Absolutely horrible experience. I spent over an hour and a half being sent to multiple vacant,…read moreabandoned, sketchy, and incorrect locations all over Santa Cruz and Capitola for a scheduled tattoo removal consultation appointment -- while nobody from this organization ever once called me, checked on me, helped me, or seemed to care that I was completely lost despite having a confirmed appointment.
For anyone else trying to figure out where this company is actually located or giving them the benefit of the doubt, these are the exact addresses I was sent to during this ordeal that were NOT the correct location:
* 2130 Mission Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95065
* 2130 Mission St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
* 2045 40th Ave, Capitola, CA 95010
* 610 Frederick St, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Even after going to all of these locations, I still have no idea where their actual operating location is.
The organization is listed as Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Monterey, which makes this entire experience even more disappointing considering the complete lack of communication, professionalism, accountability, and compassion I experienced throughout this ordeal.
I drove up from Monterey and arrived at my original appointment location exactly on time only to find a completely empty, dilapidated building still covered in this organization's signage and logos. A security guard informed me they had apparently packed up and left some time ago. No notice. No updated instructions. No email. No phone call.
I then found another address associated with them and drove there, only to end up at what appeared to be a run-down motel and abandoned medical building. When I called, they gave me yet another address: 2130 Mission Street in Santa Cruz. After fighting traffic and driving another half hour, I arrived there only to discover it was the wrong location AGAIN -- next to a Burger King and smoke shop.
When I called back, they casually informed me it was actually Mission DRIVE, not Mission STREET. So I drove all the way back toward Capitola, only for the address to lead me to what looked like a junkyard.
Every single time I called, staff transferred me to "Victoria," supposedly the person in charge of the program, but it ALWAYS immediately went to voicemail. Nobody else would help me. Nobody would verify the address themselves. Nobody apologized. Nobody took accountability. They simply kept passing me off onto voicemail instead of helping a client who was actively driving around trying to locate her scheduled appointment.
The most unbelievable part is that during this entire ordeal -- over an hour and a half of driving around lost -- not a single person from this organization ever called me. Not once. Nobody checked to see where I was. Nobody followed up after repeated calls. Nobody cared that a client with an appointment was being bounced around multiple abandoned locations.
After wasting nearly half a tank of gas and sitting through heavy traffic all afternoon, I finally called requesting the name of a supervisor or someone above Victoria so I could file a formal complaint. Suddenly, for the first time all day, they stopped answering the phone altogether. At that point it became very obvious they were avoiding me.
I left multiple voicemails and still have not received a single apology or follow-up.
Based on my experience, I absolutely do NOT recommend this organization. At best, it is severely disorganized and negligent. At worst, the entire situation felt incredibly sketchy and misleading. I wasted an entire day, money on gas, and dealt with unnecessary stress and frustration because this organization apparently cannot manage something as basic as giving clients the correct address for scheduled appointments.
Completely unacceptable.