Hong Kong authorities launch probe after wedding planner's vanishing act leaves trail of over 200 victims
A Hong Kong wedding planner's sudden disappearance has taken more than 200 customers by surprise, prompting authorities to launch an investigation.
The company, PS Wedding & Event Decoration, allegedly removed its website and social media accounts, closed its office, and has not been contactable since Monday, according to a group set up by bewildered customers in a bid to share information about the firm.
As of 5pm Wednesday, the group had about 225 people – both brides and grooms – who presented invoices issued by the wedding planner, with losses totalling over HK$1 million, Kwok, who organised the group, told HKFP.
The 27-year-old, who asked to be identified only by her surname, purchased a HK$18,588 plan with the company for her upcoming wedding in December and paid a deposit of HK$8,200. However, she discovered on Monday that PS Wedding had removed its Facebook and Instagram accounts.
She said she called and texted the company via WhatsApp, but to no avail. When she visited the company's San Po Kong office at around 11am on Tuesday, she saw that the office and signboard had been cleared, and the landlord told her the company had moved out.
Kwok said she reached out to other brides on social media and found others who also could not contact PS Wedding. They formed a group to share information and filed a police report.
She also said that a customer in her group received an email from PS Wedding as recently as Wednesday last week. The email – seen by HKFP – asked the customer to settle an outstanding payment of HK$13,594 by Friday last week.
HKFP's calls to PS Wedding, including via WhatsApp, on Wednesday failed to get through.
The Consumer Council told HKFP on Wednesday that, as of 5pm, it had received 31 complaints against PS Wedding, involving a total amount of more than HK$337,000. The highest single loss was HK$40,600, the council added.
In an email reply on Wednesday, Customs confirmed it had received reports regarding the wedding company and launched an investigation.
It also warned that a company could face a HK$500,000 fine and a jail sentence of up to five years if found to have violated the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.
Under the ordinance, a service provider who accepts payments without providing the intended service within a reasonable period, or delivers a service significantly different from what was intended, commits an offence.
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