Event Venue Ordered to Refund Couple After WhatsApp Promises Broken
Translated & summarized from Bizportal by baba
A Kfar Saba court ordered an event venue to refund 31,660 shekels to a couple whose wedding celebration was marred by broken promises. The venue misrepresented the synagogue facilities and assured no music would be played, crucial for the Haredi guests. The celebration also suffered from power outages, uncleaned rooms, and missing amenities. The court ruled the venue misled the couple, awarding them the full refund plus damages.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- An event venue was ordered to refund 31,660 shekels due to broken promises about facilities and noise.
- The venue misrepresented the synagogue as a permanent structure when it was a leaking tent.
- A venue representative assured the bride via WhatsApp there would be no music during the Sabbath.
- Loud music from a nearby gym and a power outage disrupted the Haredi guests' Sabbath observance.
- The court ruled the venue misled the couple, impacting their decision to book the event.
A small claims court in Kfar Saba has ordered an event venue company, N.S. Al Yam (2019), to refund 31,660 shekels to Moran Roimi and her husband, along with 2,000 shekels for distress and 1,000 shekels in legal costs. The couple had booked the venue for a wedding celebration, expecting a religious Sabbath observance for their approximately 70 guests, many of whom are Haredi.
Before signing the contract, Roimi specifically inquired via WhatsApp about the synagogue facilities and confirmed that no music would be played during the Sabbath. A venue representative sent a video of a permanent, ornate structure and assured her, "No, you will have no music, these are your facilities, you remember I told you." However, on the day of the event, the promised synagogue turned out to be a leaking tent during prayers, and loud music emanated from a nearby CrossFit gym throughout the Sabbath.
Further issues plagued the celebration, including uncleaned rooms, plumbing problems, exposed electrical wires, and a broken doorframe that fell near a baby's crib. The promised heating and a Torah scroll for the synagogue were also absent, and the electricity failed in the middle of the night, with no staff available to restore power. The food also ran out before all guests were served.
The venue denied the claims, suggesting some defects might have been self-inflicted and that the couple was aware of the gym's music. They argued the synagogue was a covered hall with a tent extension and that the Torah scroll arrived on time. However, Judge Ofir Ketabi-Riblin ruled that the venue had misled the couple, particularly regarding the synagogue and the assurance of no music, which were critical for their Haredi guests. The judge also found the explanation for the power outage unacceptable.
The court awarded the full refund of the venue's fee, noting that the agreement was based on a false representation of key aspects. While some of Roimi's claims regarding additional rooms and specific room defects were not fully substantiated with evidence, the core issues of the synagogue's condition and the music violation, coupled with the lack of assistance during the power outage, were decisive.