SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Couples blocked by a videography company on their wedding day say they are still waiting for a refund more than a month later.

Jessica Akers and Jesse Debie say friends told them their NorCal wedding was the best they’ve ever attended.

“Amazing, it was so amazing,” Akers said.

This was despite a tragedy that had occurred a few days before. The couple, along with dozens of others, say the company they hired to Film their wedding, Petit Four Films, ghosted them before or on the big day.

“I’m frustrated and sad,” Akers said.

Some couples received a cancellation SMS, others did not.

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“Completely unprofessional,” groom Kevin Broderick said.

In September, the company told I-Team: “Unfortunately, due to COVID, inflation and economic fluctuations over the past few years in the industry; it is with our deepest regret that we have had to cancel a portion of our weddings and enter chapter 11 bankruptcy. We have issued and are currently issuing refunds. We deeply apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused any of our couples and will be in touch with them with the next steps in the process.

Petit Four Films posted a similar message on its website, but more than a month later, many say those refunds in the thousands have been hard to come by.

“I still don’t have a refund and my dispute is still open,” Akers said.

Bride Marykate Glackin says she repeatedly emailed the company asking for a refund and alerted her that her bank had declined her dispute.

She also filed a complaint with the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, where she lives, and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, where Petit Four Films is based.

After emailing the company that she planned to take legal action, Glackin received a response saying she was due for reimbursement the same day. She was stunned when shortly thereafter she received a call from someone who said he was Jason Groh, the same name listed on an August 2021 Illinois state filing as as president and director of Petit Four Film.

Groh issued a refund to Glackin through Zelle, paying him $1,000 from Petit Four Films LLC and the remaining $799 from Groh.

In September, by telephone, Groh told I-Team that he had sold the company but would not say to whom.

Glackin says she asked Groh about his role. She says he told her he didn’t know where he was in the business right now.

“We’re just looking for accountability at this point,” Glackin said.

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The I-Team spoke to Groh for over 90 minutes over the phone last Friday. He wouldn’t say how much money is owed to clients, videographers or photographers. He declined our interview request.

Via text message this week, he told ABC7 News reporter Melanie Woodrow that he wanted to continue to focus on helping everyone as best he could.

Akers and her husband want to know where the money the couples donated to the business ultimately went.

“We prepaid you, so at one point you had my money and you had everyone’s money. You should be able to pay us back if you took our money and didn’t offer the services promised,” Akers said.

“Because if not, what did you do with that money,” Debie said.

The Illinois AG office said it received 41 consumer complaints about Petit Four Films, the majority of which are not Illinois residents. A spokesperson for the AG’s office told ABC7 News, “We are reviewing complaints as we receive them…”

A private Facebook group filled with couples, photographers and videographers who say they are owed money has grown to more than 400 members.

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Glackin says Groh told him Petit Four Films does not refute disputes filed by customers with their bank or credit card company, but Akers says his bank messaged him Petit Four Films told them “no credit is due”.

“If the dispute doesn’t go in my favor, I will still owe that money,” Akers said.

“I feel so bad for the brides who don’t have their films who don’t have their photos. For the photographers and videographers who haven’t been paid because it’s their livelihood that feeds them For the brides who didn’t invite someone to their wedding or just had a last minute cancellation and had to scramble or they just had to give up and say we’re not going to have a video,” Glackin said.

Some whose weddings have been shot have tried to locate their videographers directly in an effort to get the raw footage from their special day that they say Petit Four Films has yet to deliver.

You can reach journalist Melanie Woodrow by emailing her at [email protected] or by contacting her on Facebook or Twitter.

Take a look at other articles from the ABC7 News I-Team.

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