Wedding refund! Covid related

Aylesbury_Duck

Kias1992 said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Kias1992 said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

You may have to go as far as court to get your money back if they dig in.  They do seem to have shot themselves in the foot with their explanation and I suspect you'd win in court if you had to go that far.

Away from consumer rights and on to consumer responsibilities, this is the latest of many threads where people don't seem to grasp the concept of a deposit.  How would you feel if having secured your booking with a deposit, the company turned round shortly before your wedding, cancelled their service and returned your deposit?  Or is commitment only a one-sided concept?

We can not have the weddding in a venue anymore? The booking was for 120 people we can only have 30z We are not allowed a reception and just to point out how would a 1 metre of 2 metre distance even work with a photobooth! 

That's not the fault of the booth supplier.  You booked a booth, they can still supply it.

If I booked a takeaway for 8 people and now I can only have 6 in my house, are you suggesting the takeaway have to cancel my order and refund me?

Not the same thing 😳

Obviously not, it's an analogy.  The point being that I or anyone could book that photo booth for a wedding of 120 people, a gathering of 20 people or even just for my kids to have fun with in my garden.  The context is nothing to do with the booth provider.

ThumbRemote

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Away from consumer rights and on to consumer responsibilities, this is the latest of many threads where people don't seem to grasp the concept of a deposit.  How would you feel if having secured your booking with a deposit, the company turned round shortly before your wedding, cancelled their service and returned your deposit?  Or is commitment only a one-sided concept?

But this is literally what companies do all the time. Only today I've had a hotel booking cancelled because they have deemed in uneconomical to open the hotel. In this case the company could have taken a better paying booking and simply cancelled the OPs booking and returned the deposit, with no financial loss to themselves. Deposits are always one-sided. 

unholyangel

Aylesbury_Duck said:

You may have to go as far as court to get your money back if they dig in.  They do seem to have shot themselves in the foot with their explanation and I suspect you'd win in court if you had to go that far.

Away from consumer rights and on to consumer responsibilities, this is the latest of many threads where people don't seem to grasp the concept of a deposit.  How would you feel if having secured your booking with a deposit, the company turned round shortly before your wedding, cancelled their service and returned your deposit?  Or is commitment only a one-sided concept?

Most "deposits" aren't actually deposits though. They're advance payments/prepayments. A genuine deposit is a fee for the reservation and would be a nominal amount of the overall contract price. 

Aylesbury_Duck

ThumbRemote said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Away from consumer rights and on to consumer responsibilities, this is the latest of many threads where people don't seem to grasp the concept of a deposit.  How would you feel if having secured your booking with a deposit, the company turned round shortly before your wedding, cancelled their service and returned your deposit?  Or is commitment only a one-sided concept?

But this is literally what companies do all the time. Only today I've had a hotel booking cancelled because they have deemed in uneconomical to open the hotel. In this case the company could have taken a better paying booking and simply cancelled the OPs booking and returned the deposit, with no financial loss to themselves. Deposits are always one-sided. 

They really don't. Some companies do it sometimes. 

Undervalued

ThumbRemote said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Away from consumer rights and on to consumer responsibilities, this is the latest of many threads where people don't seem to grasp the concept of a deposit.  How would you feel if having secured your booking with a deposit, the company turned round shortly before your wedding, cancelled their service and returned your deposit?  Or is commitment only a one-sided concept?

But this is literally what companies do all the time. Only today I've had a hotel booking cancelled because they have deemed in uneconomical to open the hotel. In this case the company could have taken a better paying booking and simply cancelled the OPs booking and returned the deposit, with no financial loss to themselves. Deposits are always one-sided. 

Actually no.

You and the hotel entered into a contract which they are now refusing to fulfil. You may have a claim against them, for example if it cost you more to book something similar elsewhere. Their liability may not be limited to simply returning your deposit.

Whether it is worth pursuing maybe another matter. Obviously their terms and conditions would come into it but cannot absolve them of all liabilities for what sounds like a purely commercial decision. 

iainandkathy

I am looking for some advice please. My daughter was due to get married on 30/11 this year but due to the ongoing Covid issues this will not now be possible. After much pressure the venue have now agreed to move the wedding but the dates they have offered next year aren't suitable. She originally booked 30/11 as the xmas decorations would be up and because it was a Monday which allowed  guests to travel on the Sunday. Two of the dates offered are Mondays but the decorations won't be up and the equivalent date next year is a Tuesday making travel difficult for guests. Are they within their right to cancel and obtain a full refund as the requirements haven't been met. The venue are suggesting that if she doesn't go ahed then their deposit (which is several thousand pounds) will be lost.

ssparks2003

iainandkathy said:

I am looking for some advice please. My daughter was due to get married on 30/11 this year but due to the ongoing Covid issues this will not now be possible. After much pressure the venue have now agreed to move the wedding but the dates they have offered next year aren't suitable. She originally booked 30/11 as the xmas decorations would be up and because it was a Monday which allowed  guests to travel on the Sunday. Two of the dates offered are Mondays but the decorations won't be up and the equivalent date next year is a Tuesday making travel difficult for guests. Are they within their right to cancel and obtain a full refund as the requirements haven't been met. The venue are suggesting that if she doesn't go ahed then their deposit (which is several thousand pounds) will be lost.

You would be better off starting your own thread. But as a starter for 10 would be is the requirement for Christmas critical? Was the expressed clearly at the outset as a key requirement of the original booking? 

lincroft1710

iainandkathy said:

She originally booked 30/11 as the xmas decorations would be up and because it was a Monday which allowed  guests to travel on the Sunday. Two of the dates offered are Mondays but the decorations won't be up 

Why are Christmas decorations so important at a wedding?

ThumbRemote

iainandkathy said:

Are they within their right to cancel and obtain a full refund as the requirements haven't been met. 

Almost certainly, yes. The retailer is unable to fulfill the contract, so a full refund is due.
Moving to another date would be an acceptable outcome if both parties agreed to the change. 

ThumbRemote

ssparks2003 said:

iainandkathy said:

I am looking for some advice please. My daughter was due to get married on 30/11 this year but due to the ongoing Covid issues this will not now be possible. After much pressure the venue have now agreed to move the wedding but the dates they have offered next year aren't suitable. She originally booked 30/11 as the xmas decorations would be up and because it was a Monday which allowed  guests to travel on the Sunday. Two of the dates offered are Mondays but the decorations won't be up and the equivalent date next year is a Tuesday making travel difficult for guests. Are they within their right to cancel and obtain a full refund as the requirements haven't been met. The venue are suggesting that if she doesn't go ahed then their deposit (which is several thousand pounds) will be lost.

You would be better off starting your own thread. But as a starter for 10 would be is the requirement for Christmas critical? Was the expressed clearly at the outset as a key requirement of the original booking? 

Clearly the original date was expressed as a key requirement. A change of that magnitude to the contract can only be done with both parties consent. 

lincroft1710 said:

iainandkathy said:

She originally booked 30/11 as the xmas decorations would be up and because it was a Monday which allowed  guests to travel on the Sunday. Two of the dates offered are Mondays but the decorations won't be up 

Why are Christmas decorations so important at a wedding?

What's that got to do with their consumer rights? They wanted them, as they are entirely free to do. This is a consumer rights forum, not a 'critique other peoples wedding choices' forum.