Kimberella Parties ripoff unprofessional illegal business practices regarding my daughter's 5th birthday party Rochester Michigan
I was interested in giving my daughter a Princess party for her 5th birthday. I called Kimberella Parties in January, 2006 to receive information about her Princess Tea Parties. I paid a $200 deposit on January 9th, 2006 through Paypal. I had questions and concerns throughtout the planning process. The party was scheduled for April 29, 2006.
During the month of March, the information for the invitations was requested by the owner, Ms. Kimberly Williams. I forwarded her the addresses and requested that a return address was included on the envelope. The invitations were mailed without the return address as I requested and the envelopes were handwritten with what appeared to me to be a red pencil, I later learned that it was a pink watercolor. I was not happy, I informed Ms. Williams and she was offended. She thought the girls would like the pink, but the handwriting was not even neat. My daughter was not impressed or happy with the envelopes, the invitation was beautiful. All of this occurred on April 20, 2006.
I assumed that we were past this and ready to move on, however on April 28, 2006 when I received the invoice for the party. The invoice stated that I paid a deposit of $175 instead of $200. I e-mailed Ms. Williams and asked her about the invoice. She stated that I have too many questions about the contract and she was cancelling my daughter's party the day before the festivites. Her e-mail also stated that she is not used to anyone questioning her invoice and she did not feel that she was going to be able to make me happy. I feel that if I am paying someone almost $600 I have a right to ask questions and make complaints when I feel that something is not correct. Well, Ms. Williams did not agree.
I would not recommend her service to anyone. She is not professional when dealing with individuals that have concerns about where there money is going. I am not certain what type of clientale just pays an invoice that is incorrect without any explanation.
Beverly
Detroit, Michigan
U.S.A.
8 Updates & Rebuttals
smallbizhelps
United States of AmericaIllegal Business Practices??
#9Consumer Comment
Thu, October 18, 2012
Broadcasting illegal business practices when there were none, is slander and defamation of character. Both ripoffreport.com and the filer of this complaint are in danger of being sued for loss of business and/or punitive damages.
Robert
Rochester,New York,
U.S.A.
What Illegal business practices???
#9Consumer Comment
Sun, October 05, 2008
Just what business practice was illegal?
I think there is more to this story than meets the eyes. OP sounds like a whiny princess herself.. I wouldn't do business with her either.
Kim
West Bloomfield,Michigan,
U.S.A.
The previous owner of Kimberella Parties
#9UPDATE EX-employee responds
Sun, October 05, 2008
I have just read this for the first time. I did sell the company and I do recall this mom. I had a number of difficult conversations with this mom. She did get her full refund amount and she did not EVEN get charged fees of 3% from paypal. All of these years later it saddens me that she had enough nerve to write this report. I did cancel her party as I have never done before to a client. There was much more involved then what is stated. I did feel uneasy doing her event as we had a conversations prior to her event that was threatening and out of control. I offered a service for money, went above and behond and this was the only complaint in seven years. I had very good reason to NOT do this party. As for fees: Anyone can file a complaint when they pay with paypal and they freeze the owners acount until it is resolved. She got all of her money back immediately and that was never an issues. I hit the refund button back to her from the original payment sent. It went to me and right back to her. If there were fees on her end to send money that way then that would have been on her end to send the money through paypal. I would not have access to that. Paypal is a service you sign up for to pay through a bank account/credit card. I assume there are fees to access their service. In seven years I had one complaint and how sad is it that it said RIIP OFF. When she did get her money back and didn't even see what service I offered because she was do rude and upsetting. Yet she can say rip off.???
Kimberly
Oak Park,Michigan,
U.S.A.
Kimberella Parties New Owner
#9REBUTTAL Owner of company
Wed, July 16, 2008
Kimberella Parties new owhas been under new ownership since December 2006. Sorry you had such a horrible experience with Kimberly Williams.
Beverly
Detroit,Michigan,
U.S.A.
Kimberella Parties
#9Author of original report
Tue, May 09, 2006
I understand an employee of Kimberella Parties responding in this manner. If Ms. Williams had problems with "this mom" as you stated then she should have cancelled the contract long before the day before the party. If she felt as you say uneasy about "this mom" then I am certain that she would have said something. She NEVER gave me any indication that she had a problem with me asking questions regarding my daughter's party.
I have read the contract and the only fees that I see associated with credit card payment is a 6% processing fee and $25 is NOT 6% of $200. In my opinion, Ms. Williams did not have a good reason for cancelling my party, only that her ego was upset that I was not going to pay a bill without questioning.
If Ms. Williams felt her staff and herself were in danger, she never relayed that information to me. I was nothing but professional and prompt with everything she asked. It is not good business if she felt uncomfortable dealing with "this mom" than do not accept "this mom"'s money in the first place.
Mike
River Edge,New Jersey,
U.S.A.
To the other "Kim" who responded
#9Consumer Comment
Tue, May 09, 2006
In your response, you said:
"If she did not like the pink addressed envelope then she could have done them herself."
But the whole point of hiring someone for $600 would be to do the invitations as well, no? If she did them herself, doesn't that negate the point of hiring someone?
You said:
"As for the paypal fees, anyone knows there are fees involved when using a credit card."
Now my point in saying something about PayPal fees was actually to try and give a possible explanation as to why Beverly was told her deposit was only $175 as Paypal fees are higher than normal credit card fees.
As for other credit card fees, there is usually a 2% charge to vendors to use the machine. HOWEVER, this fee is never passed through to the client as your statement makes it seem. Do you pay $102 for something that costs $100 if you pay by credit card? No of course not. If Kim accepts Paypal as a form of payment than she either has to state that the NET deposit has to be $200 or accept whatever the NET is.
You said:
"Kim is walking into someones home with her staff and all of her trunks. If she feels unsafe in a home she should not have to go to it. She felt very uneasy about this mom and told me she just didn't feel that anything she did would make her happy. She has the right to protect her business and staff"
This statement is confusing to me. Did she feel she couldn't make her happy? Or did she feel somehow threatened?
Also, if the client asked for a retunr address and it wasn't provided as requested, doesn't she have the right to complain?
If I was paying $600 for a 5 yr old birthday party (which I would never do since it is silly, but ok) I would want everything to be perfect too. Wouldn't you?
FOR BEVERLY.....
Just an FYI, if you didn't receive a full refund, simply file a complaint with PayPal that services weren't rendered and they will refund you the deposit. If the funds aren't in the account, they will freeze her account.
Kim
West Bloomfield,Michigan,
U.S.A.
She refunded the total deposit and did what she felt was best.
#9UPDATE Employee
Mon, May 08, 2006
I have worked for Kim for three years now and not once has she ever had to NOT do a party. She told me about his mom. Kim does things for the children to enjoy. If she did not like the pink addressed envelope then she could have done them herself. I have never seen one thing that Kim has not done above what a family even thinks she will do. She has had repeat business now fir seven years and has watched families grow as she is celebrating their happy events with them. She get's invited to events even after the ones she is doing for them. Kim is walking into someones home with her staff and all of her trunks. If she feels unsafe in a home she should not have to go to it. She felt very uneasy about this mom and told me she just didn't feel that anything she did would make her happy. She has the right to protect her business and staff. As for the paypal fees, anyone knows there are fees involved when using a credit card. She refuneded the total amount paid. I know for a fact she felt bad about doing that and has never had to do it once in seven years. In saying that, I don't think she would have done it if she really didn't have a good reason.
Mike
River Edge,New Jersey,
U.S.A.
Paypal Fees?
#9Consumer Suggestion
Wed, May 03, 2006
Since you paid $200 through PayPal, they probably assessed their fees to the amount, thereby reducing the NET deposit to $175. All you have to do is go into your PayPal history and look at the amount of fees assessed to the payment.
As far as spending $600 on a 5yr old birthday party....well I can't help you with that.