Bride Dies In Car Crash, Wedding Photographer Refuses To Issue Refund

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Video from KRDO via CNN) —

Alexis Wyatt and Justin Montney were set to be married this Saturday.


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Tragically, the 22-year-old bride-to-be died in a car accident in February.

Now, as he deals with the loss, Montney has tried to get a refund from the wedding photography company they had booked for the big day.

But the company has refused to issue a refund.

"They said they'd extend my service to my next wedding, which was a very insensitive thing to tell me," he told KRDO-TV.

Wyatt had signed a contract with Copper Stallion Media and gave them $1,800. While the contract stipulates no refunds, Montney said he believes they should reconsider because of the rare circumstances.

 

[fluffyforever]

Well I may be heartless but I wouldn’t pay it back either if I was the photographer. Thats just the risk with booking something that says no refunds. Why is this even news? Happens all the time.

And she’s dead so it’s not like she needs the money anymore. And hopefully her life insurance would overcome the measly amount of the photography services they lost out on.

 

[naturalgyrl5199]

I get the "no refunds." Telling someone they will comp the NEXT wedding tells me the company are a bunch of bums.

But they went and worked....and should be paid for it. As for me...I would consider offering partial refund as a sign of goodwill. On the other side of it...he wasn't wrong for at least TRYING to get it back. All you can do is ask.

 

[awhyley]

And she’s dead so it’s not like she needs the money anymore. And hopefully her life insurance would overcome the measly amount of the photography services they lost out on.

Even airlines refund tickets on death. I understand no refunds on wedding cancellation due to mere breakups or cold feet, (which is why I figure they have that policy in the first place), but death of the bride. Come on man. They're going to lose goodwill because of this.

 

[metro_qt]

I get the "no refunds." Telling someone they will comp the NEXT wedding tells me the company are a bunch of bums.

But they went and worked....and should be paid for it. As for me...I would consider offering partial refund as a sign of goodwill. On the other side of it...he wasn't wrong for at least TRYING to get it back. All you can do is ask.

They went and worked where?
She died in February and the wedding was supposed to be this upcoming weekend (haven't checked the date of the article)

I'm a photographer, and I do some weddings, and usually I take a non refundable DEPOSIT... to hold the date.

No major work was done on the photographer's part here,(maybe pre planning and photo direction), and as goodwill, even the full or partial deposit should have been refunded.

 

[naturalgyrl5199]

They went and worked where?
She died in February and the wedding was supposed to be this upcoming weekend (haven't checked the date of the article)

I'm a photographer, and I do some weddings, and usually I take a non refundable DEPOSIT... to hold the date.

No major work was done on the photographer's part here,(maybe pre planning and photo direction), and as goodwill, even the full or partial deposit should have been refunded.

Ohhhh. I thought that they did some initial shots and then the rest of the service would be the wedding.
Oh nah....they need to refund him. Pronto.

 

[metro_qt]

-Disgusting.
Not only are they not returning the money, but they are trying to SUE him for Defamation.

"COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Justin Montney lost his bride-to-be in a fatal car crash a few months ago near Calhan. Now, to add insult to injury, the videographer that was set to capture their wedding is denying a refund and threatening a lawsuit.

Montney reached out to KRDO for help after Copper Stallion Media threatened to sue him for defamation after he left a review on TheKnot.com explaining the situation."

 

[naturalgyrl5199]

Yep.
Bums.
All he did was report their actions. Period.
If they hadn't been so cold, they wouldn't look so bad. They have his money. Now what? They want blood I guess.
I'd write that on TheKno.t as well.

"Hey looks like in addition to keeping my $1800, they'd like my blood as well. Looks like I' being sued." Meh.

 

[Kanky]

They should've issued a refund out of common decency. They are probably broke. Wedding season is cancelled because of the pandemic.

 

[oneastrocurlie]

I hope they never get another booking.

 

[Jmartjrmd]

This happens a lot. I do a little party planning and people love to post scenarios to get the reaction of NO REFUND everyday on the party board I'm on.
In some cases I get it. You put in time and resources. order inventory, cant accept another client that's money out your pocket.
I had a few jobs cancelled due to covid. I gave all the retainers back. in my case the little bit of money wouldnt have done much for me enen though I'm not financially in a position to do so.
I also had a baby shower where the baby was born way early. Party was paid for in full but I gave back all except the custom work I had done plus the retainer. This was before my current struggles.
Sometimes in business you just gotta do what feels right. If it's to enforce your policy so be it. Big companies screw people over all the time .
I'd give it back though that's just in my heart especially now being a widow. I can relate.

 

[meka72]

Naw this company was worse than this particular article shows. The company made a social media post, on the couple’s scheduled wedding day, and made fun of it not going forward because of the bride’s death. The post ended with “sorry, not sorry.” The company most recently said that because of the publicity, it wished that it had charged them a higher non refundable deposit.

 

[Transformer]

The couple looks like they may have been related. More like sister and brother.

 

[Everything Zen]

^^^ SMDH about their callous reaction.

 

[HappyAtLast]

I know business is business, but goodwill goes a long way. As an example, one dept I worked in at a hospital handled decedent affairs, so families often asked for recommendations for funeral or cremation services. We have one cremation service owner who does babies for free. (Grim, I know, but a necessary service.) As a result, who do you think we always recommend first? His goodwill has saved many grieving parents the financial hardship that would have been added to their pain. And as a result, his business has grown because of his goodwill.

Especially in this age of social media, the photographer should have thought twice about his actions and response.

 

[Black Ambrosia]

I thought most contracts were legally void when one of the parties dies. I guess it's different if it's just his name on the contract but I'm surprised this is even happening.

Legal or not, this photographer is going out of business. I'll give it a week before an apology is issued. Telling a grieving man that he can use them for his next wedding... those are fighting words.

 

[metro_qt]

They should've issued a refund out of common decency. They are probably broke. Wedding season is cancelled because of the pandemic.

Who are you telling?
I've been an event photographer for years, but I had just decided to switch to weddings this year, so I had enrolled in some wedding photography courses in March.
All that money gone to waste, I didn't even get to attend the classes, because there were no weddings or models to shoot because of Covid.

(It's too late to get my money back)

 

[meka72]

A Wedding Videographer Is Facing Criticism For Mocking A Client Who Asked For A Refund After His Fiancé Died

"We will NEVER refund Justin Montney even with the online threats and harassment. If we knew he was going to shake us down, we would have charged a higher deposit."

Stephanie K. BaerBuzzFeed News Reporter
Updated on May 27, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. ETPosted on May 26, 2020, at 9:57 p.m. ET

facebook.com
Justin Montney and Alexis-Athena Wyatt


Justin Montney and Alexis-Athena Wyatt had planned to marry in Colorado Springs in May. But tragedy struck in early February when Wyatt, 22, died in a car crash, forcing Montney to cancel the arrangements.

That's when he contacted Copper Stallion Media, the Dallas, Texas–based wedding videography company the couple had hired to capture their big day, to ask for a refund. But the company refused, saying the $1,800 fee Montney and his fiancé had paid was nonrefundable.

After not hearing from the company about his request for months, Montney, a 24-year-old Kansas resident, told BuzzFeed News he reached out again last week, letting them know he planned to tell his friends about what happened and post about it on social media. But before he could, the Copper Stallion Media threatened to sue Montney and Wyatt's family in response to a review her mom had written on the Knot website.

At that point, he said he decided to reach out to KRDO, a local television station, to talk about what happened. The story published Thursday, along with a Facebook post in which, according to screenshots, Copper Stallion Media mocked the 24-year-old for talking to the news, saying "we hope you sob and cry all day for what would have been your wedding day. Sorry, not sorry." The story sparked widespread outrage online.


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"At first I was just going to tell friends and family, but when he started to threaten Alexis’s family with a lawsuit for basically their daughter dying, that's when I was like, OK, I’m going to start going to the people who ... spread the news," Montney said during a live video interview Tuesday. "The rest of the internet said, 'Oh, that's terrible.'"

The backlash prompted the company to purportedly create a website under the domain name JustinMontney.com"to build our case against" Montney, accusing him of fueling a "smear campaign." The content on the website that was live at the time of publication has since been removed.


Screengrab / Via justinmontney.com

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According to the website, the vendor received more than 75 one-star reviews on Yelp and the Knot "in a matter of hours" after the KRDO story was published. The page also included several videos the company claims are voicemails of people bashing the company for not refunding Montney.

"It is not right that people can go online and trash a company. The contract was non-refundable. We will NEVER refund Justin Montney even with the online threats and harassment," the website stated. "If we knew he was going to shake us down, we would have charged a higher deposit."

Copper Stallion Media did not return BuzzFeed News' requests for comment. According to the website, the company has shut down its page on the Knot. The company's Facebook account also appears to have been taken down.

The website explained that deposits for wedding contracts are nonrefundable because if an event is canceled it's unlikely the company would be able to book another event for that date, causing staff to lose out on income.

"Nonrefundable deposits are the industry standard," the website stated.

However, Montney said other vendors didn't hesitate to give back their money after hearing about Wyatt's death.

"They obviously felt terrible for what had happened," he said.

After seeing the website, Montney said he was a little concerned about his safety, noting that it appeared the company had Photoshopped a picture of him from his college's website. The site also linked to Montney's personal Facebook page, as well as other pages for people who the company claims to be a part of the alleged campaign.


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"[The company's owner] is trying to stir up a ruckus and defame my name, but obviously he doesn’t have any ground to stand on," Montney said, adding that he felt like it was clear who is actually defaming someone. "He kind of made his own smear campaign."


UPDATE
May 27, 2020, 2:29:24 PM GMT
This post has been updated to reflect that content has been removed from JustinMontney.com.

Stephanie Baer is a reporter with BuzzFeed News and is based in Los Angeles.

Contact Stephanie K. Baer at [email protected].

Got a confidential tip? Submit it here

Naw this company was worse than this particular article shows. The company made a social media post, on the couple’s scheduled wedding day, and made fun of it not going forward because of the bride’s death. The post ended with “sorry, not worry.” The company most recently said that because of the publicity, it wished that it had charged them a higher non refundable deposit.

 

[Black Ambrosia]

Wow. I feel like there's a Karen behind this but the energy feels masculine.

 

[OhTall1]

I get the "no refunds." Telling someone they will comp the NEXT wedding tells me the company are a bunch of bums.

Yeah, that's the part that goes too far. They would've been better off just ignoring the request.

 

[Crackers Phinn]

That is not a good look for the company at any angle. Then they just go double down on the bleepery by saying they ain't NEVAH EVAH giving him his money back.

 

[Kanky]

All kinds of craziness comes up when you google them. They must be planning on going out of business or changing their name, because no one in their right mind would hire them to so much take a picture of their dog after this.

 

[awhyley]

"We will NEVER refund Justin Montney even with the online threats and harassment. If we knew he was going to shake us down, we would have charged a higher deposit."

Shakedown, wow

His bride to be DIED! Boy, their customer service skills are the pits.

I thought most contracts were legally void when one of the parties dies. I guess it's different if it's just his name on the contract but I'm surprised this is even happening.

But he can't marry himself, so I agree that the contract should be voided and the money returned.

 

[simone103]

Wow. I feel like there's a Karen behind this but the energy feels masculine.

It is a white man that's behind it.

 

[Cheekychica]

This company is disgusting- the more I read in this thread the worse it got. Woooow.

 

[Jmartjrmd]

They should of just left it at , "We send our deepest condolences on the loss of your fiance. Per our contract we are unable to refund your deposit." If he still wanted to leave a bad review that's just a part of business.
This similar scenario happened with a black party planner and her customer who was murdered. The mother of the victim wanted the money back but the business owner initially refused. Social media pressure made her cave.
There was another lady..shes Asian, that wouldnt return a money when that bad hurricane in Texas. She had a force majeure clause in her contract.
But this guy goes beyond cruel. I cant believe, well I guess I can, someone would be so heartless. And then go through the trouble.of the rest. He is unstable.

 

[Jmartjrmd]

Apparently the owner has scammed a lot and "owns" dozens of businesses. His business us opening businesses and scamming.

 

[Brwnbeauti]

Vendor didn’t have to go so hard.

I didn’t book any “auxiliary” services for my wedding that required upfront complete payment or had a no refund policy. Stuff happens.

 

[chocolat79]

^^^ SMDH about their callous reaction.

They won't be in business much longer.
That man lost his fiancee. They could've given him at least a partial refund. I'm sure death doesn't happen that frequently.

 

[metro_qt]

They won't be in business much longer.
That man lost his fiancee. They could've given him at least a partial refund. I'm sure death doesn't happen that frequently.

If you watch the video posted above, he's been in business for *10 years* and was even arrested for his video scams in 2013.
He keeps shutting down his old businesses and making new ones under aliases, so yes, he'll be in business again... with a new name.
(this current business was one of his new aliases)