To think no good deed goes unpunished

[caffelattetogo]

Please tell me if IABU...

I was asked to run a fundraiser for a group my DC attends. It's a class to teach something I do professionally, and I have done for many years. All good, until it came to setting the ticket price - the treasurer looked on my website and saw how much I usually charge for a session. But this is in a village hall, not the venues I'd usually use, which cost much more to hire. I'd thought we could charge less than I usually do, as the experience won't be the same.
But maybe I was wrong: Tickets went on sale and have sold out.
I said I'd buy the materials and invoice them. No need, says the treasurer, and asks me to send her a list.
The session is on Saturday and the ingredients have arrived - with loads missing and much cheaper quality than I'd usually use. There's no way the food we are making will look or taste the same. I rang tonight and she isn't budging - says my list was too expensive and would eat up their profits. In total, the ingredients I wanted were about 25% of the ticket price. I'm giving my time and equipment for free.
Any other circumstances and I'd walk away, but I feel bad for the people who have bought tickets.
What should I do?

I don't have any sympathy for the committee at all, because the right thing to do would have been to go back to OP to discuss the costings for the ingredients much earlier on. I do a lot of free training as part of my job for charities, but if I don't deliver the session well then it's my name and professional reputation on the line, not the charity's. No one (rightly!) would say "oh well, it was free so you can't expect her to perform to the same level".

I like some of the social media responses. Especially the ones that are factual and fair without being nasty. Just wondering if you could also suggest a discount code for anyone who was coming to allow them to book on one of your future classes too.

This passive aggressive shit would annoy TF out of me. And just silly assuming people paying for a fundraiser don’t have the money to buy the proper ingredients.

They are dishonest and are outright lying to you. Don't feel bad at all. You know for a fact that they could easily afford the proper ingredients, because you do this for a living and have higher costs than them, in addition to generating enough profit to run a viable business. They are charging full whack, have cut corners on supplies, and aren't paying for labour or a venue. They're taking the piss.

If there's a community Facebook page then I would make a post explaining your decision to pull out, and I'd be very clear about the reasons. I wouldn't be covering for the committee at all. If I had bought a ticket for the event I would fully understand and support your position.

It's a nice idea but OP has to tread very carefully here.

Presumably she supports the charity in principle and her DD benefits from involvement. Talking about refunds now or discounts to future courses could come across very badly and I don't know how much crossover there is between the folks coming tonight and OPs potential future clients.

If I had bought a ticket for the event I'd be annoyed if the presenter pulled out at short notice with vague references about differences in approach, and to be honest I would remember and not talk favourably about them if asked in the future.

But then I'd also be revolted if I'd paid say £30-40 for a posh scone making event to discover I was expected to cook and eat something made with margarine.

There's no easy answer.

It’s not just the reputation, it’s the ticket payers that lose out too. If I paid money to see Abba in concert I don’t expect to turn up and the Abba tribute band is performing instead!

Yeah very true! I was trying to think of a way of not burning the bridges with all the potential customers but yeah it’s a very delicate situation😬

Just adding to what has already been said. Stick to your guns. Your reputation is on the line and I would imagine the people who have booked this would be very underwhelmed with WW2 rationing ingredients.

I would be specific enough:

”Unfortunately the committee informed me just before the event that they were unable to provide the ingredients necessary to make the recipe we had promised.”

I wouldn’t say much else in writing. If anyone asks in person I would just say they insisted on buying but then refused to get what was needed.

You could run a poll on your social media @caffelattetogo

IS SQUIRTY AEROSOL CREAM AN ACCEPTABLE SUBSTITUTE FOR CLOTTED CREAM? (PARTICULARLY IF YOU'VE PAID CLOTTED CREAM PRICES?)

That’s a really good idea. Alternatively you could even do a charity event yourself. Would probably need to be the full price though if at your normal venue.

At the end of the day, it’s your reputation at stake. Either pull out and let her deal with the fall, or pay out of your own pocket for what’s missing. Don’t compromise.

That’s just the point- it is full price for the customers- yet getting a poorer experience than booking the workshop direct- no discount at all!

Good for you!

I would expect that if I was paying the same price as usual I was getting the same high quality as usual.

@Ariela cheap 'asian shop' spices?! That's really rude. Spices are from Asia! You think just because you buy spices with a higher price tag, they're better?
There is a huge difference between butter and margarine, they're not the same thing. Spices are spices. I've used more expensive supermarket ones and the normal priced Asian spices, there is no difference.

Good on you, OP! I’m glad you stood your ground. Don’t risk the reputation of your business-it’s your livelihood.

Suggest you read the post again more carefully - the poster literally said that the cheap spices are often better than expensive branded versions.

It wasn't passive aggressive, it was aggressive in response to the aggression shown by the organiser.

They have royally fucked you over. Agree a SM statement probably necessary but it will go down badly regardless.

I think it's outrageous that the committee seem to think that there's not enough profit for them, when presumably OP makes significantly less profit, doing her actual job, as she charges the same but has venue costs to pay too!

If they wanted to get extra dosh out of people at the event they could have done a raffle of related baking / cooking stuff, or something. Some supermarket tools and ingredients grouped up and put in pretty baskets or whatever would probably be quite appealing.

I've been on charity committees and in charge of buying things, of course I've tried to buy it at the very best price. But I've not bought some other random shite like a sliced loaf instead of burger buns instead just because it's cheaper and it's all bread!

What they should have done if the cost was an issue is not been so greedyapproached some local food business like a pub, and asked if they would be willing to order the ingredients from a wholesaler. That's assuming that OP doesn't buy from a wholesaler herself of course - did they even ask you how much it would be for you to supply ingredients OP, do they know if what they've bought is even any cheaper?!

Trouble with that is in a village environment most of the attendees are probably related to the committee.

In ours you'd end up wearing the ingredients if you did what you're suggesting!

I like this wording.