We booked a dome! I didn't drive five hours to stay in a cabin! I didn't spend months anticipating to stay in a cabin! I can stay in a cabin anywhere! And WHY were we not informed?! Why didn't you email, call?! I spoke with you hours ago!!
Answer: she says it's been "hectic" they were away at some point in the Netherlands, her mother had passed.
Now please, you all know, I know what it's like to lose someone, to watch my Mother loose her husband. Painfully, drawn out, in the worst possible way.
But we're her affairs in order? Yes. Did she have work coverage yes. Did I? Yes.
So not to be insensitive-- but that's not gonna fly here. This woman has a husband, a business partner, she is not alone.
I called hours before to say we'd be late, couldn't she have mentioned it then? I emailed that week to confirm and add the BBQ, couldn't she have mentioned it then?
She proceeded to insist we see the cabin, that would change our minds. Right, sure.
So we drive down, to a musty old cabin. I open the door, and my minds made up. If I wanted a cabin, I could've booked on in Nova Scotia. I wanted, an experience.
Back to the office I go - here's where you want to stay with me.*
I say to the woman, no, not happening I want my refund. And I continue to drill homethe fact we weren't notified. How irresponsible.
(Side note- Let's say for a minute, during my mother's husbands death, I had a wedding cake order that I could not full fill. Would I let a couple drive five hours to pick it up and greet them with Super Store slab cakes, and say, oh well it's been hectic, but cake is cake. My ass would be reemed. My rep would be ruined, and I would expect to owe them way more then their money back. The difference is, I would never let that happen. There would be notification, and if I couldn't get it done I would take my money and contract a local company to give them all they wanted and more.)
But no, Ridgeback Lodge "assumed" I wouldn't mind my slab cake. So to speak.
As I'm imparting my distain. I hear footsteps charging down from the upstairs, a man appears and screams "You're not fu***ng staying here, so just get OUT" that is the only direct quote I can give with one hundred percent certainty, THAT is with me.
Yell at me? No. I heatedly responded with, we are trying to leave however you owe us our refund, and how dare you let us come all the way up here and not let us know.
He continues to yell, his wife has lost his mother, I have no respect. They "assumed" at a handsome discount this would be no problem.
(A: don't talk to me about respect, assumption, death and business ownership. You will loose.)
My husband had to step in front of the man and yell at him to calm down in fear of violence, Shawn my husband ushered me out of the office into the car where I proceeded to go into full panic attack mode. I was verbal attacked. They had my money. I had booked this for months. Im stuck out here!
If you can not run your business, delegate, close, or -let people know.
Shawn came back to the vehicle, he said the man would like me to come back so he could apologize. I told Shawn to relay, he was not due the satisfaction. There was no forgiveness at that point on my end.
Shawn came back refund processed.
We drove all the way back home. Eleven hours in a car. Money on an SUV. A booked vacation three and a half months ago. The company did not deliver what was booked.
A company that couldn't email nor pick up the phone.
I'm disgusted, I'm offended. The best I can do is contact the tourism bureau, the better business bureau and spread the word.
