Am I going to make a total arse of myself if I go and complain to the shop about balloons bursting...

[whoneedssleepanyway]

Was DD1's bday party yesterday, bought 10 balloons, helium gel filled, cost £17.50...ridiculous really on balloons.

We got them home walked through the door and 3 burst immediately.

DH went back to the shop and bought 4 more (1 spare) which he paid full price for.

During the course of the party another 4 burst spontaneously.

That is half the balloons burst withint 4 hours.

I know balloons burst but when you buy expensive helium gel filled ones you expect them to last at least 24 hours surely (subject to being popped on purpose)?

AIBU?

and please don't tell me AIBU spending that much on balloons, I already know that... )

What is helium gel? Were they foil balloons or latex ones? If latex, then I doubt you'll get anywhere (but could always try). If foil, then I think probably worth complaining. Foil balloons should last several days.

Well, I think the fact they cost that much suggests they should have been better quality (madness to spend that on balloons but you know that) so no, YANBU to complain as long as you don't do it like the bloke on the mothercare thread.

(I bought DS 80 balloons for a quid from Poundland for his birhtday party which was also yesterday - all still inflated this morning [smug emoticon])

I think i would complain too. We had to purposely pop hide our dd minnie mouse balloon after it had be bobbing around the house for a full 3 weeks!

Scared the crap out of me when returning home late one night after a few drinks and it came towards me as i opened the door. A huge minnie in your face isn't something you want to have unexpectedly

They were latex.

Basically if they fill them with just helium, they will only stay up for 24 hours, if you pay extra to get helium and a gel seal bit it apparently stops the helium from leaking out so they will stay up till the balloon bursts...

I think I have just answered my own question, if they sell them to you with the gel in they are indicating they expect them to last over 24 hours...I only bought them 1 hour before the party it wasn't like they were in the house for ages beforehand!

I know I know Georgimama - it was the guilt that this was the first party I have done for her....

will be poundland for me next time.

DS was 4 yesterday and it was the first time he had a home baked cake so I went mental and tried to make an R2 D2. Jane Asher has nothing to fear from me, let's put it like that. I do guilt induced overkill too.

I vaguely remember from buying balloons in the past that not all latex balloons can be filled with helium. You need special quality ones. Sound like the shop supplied the wrong type.

Yeah complain. Balloons that burst within an hour are not fit for purpose. More than one bursting is more than bad luck.

Georgimama - glad to find someone else who didn't do a party before 4...!! DD1 was 4 too. God the cake made her a hello kitty one even though you can buy them for £10 in M&S...it is a guild thing

guilt thing

Sounds like the balloons were over-inflated. Even the wrong balloons shouldn't pop within the hour. I've had extremely cheap fill-yer-own balloons for parties, and the ones that went up, stayed up. The quality was so poor that about 5-6 out of 30-40 either burst on filling or turned out to have tiny holes, so leaked while filling. Because we couldn't use all the balloons supplied, we added some ordinary balloons we had in the house: they all lasted the afternoon - though not much longer.

So YANBU to complain.

Is your house warm? We have a problem out here with balloons being inflated in air conditioned shops and then put in a warm car to take them home - if they are over-filled, the gas expands in the warmth and they pop. Fortunately most shops here know to under-inflate helium balloons.

I bought some of those balloons that have the light inside for halloween. I thought they were expesive at about £5 for a pack of 5!!! They popped really quickly too so I took them back and complained and got my money back.

Do it!