Can you sue/complain about a party venue?

I hope it is okay to put this posting here...
[FONT=&quot]I decided (for my sins!) to throw an 18th birthday party for my daughter. We found what we thought was a fantastic venue and I paid to hire it, paid for the DJ and a surcharge of £50 to bring our own food. If they had decorated it and did the food, the price would have been astronomical. I have also got lots of decorations and a cake, etc. It has all cost approaching £1000.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The manager running the venue (it is out in the sticks a bit and not in the town centre) said my husband and I could go to the venue in the day time and put up the decorations. Helium balloons, banners, table covers, table decorations...there is quite a bit. And to bring up the food.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]As my daughter hadn’t heard from the DJ after sending through her playlist to him, I rang the venue yesterday (the party is this Saturday) and discovered that she’d booked a kids party in the same (huge) room from 1-5pm! She remarked that she always tells guests they can put up decorations from half 11 unless she books in another party. Course she never actually told us this! Now, all plans have been thrown...a lot![/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]This means we have to put up the decorations in about an hour (kids party may not leave till six, they will have their own decorations to take down) and I will be putting them up in my dress as no time to change. My daughter is going to struggle to get there as originally I was taking her (thinking the decs would be up!), I can’t pick up some guests because otherwise they will be there when I am putting up the decorations and all the manager says is that we can put helium in the balloons in the corridor while we wait for the party to go! She said they will go early, but they have paid for four hours and it is their right to have that time. The manager is only trying to appease me.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]She didn’t even tell me they had a party before so we would have turned up at half eleven with the decs and food, only to be turned away![/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I can’t cancel because stupidly I have already paid for the whole lot so will lose all my money.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Several people can’t go now, so the guest list is reduced and this has caused all sorts of stress, you wouldn’t believe![/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I said to the manager, so what if you had been doing the decorations for my daughter’s 18th, and she said she could put them up in an hour! If you saw the website pics, you’d know that wasn’t possible.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I feel pretty conned but I can make the best of the situation and do all I can to make sure the evening is a success but I have to do so much rearranging and it is a complete headache...when it could have been stress free (up to a point!)
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Can I complain/sue them? There obviously isn’t anything on the website that says you can.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Nightmare![/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Thank you
[/FONT]

Comments

  • TBagpuss
    TBagpuss Posts: 11,198
    First Post First Anniversary Name Dropper
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    Well, you can make a complaint, but if you only booked the hall from 6 p.m. you are only entitled to have the use of it for that period.

    If you get thee at 6 and the hall is not ready for you (e.g. the other party doesn't end on time) then you may have more grounds for a complaint at that time.

    If you have nothing in writing saying that you could definitely have access to the hall earlier in the day then it would be your word against hers, and her position seems pretty reasonable - that if there is no-one else in the hall you;d be allowed access early. (I am not saying that she told you that, but if you were thinking of suing then you'd have to show that it was more likely than not that what you said about the conversations and assurances was right and what she said was wrong - and I think you would struggle, as what she says - that the early access was conditional on there not being another paying booking in the hall for that time, seems pretty standard.

    Would it be possible for you to start the party a little later to give you a bit more time?
    All posts are my personal opinion, not formal advice Always get proper, professional advice (particularly about anything legal!)
  • The guests who you were originally going to pick up and take to the party, you could still pick up and take with you, they can help put the decorations up and get it all done a lot quicker. if you take all the balloons with you ready inflated you should be able to decorate he hall in an hour if you get enough people to help, and i'm sure there will be somewhere in the hall where you can get changed
  • Thank you for your replies.
    I think this is more a gentleman's agreement unfortunately. Nothing in writing, only what she said. I just feel conned because she portrayed an image of the day that was inaccurate and as a result, she has made it hard...very hard.
    I can't start the party later, that would be unfair on my daughter, and other guests would simply arrive on time, I can't contact them all.
    I can't suddenly change arrangements with people who have come along way, again it wouldn't be fair on them.
    And can't blow up balloons before because they are helium and the helium is there!
    Sadly, it is just the way it is but I will give them a bad review with the hope it will put other people off.
  • What does the £1000 include??
  • I'd save your complaint until after - she's not going to cancel the other party so practical help....

    Is there any other rooms at the hall? Even a small room? If so you could use that to store everything, allowing you to take it down earlier and get the balloons blown up, as that will likely take you the longest. Is your food going in a fridge? If so is that accessible from the corridor or only the hall?

    Who are the guests that you were taking? if they are family/close friends can you ask them to be ready at 6 to pitch in and help?

    If the kids party finishes at 5 then you can be in setting up whilst they are taking decorations down (I'd wait til the guests leave though). 1-5 is a long time for a kids party, you'll probably find she's right about them leaving early as they've probably booked for set up and clear up - most kids parties are 2/2.5 hours in my experience.

    Also if manager can put them up in an hour ask her for help.

    Bear in mind as well that most guests won't turn up bang on 7. So start with the tables near the door and work your way into the room. Delegate to people to help giving each one a job.
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