A Humble mother is putting her daughter’s sweet 16 party on hold after bad weather forced the cancellation of the event at the Humble Civic Center—but that wasn’t the only challenge the family faced.
Brandi Jackson and her daughters were devastated when the venue called just days before the party to say the event was canceled due to a winter storm.
“The weather totally went from being fine to, oh, we have a winter storm,” Jackson said. “They called me and told me that they canceled.”
Jackson also experienced problems with the event planner, Tiffany Lewis, owner of Princess Event Planning Company. Lewis became unresponsive after falling ill, raising questions about refunds for the payments Jackson had made.
Jackson said she initially put down $2,500 and later paid in full after a promotion offered a discount for early payment. After the cancellation, she sought more than $6,000 in reimbursements.
Lewis told KPRC 2 that Jackson was not entitled to a refund because she did not cancel the event and that a no-refund policy was included in the contract.
“Brandi was not entitled to a refund because I did not cancel her event,” Lewis said. “I have a no refund policy, and it is in the terms and conditions of the invoice and the contract. She has one year to utilize the credit, but I will refund her the $1,500 from the venue because she did pay that to the venue.”
The situation highlights the importance of understanding contracts and refund policies. The Better Business Bureau recommends paying with a credit card to have more protection if disputes arise.
“If the contract did say that there are no refunds available, she signed that, then she would be held to that contract,” said Leah Napoliello of the BBB. “One thing we do recommend is people pay with a credit card. If there is any issue with the cancellation, you can dispute the charge with your credit card company.”
Napoliello also advises checking reviews and complaints on sites like bbb.org before hiring event planners.
“Read complaints and reviews, whether negative or positive, to see what other people are saying about this planner,” she said.
The BBB also suggests never paying the full amount upfront for events like this, recommending a deposit of 25 to 50 percent instead.
Despite the challenges, Jackson praised the Humble Civic Center for their support. They have offered to host the sweet 16 party for free in March.