Bliss Farm & Retreat Reviews (%countItem)
Bliss Farm & Retreat Rating
Address: 347 Town Branch Rd, Barnardsville, North Carolina, United States, 28709-9770
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I booked a yoga retreat at Bliss Farm & Retreat in *** June 11 - 14th 2020. To date, I paid $5,042.90 in deposits (January, $1,400 and March, $3642.90.)��Right after my 90-day payment our COVID-19 stay home order was issued.�
'When I realized the enormity of influence COVID-19 would have on our lives, I reached out to my clients to get a sense of their interest in traveling given the health risks to themselves and others. None of them felt comfortable; some have family at home with underlying health issues and COVID-19 could be fatal to them. Another one of my student's husbands currently has COVID-19 and does not want to expose herself to others. I expressed all of these concerns to Bliss Farm through numerous emails. At the time they said their policy was only changed for retreats held in April or May and that those leaders could transfer any previous payments to a new date. I also had an upcoming 60-day payment of $1800 due on April 12th. I expressed concern about paying this when my retreat would potentially not even happen in June given the length of the stay home order and knowing it could be extended at anytime. They said they would not postpone the payment. I tried to talk with them on the phone before the payment was due to negotiate but the manager told me the owner would be out of town for the weekend with no service. I felt they were trying to avoid my call until my payment went through on that Sunday.�
'I was not comfortable giving them more money during this pandemic considering my group was unwilling to risk their health and the health of others. My focus being on health and wellness, any unnecessary exposure would be irresponsible with potentially grave results. It is not wise to have a large group of people in a small retreat space; practicing yoga, eating together and sleeping within close proximity to one another during a global pandemic.�Due to these reasons, I attempted to postpone my retreat.�
Bliss Farm offered to change my date to July or August 2020 and transfer any previous payments to the new date. I declined due to the uncertainty of this virus and being ready to travel by then. My students do not want to commit to any new dates now or in 2021 until such time a vaccine is available - they are requesting refunds instead. In an effort to work with the establishment, I inquired about a new date in 2021 and offered for them to keep the $1400 deposit to secure the dates, leaving $3642.90 to be refunded. They declined.��My offer is no longer an option and I am pursuing a full refund of $5042.90. They are lacking an interest in personal safety and rushing to open while ignoring the health concerns of their clientele. I do not want to host a retreat with them now or in the future - they are irresponsible and not taking this pandemic seriously or caring about the safety of others.
Product_Or_Service: Hosting a Yoga Retreat at their location
Refund Full refund of all monies paid, $5040.90
Bliss Farm and Retreat is happy to respond to the Revdex.com complaint filed by ***. We strive to exceed our clients' expectations for their events at our property. Our primary objective is to create a relaxing and constructive environment for each patron. We are disappointed that the relationship with Ms. has deteriorated, as we were excited about hosting her group. However, there are certain things that we must insist upon (such as honoring the terms of our mutual contract), and we simply cannot provide Ms. what she is demanding.
Ms. entered into a contract with Bliss Farm in January 2020. Upon execution of the contract, Ms. paid the required non-refundable reservation deposit for her June retreat dates. According to the contract, Ms. also paid 50% of the remaining balance in March 2020, 90-days prior to her scheduled retreat. We require these payments from every retreat scheduled at Bliss Farm and have never had an issue with a client until this issue with Ms..
Ms. first reached out in late March 2020, requesting our COVID-19 policy. She was offered the same policy as our other confirmed reservations - any events which were not possible due to local or state stay-home orders will be rescheduled to an available date in 2020 or 2021, and any deposited monies will be applied to a new date. In early April 2020, Ms. requested that her retreat be rescheduled to October 2020. Ms. then demanded that she be refunded everything but her initial deposit as part of her rescheduling. Ultimately, Ms. refused to reschedule her retreat to any date and has demanded full refund of all monies paid.
Bliss Farm has tried to accommodate Ms., considering the current pandemic circumstances. However, Bliss Farm cannot provide full refunds to clients who terminate their retreats based on their members' changed feelings. Bliss Farm has continued to offer to reschedule Ms. retreat to a 2020 or 2021 date and has offered to refund part of Ms. money which was over-paid. At this point, Ms. is not willing to accept anything other than a full refund, which is in direct conflict with the contract and is not possible for Bliss Farm to provide. Rather than work within the terms of the contract and in cooperation with Bliss Farm, Ms. has filed this complaint with the Revdex.com and with the North Carolina Attorney General.
Bliss Farm has been exceptionally considerate of Ms. issues, even extending the COVID policy to include her June dates when the North Carolina stay-home order has been relaxed. But Bliss Farm will not stay in business if it provides full refunds to clients who terminate a contract without a legal basis. We hope that Ms. will reconsider and reschedule her event for another available date.
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I am happy to reply to Bliss Farm's response to my original complaint and fill in some details they left out. As stated before, in March I inquired about Bliss Farm's actions around COVID-19 when I realized the impact it was having on our lives. At this time, I also asked if they were providing refunds which is what I was looking for. When I was denied that, I tried to make a new date in 2020 work. I asked for October to try and give this pandemic time to quiet down. They had nothing available for me but offered me dates in July, August and September - all of which I could not commit to.
When we started looking into dates for 2021, I asked to be refunded my 50% balance but would happily have them keep my initial deposit to secure a new date in 2021. The 50% balance is a 90 day payment - seeing as my new retreat would potentially be a year away, I believed I was entitled to a refund of this 90-day payment. They declined. After numerous failed attempts at coming to an agreement, I wanted to be refunded fully and filed my complaint.
Bliss Farm states that they were very considerate of my situation around COVID-19 which is untrue. Their center is promoting health and wellness yet they are so eager to pack students together for a long weekend during a pandemic - potentially putting my students and their staff at risk. The stay home order in North Carolina has been loosened but it does not permit gatherings over 10 people. There is so much uncertainty around this pandemic that we do not know if gathering over 10 will be allowed by June. There is always a possibility it could go backwards and we end up in another quarantine. If they were actually considerate of this they would realize the uncertainty and understand my reasoning for wanting to cancel this retreat in June.
They cannot hold me to their updated policy which I never agreed to or was given anything to sign. At the time of my signed contract, I agreed to pay all payments for a retreat that was for 17 people June 11th - 14th 2020. Seeing as this is currently against government law and regulations, I should no longer be held to this contract. Bliss Farm also states that if they were to refund everyone they would go out of business. It is completely unconscionable to keep or even transfer their client's money for retreats that cannot be held on their scheduled and contracted dates. Airlines, hotels, Airbnb and wedding venues are even issuing refunds. The government provided PPP loans to businesses for this exact reason so businesses can do the right thing and refund their client's money. Their contract also states nothing about a Force Majeure which COVID-19 falls under - another unconscionable act.
Bliss Farm did not even make an announcement that they were closed during the stay home order and left it up to the retreat leaders to decide if they wanted to move their retreat. I believe they did this so the leaders would be left at fault and would have to comply with having their money be transferred to a new date. According to government law they should have been closed since March and should still be closed. Other websites state their closure and after research I have found that the retreat centers were the ones to cancel any events with the safety of others in mind. This also proves that Bliss Farm does not care about anything other than collecting their money rather than the health and safety of their customer's or community.
I am not at fault here and am acting within my rights as a consumer plus keeping the safety of my community in mind. Bliss Farm states and I quote from their response "Bliss Farm cannot provide full refunds to clients who terminate their retreats based on their members' changed feelings." They fail to mention that my member's changed feelings are not wanting to travel during a pandemic - especially when they have family at home with underlying health issues and positive COVID-19 tests. I am sure any other consumer would agree with me and would fight for a refund to keep themselves and loved ones safe.
Anytime Bliss Farm has responded to me in emails or in Revdex.com they act as if there is not a pandemic going on. I would have never taken these actions if it wasn't for the level of severity and uncertainty the entire world is currently in. Nor would my students have 'changed their feelings' around going. We were all very excited to spend the weekend at Bliss Farm but this pandemic has left our lives flipped upside down and we are all just trying to survive.
Pursuant to Governor Cooper's order, Phase II re-opening began in North Carolina on Friday, May 22, and will extend until at least Friday, June 26, which period includes the dates for Ms. retreat. Under the requirements of Phase II, Ms. retreat can occur as planned, considering her group size, availability of outdoor dining, and other small accommodations to ensure legal compliance. Bliss Farm would again offer Ms. to reschedule to an available 2020 or 2021 date. If Ms. does not wish to proceed with her event, because the retreat was not canceled due to any legal restriction, Bliss Farm will offer only a refund of the money Ms. has overpaid, not a refund in full.
I booked a yoga retreat at Bliss Farm & Retreat in *** June 11 - 14th 2020. To date, I paid $5,042.90 in deposits (January, $1,400 and March, $3642.90.)��Right after my 90-day payment our COVID-19 stay home order was issued.�
'When I realized the enormity of influence COVID-19 would have on our lives, I reached out to my clients to get a sense of their interest in traveling given the health risks to themselves and others. None of them felt comfortable; some have family at home with underlying health issues and COVID-19 could be fatal to them. Another one of my student's husbands currently has COVID-19 and does not want to expose herself to others. I expressed all of these concerns to Bliss Farm through numerous emails. At the time they said their policy was only changed for retreats held in April or May and that those leaders could transfer any previous payments to a new date. I also had an upcoming 60-day payment of $1800 due on April 12th. I expressed concern about paying this when my retreat would potentially not even happen in June given the length of the stay home order and knowing it could be extended at anytime. They said they would not postpone the payment. I tried to talk with them on the phone before the payment was due to negotiate but the manager told me the owner would be out of town for the weekend with no service. I felt they were trying to avoid my call until my payment went through on that Sunday.�
'I was not comfortable giving them more money during this pandemic considering my group was unwilling to risk their health and the health of others. My focus being on health and wellness, any unnecessary exposure would be irresponsible with potentially grave results. It is not wise to have a large group of people in a small retreat space; practicing yoga, eating together and sleeping within close proximity to one another during a global pandemic.�Due to these reasons, I attempted to postpone my retreat.�
Bliss Farm offered to change my date to July or August 2020 and transfer any previous payments to the new date. I declined due to the uncertainty of this virus and being ready to travel by then. My students do not want to commit to any new dates now or in 2021 until such time a vaccine is available - they are requesting refunds instead. In an effort to work with the establishment, I inquired about a new date in 2021 and offered for them to keep the $1400 deposit to secure the dates, leaving $3642.90 to be refunded. They declined.��My offer is no longer an option and I am pursuing a full refund of $5042.90. They are lacking an interest in personal safety and rushing to open while ignoring the health concerns of their clientele. I do not want to host a retreat with them now or in the future - they are irresponsible and not taking this pandemic seriously or caring about the safety of others.
Product_Or_Service: Hosting a Yoga Retreat at their location
Refund Full refund of all monies paid, $5040.90
Bliss Farm and Retreat is happy to respond to the Revdex.com complaint filed by ***. We strive to exceed our clients' expectations for their events at our property. Our primary objective is to create a relaxing and constructive environment for each patron. We are disappointed that the relationship with Ms. has deteriorated, as we were excited about hosting her group. However, there are certain things that we must insist upon (such as honoring the terms of our mutual contract), and we simply cannot provide Ms. what she is demanding.
Ms. entered into a contract with Bliss Farm in January 2020. Upon execution of the contract, Ms. paid the required non-refundable reservation deposit for her June retreat dates. According to the contract, Ms. also paid 50% of the remaining balance in March 2020, 90-days prior to her scheduled retreat. We require these payments from every retreat scheduled at Bliss Farm and have never had an issue with a client until this issue with Ms..
Ms. first reached out in late March 2020, requesting our COVID-19 policy. She was offered the same policy as our other confirmed reservations - any events which were not possible due to local or state stay-home orders will be rescheduled to an available date in 2020 or 2021, and any deposited monies will be applied to a new date. In early April 2020, Ms. requested that her retreat be rescheduled to October 2020. Ms. then demanded that she be refunded everything but her initial deposit as part of her rescheduling. Ultimately, Ms. refused to reschedule her retreat to any date and has demanded full refund of all monies paid.
Bliss Farm has tried to accommodate Ms., considering the current pandemic circumstances. However, Bliss Farm cannot provide full refunds to clients who terminate their retreats based on their members' changed feelings. Bliss Farm has continued to offer to reschedule Ms. retreat to a 2020 or 2021 date and has offered to refund part of Ms. money which was over-paid. At this point, Ms. is not willing to accept anything other than a full refund, which is in direct conflict with the contract and is not possible for Bliss Farm to provide. Rather than work within the terms of the contract and in cooperation with Bliss Farm, Ms. has filed this complaint with the Revdex.com and with the North Carolina Attorney General.
Bliss Farm has been exceptionally considerate of Ms. issues, even extending the COVID policy to include her June dates when the North Carolina stay-home order has been relaxed. But Bliss Farm will not stay in business if it provides full refunds to clients who terminate a contract without a legal basis. We hope that Ms. will reconsider and reschedule her event for another available date.
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I am happy to reply to Bliss Farm's response to my original complaint and fill in some details they left out. As stated before, in March I inquired about Bliss Farm's actions around COVID-19 when I realized the impact it was having on our lives. At this time, I also asked if they were providing refunds which is what I was looking for. When I was denied that, I tried to make a new date in 2020 work. I asked for October to try and give this pandemic time to quiet down. They had nothing available for me but offered me dates in July, August and September - all of which I could not commit to.
When we started looking into dates for 2021, I asked to be refunded my 50% balance but would happily have them keep my initial deposit to secure a new date in 2021. The 50% balance is a 90 day payment - seeing as my new retreat would potentially be a year away, I believed I was entitled to a refund of this 90-day payment. They declined. After numerous failed attempts at coming to an agreement, I wanted to be refunded fully and filed my complaint.
Bliss Farm states that they were very considerate of my situation around COVID-19 which is untrue. Their center is promoting health and wellness yet they are so eager to pack students together for a long weekend during a pandemic - potentially putting my students and their staff at risk. The stay home order in North Carolina has been loosened but it does not permit gatherings over 10 people. There is so much uncertainty around this pandemic that we do not know if gathering over 10 will be allowed by June. There is always a possibility it could go backwards and we end up in another quarantine. If they were actually considerate of this they would realize the uncertainty and understand my reasoning for wanting to cancel this retreat in June.
They cannot hold me to their updated policy which I never agreed to or was given anything to sign. At the time of my signed contract, I agreed to pay all payments for a retreat that was for 17 people June 11th - 14th 2020. Seeing as this is currently against government law and regulations, I should no longer be held to this contract. Bliss Farm also states that if they were to refund everyone they would go out of business. It is completely unconscionable to keep or even transfer their client's money for retreats that cannot be held on their scheduled and contracted dates. Airlines, hotels, Airbnb and wedding venues are even issuing refunds. The government provided PPP loans to businesses for this exact reason so businesses can do the right thing and refund their client's money. Their contract also states nothing about a Force Majeure which COVID-19 falls under - another unconscionable act.
Bliss Farm did not even make an announcement that they were closed during the stay home order and left it up to the retreat leaders to decide if they wanted to move their retreat. I believe they did this so the leaders would be left at fault and would have to comply with having their money be transferred to a new date. According to government law they should have been closed since March and should still be closed. Other websites state their closure and after research I have found that the retreat centers were the ones to cancel any events with the safety of others in mind. This also proves that Bliss Farm does not care about anything other than collecting their money rather than the health and safety of their customer's or community.
I am not at fault here and am acting within my rights as a consumer plus keeping the safety of my community in mind. Bliss Farm states and I quote from their response "Bliss Farm cannot provide full refunds to clients who terminate their retreats based on their members' changed feelings." They fail to mention that my member's changed feelings are not wanting to travel during a pandemic - especially when they have family at home with underlying health issues and positive COVID-19 tests. I am sure any other consumer would agree with me and would fight for a refund to keep themselves and loved ones safe.
Anytime Bliss Farm has responded to me in emails or in Revdex.com they act as if there is not a pandemic going on. I would have never taken these actions if it wasn't for the level of severity and uncertainty the entire world is currently in. Nor would my students have 'changed their feelings' around going. We were all very excited to spend the weekend at Bliss Farm but this pandemic has left our lives flipped upside down and we are all just trying to survive.
Pursuant to Governor Cooper's order, Phase II re-opening began in North Carolina on Friday, May 22, and will extend until at least Friday, June 26, which period includes the dates for Ms. retreat. Under the requirements of Phase II, Ms. retreat can occur as planned, considering her group size, availability of outdoor dining, and other small accommodations to ensure legal compliance. Bliss Farm would again offer Ms. to reschedule to an available 2020 or 2021 date. If Ms. does not wish to proceed with her event, because the retreat was not canceled due to any legal restriction, Bliss Farm will offer only a refund of the money Ms. has overpaid, not a refund in full.