Daughters party Deposit

[anonqrtb]

This has (undeservingly) taken over my day and I need some perspective if I am being unreasonable, and if i'm not - what the hell can I do about it?!

Booked and paid £50 deposit for my daughters 2nd birthday party at a role play centre close by in March/April time. (Party is for end of September)

I have since decided to do something smaller at home so have emailed to cancel and have been told my deposit is non refundable.

To be clear:
At no point on either their facebook page, website or emails back and forth was it described as Non-refundable. I have triple checked everywhere, it does not state its Non-refundable.
The party is for the end of September, so over 10 weeks away. If I was cancelling like 2 weeks before I wouldn't even query it.

I am massively pissed off about it, and have explained so in my email to them. Its mainly pissing me off because it just feels like greed? They have 10 weeks to either book another party, or just open as a normal session which given its a Saturday will quickly fill slots.
Whats more annoying is this is somewhere we go often, and I would of spent way more than £50 there over the next few months. But now it's put a massive sour taste in my mouth.

Any suggestions on how I can get my money back? So far my last email has gone unanswered.

YABU - You paid a deposit and should not expect it back
YANBU - Its cheeky fuckery.

But.....that's literally what a deposit is. You put a down payment on to reserve it but you have longer to pay the full amount. If you change your mind the place keeps the deposit as they may or may not be able to fill the spot. If you weren't sure what you wanted to do you shouldn't have reserved it.

Really you should count yourself lucky.

Technically a deposit it binding for the goods/services you are requesting.

If they really wanted to they could pursue you for the entire party amount !

A deposit is nearly always non refundable. That’s just how it works at the vast majority of places / holidays etc. Yes they might resell that day, but they might not. Some places do a phased deposit loss but most you just lose the deposit if you cancel. Lesson learned, they aren’t being unreasonable, it’s normal practice

I would usually assume that a deposit is non refundable tbh
but they should probably be a bit more specific in their t&c

for example lots of places give back some deposit depending on how early you cancel. as you say you've given them enough notice that they probably will be able to make their money back - but there's no incentive in doing so if you don't get your money back either way whether you cancel the second after you book or the day before the party is due. Playing devil's advocate you could say 'Oh in that case then forget about it, party is back on,' and then leave it until they ask you to pay the full amount and then cancel it again, at which point they might be more inconvenienced. **

Similarly, is the deposit completely non-refundable for any changes at all or could you change the date?

if they are professional enough to have a booking system and take payment they should have proper t&c.

** not saying you should do this, but just giving it as an example of when properly covering yourself with full t&c covers the business as well as the buyer

Sorry but am I the only one who just wants to know what a role play centre is?

I'm happy to accept if im unreasonable, Although it will still leave a sour taste in my mouth.

Not half as sour as the taste in the mouth of the venue, if they've turned down bookings because you'd reserved the spot.

Ergh. This is annoying. You not them. We work in hospitality. We take deposits for takes of larger than 6 after 7pm on Fridays and Saturdays. It's to save the table incase you decide not to come and we lose large custom.

The amount of people who don't understand this. Why would you need to oay a deposit otherwise.

We will refund as long as its more than 24 hours notice. But ours is just tables. Yours is a venue. They would have told others it was unavailable. So you choose not to go ahead. The deposit is to recompense them a little for a lost booking which is tiny compared to what they would have received at the end of the party.

I'm glad you're accepting that the deposit is non refundable but in future, I wouldn't be booking anywhere without a contract.

The point of paying a deposit is that it's security for them and they get to keep it if you cancel. Did you think you could cancel any time and get your deposit back? Or did you have in mind a point when it would be come non-refundable?

it's not for OP 'to have in mind a point' though...the company should have a point and have this very clearly written down at the point of booking. and if that point is 'as soon as you book,' then that's what it should say.

Could you negotiate? If they book another party on that date they refund you the money? It's a long time away the chances are they will get another booking

this is completely contradictory though! you say people should know that deposits aren't refundable but then say you do refund them in some circumstances.

there's actually probably not much in it monetarily wise either - OPs booking it for a 2 year old's party so it's not going to be thousands of pounds for a hour or two party - so might be £50 deposit for, say, £200 overall - quite likely much less than an 8 person table at a decent restaurant on a weekend night.

Also you say you would refund if they cancelled 1 day before, she's given them 10 weeks!

as per my previous point I would USUALLY assume deposits are non refundable but as your own job shows its not a universal policy so while OP is U to assume she would definitely get it back she's not unreasonable to think the company should specify the terms.

That's not entirely true. It depends on the loss incurred by the seller. If, for example the deposit resulted in a substantial loss of business, or was for a custom made item that they wouldn't otherwise be able to sell, they'd be able to pursue for the full amount.
In this case OP has cancelled well in advance, there isn't a solid case.
OP, YABU to expect your deposit back but I do think they should have stated it clearly.
In the interests of goodwill, some places allow a refund of the deposit at the discretion of the business, if made in good time - at least partially.

I always assume a deposit could b lost if you cancel

In my industry (having taken legal advice) we have changed from 'deposit' to 'booking fee'.

A booking fee (with the correct wording) is generally non-refundable and includes elements of the admin cost of booking and reserving that time/date, and covers a small part of the risk of that time/date not being booked by someone else.

Our legal advice was that even with a contract, 'deposit' was usually refundable. This was tested out in pracice during COVID when events were cancelled and people were using their event insurance. These were hard hitters.

When you pay a deposit you're paying for that peace of mind, that security that your booking won't be altered/cancelled unless some completely unavoidable thing happens (the business goes bust/building falls down/armageddon etc).

You have benefited from that peace of mind all this time. You've changed your mind... so you don't get your deposit back. And a PP is right, your deposit was on a contract to do business with them... depending on their small print they could in theory go after you for their greater losses (unlikely at this point so far ahead but something to be aware of!).

*I am certain you are not my cup of tea.
Are you feeling ok?
*
Would probably be considered 'shitty' and 'unkind' to people who have pointed out you are being unreasonable, on an AIBU thread.. truth hurts and you're not liking those pointing this out to you.

@1offnamechange well there is a difference. She's cancelled a whole venue. Ours are tables in restaurants. We don't refund in some circumstances. Customers are told that they could get a refund as long as there is 24 hours notice.

The venue should have told her. But this is a large venue and the general rule is non refundable.

Yes they should have told her this. But she should have asked too.

I thought her post was remarkably measured in the face of such blatant entitlement.

I have said multiple times - They will not loose out on my cancellation of my booking.

They will re-open as a normal play session, 20 spots available, minimum £8.95 per child + £2 for an adult so that’s £10.95 x 20 = £219.

Saturdays are always a sell out session, and that’s the bare minimum. Not including siblings, extra parents etc. plus the sales of coffees/cakes etc.

my party was £215. Like I’ve said, they won’t loose anything. In fact, they stand to make more then my party would have made them.

BUT - I’m over it now. New day, new dramas - chalk it up to experience and to read T&Cs better (although I don’t remember seeing any when making the payment, but it was a while ago)

hope everyone has a lovely sunny day x

Changing your mind a week after booking/paying the deposit is one thing ... but several months? You are the reason that deposits are required, and the loss of your money is the cost of withdrawing from the agreement. It isn't complicated, and you can't have everything your own way.

This is the point of a deposit. YABU. God I’m glad every day I don’t run a small business - being described as greedy or grabby for retaining a £50 deposit because someone has changed their mind 4 months after making their booking?

There'd be no point in them demanding a deposit if they had to give it back, after they've done a certain amount of work on your booking, and turned away potentially hundreds of other bookings for that date.
I think you'll just have to accept it.
I feel a deposit is what you'll lose by canceling.

You’ve done this many times? You need to stop booking shit you don’t intend to use.

I honestly cannot get my head around how invested/upset some people feel about this. I am literally a stranger on the internet asking a question that I have accepted SEVERAL times that i am clearly unreasonable - yet people are replying like I've punched a child in the face or something?!

It's a post about a deposit that affects none of your lives, you dont know the place, you dont know me, you aren't invited to the party. The level of emotion in some of these post's directed towards a stranger is just baffling to me.

Some of you seem to care more than i do, and it's my money I'm losing.

And for all the 'You've done this many times' people. Im early 30's, so yes over my 33 years of living i have had to make bookings and cancel them - it hardly makes me Satan?

I am done with this post now, its already taken up far too much of my time.

Thanks to all the helpful people who constructively pointed me in the right direction - that's all it took, i hardly put up a fight.

To the rest if you - get a grip, its an online anonymous platform, who gives a shit!

Adios!