Published Date: 26 June 2009

DOZENS of furious brides are threatening to sue a Sheffield-based wedding company, claiming the most important day of their life was almost ruined.

Action Desk has been inundated with its biggest ever postbag and calls about J&R Wedding Chair Covers, with brides criticising the service provided by boss Rebecca Lawson, leaving them scrambling to hire replacements just before their big day.

The firm hires out cut-price chair covers, and items including tablecloths and decorative swags, to give weddings a stylish colour-coded look.

But complaints have snowballed since it started up last year and now dozens of people are threatening action.

Most say Mrs Lawson is initially quick to respond and send sample materials. And she offers a discount if they pay up front and in full.

But many complain that they found it difficult to contact her, leaving them unsure about arrangements as their wedding day looms.

Others say she called them just before the wedding to cancel.

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Linzi Thompson, aged 23, of New School Road, Mosborough, contacted J&R in November to hire 70 chair covers, table decorations and balloons for her wedding tomorrow.

Linzi, a teacher, says she was impressed by Mrs Lawson's professional approach and agreed to pay in full - but she says she has heard nothing since, despite repeated calls.

A month ago she cancelled by email and hired another chair cover firm.

But she says she is still waiting for a refund - or a response - from J&R.

Linzi said: "I don't need this stress when I've got a million and one other things to organise. It threatened to ruin my wedding."

Michelle Moorhouse, 25, of Maple Road, Mexborough, paid in full in January. But she says she also heard nothing from J&R and felt she had no option but to hire another firm two weeks before her wedding last Sunday at Aston Hall, Rotherham.

Ruth Hughes, 32, of Walsall, West Midlands, says her white wedding in April went ahead without chair covers: "At 11pm on the eve of the wedding we got an email saying they couldn't do it. I had to get married with bright red chairs - my parents sorted out tablecloths at great cost.

"I was really upset, I'd always dreamed of what it would be like and that was ruined. It's not the money - that was my one day to live the fantasy and it was a mess. I'm going to court to get my money back."

The J&R website states they are booked up for all of August, and for July and August next year.

Phil Glaves of Sheffield Trading Standards says they have had 18 enquiries about the firm and are investigating.

He claimed the website did not display an address, contrary to e-commerce regulations, and it did not advise customers of the seven-day cooling off period, contrary to distance selling regulations.

Some brides claim a £50 security deposit condition was inserted only recently, which is denied by J&R boss Rebecca Lawson.

James Berry, commercial litigation solicitor at Irwin Mitchell in Sheffield, said both parties were usually bound to the date of the original contact. For many this was in December and January.

He added that if brides grouped together it would lend weight to their claim: "If the judge is hearing evidence from multiple claimants, all putting forward similar stories, then Rebecca Lawson will have a much harder task persuading the judge there has not been a breach of contract."

J&R Wedding Chair Covers is not registered as a limited company with Companies House. Mr Berry added: "If there is no evidence of it being limited, a judgement would be against Mrs Lawson's assets."

Phil Glaves of Sheffield Trading Standards said they could apply for a court injunction if there was a pattern of behaviour that harmed consumers. It could either stop a company from trading, or impose tough conditions backed by a potentially unlimited fine: "The more people who complain the better the body of evidence."

Contact Sheffield Trading Standards via Consumer Direct on 08454 040506 or email trading.standards@sheffield.gov.uk.

Simon Coughlin of M&S Money said their wedding insurance covered 'failure of suppliers' but it only came into force when a company went bust. But it did cover legal expenses in contractual disputes.