McKinney Friends Face Difficulty Getting Full Refund From Party Bus Company

The school year is right around the corner and for many students, preparation for school dances starts now.

On the to-do list, finding that perfect dress, a nice suit and a way to get to the dance. But for a group of seniors in McKinney, their ride to the biggest event of the year was a no-show.

"I don't want to say it was ruined, it just kinda messed everything up," Patrick Quintana said.

Quintana and 40 of his friends wanted to travel to prom together. One last hurrah before they head off to college. Hoping to make a grand entrance, they went online and found a party bus for $2,380.

They booked it through world executive charter. With the date set, pick-up time scheduled and money paid with a debit card, they thought their night was planned. That's until they got a call 45 minutes before they were scheduled for pick-up on the day of their prom.

"He said they were having mechanical issues with the bus and he was no longer able to pick us up," Quintana said.

With few other options, the group split into separate cars 

"Half the girls had to drive because they had bigger cars," Noah Parker said. "It's really not that ideal prom situation to have my date take me to the prom."

A "less than ideal" prom night turned into months of back-and-forth with the company about a refund.

"They told me originally to give them 10 to 12 business days," Quintana said. "After those business days were up, I contacted them again."

The group heard more excuses about billing not going through and eventually received a partial refund of $1,000. But the remaining $1,380?

"It's months later and we still haven't received a refund," Quintana said. "It's more frustrating than anything."

We reached out to World Executive Charter, to see what the hold up was. Their response reads:

"We will deal with the customer only, and ABSOLUTELY not with members of the media claiming to represent the customer. We have nothing further to say to you, and any further communication from you will be regarded as harassment."

And the group still hasn't received the rest of their refund.

"To anyone else who wants to go through this company for their prom, don't do it," Quintana said.

Our "Responds Tips" to consumers: Research companies with a simple Google search. Look through their reviews and see what other customers have to say. If there aren't reviews, that may  be a red flag.

And when making a purchase, pay with a credit card instead of a debit card or check. There's more protection. If your services are not provided, you can dispute the charge with the credit card company.