BBB gives advice to customers after local wedding venue closure

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – The Better Business Bureau is giving advice to customers who may have lost their money after a local event center closed down.

Empyrean Events and Catering closed its doors unexpectedly and left customers and employees out thousands of dollars.

READ MORE: Local event center closes unexpectedly, leaves some customers out thousands of dollars

Officials with the BBB say it could be hard to tell when something like this will happen. Nichole Thomas with the BBB says it’s always important to do the proper research on any business before you work with them.

In this particular case, the company got new ownership in June, but Thomas says that happens all the time especially now during the pandemic. She says the pandemic also hasn’t been kind to event and catering businesses.

For those customers affected, she says the best way to try to get your money back is to contact your credit card company or your bank for a refund. She says it may have to be settled in bankruptcy court and there’s no guarantee the money will be returned.

“There’s really nothing that these brides or these customers could’ve done to see this coming that’s kind of what makes it worse is that they were blindsided. But again, the pandemic has not been kind so before you condemn this business just kind of understand that we’re all still trying to work things out and hopefully they will do what’s right by their customers but again it will probably all just get shook out in court,” Thomas said.

She also wants to remind customers to keep all of their records. Keeping all of your receipts and paper work could be helpful of the case goes to bankruptcy court.

Copyright 2021 WPTA. All rights reserved.