+

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Close
HomeQuizzoneWhatsappShare Flash Reads
 

A woman died before her wedding, and the would-be videographer created a website to harass her grieving fiancé after refusing to give him a refund

May 27, 2020, 04:25 IST
Insider
"After what Justin pulled with the media stunt to try and shake us down for a refund, we hope you sob and cry all day for what would have been your wedding day," the videographer's website read.Jens Büttner/picture alliance via Getty Images
  • A woman died before her wedding, and her fiancé attempted to get a refund from the videographer he'd hired.
  • The company, Copper Stallion Media, refused a refund, and the fiancé gave it a bad review.
  • In retaliation for the bad review, the company made a website named after the fiancé that harassed and mocked him.
  • On the fiancé's would-be wedding day, the company appeared to post on social media, "We hope you sob and cry all day."
Advertisement

When the fiancé of a Colorado woman who recently died in a car crash asked for his $1,800 deposit back from a videographer, the company refused. The fiancé, Justin Montney, then left Copper Stallion Media a negative review.

In retaliation for the unflattering remarks and related press attention, the company created a website under Montney's name and harassed and mocked him and his late partner online, Denver 7 reported on Monday.

"In the news story he admits that the contract was non-refundable but says we should give the money back due to the circumstance," the video company wrote about Montney on the site. "Life is a bitch, Justin."

Montney told Denver 7 that Copper Stallion Media threatened to sue him because of the negative attention it received since refusing the refund.

​"Since this smear campaign started, we have received numerous emails, phone calls and comments online. We are documenting everything to build our case against Justin Montney," the company said on the site. "We have acquired this domain name for the next two years."

Advertisement

Copper Stallion Media said it was using Montney's deposit to pay for the website it took out using his name

Montney reached out to another local TV station after Copper Stallion Media threatened to sue him, Denver 7 reported.

Montney said that while he knew that his $1,800 deposit was nonrefundable, he thought the vendor would return it anyway, "because they didn't render any services."

Copper Stallion Media, though, said on the website that wedding vendors usually can't refund deposits because they have already blocked off the date and secured a videographer, who could lose out on that income.

"It is not right that people can go online and trash a company," the website said. "The contract was non-refundable. We will NEVER refund Justin Montney even with the online threats and harassment. If we knew he was going to shake us down, we would have charged a higher deposit."

In addition to trash-talking the grieving fiancé on a website in his name, the company also appears to have posted mocking remarks on social media that have since been deleted.

Advertisement

A screenshot of a post appeared to show the company sharing a picture of Montney and his fiancée on Saturday, what would have been their wedding day.

"After what Justin pulled with the media stunt to try and shake us down for a refund, we hope you sob and cry all day for what would have been your wedding day," the post apparently said.

Copper Stallion Media's own website said it was not accepting new clients.

A former wedding videographer for Copper Stallion Media said he had to fight for his paycheck

A former videographer with Copper Stallion Media, Alex Murphy, told Denver 7 that he left the company last year because it refused to pay him.

He told the outlet that he found the job on Craigslist but never spoke to anyone over the phone. He said that after three months fighting for his final paycheck, he received one — though it was from Organized Weddings LLC, not Copper Stallion Media.

Advertisement

Denver 7 reported that the address on the check was linked to a man named Jesse J. Clark, who was sued by the Massachusetts attorney general in 2013 on allegations that he took money from at least 90 couples and never delivered on their wedding videography.

Clark ran at least five photography businesses under a variety of aliases throughout Massachusetts, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported in 2013.

Insider attempted to reach Clark, who markets himself as a "professional executive and entrepreneur," through several apparent businesses he claims to run, as well as through a blood disorder nonprofit he created last year.

Clark ignored the requests.

Attempts to reach Copper Stallion Media were also unsuccessful.

Advertisement
Read the original article on Insider
You are subscribed to notifications!
Looks like you've blocked notifications!
Next Article