Daughters party cancelled as double booked - OMG!!!

beks

I must be the unluckiest person ever at the moment!!!

My daughter had her third birthday party booked for this saturday (27th!!) ... received a phone call this morning to say "I'm so sorry but have doublebooked your daughters party and have had to cancel yours". He offered a refund and free party another time but I cannot do this (dd is excited and all the food was delivered last night and with easter coming up, we are going away so the party wouldnt be for at least 3 weeks). We also have bouncy castle booked and paid for.

The only venue I can find so far that is available Saturday afternoon is £30 joining fee plus £30/hour and you cannot being your own food so they have to cater for it so another £8/child - we have 25 children coming so OMG very expensive. Will keep ringing round but am totally lost at what to do. I will also have 25 people to inform that venue moved/cancelled.

Right now, I am feeling like the most unlucky person in the world lol!!! I know I am now but we have one struggle after another and dd was looking forward to this after her recent struggles!!! I think I am not set out for booking parties or celebrations of any kind, it always goes wrong. :(:(:(:(:(:(

bonar

not sure what the weather will be like with you this weekend, but what about having it in a garden if not your own then perhaps a friend or relatives. other options, how about a local church hall?

jane130

give all your local churches a ring , they may have a hall you can use , our local one costs just £10 per hour .

I hope you can get something worked out .

vickiem30

Have you tried the local churches? They often have rooms to hire out. They will be quite reasonably priced, as well. You could also try community halls and council owned facilities.

Are you in a big town, or are you quite restricted in choices of venues?

aliasojo

Or even your local school. Our's hires out it's gym hall for parties etc. They might be able to help even although it's short notice.

bertiebots

Couldnt you hire a local church hall, sports club ,wmc function room?. Is there anywhere local like that?.Obvioulsy its very short notice but a few phone calls might solve the problem as far as a venue is concerned. If not is it possible to have the party at home or if you have a close friend with more space at their house? Then the food wont go to waste , you could organise some simple games like pass the parcel and musical statues .....as the kids are only 3 they should be fairly easy to please(hopefully!):D
As for the cancellation take them up on the offer and if you cannot use the free party give it to a friend:A
Cant think of anthing else I am afraid:o

Penelope_Penguin

beks wrote: »

My daughter had her third birthday party booked for this saturday (27th!!) ... received a phone call this morning to say "I'm so sorry but have doublebooked your daughters party and have had to cancel yours". He offered a refund and free party another time but I cannot do this

Did you pay a deposit? If so, you have a legal contract with the supplier and they should pay your out of pocket expenses; that is the difference between what you were to pay the original supplier, and what it will cost you at a new venue.

They may be prepared to offer this, otherwise you can go through the Small Claims Court. Court route won;t be guaranteed, though, and even if you do win, you may not get your money without enforcing a judgement

Can you hire a hall and have party games :T 3 yos will love that :T

beks

Thanks all!! We dont have any family nearby and not really any friends we would ask to offer their house! Phoning round everywhere right now (ideas great thank you), might have a possible church hall now, thanks for that idea. They might have the carpenter in but they are going to try and rearrange. Got to also check bouncy castle will fit but if not, its not the end of the world!!! Feeling a little calmer now!!!

The guy who cancelled the village hall was so apologetic, he sounded like he was going to cry on the phone. He did say that anything he could do or pay for he would. It is not the money I am too concerned about though, it is the nightmare of it all!!! I dont think I will need to push him too hard for compensation and he asked me to write to his boss to complain too (I ended up feeling sorry for him not the other way around lol!!)

As for small claims, I think I will try and avoid that one (I dont think it would come to that)!! We have spent months going through the courts to get £5000 back for our incompetent wedding venue ... hence I am feeling very unlucky when it comes to booking parties!!

Redman30

You could always offer him a few quid to cancel the other party instead....

beks

Redman30 wrote: »

You could always offer him a few quid to cancel the other party instead....

Ha ha!! I did ask why mine had been cancelled and not the other and apparently the other one is an all day thing and goes on to midnight and its a big company thing so dont think he had the guts to cancel theirs! I am obviously a soft touch!!

beks

Just to say thanks to posters - now got a church hall booked at £12/hour so not bad at all! Works out £11 more expensive so gonna try and claim that off the original village hall
Bouncy castle unfortunately does not fit but luckily they have let us have a smaller one (same price unfortunately as I had originally negotiated a discount and got to choose any one for a set amount!!!).
The original hall has phoned to apologise again (I didnt let on I had booked somewhere else as I wanted him to sweat it out! ) He has already sent the cheque off for the money I paid (full amount). Its not what I had hoped but at least the plans are rescued a little!