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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to be upset that a replacement DJ spoilt our party

33 replies

shielahussain · 16/06/2019 22:32

In April I booked an entertainment package through Bounce North East. Without telling me the company substituted their DJ with a freelancer who just turned up on the day.

The DJ, a guy called Chris, turned up at 10 am. I asked him if everything was going to plan and if he needed me to help with anything before the party started. He said everything was in hand. Phew, I thought. At that point I didn’t realise that he was a Stand In.

He started at 11 but by 11:39 there were no games or activities going on; just music. I went to check with him and He then admitted he had no prizes or pass the parcel items. My daughter and I dashed to Tesco and bought some prizes and wrapping paper. We wrapped them and gave them to him and he seemed relieved but carried on with the grown up tunes. I spent more time on that stage prompting him to do kids stuff. So he put on chichua and we got up and encouraged adults n kids involved in that. I was stressed to hell all the way through.

Afterwards I asked why he’d done that to us - being unprepared to play kids games etc. He said his “head was all over the place” and he didn’t know what to say. This gig had been dumped on him. He’s asked me to take up a complaint with Bounce North East. He also mentioned a 3rd Party company called JK Bouncy Castles and said his contact from there, Kevin, was doing us a massive favour just having someone turn up to cover.

He then said he’d got another party in To go to and they are about to get more of the same (his words). I was shocked and suggested he be up front and honest with the hosts when he gets there.

We can’t turn back the clock and make things right. But I’m chewed to the point that it’s on my mind that these people were irresponsible and should have let us know there were difficulties as soon as they knew (Friday) so that we could plan better to pull things around.

OP posts:
mummymeister · 16/06/2019 22:34

Did you have a contract with any of the companies you booked. do they have terms and conditions on line? are there e mail exchanges between you and the company about what service you are paying for and what you expect? Assuming you have something in writing setting out what you should be expecting and if you didnt get that then you should be asking for a refund. you didnt book a dj. you booked a party experience and this is not what you got.

TheInvestigator · 16/06/2019 22:38

If you've got confirmation of what you booked and paid for (party prizes, DJ who would host kids games etc) then get a refund because you didn't get that.

Original poster
shielahussain · 17/06/2019 02:43

Yes, I booked a party experience online but they are saying they had to subcontract if out due to the DJ having a bereavement. They said that this happened on Friday. They didn’t inform me all. They’ve offered to refund but I’d hate any other customer to have this experience. I was stressed to hell but it didn’t need to be like that if he’d told me at 10:00 am when he was setting up. It looks like he’s removed my Facebook review. Can he do that?

OP posts:
Original poster
shielahussain · 17/06/2019 03:10

These were the prizes he wanted to hand out to 5 year olds. They looked like whistles n flat plastic dinosaurs that you see in cheap Christmas crackers.

AIBU to be upset that a replacement DJ spoilt our party
OP posts:
HennyPennyHorror · 17/06/2019 03:20

I thought you said he didn't have any prizes? Confused So he did but you didn't like them and so bought others?

Either way what you describe is shit. Take the refund and post on their social media and leave clear reviews to save others.

It would not be hard for them to locate Djs who are used to this sort of thing instead of this joker.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 17/06/2019 05:08

If you're disappointed you're disappointed. Its not for us to validate that, and yes the "My heads everywhere", chestnut is very unprofessional. That's wasn't your dealing. You're paying good money and its not unreasonable to expect a good service. However about the toys. Yes the are tat, but That's what parties are all about. Surely they weren't expecting the crown jewels, were they.

PurpleFlower1983 · 17/06/2019 05:24

Tat indeed but who doesn’t like bubbles?!

EarlGreyOfTwinings · 17/06/2019 06:32

These packages cost quite a lot , so you are not BU to be unhappy you didn't get what you paid for.

Was there an agreement about the prizes in your contract? Yes, he had tat from the pound shop but I wouldn't trust any of these companies to have something decent unless specifically told otherwise.

The main issue is that it wasn't what you paid for: an entertainer for a 5 years old party. Of course you can complain.

I am sure the kids still had a good time though!

Original poster
shielahussain · 17/06/2019 06:35

The prizes weren’t age appropriate. I wasn’t expecting “Crown Jewels” but a packet of haribo or proper bubbles wouldn’t have gone amiss - I’d even have provided them (I did in the end when we dashed to Tesco). They were something you’d find in a Christmas cracker; this is not what I’ve experienced at other Bounce parties or I would not have used them.

OP posts:
TemporaryPermanent · 17/06/2019 06:40

You're not BU to be upset but why not just take the refund? At least you won't be out of pocket. And if you post a review, say you've taken the full refund offered.

EarlGreyOfTwinings · 17/06/2019 06:45

to be fair, I had some of these bubbles from the pound shop given to my kids in party bags, everybody expects tat.

Fair enough you wanted haribos, but unless they were promised to you, you can't complain because you expected something that wasn't promised.

rookiemere · 17/06/2019 06:46

They have offered you a full refund, not sure they can do much more than that.

ZippyBungleandGeorge · 17/06/2019 06:48

They've offered you a refund, which is right in the circumstances, I'm not sure what else you want

TheBrockmans · 17/06/2019 06:51

I think also you need to consider how big a company the organisation is. It might be a primarily one person organisation who had a bereavement on Friday and managed to get a friend to step in. Yes from your perspective it ruined the party, from their perspective someone close to them has died. I think it would not be unreasonable to ask for at least a partial refund, detailing all the issues. I would try to be sensitive though.

The party tat looks fairly standard to be honest. Maybe other parties you have been to by them the host had provided their own prizes.

Badbilly · 17/06/2019 06:55

Did the DJ provide a DBS certificate, a PAT test certificate and a PLI certificate?

This should have been the first thing on your mind- as it directly involves your children’s safety, not how good the prizes were. If he didn’t produce any of the above certificates, then he is firmly in the
“cowboy” category of mobile disco’s / children’s entertainers, and, unfortunately, there are lots of them about, mainly as it is so easy to illegally download music nowadays.

As others have said, accept the refund, and post a sensible review telling the truth of what happened.

TheBrockmans · 17/06/2019 06:59

It would not be hard for them to locate Djs who are used to this sort of thing instead of this joker.

With less than 24hrs notice? Good entertainers will be booked up on a Saturday morning weeks if not months in advance. They don't just sit around waiting to be called. They will be booked up on their own gigs. Yes maybe the OP could have been told on the Friday that no one could come and left to find their own entertainment but maybe the replacement DJ who is used to playing for an older crowd by the sounds of it underestimated how hard it would be and just wanted to help his mate out.

Gruzinkerbell1 · 17/06/2019 07:03

So take the offered refund and move on with your life? I don’t understand what else you want? Confused

KindnessCrusader · 17/06/2019 07:03

Did he admit he had no prizes or he showed you the prizes you've pictured? I'm confused.

Original poster
shielahussain · 17/06/2019 08:13

At 10:00 he verbally confirmed he had prizes and pass the parcel ready - he also nodded to a large duffel bag at the back of the stage. I’ve attended a few party experiences provided by this company. None of them were like this. This DJ lied from The outset. I most certainly don’t have unrealistic views of what happens at kids parties, none of them provided anything like the tat in that picture. I expected that my sensible and factual review would remain on the Facebook review page; it’s gone! I’ve been given further information from another company that Bounce tried to enlist to do the party and they’ve said that everyone is aware that this DJ ‘isn’t in the right mindset to be covering kids parties’ so I’m at loss at to why he went ahead and let him do it.

OP posts:
Original poster
shielahussain · 17/06/2019 08:15

I found those prizes under the Deck when I went to ask him what was going on when he was just playing adult tunes and no interaction regarding the games like musical statues, pass the parcel etc that had been agreed.

OP posts:
Biancadelrioisback · 17/06/2019 08:20

Ah it is proper shit OP. I've had a very similar experience with a different NE company.
Unfortunately leaving and reviews and accepting a refund is about all you can get here. Like you said, you can't rewind the clock. You are absolutely NBU, I'm sorry you had a shit morning

EskewedBeef · 17/06/2019 08:20

What else are you expecting them to give you - compensation for mental anguish? The full refund is the best you'll get, so take it and forget it ever happened.

BeanBag7 · 17/06/2019 08:31

Take the refund, leave a review and move on. They can't give you more than a full refund and the event had already happened so stressing out about it now is pointless, I'm sure the 5 year old guests have forgotten about their insufficient prizes by now.

bridgetreilly · 17/06/2019 08:47

The DJ had a bereavement. That's a thing that happens, sometimes at short notice, and is no one's fault. The company found a replacement who obviously was less well-prepared. As a result they have agreed to refund you.

I genuinely don't get why you think you need to keep on making a fuss about this?

mummymeister · 17/06/2019 09:01

If you are in business then your drama isnt the customers crisis. its as simple as that. So what if they had a bereavement, the least that they should have done is contact you straightaway, inform you of it and give you some options. you could then have been prepared to either put on the party yourself or find someone else.

Take the full refund and write expressing your concerns. If you want to take it further contact your local trading standards to make sure that the guy that they did send is safe and legal because it sounds like he might not be.

as for reviews on google or any other platform - yep if people dont like them then they can get taken off. Its not in the platforms interest to have lots of negative reviews let alone in the business's interests. it happens all the time.

you can publicise what happened to you in your local paper or on facebook sharing groups and thats the best that you can do.