Anyone know where we stand cancelling a supplier?

I would generally say no unless you can prove that they have broken the contract, Even though nothing is signed or in writing doesnt mean that there is no contract in place, If your emails from them says that they have offered a tasting with in the price and they are not offering then they are in breach and you could fight for your money back.

Agreed with above, if you have e-mails stating the service includes tasting however they wouldn't provide the tasting service, you might have a chance of getting a refund.

I hate these kinda posts or or hearing a supplier has let the B&G down, it's just not acceptable as a wedding supplier!!

I wish you the best of luck,

Linda xx

Thanks, unfortunately the tasting session was only something she referred to verbally as a 'bit of a trial run' and we don't have that part written down anywhere.

Thinking about how unreliable and unhelpful she has been makes me worry that if we continue with her she will let us down anyway or spoil the food in some way. But thinking about losing the money is a big problem as our budget is maxed out. Even if other approved caterers are available it will be very difficult to try and afford their costs per head. But something in me is screaming to cut our losses and run.

OH is convinced we can get it back as it is to hold a date for a service, but she is not providing crucial elements in the lead up to that service. He is confident that we would get it back. Just not sure of the legalities or where we stand. Such a lot to lose, but may be worth it for peace of mind.

If she is a venue approved supplier surely they should be having a word or stop recommending her.

I couldn't say if you would get your deposit back for certain as she may well deliver what you paid for but she is causing you undue stress because of her poor attitude. I hate it when suppliers don't come back to me so understand your concern.

This.

They recommended her, so in part they are responsible for you booking her, and her actions reflect on them! Maybe they can put some pressure on her to refund you? By telling her unless she does so, she will have to come off of the rec suppliers list? I would go to the venue and meet with someone - they will be much more likely to fight your corner to her if they see you in person and 'connect' with your distress

Even with a watertight case , if the vendor doesn't want to refund your money you would have to take them to the small claims court. As it is, without a contract it's a grey area where you may or may not win. Your best bet is to negotiate with the supplier and, as others have said, try to get the venue to put pressure on them to refund you. They may be willing to refund you as a gesture of goodwill.

Agreed. You obviously paid so much money on the assumption that if the venue recommended them they must be reliable, and if they've let you down they're also damaging the venue's reputation. I would speak to the venue and see if they can help you out.

I agree with the suggestion to go to the venue and ask them for their support, after all you are paying money to them too and they recommended the caterer! I would especially do this if they only allow caterers off their recommended suppliers list. If you have wedding insurance i would check the policy wording in there too as that may cover you for the deposit.

Hope you get it sorted!

Absolutely agree with the others - speak to the venue and get them to step in and help you cancel this caterer.

Thanks folks. OH spoke with the venue, they have sort of apologised/offered sympathy and emailed him a list of their other approved caterers and have said in writing they 'don't think it is unreasonable to request a taste session'. So if any of the other caterers I have contacted this evening are available, OH is going to speak to the original one to check about deposits. I don't know why he seems so sure about it, I don't think we have any rights really due to the lack of documentation.

At this point I would really rather go with someone else, as if I can't trust her to send a contract, arrange a meeting or even reply to an email or phone call in over 2 weeks then how can we trust her with all our money? I don't want to work with someone on such a major event when I don't feel completely assured they are doing everything in their client's best interests.

If she refuses our deposit (as I am sure she will, saying she held that date for us and turned down other work) I will get OH to speak with the venue again to do as you have all suggested. It does reflect poorly on them and they hold their reputation very highly as they have awards etc for being a bespoke venue. They also told OH over the phone that she hasn't catered an event for them in well over a year...makes me wonder why she is still on their list!

If she doesn't refund you the deposit (which i don't think she will!!) then 100% like others have said speak to the venue! i'd be very suprised if they wanted to damage their own reputation by reccommending this idiot! i know the venue give you no option other than to use their suppliers so if this is the case then surely they are part responsible? or could at least have a quick word with the caterer?

other caterers may give you a better price as the wedding is (kind of) short notice? so maybe bargain with another caterer...vanilla in all seasons was yummy at a wedding fair we went to but not sure of their prices!

I really hope it all works out, keep us updated!! x

I am very sorry to hear about the experience you have been having with the venue approved catering service. I would totally agree that your venue should step forward to help resolve this issue. I am concerned about how the caterer came on their books in the first place? They sound very disorganised and unprofessional. One would assume the venue would have checked them out beforehand and even seen or tasted their food?

Find out If your venue has seen any of the following paperwork from them, or have you?:

Food and hygiene certificates?

A valid liability insurance?

Checkable references?

Your security deposit receipt?

Print off all correspondence, demand to see all of the above and request a meeting with both the Venue Manager and Catering Service.

If they fail to produce any of the above I would suggest to seek legal advice. Your venue will need to take responsibility especially if you have asked for food tasting a number of times as this is standard and they have referred their services to you!

However, I would seriously say follow your instincts. What type of food are you having? What are the overall costs, and how many guests?

If you are really worried your food will not be up to standard, I would not use this caterer full stop! If all else fails, walk away even if you do not receive a refund as not only could there be a problem with presentation, or no show, but at the very worst a serious food poisoning issue for your guests! If the caterer is not covered by insurance, you’re going to encounter further issues!

Wedding insurance for couples is so often overlooked but a small price to pay can cover your losses for so many things which might go wrong.

Best regards

Sharon

You know what, screw it it's only £300.

Tell the venue you've cancelled them and if you want to chase the deposit you could technically get it back if it is in the contract as a deposit.

It should technically be classed as a booking fee as those aren't refundable, deposits are though but you'll no doubt have to chase them legally to retrieve it.

I'd question anyone on a suppliers list as there's usually a backhander involved. That's not to say they are all bad though, I'm on one myself and I'm really good but certain venues see it as a way to make a few extra quid by asking for 5-15% of what the supplier charges and they often just let anyone in.

Thanks everyone for the advice. We will definitely be using the checklist from Taylor Made, that info is very much appreciated.

Chris, that is an interesting point about deposit vs 'booking fee'. We have it in an email where she specifically said '£300 for deposit' not 'booking fee' and I also wrote it in my cheque book counterfoil as deposit at the time. Obviously we have no actual contract though.

Turns out there are a few other caterers on the approved list who can do it, I hope our venue will be supportive if we need to chase the deposit. And if not then we can always look into wedding insurance but OH doesn't think we will need to take it that far.

I think the venue is involved in a lot of agricultural and foodie events so they recc people they know have good standing through soceities like those (As Mrs W 2 B knows, I don't think this particular venue would recc anyone shoddy even for a huge bung.)

The trouble is we have based all our budget around caterer 1's quotes - £27.50 per head for canapes and 3 course meal, evening buffet about £4 per head for as many bacon butties as a guest required. The next cheapest caterer is £25.50 per head for afternoon tea style wedding breakfast, not including any canapes and the buffet is more like £8 per head, so it will be a huge leap financially. I think we can just about do it if we make cut backs in our daily lives, and we would rather have to stretch our savings than put up with bad service and unreliable suppliers with a poor attitude going back on what they said!

Sadly waaaay too much for us! But I guess there is no harm in asking, I asked one over email but they said they were not flexible. Another one has said they can tailor make to certain budgets so may be in luck. The one I really want now is affordable for the wedding breakfast but may have to ask her to work with us on costs if we still want canapes or an evening buffet from her too.

Money can't buy "peace of mind". Think how much better you're going to feel. I hope everything works out for you. Sounds like you've got it sorted.

I can recomend http://www.johnlowecatering.co.uk/ he is excellent value and food is yummy!

Not sure if you are stuck with the list of caterers you have been given but maybe they would be flexable under the circumstances

Hey

We've just done just this as the photographer we'd originally paid a deposit to in order to secure the date didn't even have the courtesy to acknowledge receipt of the money, ignored all our calls, emails etc despite us chasing them numerous times for a contract and confirmation that the date was booked.

In the end, I sent them a firm but polite legally worded email explaining our concerns and requesting a full refund of the deposit as they had not held up their side of the agreement which they've now offered.

Essentially, if they're not returning your messages and haven't sent you a contract, they're in breach of the agreement which you made with them by giving them a deposit to secure their service. If they don't uphold their side of the agreement, legally you're entitled to a refund.

Hope this helps - if you would like any more info re the wording of the email we sent requesting a refund of the deposit, just PM me x

You're welcome!

If you want to spend abit more you may have to consider cutting back elsewhere rather than getting yourself into financial strain. I can give you some tips if you're interested, why not drop me a line.

Best wishes

Sharon

Thanks again all. Just waiting on OH to see what he has had in response from caterer 1 to see what the next steps have to be.

Dottie - thank you for your offer, sounds interesting and I may well message you later depending on what she says, thanks!

Can def sympathise as I've had issues with catering too (think you already know pandorasbox) but hang in there, get the venue to speak to her re getting your deposit back (and remove her from the approved list at the same time) and look into wedding insurance. A formal letter of complaint highlighting your issues with a few legal terms thrown in (this is what i did straight after my wedding) may also help and if worse comes to worse (or is it if worst comes to worst?!) tell her you are going to the local paper. Pressure like that, altho a bit sneaky, might just make her realise she's a really nice person after all! Good luck, let me know how you get on.

Well thanks goodness we haven't had to get into any legal wrangles, OH just spoke to crummy caterer and text me saying 'She is sending the cheque back, I didn't even need to ask'. Phew! Now I just hope this isn't one of the things she goes back on.

So so pleased for you!!! That must be a huge relief!!!!

xxx

Fantastic that you are getting your money back!! hopefully now you can use a caterer that gives you the service you deserve! i would still tell the venue you are having to cancel etc with the other caterer as i still think they should have a word with her if they are 'reccommending' her to people!

good luck with the pricing on the new caterers! x