Starlight Ranch review: Terrible experience! 1

My husband and I paid Starlight Ranch/Jim Baird a $275 deposit in July 2007 and started paying board for our horse. We were actually saving our spot, since our horse did not arrive from out-of-state until the beginning of September.

In December we decided to move him to a different facility, due to the conditions at Starlight. We left a written 30-day notice, as required by the contract, on December 10th.

On December 11th, I spoke to Jim Baird on the phone about an unrelated matter. He then offered to waive the 30-day notice requirement, and prorate our remaining time if we wanted to leave early.

On December 18th, I left written notice that we would be leaving on December 20th. The prorated amount to be returned to us for the rest of December would be $97.57. Plus the $275 deposit, Jim Baird owes us $372.57.

After two months passed and we did not receive the money owed us, my husband called Jim on his cell phone on February 21, 2008. He gave Jim our address again, confirmed the amount with him, and Jim said he would send it. The following day, we mailed a letter to confirm the phone call, certified and return receipt requested. Jim's wife, Diana Baird, signed for the letter on February 23, 2008.

By March 10th, we still hadn't received anything, so we sent another letter, again via certified mail with return receipt requested. This time the letter noted that if we did not receive our deposit and prorated amount within two weeks of the letter's date, we would file complaints with the BBB and online. Jim Baird signed for the letter on March 14, 2008.

As of March 26, 2008, we have not received a penny. Starlight Ranch still owes us $372.57. This entire time, we have heard absolutely nothing from them, except for when my husband called Jim on his cell phone. It doesn't seem like Jim Baird/Starlight Ranch EVER intended on returning our deposit!