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Trouble with the Caterer

stmoser39stmoser39
First Comment
in Wedding Reception Forum
We have put down a deposit and signed a contract with Paravati Catering in Blue Bell, PA earlier. Now it is a little more than 3 months from the wedding, and he is ignoring me! I've been leaving him messages for 3 weeks, trying to finalize our reception plans, and have gotten no responses or my fiance. My fiance set up a dummy email account and emailed him as a new customer, and got an answer back almost instantaneously, so we know that he getting our messages, and really is just ignoring us. Is there anything we can do? 
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Re: Trouble with the Caterer

  • JoanE2012JoanE2012 member
    5000 Comments 500 Love Its Fourth Anniversary 5 Answers
    stmoser39 said:
    We have put down a deposit and signed a contract with Paravati Catering in Blue Bell, PA earlier. Now it is a little more than 3 months from the wedding, and he is ignoring me! I've been leaving him messages for 3 weeks, trying to finalize our reception plans, and have gotten no responses or my fiance. My fiance set up a dummy email account and emailed him as a new customer, and got an answer back almost instantaneously, so we know that he getting our messages, and really is just ignoring us. Is there anything we can do? 
    Are you emailing or calling him?  What does your contract outline for a timeline?  Our venue didn't want to talk to us until 2 months before the wedding at the earliest to select the menu.  While I think he should give you the courtesy of responding, if you've been sending him messages for 3 weeks now he is probably seeing you as pestering him when he's not even thinking about your wedding yet because it's too early.
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  • calliopeia2013calliopeia2013 member
    500 Comments Second Anniversary 25 Love Its Name Dropper

    I would think it would depend a lot on what your contract says about being dissatisfied with the service, and about whether or not you can back out and still get your deposit back.  By my standards, this is not acceptable service- no matter what the timeline is, it's incredibly rude and unprofessional to fail to respond to emails- even if their response is just "we can deal with this later," it's terrible service to just ignore you.

    It may be that the only option you have available is to leave them bad reviews, though.

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  • alithebridealithebride member
    Ninth Anniversary 2500 Comments 25 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited July 2013

    what's in your contract?

    what are you emailing him about?

    have you called? stopeed by the office?

    eta: that's crappy service-i'm not saying he's doing the right thing at all. just want specifics.

     

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  • stmoser39stmoser39
    First Comment
    I don't think the contract has a crappy service clause. We can try calling, but I really want his answers in writing. The venue is nearly an hour away from where either of us live, and I'm not even sure where his office is. In the past we have always met in the banquet hall. I think our next step is to either call or show up and make him type up answers for us and send the email, but first I wanted to know what our options are as far as getting out of the contract. I'm also wondering if we should call him out on the fact that we know he is available and checking his email, and just doesn't think we are important enough to get a response now that we have put down a deposit and signed the contract. We had questions about entree choices, the kids' meal, adding extra sweets to our package, and a recommended distributor and alcohol list since this place is BYOB. I need some of that information for the invitations, which we should be printing now, and I don't want to wait until the last minute to put in our alcohol order. 
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  • QueerFemmeQueerFemme member
    5000 Comments Fifth Anniversary 500 Love Its 5 Answers
    stmoser39 said:
    I don't think the contract has a crappy service clause. We can try calling, but I really want his answers in writing. The venue is nearly an hour away from where either of us live, and I'm not even sure where his office is. In the past we have always met in the banquet hall. I think our next step is to either call or show up and make him type up answers for us and send the email, but first I wanted to know what our options are as far as getting out of the contract. I'm also wondering if we should call him out on the fact that we know he is available and checking his email, and just doesn't think we are important enough to get a response now that we have put down a deposit and signed the contract. We had questions about entree choices, the kids' meal, adding extra sweets to our package, and a recommended distributor and alcohol list since this place is BYOB. I need some of that information for the invitations, which we should be printing now, and I don't want to wait until the last minute to put in our alcohol order. 

    I would suggest a phone call and an email saying something like this:

    "Caterer.. I have left you multiple messages and emails, and you haven't returned any of my calls.  Is there a problem with our contract or our wedding date?  I am concerned by your lack of responsiveness. I need some specific information from you in order to make related wedding decisions, and it is making me very nervous that you have not replied.  Please call me back no later than Friday, July 12th by 5:00pm".

    If he doesn't reply then, call him and email him again... and leave another message that you are going to consider cancelling his contract and taking him to small claims court to get your deposit back. (but, you have to mean this).

    In the interim, start looking for other caterers, just in case.

    image

    Websites/blogs where our wedding has been featured:

    http://www.dapperq.com/2013/11/a-very-dapper-wedding/

    http://www.onabicyclebuiltfortwo.com/2013/10/wedding-christina-g.html

    http://4realequalityweddings.com/2014/05/16/g-christina/

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  • calliopeia2013calliopeia2013 member
    500 Comments Second Anniversary 25 Love Its Name Dropper
    Another suggestion- is this a catering company where you're working with one event planner in a larger group?  If so, there may be an owner or manager you can contact to complain about him not responding to your emails.  If it's the owner/manager you've been working with, then obviously that won't work. 
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  • NYCMercedesNYCMercedes member
    Sixth Anniversary 2500 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers
    Please let us know what happens. The caterer could have been extremely busy during the past three months, the high season for weddings, and his busiest season. He could just have you on hod until you time approaches, although he should have dropped you a short note to say that.
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  • stmoser39stmoser39
    First Comment
    We are working with the owner. We tried calling - no answer and no returned call. I didn't ask him to, but my brother also set up a fake email account and emailed him as a prospective customer. He got an answer 6 minutes later. 
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  • Jen4948Jen4948 member
    Knottie Warrior 10000 Comments 500 Love Its 25 Answers
    If he's not responding to you but he is responding to other inquiries, you either have to be patient with him or find a new caterer.

    I'd look for someone else, given that your FI and brother are able to get through to him, but not about your specific wedding.
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