withholding money for bad service (wedding venue)

m_haines86

I'm needing some advise. Me and my partner got married on 10.06.2017, we had paid everything except for the drinks package (£1,200). I emailed them on the 09.06.2017, asking for the bill as it was the last time I would be round a computer. They never sent it. After our honeymoon they emailed me saying they had sent it on the 7th via email. which they defiantly didn't do. But I do have it now.

The day before and the actual day went so bad! My wedding co-ordinator (3rd one in a year due to restructuring and was only introduced to her 5 weeks before the wedding) did nothing. The things she was meant to do she just didn't do, she was so rude to me and my guests! My mum had to do everything which meant she didn't get to enjoy the day or even get one photo with me. We'd spent thousands for one day to be perfect and the venue left me with co-ordinator with no experience or manners. I have already paid £3,000 for venue hire alone and wondered if I had any grounds to refuse payment, as I don't believe they should receive it?

I have sent in a complaint to the head lady to see where that gets me. Any advise would be brilliants.

Thanks in advance

DoaM

How is the invoice itemised?

m_haines86

Reception Drinks at Wedding '1Oth June 2017
Prosecco Toast and Reception Drinks (PeroniiKir
Royale) £1,223.85

gettingtheresometime

I'd say no - the invoice is for the drinks not the service received

Robin9

Was the wedding co-ordinator employed by the venue ?

m_haines86

I thought to withheld it more as in a compensation? Yes she employed by the venue that why we ending up getting 3 different ones.

I have put the money to one side just in case, I just want to be able to do something for them wrecking my day. There isn't anything in the contract regarding complaints

powerful_Rogue

m_haines86 wrote: »

I thought to withheld it more as in a compensation? Yes she employed by the venue that why we ending up getting 3 different ones.

I have put the money to one side just in case, I just want to be able to do something for them wrecking my day. There isn't anything in the contract regarding complaints

Compensation is for actual losses.

Can you itemise the actual losses you have incurred due to the service not received?

unholyangel

gettingtheresometime wrote: »

I'd say no - the invoice is for the drinks not the service received

Doesn't matter really. Its called the right to set-off. If you owe someone money, and in turn you have a claim against them, you can withhold that money from the money you owe them - its designed to avoid unnecessary legal proceedings.

However, the amount withheld should be proportionate to the issue.

So OP, what exactly is said in any documentation/advertising about the coordinator they provide? You're going to need to be able to show that they've failed to meet their contractual obligations and that the amount withheld is proportionate to that breach.

m_haines86

Its going to be hard to itemise a cost as my loss was my mother on my big day? I suppose its not that black and white? To me it was the biggest cost and she ruined my day that cost me and my partner £25,000 in comparison to £1,200 its not that much. But their wasn't anything in writing about what she was to do on the day everything was just done verbally.

reehsetin

Even if the coordinator was rude etc you still had the wedding so they deserve paying, and given the drinks are a completely separate item I'd suggest you pay for that and pursue them separately for any compensation. The question is how much do you think what they delivered Vs what was promised

"The day before and the actual day went so bad! My wedding co-ordinator (3rd one in a year due to restructuring and was only introduced to her 5 weeks before the wedding) did nothing. The things she was meant to do she just didn't do, she was so rude to me and my guests!"
I doubt you'll get much compensation for rudeness but definitely worth a complaint / review to warn others
"We'd spent thousands for one day to be perfect and the venue left me with co-ordinator with no experience or manners."
What was she meant to do that she didn't? Were there any expenses because of this that you incurred?
Is the venue quote itemised and is the coordinator a defined cost? If they explicitly charged you for her services but she didn't carry them out then this is the amount i'd pursue them for (but I'm guessing she was just included in a 'package')
Suggest you could get a quote for an equivalent venue without the coordinator /other services not received and argue that the difference is the compensation due

"My mum had to do everything which meant she didn't get to enjoy the day or even get one photo with me."
Sadly I doubt you'll get compensation for that alone

unholyangel

m_haines86 wrote: »

Its going to be hard to itemise a cost as my loss was my mother on my big day? I suppose its not that black and white? To me it was the biggest cost and she ruined my day that cost me and my partner £25,000 in comparison to £1,200 its not that much. But their wasn't anything in writing about what she was to do on the day everything was just done verbally.

Well you said the coordinator didn't do the things she was meant to do, so what was she meant to do? Did you also tell them/the venue that they weren't providing what was agreed before your mum took over?

How much you paid in total for the wedding would be irrelevant. When I said it would have to be proportionate, I meant in relation to the contract price for the services that were failed. So if you paid £4000-5000 for the package which the coordinator was supplied under, it would be proportionate to that amount/reflect the % of service that was not provided.

There would possibly be an element of loss of enjoyment/inconvenience due to the nature of the contract but I would expect this to be a trivial sum.