A Kamloops couple is out $4,000 because their Vancouver Island wedding venue refuses to give back a deposit.
Jes Hartt says she and her husband were married in February, and had booked more than two years ago to hold a larger celebration for June 20th at Merridale Cidery in Cobble Hill.
That was before the COVID-19 pandemic, and restrictions to gathering sizes of 50 people as well as dialogue from the Provincial Health Officer that signals large weddings will be too risky to hold this summer.
“They [Merridale] have basically just told us that they won’t be refunding it. I can either reschedule it at a later date, or just leave it as is,” Hartt says, saying the general manager said the company would “consider” trying to help clients later on.
“I’m wondering if he’s referring to us who have chosen to cancel to see how they could talk about refunds. And then he followed up with that saying that if I went to social media, I would not be considered for a refund, and I would be slandering them if that was the case.”
Hartt says she paid a $750-dollar deposit, which was used for initial paperwork and other work. Her concern, she says, is the company has provided no service for that second $4,000-dollar deposit, and she simply wants her money back.
“Do I just walk away from $4,000 dollars and leave it be? These are just poor business optics that are affecting me and my family. I’ve actually been in contact with another lady who has gone through the exact same thing, and her wedding was the week before mine.”
Hartt also says she has worked in the catering business for 10 years and has talked to colleagues about her situation.
“Every person that I spoke to within the industry was appalled. They had nothing kind to say with respect to Merridale and how they were conducting their business, or lack thereof. I obviously don’t want to make this company look bad, but at the end of the day I’ve paid for a service to take place on a very specific date, and neither of us will be able to honor it.”
She adds that another client who has cancelled their wedding at Merridale because of the pandemic got a refund, and wonders what the difference is for her situation.
“And she made a post about it on social media… and that Merridale asked her to take down all of her social media posts so that no one would know,” Hartt says. “And when I brought that to the GM’s attention, he said that she was blackmailing them on social media… and that they shouldn’t of done it, and they basically regret doing it.”
Merridale has not responded to a phone call and email from NL News asking for comment.