Need advice please - Our wedding videographer is ghosting us

ashybashy

Hi All,

Hoping someone might be able to help out with a bit of advice.

We got married in early June and at the end of July, I sent a note to our videographer to ask for rough timeline on getting our footage back (I stressed that there was no rush). I got no reply, and in the 3 months since, I have tried contacting him many times via call, email, what's app, insta and Facebook, but all messages have been ignored. My husband called to his house to see what the story was and the videographer was very sheepish, saying he'd been through a hard time lately as his family had covid. My husband said he was obviously very sorry to hear that, but the complete lack of communication over 4 months was really worrying. He swore he'd have our footage out to us "by the end of the week". He also mentioned that "other brides had been trying to contact him to". That was on Oct 10th, and we've received nothing, and a WhatsApp msg I sent last week was read and not replied to.

My question is: what do we do? I know we could "name and shame" on social media, but I want to avoid if possible. Is it too premature to go down the small claims court route? He was paid in full in cash on the day of the wedding (I don.t have a receipt, but photographer and several of bridal party were present when handed over).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

yourdeadwright

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058214827/need-advice-please-our-wedding-videographer-is-ghosting-us

Id get your husband to call back down to the house, this time id be very blunt straight to the point & demand a date on wish you will receive your footage ,

I'd tell him that if you'd don't receive it by that time you will name & shame (social media & radio ) & go down the legal road,

10Bit

ashybashy

Few things to consider just

Most wedding suppliers have been trying to power through two years of work crammed into one summer this year and likely underestimated the overwhelming workload that was ahead of them - mostly due to the fact of accommodating those who post-poned from last year

Videographers in specific have the biggest amount of workload post-wedding and that amounts up quickly, especially during the summer where you don't get much time at the desk to edit.

It sounds like the guy is overwhelmed by what he has on his plate and is terrified at the notion of conflict and maybe approaching that incorrectly. The best thing to do is probably to wait - it's something you are going to have for the rest of your lives so I wouldn't panic with looking it just a few months after the wedding date. The timescale of from when the wedding was, until todays date, isn't an unreasonable time scale given the current situation with the volume of work most are encountering (not by their own greed, but by way of postponements and trying to accommodate everyone within the bounds of covid etc.)

The communication and ignoring isn't great of course - if you can open up a line of communication with them, all you should be concerned with is whether they have all the files and footage and ask for an indication of how much they have on their plate. I appreciate the situation can be frustrating but try to think from their side of things especially this year of all years

enricoh

It's very bad form, when we got hitched my missus paid the photographer in full on the day and she lost interest in doing anything after it.

When someone's paid in full after doing half the work you are at their mercy unfortunately.

ashybashy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118075680#Comment_118075680

Thanks, sorry I should have mentioned that he told my husband that he hadn't been doing much work over the summer due to the family having covid. So it doesn't seem like it's an issue with being backed up. Of course, he may have deprioritised everything to deal with the family's illness, which is totally understandable. But I just don't get the complete refusal to engage. I mentioned in my msgs that if there was some reason the work would have to be delayed a long while, or if there was an issue with the footage, that I'm sure we can figure it out, but I just need to know...

Also, he has been posting personal/frivolous stuff to his Instagram stories, etc in the meanimtime, which makes me less inclined to think he's snowed under with work...

Anyway, I'll give it another few days and prob try call to the house again, before biting the bullet and taking it legal.

Thanks again for the response, these are definitely factors everyone should consider when dealing with suppliers for the foreseeable.

ashybashy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118075671#Comment_118075671

Yes I think that will be our next step. Thank you!

ashybashy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118076363#Comment_118076363

Yeah its really not a good system, is it....

JayRoc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118076968#Comment_118076968

There's a certain cohort of people nowadays who (for whatever reason) seem to be unable to simply reply to a message if there is a hint of a disagreement.

I just cannot understand it. Most people will be mollified by a quick acknowledgement and explanation (and an apology if necessary) while ignoring the issue only makes it much worse. Such as in your situation.

You've my sympathies, it sounds like a real pain in the ass to deal with.

banie01

OP, do you at least have a contract with this supplier? If you do, what are the dispute resolution procedures lain down?

Keep all the Comms with him to written, be it messenger/WhatsApp or anything else. Written doesn't need to be a letter. If you have a dispute resolution procedure? Follow it. If you don't? Request from him a date on which the agreed video will be turned over. If the date isn't forthcoming? Off to the small claims court.

This may well sound quite harsh but a service was contracted and paid for. Either it's provided? Or the enforcement/resolution clauses of the contract are enforced, and if there is no written contract? The Comms between both parties and the receipts are the basis for an SCC action to at least recover your funds.

yourdeadwright

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118076975#Comment_118076975

Someone once said to me pick vendors with good social media presence even if slightly dearer because they importance of not getting bad feed back is massive to them , It only takes one or two people to report back with a horror stories and it can seriously effect there business

ashybashy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118078937#Comment_118078937

Thanks so much for the feedback. No contract, but the majority of the comms have been in writing, and I will keep it to that going forward. Cheers again 👍