Complaint Review: Velocity LLC

I agreed to, like others, a hotel room key sleeve and key card ad campaign with Velocity in July 2017.    The following is taken from my written reports to the Better Business Bureau of the Northwest as well as my credit card company and the State of Oregon Attorney General:

In an nut-shell, despite numerous conversations and emails I never received anything but a cheaply done PDF of a supposed hotel key sleeve.

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On September 18, 2017,  Velocity Art Department employee Bryan Hiber promised, in writing, that a hard copy of the advertising material would be sent to me by mid-October.   This was never received.    

I received an unsolicited and concerning email about potentially fraudulent acting by Velocity on December 29, 2017.  Realizing I had not received the promised advertisement sample, and with great concern, I immediately attempted to reach the company.    I did reach an person that afternoon and was promised a response “within 24 hours”.   I received no return call.  I left subsequent messages on the general “customer service” voicemail.   My calls were not returned.


On January 2, 2018 I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).   It is complaint #12589991.     I subsequently received a response, through BBB, from Velocity that the $1000 (out of $1495) portion of the contract was canceled and they offered me that money in return.   There had never been any  attempt to contact me or return the funds.  I rejected this offer as insufficient.   

On Thursday March 22, 2018, I received a letter from Chase Card Services.    I had contacted Chase requesting a credit card refund.   Chase declined our request based on the response from Velocity.

The response provided by Velocity is both inaccurate and incorrect.    They indicated in the response that we met in person, I signed documents in person, and took “merchandise” with me at the end of a meeting.     This is incorrect.    All communication was done via email and telephone.   A contract was signed via e-signature only.    This contract was not fulfilled by Velocity.  Finally, there was no merchandise.    The contract, as clearly stated, was for advertising on a hotel key card.   Velocity has, multiple times, lied in the response to Chase Card Services.   

Upon receipt of the Chase letter, I telephoned Velocity and spoke with Travis at Velocity customer service.   He informed me that he could take my refund request to the appropriate parties.     He acknowledged that the Velocity employees who sold me the advertising package are no longer with the company and were released under questionable circumstances.    The words "fired" and "lawsuit" was used.

On Monday March 26, Travis telephoned to deny my request for any refund.   He stated that as I had rejected the $1,000 through BBB I was no longer entitled to any refund.    The call was, according to Travis, recorded by Velocity.    On the call I indicated that I never received a copy of the ad copy as promised; I was never informed the $1,000 extension was canceled; and that the Velocity response to Chase Card Services was inaccurate in its description.    I was offered, and declined, “in kind services”.  This offer was both vague and disingenuous as I have never received any proof that the purchased advertising services and materials were ever produced in the first place.

Velocity, through customer service representative Travis, informed me that the only proof of ad development and key card production they can provide is a pdf of the advertisement.  No one at the partnership hotel - The Watson Hotel in Manhattan - can provide proof of the advertisement.  

I was also pressured to understand that my continued pursuit of a refund was time consuming and complaining to the Oregon Attorney General Office might “not go in my favor” and could "waste my valuable time".

In addition, Travis committed to telephone me on March 27 with a response to my offer to accept the $1,000 rather than the full amount.    I never received a telephone call.   I telephoned on Thursday March 29.    Travis informed me that, despite the written response to the BBB, the key cards were printed and he just couldn’t not prove they were used by the hotel in question.   When the conflicting information was shown I was promised an answer “tomorrow”.   It is now over a week later and have to received a response.

AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COST!