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I found my cake baker on weddingwire.com and he had all good reviews - and now I know why.
I was very excited about working with Renee of Fatty Patty's. My mother and I went for a tasting and she had forgotten we were coming. It wasn't too big a deal since she always keeps some tasting cakes and icings around. They tasted amazing. I had looked at her website and knew she could create just about anything and her price was reasonable. I had brought pictures of a bunch of cakes we liked different aspects of (shape of this one, detailing of that one etc). Not too long after, we booked her. I didn't live local, so I left it to my mother and wedding coordinator to iron out the details. Overall, Renee can bake beautiful tasty cakes, but she does not do well at running a business. Dealing with her became a stressful ordeal. The end result being that there had been 1 picture I had given her just to show the ribbon edge and flowers on it, and she made THAT cake exactly. Ignoring that we had talked about a different shaped cake, and that we REALLY didn't like some of the detailing that was on that cake etc. But here it was - that EXACT cake, wrong shape, wrong detailing and all. But it tasted good and my wedding was fun so I just didn't care. If I had to do it over again, I would have saved everyone some communication stress and not gone with her.
That is the exact review I posted on Weddingwire.com since that's where I found her. She disputed it, got it removed, and sent a NASTY email that has my mother in tears. I found out later that she was nasty to my wedding planner on a few occasions going as far as to say "Maybe you should just go to Publix!" If I had known that, I would have.
If you have a picture of the EXACT cake you want - she can probably do it and it'll taste good. Dealing with her, however, left a terrible taste. And now that WeddingWire.com has pulled the review and seems to have no problem with her mean emails to my mother and wedding planner I have to say I am non-to-impressed with them!
Update!
It continues to get worse. She has futhered the nasty emails to my wedding planner and is now harrassing my photographer! I happen to have become good friends with my photographer so when she called upset, it made me livid.
For all Florida Panahandle / Panama City brides - AVOID Renee of Fatty Patty's!!!
For all brides looking for vendors - do NOT trust the reviews on WeddingWire.com!!
That is wrong that they let a vendor complain about a bad review and then remove it. Also make sure you write a review on other sites like Project Wedding and I think Martha has something but it might be connected to WeddingWire.
Sorry you had such a bad experience.
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I am having the same problem right now! I posted a less than glowing review about my band, and he is disputing it so it has been temporarily removed and I am getting NO replies from them after I followed up. What is the point of a review service if a vendor has all the bad reviews taken down? If WeddingWire does not address this, I will take down all of my other reviews - which I spent a lot of time writing - as their service seems to be a bit of a farce.
Contact the BBB, they have no right to harrass your other vender and your mom.....just wrong.
I know a lot of us trust online reviews and local boards. I remember reading a post where someone was offering a discount for a positive review. Although I support the vendors having the ability to dispute or answer to negative remarks, it does change a bride's ability to truly evaluate her experience.
I'm sorry you're dealing with this. From what you've written, it sounds like honest feedback and maybe she could consider hiring someone to help her run the business. You did like her cake, after all! I can't imagine any professional reacting to that in such hurtful way to make your mom cry. Goodness.
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I am sorry that you went and continue to go through this. I had a similar situation in that I ordered some take out boxes for my candy station from an online company. Well the company happened to be a fraud and my product nor my money was ever returned to me by them. So in thinking that I would help other brides-to-be from making the same mistake (since 100s of people made this mistake with this company), I posted a note on the Knot.com blog. One of the posts was deleted while the other just ended up being a bunch of posters making fun of me for my issue and ended up turning the conversation into a sexual one. I was so emotional that I just ended up tearing up and I was at work (of all places)... I have to say that I noticed that their blog is not as friendly as this one. Many people get bullied on that site as I was one of them. Since then, I have no longer posted there. The Wedding Bee is the best of the best, IMHO!!
Anyway, you sound like you handled everything professionally. Just keep spreading the word. Word of mouth is a very powerful thing.
we have something called yelp here... and i always cross reference reviews from here with everywhere else i see reviews... ^_^ but thanks for the tip!
I think this is a great reminder to, when in doubt, ask to speak with other brides who have used the vendor's services. Any vendor - especially a photographer, dj, band, hair stylist, etc - should have brides that you can connect with to find out how it really went working with that vendor. If the vendors hesitates on this point, it might be a sign that their reputation isn't quite as glowing as the review sites make it seem.
So sorry you're having such problems! I agree - go to the BBB and let the take it from there.
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Wow Roddybride! I thought dealing with her was a pain, but at least it wasn't a scam. I feel for ya hun.
I just went back to weddingwire with the updated information and also realized that she's been harassing me directly on there in a forum. Oy - this is ridiculous.
That's terrible! I think you should DEFINETLY contact BBB. I'll make sure not to post my reviews on Wedding Wire. Horrible.
Thanks mdarrah! It was an honest mistake and I did research too, just not enough apparently. The past is the past. I will never make that mistake again.
Yikes for you though. I hope it all works out for you!
I second Yelp, I use it mostly for restaurant reviews but you can use it for just about anything
I wouldn't necessarily trust Yelp. They also remove negative reviews if the establishment happens to be one of their supporters. I've seen it happen: a negative review is there one day, gone the next. Here's an interesting article from a Boston weekly: http://www.weeklydig.com/%5Bcatpath%5D/200903/they-yelp-me-they-yelp-me-not
Wow, I read the thread you posted to and I'm convinced not to use WeddingWire. As said above, ask for references from past clients! If the only client they can give you the number for was married in 2007, they haven't satisfied anyone since! Don't go with them.
I would just ignore her post and move on. Obviously all the other vendors jumped on there just to say they aren't crooks...which tells me they must be crooks. If they refuse to honor your review, I would UNREGISTER!
I love yelp too, but be advised that yelp has been known to take off bad reviews for business owners who are paid members. My friend wrote a bad review of a restaurant in Monterey and it was gone in 3 days. Vendors and businesses should just leave all reviews if they really think the customer's experience was a fluke then the good reviews will overshadow the bad.
Thank you MightySaphire. I sent one last email to weddingwire and if they refuse to post the review or take some sort of action, I am going to unregister. Its absolutely ridiculous.
As far as asking for past clients to speak to, I thought that reading the reviews would be a better way of doing that because if I asked HER for names to contact, I think she would only give the names of brides that were happy. In my thought process, the reviews would be a better way of doing this... a la Trip advisor type of thing. But since that requires that good AND bad reviews get posted - i was wrong!
I posted an idea that for a low-key fair was for brides to private message contact brides who worked with vendors here on weddingbee.
http://ideas.weddingbee.com/topic/vendor-list-for-pm-reviews
What do yall think?
Well, I have officially unregistered from weddingwire. You know what their helpful advice was when I explained the unprofessional drama that had insued? They told me I should have been annonymous in my review. Very helpful - thanks.
I very sorry that your experience with your baker was so unpleasant. I just wanted to let you know that I am a wedding coordinator. I actually have a listing on weddingwire. I'm only posting to say all the vendors on weddingwire aren't horrible. I am a very professional, knowledgable and ethical vendor, as many are. It is a shame that all of us that work very hard to make our brides and grooms' day flawless are lumped in critiscism with those vendors that don't. Again, really sorry and I hope you are successful with the outcome. I thought the following things may help someone out.
A couple of things to remember
1. Professionals have no problem putting it in writing. If something seems to good to be true it probably is. Make the vendor put it in writing so that you have a legal leg to stand on ...if it goes that far.
2. Don't be afraid to ask for phone numbers of previous clients so that you can contact them on your own. Most of my clients give permission at the time we sign a contract. They sign a waiver and I am allowed to give email and or phone number. This allows potential clients to talk to previous clients without any interference from me.
3.Don't be afraid to say no. It is your day...saying no to someone that you are paying is more than absolutely acceptable. Remember who the boss is.
4. Give yourself an oppurtunity to get a demonstration, ie. the bakers I work with make the bride and groom a small replica of their cake (at least 1 layer with buttercream/fondant/sugar flowers/textural elements/color or whatever) so that the client knows the vendor can fulfill their obligation. I only work with vendors who will go the extra mile to make the bride and groom comfortable with their chose of vendor. If they won't go the extra mile for you then they didn't do it with the clients before you. And that is a promise.
5.If all else fails - Report, Report, Report. BBB, Chamber of Commerce,any organizations the vendor is affiliated with- examples like ABC- association of bridal consultants,NACE- national association of catering executives. Tattle ...if it effects their business then you are getting results. Results that will make it easier for the next bride and groom. Remember you are their bread and butter.
Again, sorry that you were so inconvenienced and harrassed by someone who was supposed to be a professional. Hope this helps everyone. Thanks for reporting the bad apples. Hope it will make it better for the remaining ones of us who try so hard.
Good luck ladies.
I am waiting too, and will remove all my reviews from WW if they don't take action on my disputed review soon. I provided them the proof they asked for a week ago, but somehow my review is still in dispute - and the person who asked for the information is completely unresponsive. I don't want to support a place that isn't balanced, doesn't respond when I am creating content for them (ie writing reviews) - although it would be a shame to take the other positive reviews off.
Janna - I share your feeling. The cake baker was the only negative review I had, but they've all been pulled because the only way I could get away from the horrid cake baker was to have them delete my entire account. I kept thinking they would read the emails I had forwarded and my pointing out the EXTREME unprofessionalism that they would at least responed with some sort of help. Turns out, notsomuch. They never said a thing other than "your disputed review is under consideration."
And PoshPlanning - I am not saying in any way shape or form that all teh vendors on WW are bad. I think WW has a terrible review system, and that this particular cake baker has been terrible and everyone should avoid them.
Well - after a few more failed email attempts to have weddingwire do SOMETHING or even acknowledge that she is being unprofessional to the extreme, I gave up. I have deleted my entire weddingwire account, which is sad since I had posted rave reviews for some of my other vendors and now those are gone too.
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Same here- their customer service is completely unresponsive and my vendor review continues to be disputed. I also made one last effort and will review my reviews soon.
Mdarrah -I agree with your characterization of Weddingwire - they are unprofessional, which means someone somewhere will find a way to successfully handle reviews, if its not them. We in their community are providing them free content, and getting treated poorly, so I don't want to support their business any longer. Maybe Weddingbee will create the best vendor review community!!!
I absolutely do not trust Wedding Wire! A florist I am considering has some very bad reviews on yelp.com--the only two good reviews this company had was from 2 people who were obviously friends of the florist...as they only reviewed this one company in over a year. All of the rest of the reviews were bad. I go to weddingwire.com and low and behold, all this florist has is 5 stars! I'm staying away!
FI contacted Renee of Fatty Patty's and presented some basic questions about product and services. He had no idea about the weddingwire review problem.
She responded to our email inquiry and even then, I felt like she was giving us attitude. We scheduled tastings with three other bakers instead.
I only like weddingwire as a basic directory of contacts. I then go research people on yelp or other searches via Google.
I'm the same way...I use WW to see who's out there, and then I look them up in several other places. My venue has 5 stars everywhere, so I know they're awesome!
I swear there is someone else on the forum that jsut had a problem after they posted a review on wedding wire. They also got a nasty phone call from the vendor they left it about.
Anyone know if projectwedding reviews are safe to go by?
There are times when vendors dispute stuff on WeddingWire, but I've also seen bad reviews left up. I think it depends on how adamant the vendor is about it - this vendor sounds like she was a really big pain, and WW probably didn't want to deal with it.
That being said, I've found a few of my vendors through WeddingWire, and I'm super happy with my experience so far. I don't think we need to discredit the entire site based on the fact that they may remove very negative reviews... it is slightly unfair, but it's still a good resource.
Wow. I can't believe she keeps contacting your family and other vendors. She should just drop it and give up and accept the fact that she is unprofessional. Also posting it here was a great idea! Think about how many brides check out weddingbee...she will loose business because of your post. So just because she managed to silence your weddingwire review does not mean she can silence your voice entirely.
Oh this makes me very sad to hear - I know that review sites can't be completely unbiased, there's always someone who has to make money, but I always hope that people are putting the truth out there. I rely fairly heavily on reviews and made a few vendor choices with WeddingWire reviews in mind, but luckily they have all been very professional and came well reviewed elsewhere as well. I understand that WeddingWire has to moderate reviews, but if you have provided proof, they should allow negative reviews to stand!
Ah, I didn't know vendors can dispute reviews and reviews can be removed. It's good to know. I have been thinking about writing a negative review about a vendor but I guess I won't do that on WeddingWire. Another thing about reviews is that I noticed at least once that the reviews (on weddingwire, at least, but I guess it can happen anywhere else, too) can be fake. The review seemed to be written by the vendors themselves, or they had someone else write them. I have learned to take the reviews with a grain of salt and try to get opinions elsewhere, such as brides.
HERE IS MY STORY FROM ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW...
I AM A WEDDING PLANNER WHO KNOWS WAY TO MUCH ABOUT COMPUTERS... I USED TO WORK FOR ANOTHER WEDDING PLANNER.. I POSTED MY BUSINESS ON WEDDING WIRE... AND I GOT A REVIEW... I HAD NOT EVEN HAD MY FIRST WEDDING... THIS WAS ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO... IT WAS MY EX BOSS TRYING TO DO ME HARM... WEDDING WIRE TOOK IT DOWN AND I WAS GLAD BECAUSE I HADNT EVEN HAD TIME TO SCREW UP...
IM HAPPY NOW BECAUSE I HAVE A 5.0 AND ITS ALL REAL INFO!! I HAVE HAD BRIDES AND GROOMS POST REVIEWS EVERYWHERE...
From what I have seen, projectwedding.com has the most honest reviews and they don't remove bad reviews. I agree that I wouldn't trust a business or corporation that condones harassment on the vendor's part. Definitely report them to the BBB.
I am also a wedding wire vendor and i always ask my clients to put a review on yelp too as I cant remove it. I agree with most posts that you should also do your own research.
Oh my goodness! That's exactly who I'm getting my cake from! I've had a few girls get their cakes from there & while one of the girls cakes was wrong, she's had many successful cakes as well. But, I can completely understand her doing everything you said she did! That's just horrible!! I did give her a picture that she's going to duplicate, so hopefully that'll be good. And, we're alse kind of "making" our own design on our cake...so I pray that turns out right!! I'm so sorry this happened!
That is so disheartening to hear! I have always put a lot of trust into WeddingWire. I hope they don't make it a habit to remove bad reviews, otherwise how are they really helping brides out?
Not ok on WeddingWire's part! Although my guess is it's a liability thing. My dad has his own business and I know he's told me that if a former employee asks you for a reference, even if they were horrible, you never write a bad reference on paper because they can turn around and sue YOU!
To some degree I understand - you could have competing businesses or the occasional crank ruin someone's good name online unfairly. On the other hand - what is the point of even having reviews if you only print positives! From what you said yours was about a very specific issue, it's not like you sent an expletive-ridden rambling complaint! At some point they need to use good judgement about this stuff.
You can always try Yelp, Yahoo Local, Project Wedding, etc.! If it helps, I Google "Fatty Patty's Florida Reviews" and this very thread pops up on the first page!
Wow that's shocking, I really trusted Wedding Wire. Ugh, I hate when they give you skewed results. I trust google and yelp more. That's how I found my bridal dress shop- because the one with the good review on WeddingWire STUNK, but the one with good reviews on google- rocked.
I wish WW would get their act together!!
I'm a wedding vendor on Wedding Wire and I must admit, I'm surprised by this information. I've never had a negative review posted, but I've seen other vendors who have and so I didn't think it was possible to remove one (unless it was fraudulent of course).
I find it disturbing that a vendor can simply remove a review that is not to their liking. It undermines the intergrity of the review process. Now we have a bunch of brides (all of you) who no longer trust Wedding Wire reviews to give you accurate information. It's a shame.
I think I will write to my Wedding Wire ad rep and see what they say about this. I will report back. Believe me--those vendors who provide topnotch service WANT you to have a place where your reviews--both good and bad--can be heard!
Maureen Thomson
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