Wedding Videographer Issues

AlohaLights

Hi all,

I hope you are keeping well and congratulations to those planning weddings.

I wanted to pick some brains and get some advise re: my situation as I am really at the end of my tether here.

I got married last October and had a wedding videographer, we signed a contract and paid the amount required (which was high 2000e) but the quality of their work was excellent so we didn't mind.

Our contract stated that the video would be ready in 16 weeks (i.e. end of January), as of this point the end of July we are still waiting to receive our video. In total, 42 weeks have passed since the wedding, and the contract stated the video was to be completed in 16 weeks.

Obviously with COVID-19 there is going to be delays with everything, however the contract signed meant we were to receive our video at the end of January, prior to any lockdowns.

I have contacted the wedding videographer multiple times, and have waited weeks for replies, only to receive another excuse/half-ar$ed response as to why it wasn't ready and promising to have it done asap.

At the end of June, I contacted them again and put my foot down and was told that it was their top priority and they would aim to have the final edit done by the end of the following week. 4 weeks have since past and still nothing.

I really am so upset at the service and being left in the lurch like this. I have sent a final email stating that they have 1 more week to complete the video or I will be going to a solicitor, but really this is an empty promise right now as I don't know even what to do in this instance.

I have tried finding a direct phone number for the company but they don't have one anywhere on any booking forms/contracts/social media/websites etc.

If anyone has ever encountered an issue like this, can you please let me know? I don't know what the next step is but I need to make it.

It's horrible that something you looked forward to having and paid in good-faith could be left just dangling about, obviously it's not of the same level as having your entire wedding cancelled as i'm sure many of you have experienced with COVID but still it's upsetting.

TIA for any help, I appreciate it.

GreeBo

Did you pay by cash?

AlohaLights

GreeBo wrote: »

Did you pay by cash?

Hi- no, 2 direct bank transfers as per the payment schedule on the contract we signed for service.

pullandbang

AlohaLights wrote: »

Obviously with COVID-19 there is going to be delays with everything,

So sorry to hear about your difficulties, but this is complete nonsense, especially in relation to wedding suppliers. They are all out of work since the lockdown so have LOADS of time to catch up on editing.

Given that you can't find a proper contact number for them, how did you find them in the first place? Did you meet them at their place of work beforehand?
If so, then have you since turned up at their place of work and demanded answers?
Are they members of their respective professional organisation, in this case the IPPVA. If so, try chasing them up through there.

lalababa

Threaten small claims court..claim up to 2000 limit. That should put a fire beneath them. Although I suspect your video is lost or currupted 😭

AlohaLights

pullandbang wrote: »

So sorry to hear about your difficulties, but this is complete nonsense, especially in relation to wedding suppliers. They are all out of work since the lockdown so have LOADS of time to catch up on editing.

Given that you can't find a proper contact number for them, how did you find them in the first place? Did you meet them at their place of work beforehand?
If so, then have you since turned up at their place of work and demanded answers?
Are they members of their respective professional organisation, in this case the IPPVA. If so, try chasing them up through there.

I had brought up that Covid wasn't an excuse but got a response that they had family issues which is also not an excuse as so have I and my husband since our wedding but we've still had to go out and work 60 hour weeks.

I found them online so hadn't been to their place of work.

I am contacting them across all media platforms will keep you updated.

AlohaLights

lalababa wrote: »

Threaten small claims court..claim up to 2000 limit. That should put a fire beneath them. Although I suspect your video is lost or currupted 😭

I have done this yes thank you.

I really hope not or if they have lost it I hope they would have told me before now

pullandbang

AlohaLights wrote: »

I found them online so hadn't been to their place of work.

Do you know where they operate from?
Have they not got an address on their website?
If not, you can usually find it by looking up the website owners on Whois.

Then I'd be arriving at their front door and demanding answers.

splinter65

pullandbang wrote: »

Do you know where they operate from?
Have they not got an address on their website?
If not, you can usually find it by looking up the website owners on Whois.

Then I'd be arriving at their front door and demanding answers.

This is very bad advice. The supplier would have every right to call the Gardai and have the OP taken away. The SCC will deal with this but if the supplier ignores the SCC there’s very little can be done without incurring a lot of legal costs unfortunately.

pullandbang

splinter65 wrote: »

This is very bad advice. The supplier would have every right to call the Gardai and have the OP taken away.

No it's not bad advice. The OP is quite entitled to meet their supplier at their office or place of business, even if that is a private residence.
Even more so when the supplier is hiding and shirking their responsibilities.
The Gardaí would have zero interest in a case like this unless one party broke Criminal law.

splinter65

pullandbang wrote: »

No it's not bad advice. The OP is quite entitled to meet their supplier at their office or place of business, even if that is a private residence.
Even more so when the supplier is hiding and shirking their responsibilities.
The Gardaí would have zero interest in a case like this unless one party broke Criminal law.

Fine. See how you get on with the Gardai if you go to someone’s house or privately owned business and don’t leave when they ask you to and they call the Gardai.
Just go ahead and tell the Gardai that the woman at the front door in her dressing gown at 9 o’clock at night with a baby in her arms owes you €2000 and they’ll just leave it at that.
Sure. That’s just what’s going to happen.

cant26

splinter65 wrote: »

Fine. See how you get on with the Gardai if you go to someone’s house or privately owned business and don’t leave when they ask you to and they call the Gardai.
Just go ahead and tell the Gardai that the woman at the front door in her dressing gown at 9 o’clock at night with a baby in her arms owes you €2000 and they’ll just leave it at that.
Sure. That’s just what’s going to happen.

Where do women in dressing gowns holding babies come into this!!!!!

cant26

cant26 wrote: »

Where do women in dressing gowns holding babies come into this!!!!!

Nothing like a bit of exaggerated panic when you’re trying to make a point and you’re wrong.

AlohaLights

Just to get the thread back on track I'm not gonna go to anyone's door, with or without dressing gowns.

Thank you for the advice though.

Definitely go through with the small claims. Even though it sounds like there’s no video at all, hopefully there is some real reason for the delay and it exists.

AlohaLights

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Definitely go through with the small claims. Even though it sounds like there’s no video at all, hopefully there is some real reason for the delay and it exists.

Do you think even if I receive the video I should go through small claims for breach of contract? It's just so much money for this much of a delay. I would have gone with anyone else much cheaper if I'd have known this would happen

splinter65

cant26 wrote: »

Where do women in dressing gowns holding babies come into this!!!!!

Pullandbang insists that the Gardai won’t want to know anything about it if the OP rocks up to the suppliers door to challenge them about the issue.
I’m pointing out that challenging them at the front door of their home could end up badly for the OP.

AlohaLights

The guards won't be contacted and I won't be rocking up to anyone's front door I can ensure you all!!

AlohaLights

Just as an update - got in touch with them at the end of last week and went off on their a$$ and threatened small claims court, got a reply promising to have it done by Tuesday along with another excuse as to why it's now 6 months late officially.

Fair to say, it's now Thursday evening and I've heard nothing from them and received no video either.

I'm at my wits end! Don't know what else I can do now.

woodchuck

Take them to small claims court. If nothing else, you should get your money back at least!

AlohaLights

woodchuck wrote: »

Take them to small claims court. If nothing else, you should get your money back at least!

I think it's unavoidable to be honest. Can I ask if I did eventually get the video (still living in hope) could I still bring them to small claims court for breach of contract?

whippet

AlohaLights wrote: »

I think it's unavoidable to be honest. Can I ask if I did eventually get the video (still living in hope) could I still bring them to small claims court for breach of contract?

As far as I am aware you don’t get ‘damages’ in the SCC .. you have two outcomes here from what I can make .. either you get the video .. late or you don’t get the video and go to SCC who should give you a judgement to get your money back.

With all this messing there could well be an underlying issue that the videographer has lost / corrupted the actual video and isn’t being honest and that the reason for the delay is purely down to the fact that he can’t provide the video.

Once you go down the SCC route and you get an award you won’t be getting any video after that

AlohaLights

whippet wrote: »

As far as I am aware you don’t get ‘damages’ in the SCC .. you have two outcomes here from what I can make .. either you get the video .. late or you don’t get the video and go to SCC who should give you a judgement to get your money back.

With all this messing there could well be an underlying issue that the videographer has lost / corrupted the actual video and isn’t being honest and that the reason for the delay is purely down to the fact that he can’t provide the video.

Once you go down the SCC route and you get an award you won’t be getting any video after that

That's a great help thank you. I brought up this to them and asked if the video had been damaged/corrupted and was told that with 100% honesty it wasn't- but then they've lied about the deliverable date for almost 10 months so who knows anymore.

Ultima Thule

You say at the start the quality of their work was excellent before your experience? What did you judge this off? Are they well known, did you find reviews online?

Are there any reviews online in relation to them,anyone else having similar issues to yourself OP? I'd definitely go small claims at this stage, there's no justification for the delay and you're being fobbed off imo.

eleventh

You could ask in the legal forum maybe
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=633

Hope it gets sorted.

woodchuck

AlohaLights wrote: »

I think it's unavoidable to be honest. Can I ask if I did eventually get the video (still living in hope) could I still bring them to small claims court for breach of contract?

I think it depends on what's in the contract. If they deliver the video, but it's of very poor quality or chunks of the day are missing, you may still be entitled to your money back through small claims court.

As someone else suggested though, the legal forum might be a better place to ask.

cazzer22

OP, I feel for you so much. You poor thing. I hope you got sorted in the end? Absolutely take them to the small claims court as you have a contract and paper trail. So sorry for you.

pullandbang

AlohaLights wrote: »

along with another excuse as to why it's now 6 months late officially.

As a matter of interest, what was the excuse?

AlohaLights

Hi all, thanks for your replies. We got the video at the end of last week, we are so happy it's all finally over! Thank you for your help

woodchuck

Glad to hear it. Hope it was worth the wait? I.e. decent quality at least after all that.