Beware the "Bait and
Switch"!
It's going to sound
dramatic, overblown, but it makes me sooo mad! I hear it from brides all the
time (after the fact, of course). The Wedding Vendor (DJ/Photography) promised
to put their best man on your Wedding (you may have hired that company because
you saw this DJ perform at a friend's wedding) -they handed you his Testimonials
and even set up a phone conversation. You might have even made plans to create
some very special moments.
Then the call comes, "Due
to an unfortunate circumstance "Jim" will not be able to play your wedding next
week, but Peter has agreed to take over, and he's wonderful!"
Or worse, the new guy just
"Shows Up" at the wedding and apologizes for YOUR DJ, who "couldn't make it!
I've never done this to a
bride, but I've been in the industry for 20 years and have seen it almost
monthly. In the Wedding (and Car Sales) Industry it's called the Bait and
Switch, and it occurs often enough to make my stomach turn!
Quite simply, the man you
thought would be your DJ or Photographer won't be playing your wedding. Why?
Maybe the owner of the company can get more money hiring him into some other
wedding; maybe they simply wanted to sign you, and never had any intention of
having Jim play your wedding. They might have booked Jim for 6 weddings on your
day, and sent him to the one that paid the most!
Read your contract - you
hired the company, NOT a specific DJ. Even if a DJ is named, there's a "Switch"
clause buried in the contract, allowing the vendor to send Peter yet not break
the agreement.
Now you're locked in, and
there's nothing you can do. You have to have a wedding. You have to pay the
contract price, and you have to use the DJ they send (usually some kid they
scrambled to hire last minute!).
To say this is common in
the Wedding Industry is an understatement. It's the reason that most Vendors
cannot guarantee you a specific performer. Unless the Owner agrees to play your
wedding himself, you won't truly know who's playing your wedding until he shows
up at the reception!
How do you avoid this? Try
to specify in the contract that it's Jim or Nothing, and the DJ (or Photography)
company MUST notify you at least a month in advance.
Also, Read the Company's
Testimonials. This is a Trust issue, and the most reliable way to check out a
company (other than the Better Business Bureau) is to talk to its clients. If
they hesitate to hand you Testimonials that you can check, Walk Away! They're
hiding something!
Please understand that
there are reliable, trustworthy businesses within our industry; you just have to
dig deep! And please don't be taken by the Oldest Con in the business world!
Know your vendors! The Bait and Switch is the MOST COMMON Tactic used by
Unscrupulous Vendors (and, unfortunately, there's a lot out there). Don't get
burned!
Again, It's YOUR Wedding -
YOU Choose who will share it with you! These are your Memories!
www.starrynitedjs.com - Full Reception only $900!
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