We have emails popping into the One Fab Day inbox from readers every day, and we love it when we can help find the answer to a wedding dilemma that you’ve come up against – and there are plenty! A One Fab Day reader recently found themselves in a really, really tricky situation relating a supplier who didn’t deliver on what was promised, which caused an untold amount of stress to the couple in question.
They wrote: “We got married in 23 weeks ago, but have not received anything from our videographer, even though contract said we should have a video in 20 weeks. We’ve emailed them asking for updates but they’ve ignored our last three emails. Is this normal? We don’t want to hassle them too much in case they give us a sub-par video to get us off his back. But we’re getting anxious, especially with the lack of response. We’ve already paid in full so have no leverage. Just wondering what we should do?”
Planning a wedding is demanding enough, so when there is a hitch with a service it can really take the shine off what was the best day of your life. Obviously, we are keen to help anyone who finds themselves facing this awkward dilemma, so we asked for advice from a legal expert*. Liz Walsh, Consumer Columnist for EVOKE has laid out the issue below, and anyone who finds themselves in this position will find her insight very helpful. So what can you do if this happens?
“This is a salutary lesson not to pay in full in advance of the service being fulfilled,” says Liz who feels a deposit of 50% or less is sufficient to cover any initial outlay incurred by the service provider and the balance paid on delivery. “This seems an inordinate length of time to supply to a video, but the reader says the contract states she ‘should’ have the video in 20 weeks. The word ‘should’ is a moveable feast, which allows the videographer some leeway,” explains Liz. Most contracts specify a definite date by which time the goods or services must be supplied so she suugests checking the contract again.
After this, Liz advises that you should get back to the videographer and firmly say they have had more than enough time to make the video. “If, as they fears, the videographer supplies a sub-par video than they have recourse to the Small Claims Court if the service they paid for is not of sufficient quality. The Small Claims Court adjudicates on claims worth up to €2,000 and apart from a €25, fee to lodge the claim, there are no legal fees involved unless they chooses to engage a solicitor. But the vast majority of claimants represent themselves. Even the threat of a claim might focus the videographer’s mind, so she should threaten it.”
*This post is intended to provide general guidance on consumer legislation and is not intended to replace individual professional advice on consumer disputes.
Check out our dedicated FAQ posts to answer all your other wedding dilemmas including When Your Venue Increases the Cost Per Head.
