Scammed By a Wedding Vendor? How to Get Your Money Back

If you’ve been scammed by a wedding vendor there are several steps you can take to retrieve your money and warn other brides.

If you paid by credit card: file a fraud dispute with your credit card company immediately and provide any written documentation you have to support your claim, says Amy Eisinger, an editor for WeddingChannel.com. Often, the credit card company will investigate the claim and retrieve your money. Do the same if you purchased a wedding insurance policy.

If you paid in cash: Experts say you can try taking your case to your local small claims court if you have a written contract and documentation that terms of the contract weren’t provided.

File a Complaint: “Contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and file a complaint,” says Amy Vargas, a San Diego wedding planner.

“If the BBB fails to resolve the situation, couples should contact their local news station's consumer protection division to investigate,” says Alyssa Lang of Hybrid Photography. “Sometimes all it takes is some very bad press” for a vendor to produce the cash.

Be sure to warn other couples about your bad experience; write reviews, warnings and posts about the questionable vendor across various wedding boards and forums.

“Word-of-mouth is huge among brides, which includes all the forums available to them,” says Helen Driscoll of InviteSite.com.