I just want to SCREAM!!!!! And not in a good way!

dianalynm · March 2012

I know that this is an ongoing issue and you are probably sick and tired of hearing about it, but I just need to vent!!! And I want to be able to warn everyone and anyone about this wedding planner's antics because I don't want anyone to go through what I am going through!

This is a follow up RE: Wedding Planner Update post from last week...

So, after multiple follow-up emails on my part, here's how her responses panned out:

- Sunday: She said she received the refund check from Olowalu 8 days prior, which on my calendar shows that she received the check PRIOR to her sending me the email stating that our business was concluded (sent on Tues March 13), so...to me, that means she really tried to keep our REFUNDABLE deposit. She states she'd be sending me an updated invoice on Monday.

- Monday: no updated invoice

- Tuesday: no updated invoice

- Wednesday: no updated invoice

- Thursday: I follow-up stating she told me she'd send me an updated invoice on Monday, it is now Thursday. She responds and says due to the fact that they are SOOOO busy, she had to hire someone to handle her billing/accounting. Right...and that's my fault because...? However, she states, "I believe it (our refund check) was mailed today." Believe? She should KNOW.

I opened up the attached invoice to find that she has SHORTED us on our refund! She was supposed to be giving us back $1166, but instead she came up with $645! What the...?! I look at the itemized invoice and I see that she is charging us $2500 for her coordination fees.

This made me so angry I wanted to SCREAM!!!!

She is the WORST! She can't even account for anything she has said in past emails, so that's why I tell everyone to KEEP ALL OF YOUR EMAILS!

I quickly reply and tell her that her invoice is incorrect, that we should be getting our full deposit back (it is fully refundable), and that she said we are paid in full on our coordination fee to her as per a previous email she sent.

I went ahead and (easily) searched for that email in Gmail (thank you, Google!) in order to HIGHLIGHT where she states we are paid in full and then forward that email over to her. I hope it's a good slap in the face and she rightfully gives us back the rest of our money!

I must say that she is the worst business person I have dealt with in MY ENTIRE LIFE. She has tainted my wedding planning experience and I am so ready to write a review on her because I believe that no bride, or anybody for that matter, should be subjected to this behavior and treatment!

So please, if you would like to know who this horrendous wedding planner is, do not hesitate to PM me! I will gladly tell you. And make sure you ready my previous posts on this message board about the other horrible things she has done and said. She is not worth the money nor the headache! Please watch out!

FSForever · March 2012

I am soooooo sorry you are having to deal with this. Hopefully she gives you your money back soon and you can move forward. Have you thought about making a claim to the BBB? I look at those a lot, along with our state licensing board, and it really makes a difference in who I pick as vendors for work as well as my day to day activities.

Hang in there.

dianalynm · March 2012

Can I still file a claim with the BBB even though she's not accredited? =/

FSForever · March 2012

Absolutely. That way if anyone pulls her up there will show that there is an unresolved complaint. Now if she sends you the rest of the money it would become resolved but still show as being on her report.

dianalynm · March 2012

I just received an email back from her stating that she claims she said the $500 additional in coordination fees would have been waived if I kept vendors booked with her (but, why would I want to do that when I don't even trust her!). So she said that since we cancelled all of our bookings, she's keeping the $500.

I literally exploded!!

1) She was NEVER clear about that contingency in any email, including those sent to me after I had cancelled my bookings with her.

2) Why should we give her $500 for doing absolutely nothing?! We've already given her 80% of her coordination fee and she doesn't even have to see our wedding through til the end! That sounds like a sweet deal to me on her end.

So I sent an email back to her stating those reasons including some other reasons, why she needs to give us our money back.

What do you all think I should do?! Now, I feel stuck since she's saying all of this stuff, but it was after the fact!

Any ideas...? Anything would be much appreciated...

DazzlingDeb23 · March 2012

If you have all the documentation/emails, I think you should just continue to present her with the evidence that she never stated any of these things prior. You signed a contract with her that should lay out how and when she is paid, and you are due back anything that was refundable. I also think you should post to BBB. I am sorry you are going through all this.

Also, you have a PM!

Olivive · March 2012

The single most important and valuable form of advertising especially here in Hawaii is wordofmouth specifically sites such as Yelp. If I were you, I would tell her that you have been working with her in a very professional way, despite all of the "inconsistencies" on her part, but you feel its gotten to the point that you need to escalate it if she doesn't comply with your request for a refund. And that if things cannot be settled by x date, that you will be forced to write a review on Yelp, Wedding Bee, Wedding Wire, and the Knot, expressing your unpleasant experience with her company. Note that you really want to resolve the issue in a professional manner, and encourage her to do the same by complying with your reasonable request... I am certain a bad review even just on Yelp would have a hugely negative effect on her business, and I'm sure she will become well aware that the 500 or however much she owes you is far less money lost in the long run than the thousands she'll lose by the bad reputation her business will have should you be forced to write the review. Explain again that you're not requesting anything extra, just what was given to her by you, and that you want to end your business relationship with her on a positive note.

jtoly · March 2012

Oh my god! That is terrible. I am one to complain if something is wrong. Does she have a manager or is there an owner of the company she works for or does she have her own business? Def post on BBB and can you maybe tell her you contacted a lawyer and because her reasoning for keeping the money was not in her contract you will seek that money back and money for the stress and all this wasted time.

AKWinterBride · March 2012

I am so sorry you are dealing with this woman! Make sure she knows you are active on bridal sites and will be sharing your reviews with every Hawaii bride you can find - word of mouth on these boards is golden and you don't want to get on a bride's bad side!
Also, if I were you I would share with everyone the name of the coordinator - there is no reason to try to hide her, she does awful business and deserves to be known as a crappy vendor.
I can't believe her BS excuse, total crap!!

fizzhiser87 · March 2012

I would go through your signed contact with her with a fine tooth comb!! People who do business like this often have sneaky (but not well written) clauses in their contract for things like this to be in their favor.

If you find anything that seems suspicious or seems like it might swing in her favor (or yours for that matter), hire a lawyer to look at it. Often just a tersely worded email from a laywer (on letterhead) can be enough to encourage them to just give it up.

So sorry you're going through all this!!

At least you know your wedding day will be so so much better without this woman involved.

motoLyn · March 2012

Dianna I'm so sorry to hear of this headache! Did see ever mention non refundable deposits for the vendors? Is that why she's keeping the money?

gnmartinjr · March 2012

KARMA......KARMA....I really believe in it too! She will get hers by lost business when word of mouth is no longer her friend!!!! Let her know that you intend to file a complaint with the BBB then follow through and do just that. And I agree with Olivive and the reviews on the internet....I checked reviews and BBB accreditation prior to choosing my WC. Good Luck!! I really hope she comes to her senses and refunds the money that she did not earn!

dianalynm · March 2012

In Response to Re:I just want to SCREAM!!!!! And not in a good way!:[QUOTE]Dianna I'm so sorry to hear of this headache!nbsp; Did see ever mention non refundable deposits for the vendors?nbsp; Is that why she's keeping the money?nbsp; Posted by motoLyn[/QUOTE] <div>
</div><div>Her coordination fee is nonrefundable, so naturally I wouldn't expect her to pay that back to me. However, in one email I have on file, she said that we are paid in full for her coordination fee. That was it, no deal or contingency noted when she said that. </div><div>And in total, I only paid her 80% ($2000--extortion!) of her coordination fee and the $1166 refundable deposit for Olowalu, so essentially I just canceled everything else since we didn't pay her for any of the other vendors.</div><div>
</div><div>Oh, she also claims that a payment was due on December 15 as per an invoice sent around that time. She's such a liar...no such invoice was sent or attempt to collect money from me was ever made in December...</div>

kaesha · March 2012

Oh honey, she sounds awful. Like, just ridiculous.

dianalynm · March 2012

In Response to Re:I just want to SCREAM!!!!! And not in a good way!:[QUOTE]Oh my god! That is terrible. I am one to complain if something is wrong. Does she have a manager or is there an owner of the company she works for or does she have her own business? Def post on BBB and can you maybe tell her you contacted a lawyer and because her reasoning for keeping the money was not in her contract you will seek that money back and money for the stress and all this wasted time. Posted by jtoly[/QUOTE] <div>
</div><div>She, unfortunately, is the owner of the company. How she has been in "business" that long, I don't understand! I will give her a chance to respond since I sent a pretty heated email to her this morning basically calling her out. If she still refuses I'll tell her everything you ladies said to mention:</div><div>
</div><div>1. active on bridal sites, so will write reviews for those as well as on Yelp (I was Yelp Elite for the past 3 years)</div><div>2. Going to file a complaint with the BBB and </div><div>3. Get a lawyer involved (I have a few lawyer friends that may be able to help)</div><div>
</div><div>I was pretty mean in my email, but I am going so fed up with her excuses and antics! I agree, it is ridiculous!</div><div>
</div><div>She needs to learn to pick her battles and quite frankly I agree with several of you. Paying ~$500 to us is going to save her from losing thousands down the road with the reviews I will be writing!</div>

dianalynm · March 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_hawaii_i-just-want-to-scream-and-not-in-a-good-way?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:73Discussion:d33a7234-83b2-4d5a-8473-7e60ac7d41fcPost:897116d3-92ac-4e40-99c7-312a35d1e0ec">Re: I just want to SCREAM!!!!! And not in a good way!</a>:
[QUOTE]If you have all the documentation/emails, I think you should just continue to present her with the evidence that she never stated any of these things prior. You signed a contract with her that should lay out how and when she is paid, and you are due back anything that was refundable. I also think you should post to BBB. I am sorry you are going through all this. Also, you have a PM!
Posted by DazzlingDeb23[/QUOTE]

<div>So I keep everything! I do have the contract and it says, "Reservations will not be confirmed until receipt of this form and a non-refundable retainer of $2000 plus a deposit of $1166 for Olowalu made payable to so and so"</div><div>
</div><div>There is nowhere else on the contract that states her total coordination fee is $2500, nor did she have me sign anything else stating that. It's only on her website where it states $2500. Regardless of that fact, she still mentioned in an email, "So no other coordination fee is due, you would be paid in full for coordination fee."</div><div>
</div><div>Also, for Olowalu, we did sign "Cancelations: If an event is canceled outside of 6 months before the occasion, the site deposit is fully refundable."</div><div>
</div><div>To sum it up:</div><div>1) I didn't agree to pay $2500 anyway, just the non-refundable $2000 retainer fee for her</div><div>2) My Olowalu deposit should be fully refundable to me, and she shouldn't have used that money to compensate herself (am I correct here?).</div><div>3) Her stating "no other coordination fee is due...paid in full for coordination fee" I think is evidence enough for her not to take the rest of my money!</div><div>
</div><div>PS I responded to your PM!</div>

Tanq&Tonic · March 2012

WHAT? How the heck is this still going on? Seriously? I'm so sorry, but your last post pretty much sums up the full story.

Also, just a warning, I know a number of vendors read these boards even if they are not allowed to post, and further more, if you are considering the possibility of legal action, be careful about what you put in writing publicly. I don't want you to undermine your case somehow.

GAH. I am so frustrated for you!

destiny1108 · March 2012

so sorry to hear all of your challenges!

Yes, you can make a claim with BBB. We only hired vendors that were BBB accredited, including our wedding planner who was a gem.

Re-review your contract to see if vendors are listed as non-refundable or that your deposit was going to be used towards their services. All of our vendors had non-refundable deposits but our WC had all contracts go directly to us, not through her.

Scan some copies of your e-mails and note where the discrepancies are so can show her errors.  Sounds like she was too busy to handle your wedding and probably doesn't keep good records.

Good luck!

FSForever · March 2012

Sent you a PM.

Agree with Tanq, try to keep it underwraps.

racholas · March 2012

I have to say, I can't believe you haven't spilled her name yet on this board. I searched The Knot (b/c I know who your planner is) and can't find her company clearly listed / reviewed anywhere. You owe it to future knotties - there's no way you would have hired her if you knew half of what you know. So yes, I am in agreement that you need to make it public. But, I too would wait to see if you get more of your money back.

I'd be livid if I spent $2K on a wedding planner I had to fire.

dianalynm · March 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_hawaii_i-just-want-to-scream-and-not-in-a-good-way?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:73Discussion:d33a7234-83b2-4d5a-8473-7e60ac7d41fcPost:5666f436-3a8e-4c6d-9422-dae28a18750a">Re: I just want to SCREAM!!!!! And not in a good way!</a>:
[QUOTE]I have to say, I can't believe you haven't spilled her name yet on this board. I searched The Knot (b/c I know who your planner is) and can't find her company clearly listed / reviewed anywhere. You owe it to future knotties - there's no way you would have hired her if you knew half of what you know. So yes, I am in agreement that you need to make it public. But, I too would wait to see if you get more of your money back. I'd be livid if I spent $2K on a wedding planner I had to fire.
Posted by racholas[/QUOTE]

<div>Yea, I'm surprised I haven't publicly spilled her name, yet.</div><div>
</div><div>And I agree, if I knew half of what I know, now, I would most certainly avoid hiring her at all costs. She makes the experience an unhappy one and is truly out to just make money...</div><div>
</div><div>Yea, losing $2000 is hard to swallow and the fact that she compensated herself another $500 from our refundable deposit just makes me that much more angry at her actions. I feel like the refundable deposit is rightfully ours and she should've give that back to us.</div><div>
</div><div>I hope no future bride ever has to deal with her again...</div>

kaesha · March 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_hawaii_i-just-want-to-scream-and-not-in-a-good-way?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:73Discussion:d33a7234-83b2-4d5a-8473-7e60ac7d41fcPost:b3359f00-0906-4413-a5b4-ea2a6a8ca57b">Re: I just want to SCREAM!!!!! And not in a good way!</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: I just want to SCREAM!!!!! And not in a good way! : Yea, I'm surprised I haven't publicly spilled her name, yet. And I agree, if I knew half of what I know, now, I would most certainly avoid hiring her at all costs. She makes the experience an unhappy one and is truly out to just make money... Yea, losing $2000 is hard to swallow and the fact that she compensated herself another $500 from our refundable deposit just makes me that much more angry at her actions. I feel like the refundable deposit is rightfully ours and she should've give that back to us. I hope no future bride ever has to deal with her again...
Posted by dianalynm[/QUOTE]

Is it awful that I'm totally excited for when you out her?

dianalynm · March 2012

I feel a bit guilty because she responded (finally) after my heated emails saying that she had a family emergency to attend to, but that stuff is out-of-my hands, you know? I know I shouldn't feel bad since it has nothing to do with me, but I still do since she may be overwhelmed with that situation.

Anyway, I did mention filing a complaint and possibly writing reviews and she started to get really defensive, also mentioning "all over $500?" She may not think $500 is a lot, but we are on a budget and it's not just about the money! It's the principle!

So we'll see how it pans out. Of course I want to write reviews and I do owe it to future knotties to give them a heads-up, but I just feel conflicted about writing one, now. I just don't want her to come back and try to sue me or whatever for "destroying" her business, since that's what she thinks I'll do.

Any thoughts...?

Tanq&Tonic · March 2012

WTF at the "all over $500" comment. I'd probably do that over $50. She is clearly clueless if she thinks it's a dollar amount issue, instead of the ACTUAL problem of integrity and honesty. If she doesn't understand that this is about her reputation, and the clear difference between right and wrong, well, that says volumes about her and she doesn't sound like someone I would trust ANY decision making to, especially not around my wedding!

I definitely think reviews are in order either way. The difference boils down to whether you also share that, in the end, she did try to make it right. I don't think it could be considered 'destroying' her business if you post all truths, for example:
1. You struggled with her attentiveness, response time, and consistency of information -- and some examples.
2. You were disappointed at how she handled the wrap up when you chose a new coordinator, including a timely conclusion, clarity around how much was owed, for what, to whom
3. After weeks of working patiently with her through this, she did ultimately resolve the situation in the way that was documented in your written exchanges, but you would have preferred if she did this in a much cleaner, expeditious manner.

Nothing untrue there, KWIM? I felt the same way about writing my review re: Dan Sanchez a few months back. The difference was I really did like him and I do think he tried his best to make it right, but you just don't get your wedding all over again, KWIM? Your experience and advice allows other brides to decide if 1) they want to use this vendor, and 2) if they still choose to do so despite your experience, some pitfalls they should try to avoid.

dianalynm · March 2012

Thanks for the insight, Tanq. You are right and I intend on sending her a very thought-out email.

I PM'd you...let me know what you think...

I just want to SCREAM!!!!! And not in a good way!

Re: I just want to SCREAM!!!!! And not in a good way!

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