Non-refundable deposit for wedding venue?

businesschick

my daughter and her fiancee paid a £250 deposit on a wedding venue in October (2011). The wedding is in August this year. We recently found out on the grapevine that the venue is up for sale. On discovering this we found an alternative venue and cancelled with our original, only they refuse to refund our deposit on the basis that the documentation we recieved stated it was non-refundable and that all their bookings in 2012 are to be honoured, any sale would not be made before end of 2012. Where do we stand? Had they told us back in October they was up for sell, we would not booked the venue.:(

newbie1980

its up for sale surely nothing will change you should have given them a chance to agree to something before booking elsewhere
it may not be the answer what you are looking for but i feel you have signed the paper to say non-refundable

businesschick

do you not think I can go down a virtue of non-disclosure route?

newbie1980

businesschick wrote: »

do you not think I can go down a virtue of non-disclosure route?

i wish you could but them selling really aint nothing to do with the booking as they have said all booking are to be guarenteed
you could try and play on the sympathy route but not sure how far it will get

Wyndham

You would get the same venue, and at least very similar facilties in terms of food etc. Why would you not want to use this venue if the only thing that has change is that it's sold. Unless the owner was an important factor to you, then I don't think you have a case here, especially as you didn't discuss it with them first.

Sorry!

vax2002

Get your paper work and see what the contract you signed says.
Then come back and I will pull a thread for you.

roonaldo

if they are honouring the booking then there isnt a problem. surely the whole point of a deposit that it is non refundable, otherwise they have no security on your booking. it doesnt sound like you have a leg to stand on.

pinkpixie25

i was most annoyed to descover today that our wedding venue is up for sale. i found out from a friend who was asking me about the turnover!
we get married in october and have paid £500 non refundable deposit, we booked a while ago but since then it has been put up for sale once and then after i took my concerns to them i was assured that they were staying and it was taken off the market. i am going to see them tomorrow but i am not sure where we stand on getting our deposit back and we certainly cant afford another £500 to book elsewhere. surely no one can guarantee that no sale will take place until after a certain date.
i will post on here if i get to see her and wish everyone else luck in their wedding plans

Douwe

Not sure if this should be a new thread. My daughter paid a deposit of £500 for a wedding venue in May 2013. The payment was in cash for which she has a receipt which does not say the deposit is non refundable. The literature for the venue does however say deposits are non refundable and that this is in the terms and conditions. These were sent to her with a response form for her to sign accepting the T and C s. The letter said that if she did not respond then the T and Cs would apply "automatically". She did not reply. Subsequently she and her fiancee have parted company. I can't see how she has actualy accepted the non refundable status of the cash. Is it non refundable..?

roonaldo

Douwe wrote: »

Not sure if this should be a new thread. My daughter paid a deposit of £500 for a wedding venue in May 2013. The payment was in cash for which she has a receipt which does not say the deposit is non refundable. The literature for the venue does however say deposits are non refundable and that this is in the terms and conditions. These were sent to her with a response form for her to sign accepting the T and C s. The letter said that if she did not respond then the T and Cs would apply "automatically". She did not reply. Subsequently she and her fiancee have parted company. I can't see how she has actualy accepted the non refundable status of the cash. Is it non refundable..?

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/non-refundable

Common_Sense_2

Douwe wrote: »

Not sure if this should be a new thread. My daughter paid a deposit of £500 for a wedding venue in May 2013. The payment was in cash for which she has a receipt which does not say the deposit is non refundable. The literature for the venue does however say deposits are non refundable and that this is in the terms and conditions. These were sent to her with a response form for her to sign accepting the T and C s. The letter said that if she did not respond then the T and Cs would apply "automatically". She did not reply. Subsequently she and her fiancee have parted company. I can't see how she has actualy accepted the non refundable status of the cash. Is it non refundable..?

This would be a good time for her to claim on her wedding insurance (if she had any)