Case issues alert on wedding services company For You Wedding Services

SINGAPORE - The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) issued an alert on Tuesday (July 31), stating that it received six complaints about the closure of For You Wedding Services between July 22 and July 30.

Consumers have complained that the company had abruptly cancelled their wedding package contracts and became uncontactable. These consumers said they had paid monthly instalments amounting to about $108,000 in total.

Various netizens have come forward to complain about the company on social media. In November last year, Wordpress user Erli Elfira wrote a blog post complaining about difficulties in dealing with For You.

She wrote that she and her husband filed a police report and sought help from Case and was hoping to find other complainants.

She wrote a lengthy blog post dated Feb 1, 2018, detailing her bad experience with For You. She had engaged the company after her sister-in-law, who caters wedding cakes to the firm, recommended it.

However, the firm did not meet her expectations. Ms Erli posted screenshots of Whatsapp conversations with For You, where staff seemed slow to reply to the couple's requests for updates and meetings for discussions.

The couple were planning to have their wedding in August last year at the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club. For You promised to book the venue with better rates but Ms Erli found out about two months before the wedding that the venue had not been booked.

She subsequently terminated For You's services and asked for a refund, but requests to do so were ignored. The couple eventually managed to recover some $1,500 but lost over $2,000.

Facebook user Firdaus Jan wrote on July 23 that he had paid about $14,000 for his wedding, which was to take place in less than a month, before the company closed down and became uncontactable.

Addressing the post to Idham Salehuddien, who runs For You Wedding Services, he wrote: "I have worked so hard to save up for my wedding. It took me years to save up, but you happily took my $14k and run. You have given me and my family a hard time, because of your heartless actions."

On Mr Idham's personal Facebook page, where he is listed as the owner of the wedding service firm, there are comments beneath posts about wedding services calling him names.

Affected consumers with unresolved disputes against the company can contact Case for assistance at their website www.case.org.sg, or on their hotline 6100-0315.

Case encouraged consumers to purchase wedding insurance that covers business insolvency to ensure that their prepayments are protected in the event that a wedding agency closes down abruptly.

Consumers should also do their own research on a company's reputation before engaging them, seek to minimise their deposit payment as much as possible, and never make full payment upfront to the company, Case advised in a Facebook post.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.