Unethical business practices

Sometimes a vendor or consultant may engage in activities that don't seem fair, especially to the consumer. These are called unethical business practices. Sometimes emergency situations occur and hence the vendor/consultant is unable to deliver. However, many times this failure is due to an intentional act on the part of the business.

The best way to protect yourself is to always check all potential vendors first through The Better Business Bureau. If the vendor has a bad reputation, do not use that vendor. Second, check consumer advocacy sites like AppleBride's BUYER BEWARE page. Also, be sure to print out a copy of the Brides' Bill of Rights and demand that all your vendors adhere by the policies in it. These policies are the minimum "industry standard" of the general retail industry. Why shouldn't wedding consumers be treated with the same respect?

Finally, you may want to consider getting wedding insurance or hiring a consumer lawyer, especially if your wedding budget is over $10,000.

If you feel you've been a victim of unethical business practices, go to the BUYER BEWARE page and tell other brides about your experience.

General Unethical Business Practices

• Failing to provide services listed on the contract
• Charging far too much for goods or services (also called 'price gouging')
• Promising to deliver a particular product or service and delivering something else
• Giving a price for a particular service or product initially and then quoting a much higher price right before contracting. This is known as the "bait and switch" and is a popular scam in the wedding industry.
• Providing an inferior or defective product or service.
• Receiving pre-payment for a product or service and not delivering the product or service.
• Breaking off contact, limiting contact, or ending communications once the fee for the product or service has been paid in whole. Some vendors/consultants leave town entirely with no forwarding information.
• Failing to provide services or products within a timely fashion
• Failing to return correspondence in a timely fashion
• Charging more money than originally contracted for "administrative fees" or other fees. This is called "hidden fees" and is also very common in the bridal industry.
• Using heavy coercion, threats, manipulation, or outright lies to convince the consumer of whatever the vendor/consultant wants the consumer to believe.
• Argues with the couple about the couple's choices or preferences.
• Treats the couple in a rude or unprofessional manner.

Unethical Business Practices Common to Bridal Wear Shops

Bridal attire shops are the #1 place where consumers find they were swindled or otherwise subjected to unethical business practices. Because of this, you should always print out a copy of the Brides' Bill of Rights and take it with you, especially when you're shopping for bridal attire.

Some unethical business practices rife within the bridal wear sector:

• Giving a bride a dirty or used bridal dress instead of a new, ordered dress from the manufacturer as requested.
• Refusing to allow a bride to get her dress altered elsewhere.
• Refusing to allow a bride to take pictures of the dresses inside the store.
• Refusing to refund a bride's deposit if the dress the bride ordered is NOT the same dress the bride received.
• Ordering a dress in a size larger or smaller than the bride's size in order to procure alterations. (This is *very* common.)
• Charging extra hidden fees after the dress has been ordered (often with a non-refundable deposit).
• Demanding the bride buy accessories from the bridal shop.
• Charging over $10 for a garment bag.
• Trying to sell a used dress or dress sample as a new dress.
• Ordering a different (often times less expensive) gown than the one desired by the bride. The attire place will then tell the bride she must keep the gown or lose her deposit and charge the same price as the original, desired gown. This is the "bait and switch" of the attire industry and is becoming more and more common.

Unethical Business Practices Common to Wedding Consultants

Wedding consultants are supposed to be your advocates, not your adversaries. However, many consultants are lured into forgetting their clients' best interests in order to receive kickbacks from vendors.

• Will not use vendors other than those he/she recommends.
• Does not regularily update you of his/her time billed and does not warn you if you are going to go over your time package.
• Quotes you one price from a vendor and then says it is a much higher price after the vendor is contracted. This is a scam that is becoming more and more popular. Some consultants pocket the money for themselves while others split it with the vendor.
• Tries to convince you to get services you do not need repeatedly and/or to get services/products which are much more expensive.
• Does not heed your wedding budget.
• Contact becomes less and less frequent as the wedding approaches. One consultant left her bride completely high and dry- with no vendors at all.
• Follows the desires of someone other than the couple to be wed.

Unethical Practices Common to Ceremony/Reception Sites

• Does not refund money in accordance with cancellation policy.
• "Loses" correspondence, payments, and other essential paperwork.
• Refuses to allow outside vendors after contracting.
• Radically changes the appearance of the venue before the event and does not refund the money.
• Does not refund deposits. This is becoming an increasing and unethical trend in venues.
• Charges undocumented parking fees or cover charges.

Unethical Practices Common to Food Vendors

• Vendor will not answer questions about the food or services.
• Does not give you samples of the food.
• Will not give you a portfolio of food/cakes actually done by the vendor.
• Refuses to provide references.
• Food is not prepared according to the couple's specifications.
• Food arrives late
• Food arrives not at the proper temperature.
• Food is dropped-off even when full catering services were contracted/paid for in advance.
• Much less food is prepared than designated in the contract.
• The menu is changed without the couple's consent.
• "Administrative" or other hidden fees are charged on the spot and the food will not be delivered unless the money is paid. This is becoming an increasingly more common scam for food vendors.
• Food delivered is incorrectly decorated or of inferior quality.
• Servers demand tips.

Unethical Practices Common to Entertainment Vendors

• Music selections are not honored.
• Refuses to give references.
• Refuses to give a sample performance for the couple.
• Refuses to meet with the couple in advance of the date.
• The band that shows up at the reception is not the band who was contracted. This is a typical "bait and switch" of entertainment vendors.
• Performers show up late, intoxicated, or refuse to play desired songs.
• Performers leave early or cut their song sets short.
• Performers and/or vendor demands tips or other form of gratuity after the performance.