To be worried or should I just give my head a wobble !

[Rockschooldropout]

Ok- I don’t know if I need to just stop worrying or if there is genuine reason here

Im getting married in three weeks , wedding was booked in September and we are having a small intimate country venue with 40 guests (second time round for me ) and decided a vintage afternoon tea would be a lovely wedding breakfast (we aren’t having an evening do )
The venue gave me a few recommendations based on catering that previous weddings had , they have a favourite supplier but they didn’t provide a vintage afternoon tea .
I booked a local company who have been around a few years and also had a popular well visited tea room so we went for a tasting and decided it was all perfect and booked .

From the get go communication was poor and I wish I’d taken heed of this now .
to start she took weeks to email our confirmation after I’d paid the deposit and had put us down for the wrong menu , I emailed to let her know and it took two weeks before I got a response saying she’d send an amended confirmation but it didn’t arrive .
I sent two emails asking her to confirm receipt of my deposit and received nothing . Tried to call but just got an EE voicemail .

I sent a message via the Fb page and had s response to confirm two days later , did think even then that communication seemed poor but having now paid my deposit and unable to find anyone else that could provide the same service , I tried not to worry as past reviews re their catering had been excellent

I emailed in January to ask when final numbers for food were required , a one line response came through two days later saying “a month before “ That was it !
I then emailed back advising the plan to have the food buffet style had changed and received no response what so ever .

So a month to the wedding I email confirming numbers , dietary requirements and to ask a few questions . No response after 48 hours , the weekend goes by , no response , so I follow it up with another email and 48 hours goes by with no response .
feeling anxious I try to call, EE voicemail again, I leave a message , another day goes by .
Finally I decide to send a message via Instagram , 48 hours later it’s read . She says sorry she’s having email issues and asks me to email a different address and promises to call me Monday morning.
No phone call arrives but a rushed email asking me to confirm a few details and asking about the layout for buffet style despite me emailing previously to say this has changed .
I email back and ask her to confirm receipt , nothing , that was Monday .
Since we booked they’ve closed their tea room and rebranded as a catering only business and set up a new website

Full balance is due on 25th but the one page confirmation I was sent last year says full balance is due if cancelled after 4th March , however I’m pretty much feeling that there’s a chance they won’t turn up !
So my question is No I’m not BU to be anxious and possibly cancel (and can she pursue me for the balance )
or yes I am BU , this is normal and I’m being over anxious

Aah sorry, I hadn't twigged.
I certainly wouldn't be giving this disorganised person £900.
I wonder if they'd even have the communication skills to come after you for the balance...I doubt it.

I would cancel and book with someone else, if only for peace of mind!

What is the name of the company? There are a lot of scammers out there, unfortunately, and some are names/owners that can crop up time and time again.

I'm sorry that this is happening to you, wedding planning is stressful enough without this!

They are a legitimate business as my venue said they’ve hosted many weddings where they’ve catered. But it does seem that possibly they hit financial difficulties and had to declare bankruptcy and have just opened under a new name .

She wouldn't have a leg to stand on. Book someone else ASAP.

"Dear Ms Flaky Pastries
You have not responded to emails or voicemails concerned my booking for DATE.
I have become increasingly concerned about your lack of response to messages sent on [LIST ALL DATES YOU CONTACTED HER] & have reached the conclusion that as you have refused to confirm my booking, let alone discuss the arrangements, that you are no longer providing the service.
Your total lack on communication means I can no longer have any confidence that you will fulfill your obligations, so I am formally terminating the booking."

If she pushes back (suspect this will galvanise her into finally contacting you!), just stick to your guns. Let her know that you know she went into liquidation & therefore doesn't have a leg to stand on, repeat that her service was non-existent, & that suppliers who refuse to communicate about their service are in breach of contract, so she is terminated.

I’ve sourced an alternative who have availability. However she has now responded but despite me stating my concerns in my email she hasn’t done anything to alay them but has just replied copying and pasting my email and asking me to fill in appropriate information , it’s a very brusque email !
It seems they went bankrupt last year and set up their new business in October when Companies House lists their liquidator was removed

May not help you OP but for these types of things try to pay by credit card. You can often then appeal to the CC company when things go wrong as your contract is with the CC company. CC company will then take your case up.

(PS I am not an expert in consumer credit law but above is what I do to provide me with some security).

As yet I haven’t paid the balance as it’s not due until the 25th but obviously if they don’t turn up on the day the money is the least of my issues 😰

Id let her take me to court. She can't force the 900 she needs to sue you for it and I imagine you have good grounds to cancel when you were chasing before the deadline with no contact.

Cancel ASAP and detail all your concerns in a letter. Screenshot everything including phone calls in case you need it at a later point but thats unlikely.

They sound too chaotic to follow up with you bar sending a possible few shitty messages running up to your wedding (if so just block and delete)

You haven't agreed menu or anything so they wont have bought anything in advance specifically for your wedding?

Did you book with the old (in liquidation) company, or the new one?

That’s an interesting question as their insta still has their old name , the business I contacted was the old name and the initial booking confirmation was in the old name but when she sent a revised booking contract , although on their old name heading it said signed on behalf of (new name )

I wouldn’t give her a penny more without a face to face. If you booked with the old company name (now liquidated) and now it’s a different company name, I don’t see how she could come after you for the balance.

I’ve just checked the original contract and although the logo etc I’d their old name it does clearly say the new name on it - the difference is .. they’ve removed the location as part of the name and added the word catering (I don’t want to out myself !)

It looks like the new name was on the original contract .

Still think you should demand a face to face meet up…just say you have no confidence in proceeding with the booking given how spotty the communication has been. I’m sure the venue can provide catering at pretty short notice, in any case

To be honest - it's probably irrelevant as, if it was with the old company, the administrators would probably have your contract down on their list of assets anyway.

Yeah, cut your losses and get someone else. The person is either not competent or it’s an actual scam. I’d bet money that if you pay the balance there will be some disaster just before the wedding anyway.

Don’t pay the balance, if she wants it she’d have to sue you and she wouldn’t have a leg to stand on. She won’t do it and will probably be grateful you’re not asking for the deposit back. I’d just send a polite email saying that it’s obvious from the various communication issues and failing to deal with questions that she’s not able to offer the service but that you’ll let her keep the deposit as a gesture of goodwill.

To be clearer let’s say the company were called nice cakes and were based in say Cambridge .. they were called The Cambridge Nice Cakes but changed it to Nice Cakes Catering (trying to avoid them coming up in a Google search )

The venue are literally a private country house .. a blank canvas but I can definitely source someone else

@TaunterOfWomenInGeneralSaysSayonarastu
flakey pastries 🤣 Never was there a more apt name !

I’d take my chances on them not pursuing me for the balance, tbh.

Inform the first flaky company that you’re alarmed by the communication issues and unless they give you a call today to reassure you then you’ll be cancelling the booking.

I would calling them via Facebook messenger, if no reply then sack them off. Be honest as to the reason

Time to meet in person. Insist upon it.
Ask for confirmation in perspn of the details and agree that you paid a deposit.
Ask where they have recently catered etc.
See photos and reviews with names. Check a couple that they are bona fide.
Your fears should not be overlooked.
The company should be able to meet you.

Id contact them on every avenue you have available to cancel. Id ask for the return of the deposit due to their conduct and the business no longer exists. Is there a company number anywhere on your contract? That's the company you had a contract with, not this new company - the new one is a separate legal entity. Id cancel her and book the new one.