Exotic wedding pics come at far steeper prices

Overseas wedding photo packages could cost HK$100,000 more for similar services provided by different service providers, the Consumer Council has found in a survey after receiving 13 complaints last year.

It reviewed 51 overseas wedding photo packages from 10 service providers in January, offering locations such as Okinawa, Bali and Prague.

It found that around 10 percent of packages cost over HK$100,000. In the case of Bali packages, the costly HK$133,000 EGL package was three times more than the cheapest package at HK$31,600.

The 13 complaints involved issues regarding charges, last-minute changes and service quality.

"We found that many consumers paid the deposits or even full costs when they were persuaded and offered discounts by the service providers, but without making sufficient comparisons beforehand," said Gilly Wong Fung-han, the council's chief executive.

It also discovered charges on some packages for weddings that were held on special occasions, such as weekends, high seasons and public holidays.

"Consumers should not trust the verbal promises by the service providers, but request clear details written in the contract," Wong said.

She added that many couples were not aware of cancellation policies for traveling abroad for a wedding amidst the pandemic, with the council discovering that only one service provider offered partial refunds in case of emergencies.

Eight out of 10 providers would not provide refunds but allowed consumers to postpone their wedding dates.