Cancellation - What would you do?

George Kilroy · August 25th, 2010, 02:13 AM

Duplicated post

Johannes Soetandi · August 25th, 2010, 02:54 AM

We'll see if that guy is also in dvinfo eh.. then perhaps you can take him out for lunch as a good will :P

George Kilroy · August 25th, 2010, 02:59 AM

Hi Claire.
Thanks for your comments and offer of referral to your son-in-law but as I mentioned in my post I am not looking for advise, I know what I'll be doing and you may have gathered that it won't be pursuing a legal remedy. My reason for posting was that I'm interested in reading how others would deal with a similar situation.

Hi Chris.
Once again we seem to have a similar working practice. I take a 25% deposit, it's not a booking without one. I too offer to return their deposit if they cancel and I re-book and only if I am able to re-book. The reason for that is to encourage them to let me know at the earliest possible time to give me a good chance to get another booking.
By a strange coincident I have just today received an email from someone asking how much is still outstanding for my services on the very next day to the cancelled one. However I never had a booking form or deposit paid from this couple, just a general enquiry back in March, I never heard from them again. So I now need to contact them to see if they think they've booked me or they have mixed me up with whoever they have booked.

Getting back to the cancellation I'd just add that had this been a company I would, and have, taken action through the courts, and won, but spent a long time, and expense collection my payment.
I realise that business is business and that a client private or corporate should honour a contract, but I am in the wedding business because I like working with people and doing things for them that makes them feel good, not ruin their day. If they can't afford it they can't. What good would it do to to force them to find the money and give them an even more difficult start to their marriage.

UPDATE:
What a difference a day makes - Yesterday I contacted all previous enquirers to let them know that the 4th Sept is now available. I've just had a call from one of them who I'd turned away some time ago. She said that if I am still available she wants to book me as I was the one she wanted in the first place but when she contacted me I was already booked with the now cancelled wedding.
She has booked someone else but she will cancel them.
Now I feel bad as my good fortune will be some else's bad luck.

Susanto Widjaja · August 26th, 2010, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by George Kilroy

she wants to book me as I was the one she wanted in the first place but when she contacted me I was already booked with the now cancelled wedding.
She has booked someone else but she will cancel them.
Now I feel bad as my good fortune will be some else's bad luck.

you can't make everybody happy mate. just tell her that you're available which you are. You're doing her a great favor by being her dream videographer for her once in a lifetime day. nothing wrong with that.

Claire Buckley · August 30th, 2010, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by George Kilroy

Hi Claire.
Thanks for your comments and offer of referral to your son-in-law but as I mentioned in my post I am not looking for advise, I know what I'll be doing and you may have gathered that it won't be pursuing a legal remedy. My reason for posting was that I'm interested in reading how others would deal with a similar situation.

No problem. Glad to hear - no one likes the "last" course of action. Thanks for the reply :)

Travis Cossel · August 30th, 2010, 06:30 PM

George, that's a rough situation to be in. Really sorry to hear about that.

The very first thing I would do is try and work out some sort of compromise with the couple that allows you to provide part of the product for part of the cost. Like maybe cut the package and only film the ceremony. Something like that.

If they aren't willing to work with you, then to be perfectly honest it's probably time to let them know you aren't just going to walk away from this because they have a contract with you. Let them know you can't re-book the date because they are canceling so late, and that you are going to require payment. At this point perhaps make them an offer to close the account/contract by making a partial payment, even set up a payment plan for them maybe.

If they are still unwilling to work with you then it's probably time to let them know you will be taking the matter to court. That will often change their attitude on cooperating, but not always. The thing to remember here is that you are running a business and trying to pay your own bills and feed your own family. Their lack of responsibility and communication is not your fault, and they have a contract with you and it needs to be honored.

Sorry if I repeated anyone else but I didn't have time to read the whole thread. Good luck. This certainly isn't a fun situation to be in.

August 25th, 2010, 02:13 AM	#16
George Kilroy Major Player Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Midlands UK Posts: 699	Update - it's a odd world. Duplicated post Last edited by George Kilroy; August 25th, 2010 at 03:03 AM.

August 30th, 2010, 06:30 PM	#21
Travis Cossel Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 2,933	George, that's a rough situation to be in. Really sorry to hear about that. The very first thing I would do is try and work out some sort of compromise with the couple that allows you to provide part of the product for part of the cost. Like maybe cut the package and only film the ceremony. Something like that. If they aren't willing to work with you, then to be perfectly honest it's probably time to let them know you aren't just going to walk away from this because they have a contract with you. Let them know you can't re-book the date because they are canceling so late, and that you are going to require payment. At this point perhaps make them an offer to close the account/contract by making a partial payment, even set up a payment plan for them maybe. If they are still unwilling to work with you then it's probably time to let them know you will be taking the matter to court. That will often change their attitude on cooperating, but not always. The thing to remember here is that you are running a business and trying to pay your own bills and feed your own family. Their lack of responsibility and communication is not your fault, and they have a contract with you and it needs to be honored. Sorry if I repeated anyone else but I didn't have time to read the whole thread. Good luck. This certainly isn't a fun situation to be in. __________________ Black Label Films www.blacklabelweddingfilms.com

August 25th, 2010, 02:54 AM	#17
Johannes Soetandi Major Player Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 387	We'll see if that guy is also in dvinfo eh.. then perhaps you can take him out for lunch as a good will :P

August 25th, 2010, 02:59 AM	#18
George Kilroy Major Player Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Midlands UK Posts: 699	Hi Claire. Thanks for your comments and offer of referral to your son-in-law but as I mentioned in my post I am not looking for advise, I know what I'll be doing and you may have gathered that it won't be pursuing a legal remedy. My reason for posting was that I'm interested in reading how others would deal with a similar situation. Hi Chris. Once again we seem to have a similar working practice. I take a 25% deposit, it's not a booking without one. I too offer to return their deposit if they cancel and I re-book and only if I am able to re-book. The reason for that is to encourage them to let me know at the earliest possible time to give me a good chance to get another booking. By a strange coincident I have just today received an email from someone asking how much is still outstanding for my services on the very next day to the cancelled one. However I never had a booking form or deposit paid from this couple, just a general enquiry back in March, I never heard from them again. So I now need to contact them to see if they think they've booked me or they have mixed me up with whoever they have booked. Getting back to the cancellation I'd just add that had this been a company I would, and have, taken action through the courts, and won, but spent a long time, and expense collection my payment. I realise that business is business and that a client private or corporate should honour a contract, but I am in the wedding business because I like working with people and doing things for them that makes them feel good, not ruin their day. If they can't afford it they can't. What good would it do to to force them to find the money and give them an even more difficult start to their marriage. UPDATE: What a difference a day makes - Yesterday I contacted all previous enquirers to let them know that the 4th Sept is now available. I've just had a call from one of them who I'd turned away some time ago. She said that if I am still available she wants to book me as I was the one she wanted in the first place but when she contacted me I was already booked with the now cancelled wedding. She has booked someone else but she will cancel them. Now I feel bad as my good fortune will be some else's bad luck.