- Report: #1129093
Complaint Review: Freedom Kegerator - Daly City California
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Author Not Confirmed
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Freedom Kegerator
26 Delhaven Ave Daly City, California, USA
Phone:
619-227-0198
Web:
http://www.freedomkegerator.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
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Freedom Kegerator Ignored my plea for a refund of $3800 for a unit I never recieved Daly City California
The Short Story:
I was lead to believe my unit would arrive in 3 weeks after I paid in full. I waited nearly 5 months for the unit to arrive being continually assured it would be here “in just a few days”. Then, after my business began to suffer with nothing to show for my $3800 investment in the Freedom Kegerator I requested a refund. That refund request was over 2 months ago and at the time of writing this I have yet to receive my money back and the company owner will not return my phone calls, texts or emails.
The Long Story:
I am in the early stages of starting a business and after looking at Kegerators online determined the Freedom Kegerator would be ideal for the self pour draught system I am developing. Although I was hesitant to purchase such an expensive unit I felt this investment would be good for my business, and when I mentioned to the owner over the phone that I was shopping around for solutions to my self pour draught system's packaging/refrigeration he immediately coaxed me into doing business with him. The owner would call me a few times a week very thrilled about my business and self pour system, we'd discuss ideas regarding the system, possible markets to capture and how our two products could work together. He discussed potential promotional videos showcasing our products together and was very eager to help me market and distribute my product in the states (I'm based out of Canada). However, after I sent him the $3800 for the unit things slowly began to deteriorate to the point where I am now considering contacting the police or a lawyer in an attempt to reclaim the small bit of investment I had set aside for my business.
I could be very understanding in regards to delays or unforeseen issues regarding the manufacturing or shipping process, but, I have been lied to by the owners and kept in the dark about the entire process. Although I paid for my unit (in full) in July of 2013 and was assured the unit would arrive the first week of August this quickly turned into a a stream of excuses and lies that would continue until I requested my Refund on November 26th.
The owner continually assured me the unit was in the mail, then claimed it was at customs, then back at the manufacturer awaiting shipping. The promises were wildly inconsistent and unbelievable after they'd been used over and over. I was told: "It'll be shipping Monday" or "It'll arrive on Friday" every week for months with no documentation, tracking number, or even evidence the unit existed. This all was after he had received my payment in full (a sum of $3800).
Eventually, after waiting 4 months for the unit to arrive (I only waited this long because of the constant promises assuring me the unit would arrive in "just a couple more days") or at least receive some hard evidence the unit existed (or better yet was in the mail), I determined I simply needed my money back. At this point my business start-up had now been completely put on hold for 5 months, I had missed many opportunities to show off my prototype, lost potential investors, and simply needed the money back to purchase another unit and get back on track.
On November 26th of 2013 I requested a refund from the company and after a week was told a wire transfer was put in for the $3800. This then lead to another set of lies regarding the payment. it started with things like "The transfer was put in, but you'll need to wait a few days for it to go through", then evolved to an explanation where the new secretary must have mailed you a cheque instead of sending a transfer. The cheque, which I don't believe was sent or ever existed, did not arrive. So, the new excuse is that he'll need to make sure the check has not been cashed and he'll put in a wire transfer... which, I'm certain will lead to another excuse, then another, and another, and another...
The owner has also recently taken to ignoring my phone calls which, as you can imagine, is very frustrating. After waiting a week for the supposed wire transfer to go through I couldn't get him on the phone for any kind of update. The only way I could eventually get him on the phone was through a Google Voice call which appears as a California based phone number. But, even after that conversation there was no resolution and at the time of writing this I am still waiting for my refund. The owner seems to of gotten wise to my google-voice method and now is unavailable from any number I can call from.
After all of this I must say I cannot attest to the quality of the Freedom Kegerator itself but simply the level of customer service I have received. Perhaps if you're a large re-seller (like micormatic.com) or established business owner Mark Johnson will pay some attention to your needs and deliver on his promises. But, If your just starting out as a business, or you're a home owner thinking to yourself, “hey, I think this machine would be pretty cool for my backyard”, don't deal with this man. He clearly has little interest in the small fish.
Lastly, if you're reading this right now, I'm still waiting for my money and my business is likely suffering because of it.
