A videography company that's refusing to provide a refund to a man whose partner died in a car crash is drawing prolific ire from the public.
Justin Montney, whose bride-to-be Alexis Wyatt was killed in a car crash in February, says he paid $1,800 to the company—Copper Stallion Media—for their planned May wedding in Colorado Springs. Per a report from regional outlet Denver 7, the company not only denied the refund but also threatened to pursue legal action in response to a family member's negative TheKnot.com review.
Montney then contacted the KRDO news team for assistance, telling the publication that he understands a contract that was signed with the company noted the payment was non-refundable, but he believes the circumstances warrant an exception. Instead, Montney said, the company offered to use the payment on a future wedding.
And as the story garnered national attention, the negative reviews on Yelp and elsewhere started piling up in Montney's defense, eventually leading to a campaign from Copper Stallion Media that included mocking Montney and redirecting its web presences to a now-removed JustinMontney.com site.
"Life is a bitch, Justin," one message on the site stated. In a message shared to Facebook that included a photo of the couple, the company shared its wish that Montney "sob and cry all day" on his would-be wedding date after attempting to—in their words—"shake us down for a refund."
According to Denver 7, the address of Organized Weddings LLC—the sender of a check to a former Copper Stallion Media employee quoted in the report—is linked to a man who was previously sued for allegedly taking couples' money without delivering the agreed-upon video materials.
In recent days, many have shared tweets defending Montney and criticizing the business practices of the wedding videography company, with many arguing that a refund should have been given despite the policy. And if that policy was still strictly followed, some have said, the company should have simply left it at that.
