More than 100 couples were left in the lurch after a wedding decoration company reportedly closed unexpectedly, resulting in losses exceeding HK$1 million.
Established in 2012, the company, "PS Wedding & Event Decoration", allegedly vanished abruptly on Monday (May 26) with its San Po Kong office having been cleared out and the signboard removed, along with the company's website and social media accounts.
Affected couples, including one pair scheduled to marry next Saturday, have formed a group to pursue their losses and report the case to Customs and the Consumer Council.
One of the victims, Kwok, revealed that she had paid over HK$8,200 for a wedding decoration package for her scheduled wedding in December. The 27-year-old bride recounted discovering that the company's social media profiles and website were deactivated, with all displaying "page not found."
Suspecting the closure of the company, Kwok visited the San Po Kong office yesterday (May 27), only to find it empty, with nothing but a pile of debris at the entrance.
Upcoming wedding fears
Another victim, Karen, who plans to hold her wedding at a hotel at the end of the year, mentioned paying a deposit of HK$18,000 for a wedding planning package worth HK$37,000 in February.
Karen only learned of the company's sudden closure through several group chats, and despite her attempts to contact the company, she received no response.
Although there is still half a year until the wedding, Karen felt helpless in finding another wedding decoration company, especially since this year marks a popular wedding season—"Double Spring and Leap Month," symbolizing long-term blessings for couples.
31 complaints received: consumer watchdog
The Consumer Council said it has received 31 complaints on the incident as of 5pm, involving a total of HK$330,000, while one of the cases involved HK$40,000.
ICustoms confirmed receiving reports and is investigating the situation, noting enforcement actions will be taken if violations of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO) are discovered.
Under the TDO, traders who accept payments without providing the intended service or deliver products significantly different from what was promised can face fines of up to HK$500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
Meanwhile, the Consumer Council noted they would not comment on individual cases, but emphasized that established procedures are in place to handle customer complaints.
(Phoebe Poon)
(Updated at 7.12pm)
