4 ways to avoid being scammed by your wedding vendor

Planning your wedding is a minefield that involves sorting out your guest list, choosing your venue, dealing with interfering advice-givers and, of course trying not to have a mini meltdown during the entire process.

Between all the excitement and getting things organised, it’s easy to forget that there’s an important need to be vigilant when it comes to securing all your vendors.

There are a lot of horror stories where couples have been bamboozled into settling for a service provider, only to end up being taken for a ride.

From ordering wedding dresses online and not getting the product that was advertised, to no-show photographers with fake credentials, the threat of being scammed is extremely real and more rife than ever.

While there’s no easy way to get rid of all the fraudsters who capitalise on the vulnerability of couples planning to get married, there are ways that will help you to be on guard.

Check if the vendor has a portfolio

This is the most important thing you should do at the start of your journey. Whether it’s a photographer, flower vendor or cake seller, chances are that if they are professionals they’ll have a comprehensive portfolio.

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Some good ways of establishing whether a portfolio is trustworthy?

- Check if there are descriptions on a specific set of photos. Descriptions are good indicators and proof that the vendors were at the wedding that they’re showcasing.

-According to Offbeatbride, you should also take a look at the “uniformity” of the images. Usually weddings follow a specific theme and it will generally reflect in the photos. If you see a hodgepodge series of photos that look nothing alike, you might want to reconsider.

Ask your friends

Arguably one of the easiest ways to decrease your chances of being scammed, is by asking your married friends for recommendations of the service providers they made use of and were happy with.

Not only are you more guaranteed of finding a service provider who is real, but it’s also very likely that the vendor will up their game when they hear that they’ve come highly recommended.

Read the customer reviews

Pay attention to what other people are saying. Are reviewers complaining about a service provider’s suspicious silence or lack of availability?

There are a lot of clues that can help you decide whether or not to invest your time and money in a vendor’s service. Most importantly, it can help you weed out the good from the bad.

Ordering online?

-Only buy from reputable vendors. Make enquiries. Find out about their business, how long they’ve been in operation, where they source their material etc. If they can’t answer basic questions think twice before you order.

- Be careful of the images you see on the site. What you see is not always what you get. Does it come in more than one size? How many are in stock? Are there more pictures of the dress from a different angle? Or is there an e-mail address you can contact them to request for more images?

Remember a lack of response can often be more telling than anything else.

Most importantly - don’t be fooled by the price. In fact, the cheaper the dress, the more suspicious you should be.

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