Buying out an exclusive vendor?

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Yeah I'm worried about professionalism and them potential not following instruction/playing requested music. The reviews weren't too bad, but there were some notable comments that worried me!

I think you're right, it's possible that some DJs will offer better service for a lower price anyways which will make us feel better about forking over that $500 fee.

I have a feeling I know who you're talking about lol.

I think it really depends on what the negative reviews are saying. If it's consistently about the team's behaviour or performance prior to and at the wedding, that would be a red flag. If it's about certain preferences on how things operate, maybe talk to the vendor and see how they do things. If they operate in a way that jives differently from what you'd like, you can go somewhere else.

You can also evaluate based on cost. If you can find DJs that cost well below what the in-house one is charging, you might as well go with someone of your choice, even if you have to eat the displacement fee.

That being said, a lot of venues don't allow external DJs to plug into the in-house sound system so if part of the appeal for you about your venue is the way it's physically set up, including the AV, that could also be a factor.

Feel free to DM me if you want to chat privately without outing the vendor.

The venues vendor may not sound great if the reviews are not past 4 stars. They may be getting a good deal for their clients to buy them out for that reason. It would sound to find a DJ you find fit to your budget and style to play. You wouldn't want to be disappointed if their DJ did make your celebrations a bad experience.

If the reviews aren't that great and you don't have the vibe that you're looking for then maybe look at other options. I wouldn't feel comfortable with an in house DJ if the reviews for that company aren't great. You need to feel comfortable with who you're choosing for your wedding day. If that means you have to sell them out to be able to find a DJ that you vibe with, then that is maybe what you need to do. But I would look into that and see if there's a way to not have to fork out $500 just to be able to have someone else.