Wedding videographer gone AWOL

RenStar

Hi,

I’m after a bit of advice and hopefully someone here can help. We got married on 2nd September this year and used a certain company (not sure if I can name them on here) to do our video. When I initially booked, the owner of the company was very helpful and always responded to any questions I had. He himself didn’t film the wedding, he had one of his contractors do it, and we were fine with it, although he left around 2 hours before the time he was supposed to, but I didn’t see him leave so I was unable to challenge him. We were initially told we’d have the DVDs about 2 months after the wedding.

When we returned from our honeymoon, about 3 weeks after the wedding, I tried to give him a courtesy call just to check everything was okay and ask if he could give an indication of delivery date. I rang and e-mailed twice, two days later I received a response whereby he said he didn’t have a delivery date. About a month later, I rang again and managed to speak to him. He said the video should be done within 2 or 3 weeks. 3 weeks passed and I didn’t hear anything, so I rang him a few times, got no response so e-mailed him. Last week, I received an e-mail where he said our DVDs were near complete and that there was some problems with sound which had been fixed and that he hoped to go ahead and finish and copy the DVDs and that we should expect to receive it latest by this Monday, but most likely before that, possibly over the weekend. This Monday, we didn’t get the video so I dropped him a quick e-mail just to see if he had posted it. I got no response. Tuesday and Yesterday came, still no video and no response to my emails or calls. I have e-mailed him four times since Monday and rang him several times and left a couple of messages but still no response. Last night I didn’t sleep and am now worried sick that perhaps we’re not actually going to get the video. The lack of response from him is the hardest to deal with. This morning, I rang Trading Standards for some advice but there was no one available to speak to me and I’m on a call back. I looked on the contract we signed and it says we should get the DVD in 3 months, which is up this Saturday. To be honest, I don’t know what to do and I’m scared we’ve been swindled. If we have been, what can I possibly do about it? I know I can try and recover what we paid and if the worse comes to the worse will pursue a legal route, but at this stage, I just want assurance that we’re going to get our video. Does anyone have any advice about what I should do?

Thanks in advance.

Ren-x

Emms

It seems slightly strange that they would try to swindle you after they actually came to the wedding and recorded it. You would have thought they wouldnt have shown up at all if they were going to do that. Have you paid them in full already?

I know there not returning your calls but im sure they are listening to their messages. I would leave them another one telling them that as your 3 month period is up on Saturday that you were expecting to receive your dvd by then so could they please get in touch urgently.

At least then they know that your fully aware of the contract terms and it might scare them into actually doing something then if they dont take them to the small claims court.

Emma

RenStar

Thanks for this Emms, yes we have already paid in full. I guess I'm so worried because it was so important for has to have the wedding vidoed due to both my husband and I having lots of family oversees who couldn't attrend and wanting to see the ceremony. I can't bear to contemplate at this stage that we may not have a video of the day, the money we paid doesn't even factor in to it. I think it's also such bad customer service to blatantly ignore e-mails and phone calls when before they had our money in full, they were always available. I'm going to write to them via recorded delivery setting out that if we don't receive the DVDs by Saturday we will pursue the legal route for breach of contract. Hopefully, this will get us somewhere.

Thanks again.

Ren-x

Emms

How did you get on?


Emma

deecy

Try enquiring about their services as if you were a bride to be, if they are still running their business they will answer or return your call/email - make sure you use a different number/email address. If they call you back ask them outright what's going on, if they email you ask them to give you a ring.

RenStar

Thanks guys, I'm afraid I still haven't heard anything . I wrote to him again last Friday setting out that I wanted a response and an explanation by this Friday else I would assume he had no intention of getting back to me. As yet, nothing, but will wait to Friday to seee what happens.

I also rang the institute of videographers on Monday and spoke to their arbitration officer who said if I didn't hear anything by this Friday, I should call him back and he will take over the investigation.

Worryingly, I have tried rining him with different numbers and he still doesn't reply. I phoned his business line (0845) and was told he had given up the service so the number he is advertising for new business doesn't even work! My only hope is the IOV whom thankfully he is still an active member, of so I can use their arbitration route.

I will definately keep you posted as to how I get on.

Ren-x

Ivrytwr3

Can you and your husband personally visit his offices?

RenStar

Hi, we have considered this but his office is in a manageed block which isn't easily accessible to the public unless someone who works there comes and gets you and takes you up. However, it will be something we will definately have a go at if the arbitration route doesn't yield anything.

Ren

moneyman4u

I used to be a wedding photographer (stills not video) sounds to me like the guy he sent screwed the picture or sound up in some way, or managed to delete some of it or something. The guy who owns the business probably cant think of anything to do except stall and buy time.

Most decent photographers have insurance so that photos/videos can be restaged in the event of a disaster, but I would think just as many dont have this insurance.

I would phone him and ask him straight if there is a technical problem with the video as you would rather know the full details than be blagged for time, tell him that you will need to see a sample of how the video has progressed by this weekend and ask him what day/time this week would suit him and just see what he says.

RenStar

moneyman4u - what you say is plausible and if this is the case then I would want to know straight up from him. The trouble is, he won't pick up any calls or return any messages or e-mails. I would love to ask him as you suggest if I could actually get to speak to him!

He said in his last e-mail to me that the video was almost complete and that he had fixed the sound problem and that all he had to do was copy it to discs for us. If there is real issue with loss of footage then he would be out and out lying which at this stage I won't put pass him tbh!

moneyman4u

He said in his last e-mail to me that the video was almost complete and that he had fixed the sound problem and that all he had to do was copy it to discs for us.

probably under and hour to burn a disk package it and take it to the post office, also this is about the quietest time of the year for him so work load will not be an issue, I'd put money on the fact that he is blagging you but is running out of excuses, probably say he posted it but it got lost in the mail or something next. email him and tell him you want it sending special delivery and that he MUST email you the delivery number as soon as it is posted maybe ?