Please help - Who do I contact to make a complaint and try to recover funds?

[4orm]

Thanks everyone. We called guest services yesterday to see how to proceed and the CM seemed surprised that we weren't yelling at him (I suppose they hear all the negitive stuff). We told him the situation and he promptly gave us the number for the head of special events at Epcot, who books the vendors. We asked if we should contact the vendor, and we were told not to until we contacted the Epcot CM.
She was off yesterday and today has been busy, but we will be calling tomorrow. We'll see what happens.
I'm unsure of who to get the refund from because the item was bought at a Disney shop (the vendor sent us over to pay there) and the reciept is a regular WDW reciept. We paid cash unfortunatley. I'm sure everything will be straightened out. I am not demanding a refund - I want to make that clear. If one is offered we will gladly accept, we just want the proper information given.
RoyalCanadian - I disagree with you. We were in Holland, my husband is Dutch. We bought flowers, then asked if it was okay for bring to North America, then we were given a certificate. They had no idea we were Canadian and 90% of the people in the market were Dutch I'm guessing. When I asked specifically about certification the response I received seemed educated on the subject and was told numerous times about various points why it was okay to be brought back via airplane internationally. The vendor was 100% wrong, and I just don't believe that it was ignorance. It is my responsibility in the long run, but when I asked the vendor, I should have been told that they didn't know and that I should look into it.

 

[mking624]

First of all, you are reading much-too-much into my post. I said that Disney shares some of the responsibility. This is nothing at all like the Jim Hill incident as he did not have to meet certain criteria and then sign a vendor agreement with Disney. Have you ever been a vendor such as this? I have, many, many times. My agreements were all spelled out to the letter in what was expected of me. They told me exactly what I could and could not do.

Yes I know what vendor contracts are like. However it is NOT their fault if someone breaks a contract. I work as a vendor at gift shows from time to time where I have to sign a contract. If I decide not to show up as my contract instructs, I bear the full responsibility, not the company that had me sign the contract. So Disney bears absolutely no responsibility if someone decides to break the contract. It's like I said, if someone told you that Epcot was the one that had the Cinderella Castle, would you hold Disney responsible for the misinformation? After all, according to you, Disney is held responible once they approve someone (QUOTE: IMO, Disney is partly responsible because they approved the vendor for the show)...and they have approved a guest to come in. So would their misinformation now cause Disney to be responsible? Because that's what you're implying here. Someone was given misinformation, and now you're saying that Disney is partly responsible. Whether it's a vendor or guest, Disney cannot control every last word that is spoken to every single guest...especially when the vendor is not company owned. And if you're well versed in vendor contracts as you say you are, you would know that companies will excuse themselves for all kinds of liability.

Second, I never said that Disney would be/should be the one to reimburse her. I clearly said that the vendor was "culpable".

Yes but you also said Disney should be partly responsible....in other words, to be partly accountable for what has happened. Or to break it down...to take some of the blame (since it was their "responsibility"). Either the vendor is fully culpable or not...but if the vendor is fully culpable, then Disney bears no accountability to what happened.

Third, your post really doesn't address what the issue is. The basic understanding you need to accept here is the Disney/Vendor agreement/license. It bears no relationship to a "ticketed guest".

I know very well what my post was addressing. My post addressed the issue of whether or not Disney was responsible for what happened, which you say they are partly responsible. And I know full well what vendor license contracts are like, so I don't need to be told what I have to "accept" and "not accept." And for the record, contracts given to vendors who will works with "ticketed guests" will more often than not address the behavior of the vendor to the ticketed guest, so yes, it will bear a relationship to them. Which is why the vendor should be fully responsible for that behavior...not Disney. I'm sure Disney has themselves more covered than you and I even begin to imagine. Anyway, I'm not interested in arguing with you about the dos and don'ts of vendor contracts and the responsibility of the parties involved, so I'll just end it here.

4orm, I'm glad things are moving along for you. Since it was a Disney receipt, my guess is that they will issue the refund (or some sort of compensation) and they will dedal with the vendor themselves. I wouldn't be too surprised if they started to make vendors like these start accepting payments on their own though if things like this keep up. I'm sorry to have hijacked your thread, btw.

 

[dennis99ss]

Sorry, but, you need to know what you can and cannot bring back. If I go to J. Fox in London and buy some cubans, and they tell me they sell to Americans all the time, and Americans bring them back all the time, is it my fault if they get taken away from me when I know they are not allowed. Sounds like you knew you needed additional backup to get them across the border, but opted to take the chance. I say its your loss.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Now, because of all the blantent lies from the sales people I would like to be reimburst for the money we are out (we have the reciept still from the sale and the paper work from customs) and a sign be posted that the plants can only be transported within the US. We don't want others to go through this. I feel taken advantage of.
Does anyone have a phone number of who to call for something like this?
Thanks and sorry to ramble on!

I don't really think they were out to blatantly lie to you. I think they maybe just made an error. Or had sold to people in Canada before with no problems.

I'd try calling the regular Disney number and try to speak to a manager who can get you in touch with guest relations. Or write a letter. This is the address :
Walt Disney World Guest Relations
PO Box 10000
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Good luck. I hope the refund you. I think they probably will. Disney is usually very good about things like that.

 

[disneyaggie]

Geepers! All the lady wanted was some assistance . . . not a lecture nor debate.

Thanks, EsmeraldaX, for your helpful response. Great idea, and consistent with what I understand is a great way to get some action. I, too, hope 4orm gets her money back.