Cancelled wedding Caterers/decorators won’t refund.

fresh_air_2

Hi There,  My daughters wedding was planned for 20/03/20. We booked a catering company and paid £2000.00 as advance. We also paid £3000.00 to decorators. Our local town hall was booked for wedding and all money paid for the booking. Our wedding was planned for 300 people. But due to COVID-19 we reduced the guests to almost 100. Two days before the wedding as our caterers were pushing us to pay the balance amount and after getting assurances from town hall that wedding could go ahead as planned, we paid our caterers the full payment in cash, as they insisted for cash.
On 19/03/2020 evening ( when national lockdown was not yet announced), when we were having a pre wedding event we received call from town hall that they had cancelled the event.
The reason they gave was that the caterers and decorators were unable to provide health and safety assessment for Covid-19 and our guest were around 100 and for the safety of our guests and their staff they cancelled the event. It was less than 24 hours notice and we couldn’t had any other arrangements for the wedding.
Still in disbelief we arranged the wedding in our own house in the presence of our family members on 21/03/2020 instead of 20/03/2020.
Town hall refunded our payment but decorators refused to pay and caterers never reply our emails. We complained to town hall and told them that because of them we were losing our money we paid to caterers/decorators and they should compensate us. Town hall told us if we wanted to get compensation we should claim to their insurance company.
As we are still unable to get any money refunded would anyone please advise what is best course of action to get our money back?
we contacted couple of lawyers,they advised us to claim through small claim court and on the other hand citizens advice bureau advised us to claim through town hall insurance company.
Any help/guidance in this regard would be appreciated.
 Thanks,

Upsidedownandaround

Why not claim on your wedding insurance?

It sounds like the caterers and decorators will have done what you paid them to do if the wedding was only cancelled the night before so you wouldn't be entiled to a refund from them.

Pollycat

Have a read of this, although I agree with the other poster about short notice.

I'm not sure what wedding decorators do but the caterers will have incurred costs for buying and prepping food. If the decorators were supplying flowers, the same will apply.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/06/wedding-cancelled-can-you-get-refund/

fresh_air_2 said:

Town hall refunded our payment but decorators refused to pay and caterers never reply our emails. We complained to town hall and told them that because of them we were losing our money we paid to caterers/decorators and they should compensate us. Town hall told us if we wanted to get compensation we should claim to their insurance company.

What did the Town Hall insurers say?

HampshireH

Your daughter needs to claim on her wedding insurance or as they suggested town hall insurance.

Not sure why you would expect refunds from companies fully prepared whom had less than 24 hrs notice if cancellation.

If there was ever a reason to claim on insurance this is it. For a wedding initially of 300 she does have it yes? Although nearly a year later they may ask why you haven't done anything for so long.

kazwookie

After all this time, you need to claim on your wedding ins as already stated.

Personally I think you have been done over by the caterers, I suggest you ask them for the equivalent £2000 in food and give it to a food bank / night shelter / homeless etc, why did you pay in cash?

Why have you left it so long to consider claiming?

HampshireH

kazwookie said:

After all this time, you need to claim on your wedding ins as already stated.

Personally I think you have been done over by the caterers, I suggest you ask them for the equivalent £2000 in food and give it to a food bank / night shelter / homeless etc, why did you pay in cash?

Why have you left it so long to consider claiming?

No business is going to provide food a year later, even more so after they would have had it bought and possibly part cooked ready to go at the time (depending on what it was of course). 

Nobody knows whether they donated it at the time or whether it was used for another event. Either way they would have had staffing costs and other overheads in that price not just the cost of food.

At the time the OP could have had all the food and donated it if they didn't cancel the order and the redirected the food to a shelter or whatever.

These companies usually have pretty comprehensive terms and conditions.

Pollycat

I wonder who told the caterers and decorator that the wedding had been cancelled?

The Town Hall?

The OP?

Would the Town Hall even have contact details for the suppliers?

If it was the OP, why didn't they ask about the food at the time?

Was it buffet food or sit down?

fresh_air_2

Hi Pollycat.  Thanks for your response, town hall told caterers/decorators about the cancellation as they had their details to make arrangements for the event. It’s was sit down food. We received call from council/town hall and so decorators and caterers.

fresh_air_2

Thanks for response, we didn’t have wedding insurance, The reason getting so long is firstly COVID situation and secondly we were chasing all the parties contacting them by emails mainly.
I understand that caterers had some expenses but according to CMA they have to deduct reasonable amount and rest should be refunded out off around £7000.00 paid.
One question asked about fresh flowers by decorators, fresh flowers were ordered but in very small amount.

couriervanman

No wedding insurance........why on earth not

Thrugelmir

fresh_air_2 said:

I understand that caterers had some expenses but according to CMA they have to deduct reasonable amount and rest should be refunded out off around £7000.00 paid.

CMA's guidance is after lockdown law was enacted on 26/03.