BUYER BEWARE!!!
Unfortunately, I had a very "costly"…read moreexperience in choosing Donovan for the balloon arch for our daughter's surprise engagement party. It was truly a disastrous experience!
I had sent Donavan pictures of what I was looking to replicate - a balloon arch/display with light pinks, blush, with a touch of gold & cream (see attached). He had quoted me a price of $460 for 9ft - however, after directing him POP Charlotte website (who I should have used), he agreed to $460 for 12ft. I paid a deposit of $230 on Thursday, Aug 7th - the event was 9 days later on Saturday, Aug 16th. Donavan said that the balloons would be in by Monday for color approval. Needless to say, that did NOT happen. Instead, I received a picture Friday, the day before the event, of all the balloons inflated in what appears to be his living room. The colors were a Purple/Mauve, bright white, gold and tan - NOTHING like the picture I had sent (see attached). I called immediately to express my concern, but was told it was too late. The party was the next day. In addition, I had to pay the balance of $230 before delivery. Also, I paid by Zelle - which was a BIG mistake, should have used a credit card.
The day of the event, Donovan arrived on time and by himself. Luckily, we had other men there to help hold the 12ft balloon arch up so he could attach to the wall and ceiling. We also had to provide a step stool for him. He was not prepared to install correctly. Within 15 minutes of Donovan leaving, the entire display fell down. I called him right away and he did return to reattach - however, the tape had pulled away paint on the wall leaving damage (see attached).
During the installation, we immediately noticed a strange odor. It was a strong smell of a cigarettes/smoke. After Donovan left, we realized the balloons were what smelled so badly. It was so offensive that we opened a window, on a very hot summer day, in an attempt to freshen the air. Sadly, it did not help much. As soon as we took pictures with the couple under the arch, we immediately took the arch down and out of the house to get rid of the overwhelming smell of cigarettes (see attached). It was a complete waste of $460 and a true disappointment for our party.
After the weekend, I called Donovan to discuss our experience. After deflecting about poor installation, balloon colors and saying he does not smoke (however, someone he lives with must) - Donovan agreed to Zelle me a partial refund of $100. Do you think I have received this yet??? NO - and it has been almost a month. Of course, he ignored my calls/texts. My husband then called over the next few days and each went to voice mail (we have FLA numbers). It was only after he sent a text saying he will write a poor review did we hear back. An immediate reply came from his "mother" saying Donovan has been in the hospital after a severe car accident. Thinking this sounded suspicious, we immediately had our daughter call from her South Carolina work phone (so our last name or FLA area code would not appear) and Donovan answered, was in good spirits and talked all about the services he could provide.
Donovan is a charlatan and a crook - STAY AWAY!!!
