The e-foil itself was a lot of fun once I finally got on it, but everything leading up to it was one of the most unprofessional experiences I have ever had with a business.
This lesson was originally a birthday gift back in early July, but it was rescheduled four times, and I wasn’t able to complete it until more than six weeks after my birthday. After the company canceled on me for the second time, Amber offered to make the rescheduled lesson complimentary and allow me to bring a friend. I accepted that offer and scheduled the lesson for a third time on August 15.
August 15 was supposed to be the final date, but only one board was available. Amber told me that two boards would be available on August 22, so I agreed to move the lesson again specifically so my friend and I could both participate. However, when August 22 arrived, only one board was provided anyway.
The night before the lesson, I learned without prior warning that Amber would not be taking me out and that I would instead be meeting someone named Jackie. Jackie was very difficult to reach by text, so I had to call her at approximately 10 p.m. just to confirm that the lesson was actually happening. During that call, she asked for my name. When I told her it was D’mitri, she responded, “D’mitri is short for dummy, right?” She appeared to intend it as a joke and later apologized, but I still found it insulting and nearly canceled. Because this was still supposed to be my birthday present, I decided to give the experience a chance.
The following morning, I met Jackie at the lake. Once we reached the dock, she told me the e-foil battery was dead and needed to be switched. She returned to her vehicle, leaving me on a paddleboard with friends of hers whom I had never met. They appeared to be drinking at 10 a.m. and repeatedly asked me intrusive sexual questions about the size of my penis. I was extremely uncomfortable and stuck waiting with strangers in the heat.
Although the parking lot was only about five minutes away, Jackie did not return for approximately an hour. By that point, I wanted to call Amber and cancel the entire lesson. Jackie called Amber herself about the battery issue but did not communicate that I wanted to cancel.
Throughout the morning, Jackie repeatedly asked me not to write a bad review. She also said that if the e-foil did not work, the day would not have to count as my lesson and I could instead hang out on a boat with her friends or try a jet ski. I told her that if the e-foil did not turn on soon, I was leaving.
The e-foil finally started after I had spent more than an hour waiting in the hot sun. The e-foiling itself was genuinely fun, and I appreciate that Amber honored her offer to make the lesson complimentary. However, that does not outweigh the repeated rescheduling, failure to provide the two promised boards, poor communication, inappropriate remark about my name, sexual questions from strangers who appeared to be drinking, equipment failure, and repeated pressure not to leave a negative review.
What was supposed to be a special birthday experience became stressful, uncomfortable, and extremely unprofessional. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend renting from or booking a lesson with this business.
