A Michigan wedding caterer is prohibited from operating in the state for five years for deceptive and unlawful business practices, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said.
State prosecutors say Alicia Thompson, owner of Late to the Lake LLC, a Michigan-based catering company, violated the Michigan Consumer Protection Act. As part of an agreement, the company must refund all impacted consumers, and Thompson cannot operate catering services in Michigan for five years.
Nessel says her office received more than 40 consumer complaints concerning Thompson’s business and says consumers alleged a pattern of the caterer’s last-minute cancellations of wedding services and Late to the Lake’s failure to issue refunds.
In one case, a complainant paid more than $6,000 for wedding catering services that were later canceled without a refund, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors say another customer said they felt pressured to pay in full to receive sale pricing, but Late to the Lake later canceled the day of the rehearsal dinner.
Complaints also alleged that they were charged more than the agreed-upon total or found new charges on their account after canceling catering services, authorities said.
When a customer received catering services, they complained about issues with service quality, incomplete food delivery and unauthorized fees, Nessel said.
“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,” said Nessel in a statement. “I am proud of my Consumer Protection Team for holding this caterer accountable.”
The state encourages anyone who believes they are owed a refund by Thompson to reach out to the attorney general’s office. Consumers have until May 1 to file a complaint to be considered for a refund. Nessel says refunds must be issued by July 1.
