OUR WEDDING CARD BOX WAS STOLEN!! Don't know what to do now.

[miss h]

My husband and I got married on Saturday June 30th this year. We had our reception on South Parade Pier in Portsmouth. I had written a few messages on here about how awful they were on the lead up to the wedding (to the point where I was wondering if they would actually be open for us on the day) but the day itself went really well and we were starting to think about leaving our complaint.

My stepmum sorted with the pier before the day that she would come in on the Monday after to clear up and collect our equipment. They agreed that they would lock the post box for our cards in the office with the safe as no one will be in on the sunday to let them into clear. On the night, my husband and I were the last guests to leave and we spoke to the manager yet again to confirm that it was ok to lock the post box in the office.

We went on our honeymoon on the Sunday and when we returned we found that the box, all the cards and money people gave us was gone.... stolen. We involved the police and the manager of the pier claims that no such conversation about the box took place (it did on several occasions) and that he didn't know what happened to it. It may have been thrown away (even though non of the staff had cleared anything when my stepmum went in on the monday).

Today we got a call from the police saying that they were having to drop the case as they had no leads. There is dodgy cctv showing a man with a trolley full of boxes coming out of the room on the sunday but the cctv is so bad they can't identify him or the box. Market traders interviewed remember seeing this guy but the pier staff are refusing to name him (probably one of the cash-in-hand workers they have been employing).

I really don't know what to do now. I am concerned about going to the pier directly as I have heard a case (from a reliable person) of someone who had charity money go missing from the pier under similar circumstances and he was rewarded for complaining to them by being locked in the managers office and beaten the crap out of. Now I can't afford to have tyres slashed or bricks through my window. Not with my little girl about.

It's not so much about the missing money... all our cards are gone. many people have been great and sent new cards but still....

I just don't know what to do now.

 

[aly888]

Oh my god how awful!! That place sounds horrendous and the manager sounds like a nasty piece of work
If it happened to me and I was how I was in my younger years id be half tempted to burn the pier down. But the fact is you are most likely never going to see that postbox again. That said, the pier should have public liability insurance for you to claim off seeing as it happened on their property (unless the manager gave you something in writing before the wedding to say he accepts no responsibility), or if not that then does your insurance not cover it?

The only other thing i can suggest is that you leave reviews for this place on all the review sites and any wedding sites etc to prevent the same happening to someone else

 

[Lauren25]

Oh my gosh I can't believe this! It sounds so so horrible
I don't know what there is to do but I'd go to the paper about it, let everyone know what's happened and give them a lot of bad publicity!

 

[Natasha2605]

That's horrendous. So sorry that happened to you. They sound so dodgy!

 

[michyk84]

I agree about going to local paper at very least don't just say about this but every mess they did

 

[aly888]

Whether they were behind the theft or not, at the very least they were responsible. They should have kept to their end of the agreement and locked it away. Or told you that the room wouldn't be secure. But they didn't. And then told you it was thrown away. It's disgusting. Definitely report it

 

[miss h]

how do I go about trying to claim on their insurance? Does anyone know? With everything we have been told we are trying to do everything by the book.

BTW - they are advertising weddings on their facebook page using pictures of our decorations to sell it.

 

[aly888]

Ooh what's their Facebook page? Unfortunately you can't stop them using pictures of the venue unless they were taken during your celebrations
As for claiming through their insurance, I guess you have to go through them, as they will have to make the claim. Or, if they are unwilling, their public liability insurance certificate has to be on show somewhere so have a look for that and then call the underwriters yourself (although it does mean going back to the venue). I'd try the manager first though coz you don't wanna upset him by going behind his back. Maybe don't bring it up until you've located the certificate though xx

 

[cupcakekate]

I'm so sorry this happened to you! Absolutely disgusting xxx

 

[hopeandpray]

That's awful I would ask about claiming on their insurance. This clearly is their mistake and they should be doing more to fix it.

 

[CountryBumkin]

Omg this is awful,any update hun?x

 

[Erinsmummy]

Oh thats awful! Made me feel really sad reading that, what a shame. I dont really know what to suggest, but if i were you i would just make sure i left lots of reviews, and warn people about this place. Hopefully then it wont happen to anyone else

 

[smileyfaces]

Absolutely disgusting. Hope you are okay What sort of low life would do that

What is their facebook page?xxx

 

[baby D]

Am so sorry ---- we were looking into this venue! Maybe not now!

 

[MummyToAmberx]

that is totally disgusting x