Sharing my horrible experience and misjudgement on a NSF freelancer offering his wedding videography services in CS video biz. ;(
Problem started 2 months back when I was searching for wedding videography services in both CS and Singaporebrides.com for my wedding this coming weekend. Rhema
dunno: spelt correct?)came highly recommended by my friend and some forumers in singaporebrides.com but due to the late notice and the fact this weekend is a hot date, all videographers were booked up. They said they can try to squeeze in one for me only if i take up their videography service + animation montage package, the hefty price tag forced me to look elsewhere for options.
Being a Cser, i concentrated my search in this forum and was very impressed by the works of a young NSF here and even more by the fact that he won some runner up prize in some mediacorps video competition. So i approached him.
During teleconversation, i was given a quote. About 2 weeks later, during actual meetup, he gave a slightly higher quote and denied giving me such low quote. I got a bad feeling about him and alarm bells were screaming in my mind, I hesitated and did not sign up immediately. Price quoted was not the issue as it was still lower rhema.
GF and I debated over several concerns
1) He is young and lack experience as a wedding videographer
2) Price quoted was only 250 cheaper than the video only package offered by Rhema.
3) One alternative: i could try my luck and plea wif rhema on just taking the video only package.
After a week (6/12/06 last mth) I recieved a SMS from him that he was willing to lower his quote. (the one quoted on the phone). However, I was still uncomfortable abt the idea of getting him but after another several discussion wif my gf, we decided to engage him. This was due to the fact my gf was pretty impressed by his works and also becuz the quote was reasonably within our budget.
A day later, I called up and verbally confirmed the booking with him. He requested for my email addr. SMS him three times and last SMS was asking him to revert if recieved if he recieved my SMS
No ans though, but nevermind as he mentioned he was watching midnite and i dun wish to disturb him.
But after 2 weeks, there was still no email confirmation from him and i got worried.
Last Fri nite 19/01/07 , I make a call to him. To my horror he TOTALLY FORGET and denied I ever made the confirmation although later he confessed "he seemed" to have received an SMS with my email addr and he would follow up on that.
From last fri til yesterday, still no email response from him. Called him yday nite for almost 20 times and no ans
Just few hours ago, received this SMS from him
"Hi, sorry my handphone was not with me for the past 24 hours. I do not think I can cover your wedding this weekend. I have to be in court to attend to something urgent. Regrets."
Frankly speaking, I can understand and accept his reason as such unexpected things are beyond his control. Even though he mentioned it was somebody's (his friend's) court case not his.
But his behaviour and attitude in handling my very special day is utterly unacceptable and irresponsible.
He did not even bother to call up to inform. But chosed to send an SMS to simply settle the issue. The kind of "Hey, i got something crop up, oh regrets period" attitude
What is more disappointing is the fact that he DIDN'T even bother to suggest TRYING to look for a replacement for me on my behalf and expect to accept it and explain to everybody including my gf's family
Ironically, b4 that SMS my gf was very worried that he got into some accident that's why he never ans or reply to my call for a day. In him, I can only sensed an irresponsible freelancer trying to make hit and run assignment in wedding to cover the cost of his hobby.
Angrily, I replied his SMS saying i regreted engaging such an irresponsible person for the most important day in my life.
Here is his reply "Its ok. Happens"
:angry: :angry: :angry:
A note to david L** and rest of the freelancers here :
I hope u unstd the importance of a wedding to a couple. Please do not treat it as just some means to earn a few extra bucks. To u, it's just an assignment, last min cancellation means no extra bucks for u, tat's all. But to most couples, this is only once in a lifetime thing which is not gona happen again. Your roles are very important and the responsibiltiy is heavy, go around ask the professionals here.
I quarrel wif my gf this morn regarding this, just a few days b4 my actual day. I am very upset about it. Hope you would not cause such distress again to future couples
Problem started 2 months back when I was searching for wedding videography services in both CS and Singaporebrides.com for my wedding this coming weekend. Rhema
dunno: spelt correct?)came highly recommended by my friend and some forumers in singaporebrides.com but due to the late notice and the fact this weekend is a hot date, all videographers were booked up. They said they can try to squeeze in one for me only if i take up their videography service + animation montage package, the hefty price tag forced me to look elsewhere for options. Being a Cser, i concentrated my search in this forum and was very impressed by the works of a young NSF here and even more by the fact that he won some runner up prize in some mediacorps video competition. So i approached him.
During teleconversation, i was given a quote. About 2 weeks later, during actual meetup, he gave a slightly higher quote and denied giving me such low quote. I got a bad feeling about him and alarm bells were screaming in my mind, I hesitated and did not sign up immediately. Price quoted was not the issue as it was still lower rhema.
GF and I debated over several concerns
1) He is young and lack experience as a wedding videographer
2) Price quoted was only 250 cheaper than the video only package offered by Rhema.
3) One alternative: i could try my luck and plea wif rhema on just taking the video only package.
After a week (6/12/06 last mth) I recieved a SMS from him that he was willing to lower his quote. (the one quoted on the phone). However, I was still uncomfortable abt the idea of getting him but after another several discussion wif my gf, we decided to engage him. This was due to the fact my gf was pretty impressed by his works and also becuz the quote was reasonably within our budget.
A day later, I called up and verbally confirmed the booking with him. He requested for my email addr. SMS him three times and last SMS was asking him to revert if recieved if he recieved my SMS
No ans though, but nevermind as he mentioned he was watching midnite and i dun wish to disturb him.
But after 2 weeks, there was still no email confirmation from him and i got worried.
Last Fri nite 19/01/07 , I make a call to him. To my horror he TOTALLY FORGET and denied I ever made the confirmation although later he confessed "he seemed" to have received an SMS with my email addr and he would follow up on that.
From last fri til yesterday, still no email response from him. Called him yday nite for almost 20 times and no ans
Just few hours ago, received this SMS from him
"Hi, sorry my handphone was not with me for the past 24 hours. I do not think I can cover your wedding this weekend. I have to be in court to attend to something urgent. Regrets."
Frankly speaking, I can understand and accept his reason as such unexpected things are beyond his control. Even though he mentioned it was somebody's (his friend's) court case not his.
But his behaviour and attitude in handling my very special day is utterly unacceptable and irresponsible.
He did not even bother to call up to inform. But chosed to send an SMS to simply settle the issue. The kind of "Hey, i got something crop up, oh regrets period" attitude
What is more disappointing is the fact that he DIDN'T even bother to suggest TRYING to look for a replacement for me on my behalf and expect to accept it and explain to everybody including my gf's family
Ironically, b4 that SMS my gf was very worried that he got into some accident that's why he never ans or reply to my call for a day. In him, I can only sensed an irresponsible freelancer trying to make hit and run assignment in wedding to cover the cost of his hobby.
Angrily, I replied his SMS saying i regreted engaging such an irresponsible person for the most important day in my life.
Here is his reply "Its ok. Happens"
:angry: :angry: :angry:
A note to david L** and rest of the freelancers here :
I hope u unstd the importance of a wedding to a couple. Please do not treat it as just some means to earn a few extra bucks. To u, it's just an assignment, last min cancellation means no extra bucks for u, tat's all. But to most couples, this is only once in a lifetime thing which is not gona happen again. Your roles are very important and the responsibiltiy is heavy, go around ask the professionals here.
I quarrel wif my gf this morn regarding this, just a few days b4 my actual day. I am very upset about it. Hope you would not cause such distress again to future couples
