Wedding bells, a way to ring the cash register?

For his daughter’s wedding, Dilip Choudhary, a retired banker, wanted everything just right. “After all, this is the most memorable day of her life. We wanted a specific hall for the wedding, but the hall management told us that we will have to use the caterers and decorators that they provide.”

Sounds familiar? Adding to the anxiety of managing a big-fat-Indian-wedding is the arm twisting by marriage halls.
Choudhary says he wouldn’t mind hiring the caterer despite the stiff prices. “Had we not sited that in quickly then we would be scouring the city to look for a convenient and good hall.” 

This is not an isolated father of the bride feeling short changed. Ask around and you get to hear the same horror stories all around.

Most halls DNA spoke to said that they offer a full-fledged service where caterers and decor is taken care of by them. “We don’t book if a person doesn’t want the full service,” said a spokesperson from a reputed banquet hall in Worli. Another Andheri-based banquet hall insists that the service provided by them is much better than other service providers. “Customers have fought with us  for using their own caterers. However, after few alterations, they have loved our service and even recommended it to others.”

“We wanted to hire our own caterer, but the hall authorities would not allow it. They told us that we could come and taste the food when another wedding takes place at the venue. However, they did not bother to call us. We had no option and could not cancel our booking because the cards had been printed,” remembers Anjali Mendon, who got married in February.

Weddings have always been a grand affair for Indians. We like to splurge and how, from grand halls to exquisite menu and lavish decor, we want it all. It is because of this need that most, if not all, take advantage of the consumer. The layman agrees to such demands because s/he doesn’t know that there are rules rights to protect her/him from such monopolising cartels. The Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969, frowns on such monopolies and protects consumer interest. However, not many are aware of this. Hall managements exploit this unawareness to laugh all the way to the bank.

Arpi Shah Adalja, who got married early this year, admits that this is exactly what happens. “Many like me are too lazy to keep abreast of stipulations in the law which can protect us in such situations. It is this apathy on our part that gives the hall owners and management the upper hand.”

She adds, “You know how a marriage is. There are rites and rituals, there is the extended family on both the sides, VIPs and guests. Many of us tend to give in to these ridiculous demands of such places as we don’t want additional stress. And because of this, many service providers take advantage.”

“Consumers need to learn about their right, so that they can know when they are being taken for a ride. Then they can go to a consumer court and file a complaint under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, if they feel they are being wronged,” counsels advocate Aniruddha Pawse.

There are of course the brave who fight it out with the banquet halls and question their monopoly but some like Benifer Shetty end up paying hefty price to use service providers of her choice.

“Everybody wants the best on their wedding day. I had to fight a lot with the hotel for a particular caterer and decorator. Eventually they agreed, but I had to pay them royalty to them to do that,” says Shetty, who tied the knot last month.

What seems like a combo-deal, in reality is a cover-up for charging more, feel many. “Earlier people had to run around to make arrangements for a wedding, but since all services are provided together many don’t calculate to see how much extra they are being charged. Individual services always cost less and offer you more choice,” says Choudhary.

However, there are many who feel that it is a better option as one doesn’t have to stress over choosing from the many service available. “I was offered an attractive discount. Everything was taken care of by the hotel so we didn’t have to worry about anything,” says Munavar Attari, who got married in November.

Halls make money by offering own services
We have tie-ups with caterers, halls and decorators in both Mumbai and Goa. If anyone insists on a tailor-made wedding, we cater to that too. People often ask for specific caterers or halls and we always try and give them what they want. Many halls in the city offer their own services. So, if any of the clients want to customise their weddings, we ask them to move it to a farmhouse in Lonavala. We can’t really bargain with the people at the venues to have customised services. Most of the halls don’t charge rent or the rent is nominal, so they make money only through caterers, decoration and other services. That is why they insist on providing their own services.
Nikhil Bhide, wedding planner

Monopoly does have its advantages too
We do plan weddings according to the clients needs. But when it comes to banquets halls, they have a monopoly and we have to use their caterers and decorators. If the client insists on a particular caterer then we try and bargain with the banquet halls and sometimes on payment of a royalty they let you have your own way. However, the monopoly is not always bad as one gets a complete package and the services provided, in most cases, are usually good. I can understand why banquet halls do this they would prefer to have people whom they trust on their property. They fear that people from outside might mess up the place, so they just offer the contract to a few people. 
Shaan S Khanna, wedding planner

Report monopoly to Competition Commission
To save on tax, consumers don’t like to disclose how much money they have spent on a wedding and there is nothing on paper about the expenses incurred. The responsible thing to do would be to have everything on paper while handing out contracts to the service providers. Monopoly by a service provider is not a fair trade practice. You can report any of these instances to the Competition Commission of India. If you do take up the package deal provided by a banquet hall or hotel and find that the services provided is below par, you can take them to consumer court.
MS Kamath, consumer lawyer