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Original poster

To think wedding venue can't charge us for their invoicing mistake AFTER wedding

104 replies

maria1113 · 26/09/2016 18:05

We were sent a 'final invoice' for our wedding, a few weeks before the big day. Being busy and tired we scanned the invoice and paid the total as requested in bold at the very bottom of the form. Now, two days after our wedding we have an email to say they've noticed they invoiced us wrongly on said 'final invoice'. They now realise they have invoiced us just over £800 short. Is this our problem?

Hate confrontation, my partner is not brave enough to take the lead on this one and having a debate with the venue that we loved will leave a huge stain in the memory of our wedding day, wether we win or lose the debate.

If I stand firm, fight our corner and they accept their mistake, we will feel unwelcome there in future and risk looking like total tight wads. If I refuse to pay, and they lay the blame solely at our door, they could charge us without authorisation as we have given our card details for previous deposit and invoice payments. I can't see a way to avoid hassle, embarrassment and expense. We've spent a lot on the wedding and really aren't in a place to hand out that kind of money willingly.

Anyone know where we stand legally? Their contract says nothing about what will happen in the event they make an invoicing mistake.

Horrible horribleness. We just want to relax, haven't even unpacked our bags from the weekend, now got this lovely flaming bag of shite dumped at the doorstep. thought wedding stress was over. Hello old friend!

Any advice legal or moral welcome.

OP posts:
CalmaLlamaDown · 26/09/2016 23:26

Not surprised you are upset. They will be so relieved when (if) you settle the balance that I hope they give you a free room and meal for you anniversary..

allsfairinlove · 26/09/2016 23:28

Right, so the rooms were an extra that wasn't factored into the original quote.

It still doesn't quite make sense though. If you paid for the package before the wedding, why would you pay for the rooms separately? Surely it was obvious the rooms weren't included in the package if you had to pay for it separately?

Are you absolutely sure that you didn't have an inkling that the rooms were not part of the quoted package...? Wink

Mycraneisfixed · 26/09/2016 23:31

If I received a Final Invoice then I'd pay it and expect it to be the Final Invoice. I certainly wouldn't pay anything more. Their mistake. Tough.

Lorelei76 · 26/09/2016 23:32

Regardless of how it panned out, you agreed to prices, you owe them that money.

I have to be honest and say I'm surprised you are so stressed because it seems you weren't paying much attention to the bills, which suggests you'd have been fine paying a correct invoice?

WetsTheFinger · 26/09/2016 23:45

Of course you should pay - I assume you've never made a mistake at work, ever?

TinklyLittleLaugh · 26/09/2016 23:48

Why do you have to travel there to sort it out? There's this new dangled invention now called a phone. But nothing to sort out really. Just pay the corrected invoice.

Johnny5isAlive · 26/09/2016 23:48

I would pay it. You had the wedding, rooms, optional extras etc. You're not paying for a service you didn't receive.

I'd hope for an apology for the aggravation but I'd definitely pay up

RealityCheque · 26/09/2016 23:57

In the absence of a contract with and actual figure in it, Final means final. Their fuck up. Nothing more to pay.

They cannot 'take payment without your consent' and if they do you will get it straight back from your card company when you complain.

LadyStoic · 26/09/2016 23:58

Be calm; insist they visit you not other round (as their mistake not yours); agree interest free installement plan mention Trip Advisor and MSE in well covered PA fashion

But fuck me, my head hurts from trying get round intricacies of this and this stuff is my day job FFS Grin

Whatever else though OP and joking aside, I would say do not act in any way that will or could sully your memories of big day - day is once only and no second shot at it so don't let it be spoilt Flowers

Expellibramus · 26/09/2016 23:58

Why can't you pay over the phone though?

Mummydummy · 27/09/2016 00:02

If they have a contract for the full amount including the £800 then they are legally obliged to pay the full amount - whether an invoice said final or not. Its the contract that is legally binding and morally what is owed to the hotel for services supplied as per their agreement.

MadAsABagOfCats · 27/09/2016 00:12

Flowers Take some time out Op
Give yourself a break. I would go back over your card statements and check off what you believe you paid and see if you can tally up what you paid in comparison to what the hotel are stating. £800 is a lot of money so if you do owe it (after you make your calculations) ask if you can pay x amount per week/month, it might ease the burden of a lump sum.

Somerville · 27/09/2016 00:25

Tell them that you're now honeymooning for the next two weeks and you'll be in touch after that.

Totally unreasonable of them to expect you to deal with this immediately - you've just got married! Many couples would be abroad right now and unable to deal with it at all.

WhiskersAndPaws · 27/09/2016 00:28

I certainly wouldn't be driving there to sort it out. I think the manager should call you at your convenience and offer you some kind of compensation eg a weekend stay, or deduct 50% off the final balance.

OlennasWimple · 27/09/2016 00:39

Yy to giving yourselves some breathing space to deal with this. It's completely reasonable to say that you will respond to the email in 10 days or so, given that - as they well know! - you have just got married and could well be travelling.

Then go back through your records and check the bill in minute detail so that you understand properly what you have been charged for and what you have paid for.

SpanishLady · 27/09/2016 04:15

I got ready at a hotel before my wedding (not my venue hotel) I had paid for the room on check in the day before my wedding and checked out/took all our stuff out to the cars etc. I had a final adjustment of my dress/veil etc. and was coming down the stairs to leave the hotel to get into the wedding car when the receptionist jumped in front of me and advised they had not billed me correctly and I was short GBP 35.

Only GBP 35 but I just looked at her in amazement - I'm in my bloody wedding dress holding a bunch of flowers what did she want me to do? I was there with my parents, my bridesmaids, 3 sisters and 2 best friends and she never thought to mention it to one of them? fortunately my mum hadn't left yet and had cash on her so paid for me.

just my 'similar-ish' story!

BakeOffBiscuits · 27/09/2016 07:16

Op if you're worried the hotel will take the money without your permission, call the bank and tell them you have lost the card. They will cancel it and the hotel will not beanlr to use it.

daisychain01 · 27/09/2016 09:24

I think you should acknowledge the fact that it was their error, and that you will settle the balance on condition they kindly offer you "a consideration" to compensate your inconvenience.

In view of it being £800 I would suggest £150 would be a meaningful consideration keeping a poker face and dig your heels in

Lets face it they have made a massive mark up. £150 softens the blow and they won't miss it in the grand scheme of life.

Go for a compromise solution and damage limitation.

SapphireStrange · 27/09/2016 10:53

I agree with daisy.

In fact, I probably wouldn't pay at all; as far as I'm concerned they're the business, they want the money, they should jolly well keep their accounts straight!

But daisy's response sounds very reasonable and would probably keep future relations sweet (if you think you'll need them in future).

dansmum · 27/09/2016 19:15

If they originally mis quoted you a price for the goods and services you had, this was consistent in your quote and in your final invoice for the same amount, legally they have no call upon you- you entered into a contract for a fixed price, which you paid for the goods and services contracted for.

On the other hand,If you were quoted one price, had the goods and services and were sent a 'final' invoice for an amount £800 less than that- it is reasonable in law to expect to pay the original quoted sum, as this is what your contract is based upon.

Hope this helps. Be positive and friendly. Go in person and show you are an honest and decent person, come to sort out the confusion. If it's the latter case, the bill needs to be paid. They will agree to a series of payments, as long as the full payment is made before the end of the financial year, in preference to not being paid at all or having the extra expense of legal fees to claim through the small claims court.
Go see them in person, book an appointment, take a confident friend or relative ( if hubby isn't confident enough) with you.

To them, it's just a book keeping error they are trying to resolve- not a personal judgement on you as a couple !

Keep smiling and good luck.

Ptarmigandancinginthegloaming · 27/09/2016 20:31

I am a very honest person, but I am with those who say that it is their problem, not yours. They are a business, they had time to work out the bill and check it, but they wrote an unclear invoice, so that it wasn't easy to see what they charged for, and didn't check it. Then they called it a 'final bill', which means 'this is all of it, no more charges after this'.
They aren't a sole trader just starting out, they've been in business a year, they acted unprofessionally and made a mistake. If u can't bear not to pay, I would certainly demand a breakdown first, of all the charges by item, to make sure that they haven't re-charged u for the rooms u paid separately beforehand!
But I think you would be entirely reasonable to tell them that u have paid their FINAL invoice already, so they are acting unreasonably in changing their mind and asking for more.

burnoutbabe · 27/09/2016 20:46

I'd see it as the FINAL invoice was correct - it was the total of the services provided.

What was wrong was the payments already made part, £800 paid for something else was allocated there when it should not have been.

So I don't think you'd get anywhere arguing that IT SAID FINAL, as the amount they are charging you has not changed, its just you didn't pay all of it (due to them misallocating a payment).

Glitterbug76 · 27/09/2016 20:50

I should imagine the wedding coordinator is very worried, I'm not sure how they stand legally but i think they are just testing the water to see if you pay with out a fuss ! If so the coordinater redeems her self ( that's if she / he even tells the hotel ) I have struggled to get this however I'm blaming my dyslexia Grin but others seemed to when we got married everything was paid up front and the remainder on the day wouldn't be to happy if they forgot To charge perhaps speak to the cab xxx

DeadGood · 27/09/2016 21:04

SpanishLady shame on that receptionist - way to ruin a moment!

OP, I agree with Daisy too. For all this establishment knows, your parents/someone else was paying for your wedding, meaning you would then have to go begging to them for yet more money when this surprise invoice arrived.

They absolutely should have apologIsed and I think you should mention that! And no, definitely do not go there to sort it out in person. If they can't sort this over the phone, they can come to you.

DeadGood · 27/09/2016 21:06

I also have a vague feeling that the extras you cut down on don't seem to have had a material impact on the final bill - would you say that's correct OP? Sounds to me as though you went without some of the things you would have liked, but it's still cost you roughly the same as the original quote.