A catering company from Spring Lake accused of last-minute wedding cancellations and failing to issue refunds is banned from offering services in Michigan for five years under an agreement with Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Alicia Thompson, owner of Late to the Lake LLC, signed an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance after the state alleged she violated the Michigan Consumer Protection Act through deceptive business practices.
Under the order, Thompson also must refund affected customers who file a complaint by May 1. Those refunds must be issued by July 1.
The department received more than 40 complaints about Late to the Lake, including last-minute cancellations, missing refunds and unauthorized charges. One consumer reported paying more than $6,000 for services that were canceled, while others cited poor service quality or incomplete delivery.
In a written statement to The Sentinel sent March 7, Thompson wrote:
“The complaint count referenced does not distinguish between duplicate complaints, already-resolved matters, individuals with no contractual relationship, or consumers who were refunded directly or through their financial institutions. This creates a misleading impression that all complaints remain outstanding.
“In reality, the majority of matters have already been resolved, and only a limited number remain.
“It is also important to note that the situation was significantly impacted by external pressures. There was a coordinated escalation of communications, including repeated contact, public postings, and instances of harassment, which contributed to cancellations and operational disruption.
“Additionally, refund timing was affected by platform-related fund access limitations that were outside of my control. Despite these challenges, I worked to resolve matters in good faith, including issuing refunds in cases where contractual terms did not require them.”
Consumers seeking a refund can contact the Consumer Protection Team at 517-335-7599 or via tinyurl.com/yctskn2m.
“A wedding is one of the most meaningful days of a person’s life, and couples should be able to trust that their chosen vendor will deliver what they promised or at the very least refund them when something goes wrong,” Nessel wrote.
— Cassidey Kavathas is the politics and court reporter at The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at ckavathas@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on X @cassideykava.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Spring Lake caterer faces five-year ban for deceptive practices
Reporting by Cassidey Kavathas, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
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