CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Tonight’s Troubleshooters report is about COVID19, and how it’s forcing cancellations of countless planned events.
A father canceled his daughter’s graduation party, but is still waiting on a refund from one of the businesses he hired for it.
Daniella Montalvo was graduating from high school, and her dad, Daniel, was throwing a party for her. It was going to be at a local hotel, so Daniel made reservations in early March, before the coronavirus had really started impacting the Coastal Bend.
The party was scheduled for May 30.
He also gave Galicia’s, a party decorations and rental business on Baldwin, a $200 deposit for things like runners, a chocolate fountain for 100 guests, and other items.
But on March 19, due to COVID-19, Gov. Greg Abbott put Texas on lockdown and then began gradual re-openings in April and May.
On May 1, Montalvo says he realized the party had to be canceled.
“I canceled," he said.
Within a month, Montalvo says the hotel had refunded his money.
When he asked a woman named Brenda, who he says owns Galicia’s, for his $200 down payment back, she sent him this text message which read in part, ‘if May 30, the day the party was scheduled, is a government restriction day, you’ll get your refund.’
This invoice from Galicia’s mentions nothing about a refund policy.
The Troubleshooters knocked on the door at Galicia’s. A sign on the door says you have to have an appointment.
We also left a voicemail, then called back.
The woman who answered insisted we had the wrong number.
Daniella was able to celebrate her graduation at home with family.
But her dad wants to make a point.
“This is not my fault," he said. "It's the government for all this coronavirus going on. And if she did it to me, she can do it to somebody else.”
