Consumer Council urges wedding industry to set timeframe for free cancellations on venue booking

The Consumer Council has received a number of complaints regarding wedding venues and services, calling for the industry to set a reasonable timeframe for free cancellations after site visits. 

The complaints included unexpected makeover to the venue's style after booking, unclear wording in contracts, and the imposition of non-refundable deposits without offering site visits.

In one case, a complainant was requested to pay 50 percent of the overall service charge -- amounting to HK$55,000 -- within two weeks at a wedding fair to guarantee the venue's availability.

The bride-to-be asked to see the venue before the payment, but the staff claimed it was only possible at the open house event set to be held a month later. 

The complainant decided to pay the deposit as she thought an ideal venue was challenging to come by. However, she found discrepancies between the venue and the staff member's descriptions at the wedding fair. She asked for cancellation of the booking and a refund of half the deposit paid, which the staff turned down and saying that the contract explicitly stated that the deposit was non-refundable.

The complainant eventually resorted to holding the wedding banquet at the original venue.

Another case involved a complainant who requested to cancel his booking and sought a refund of the deposit due to the unexpected makeover of the banquet venue that did not match his taste, in which the staff confirmed no renovation projects had been scheduled before the complainant's big day.

The watchdog recommended the industry proactively improve consumer communication and step up customer service training.

It emphasized the importance of providing specific and accurate information in a timely manner, such as informing consumers about any potential changes to the venue.

Efforts should be arranged for customers to visit the site, and clauses related to these visits should be included in contracts, allowing customers to cancel without penalty within a reasonable time after the visit.

The Council stated that such measures would help boost consumer confidence and significantly benefit the business' reputation.