I can't even give them one star. I find it very suspicious that every one of the reviews on their website sing the praises of Elite Tent Rentals and owner, Tony. Please allow me to share my recent experience and then you can decide if their website is deceiving. For some reason, I couldn't post to it, so I'll share my story here. I know this is a long review, but if you are a prospective customer, I urge you to read this story!
My daughter's wedding was scheduled for Sunday, September 18th in Door County. She and her fiancé secured Elite Tent Rentals many months in advance and issued the company a sizable amount of money to do so. Being from Milwaukee, they read the reviews on the website, took them at face value, and trusted in their legitimacy. With such a highly rated company, they were certain all would go well.
Thursday before the wedding, the tent, tables, chairs, dance floor, and lights were all scheduled to be delivered for their outdoor wedding on the water at which over 100 guests would be arriving to celebrate their big day. There was much to do in preparation and the tables, chairs, etc. were needed before other things could be done.
Nothing showed up on Thursday - and beyond belief, NO ONE at Elite Tent Rentals called with an explanation. When phone calls from our end were made, NO ONE would answer them. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, our kids were confident everything would arrive Friday by noon with a very good explanation and apology. By that time on Friday, nothing had yet been delivered. Still no phone call of explanation or apology or even a cancellation. Their second retainer fee in the sum of $2400.00, not to mention their first deposit check were now also at risk. They were going to be out almost $4000.00. Add to this worry the stress they were under!!!!!!
The entire family began blowing up their phone lines and those of their associates, whose extensions and numbers were taken from their voice mail system. It was after 2:00 PM and many pleas, when a young lady named Kaitlyn finally picked up the phone. She wouldn't put us through to Tony, the owner; she couldn't offer an explanation as to why things had not been delivered as contracted. Worst of all she wouldn't assure things would in fact be delivered for the wedding but she did say she was doing all she could. I felt sorry for her, really! Needless to say, we were in a panic, as we were a day and a half away without anything we needed to hold this event. Yet because we couldn't believe someone so unscrupulous existed and would allow this to happen, we held out hope that there had to be some misunderstanding and a sense of decency would prevail.
While speaking with another Door County vender throughout this ordeal, I asked if she knew of Elite Tent Rentals. It was then that I learned that they had stood a bride up the weekend before. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. We pulled out every effort we could to get through to them - again - no one but this young woman, who was now in tears on the phone, would speak to any of us. She had to endure the tears, screaming, pleading and threats. What kind of a man allows his employee to run this kind of interference for him?
My finance's parents got in their car. Left Door County and drove to Green Bay and the warehouse where they met Kaitlyn who told them Tony was in the back in the warehouse. They approached him, and in a dignified yet stern manner and gave him the one and only ultimatum they could. He would make good on his contract and they were going to ensure that he did because they were not leaving until they saw the trailer stocked with what was ordered and paid for and delivered. They would follow him/the items and/or his crew back to Door County and the wedding site.
He kept them waiting for 5.5 hours until a truck was finally stocked and finally left. As promised, they followed it back to the site of the wedding. It arrived after 8:00 PM that night with only two guys in the crew - it should have taken a 6 man crew. My daughter - the BRIDE - stayed up all night until 6:30 AM the next morning to ensure things wouldn't just be dumped, but set up as they were promised.
I can't begin to tell you what an inordinate amount of stress this caused us all at a time we should have been enjoying the days leading up to our beloved children's wedding celebration. Nor can I express my disappointment at the level of dishonesty and cowardice we experienced from this man, the owner, named Tony. But I can do one thing: I can caution everyone in the Green Bay/Door County area to NOT DO BUSINESS with Elite Tent Rentals, so as to ensure this spineless individual does not continue to do business. In my opinion, this horrible story just illustrates how he has chosen to act in such a manner resulting in his own professional and personal reputation being damaged beyond repair. read more
