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Hello
Want to rant.
I am self-employed. Every so often I book tables at expos/fairs etc. I have a good product and I know my market so I've always made back my costs and a bit more.
NOT SO THIS WEEKEND!!
I did the show last year and did really well. This year, they changed venues. At £200 a table, I expect a certain level of organisation. Like there would be ATM facilities so people could actually get cash and buy things from me/other traders..
NOPE! Not only were there NO cash points, the venue was a posh hotel in the middle of nowhere. Nearest cash point was a 10 minute drive away! Now who the hell is going to drive 10 minutes there and 10 minutes back to buy a £10 item??
No surprise that all the visitors had expected to be able to withdraw cash at the event, so all came with very little.
I spent the whole weekend telling people "sorry, I don't know where a cash point is" and watching potential sales walk away.
What makes this even more frustrating is that the organizers KNEW from when they booked the venue that there were no cash point facilities there or anywhere nearby. I was told by an underling when I complained that they had tried to book mobile ATM's but had been turned down.
This shows that they KNEW FULL WELL that in order for a retail event to work well, THERE HAS TI BE ACCESS TO CASH!!! But they didn't tell me or any other traders this- if i'd known (and i suspect 90% of the other traders too) we wouldn't have booked this show!
So yes, very pissed off. I refused to pay £200 as I felt I had been hugely misold. Like I said, every other event I have EVER done i've covered my costs and made some ££. Every other event had a cash point in the venue, or within a couple of minutes walk.
The organizers refused to talk to me, and instead sent over 2 large biker/security gentlemen to tell me that the fact I didn't have cash due to THE ORGANIZER FAILING TO ENSURE CASH WAS AVAILABLE TO CUSTOMERS was my problem, not the organizers, so can they have £200. I said Nope. Not got it, ain't paying that amount as I don't believe they have fulfilled their duties as a retail show organizer and as a direct result, they've cost me ££.
The bikers went away, came back 10 minutes later "can you send a cheque for the full amount asap or else they'll take court action and they don't want to do that" No I bloody well won't, where is the organizer, I want to talk to him myself "He's busy, you can't talk to him".
I offered them £45 cash in a full and final settlement which the security guys wouldn't take from me.
I left the venue not paying a penny. I'm expecting a pissy email any day now. I didn't sign a contract and I strongly feel that i am in the right here. You have basic expectations if you are paying £200 for a space to sell stuff, I feel the facility for the public to actually get cash is a basic presumption. After all, they had access to atm's at the show the previous year. Am I wrong for presuming the same basics would be present this year?
I'll offer them £45 again and clearly state why i don't feel they should have £200, They didn't meet their obligations, why should I?
Rant over
Want to rant.
I am self-employed. Every so often I book tables at expos/fairs etc. I have a good product and I know my market so I've always made back my costs and a bit more.
NOT SO THIS WEEKEND!!
I did the show last year and did really well. This year, they changed venues. At £200 a table, I expect a certain level of organisation. Like there would be ATM facilities so people could actually get cash and buy things from me/other traders..
NOPE! Not only were there NO cash points, the venue was a posh hotel in the middle of nowhere. Nearest cash point was a 10 minute drive away! Now who the hell is going to drive 10 minutes there and 10 minutes back to buy a £10 item??
No surprise that all the visitors had expected to be able to withdraw cash at the event, so all came with very little.
I spent the whole weekend telling people "sorry, I don't know where a cash point is" and watching potential sales walk away.
What makes this even more frustrating is that the organizers KNEW from when they booked the venue that there were no cash point facilities there or anywhere nearby. I was told by an underling when I complained that they had tried to book mobile ATM's but had been turned down.
This shows that they KNEW FULL WELL that in order for a retail event to work well, THERE HAS TI BE ACCESS TO CASH!!! But they didn't tell me or any other traders this- if i'd known (and i suspect 90% of the other traders too) we wouldn't have booked this show!
So yes, very pissed off. I refused to pay £200 as I felt I had been hugely misold. Like I said, every other event I have EVER done i've covered my costs and made some ££. Every other event had a cash point in the venue, or within a couple of minutes walk.
The organizers refused to talk to me, and instead sent over 2 large biker/security gentlemen to tell me that the fact I didn't have cash due to THE ORGANIZER FAILING TO ENSURE CASH WAS AVAILABLE TO CUSTOMERS was my problem, not the organizers, so can they have £200. I said Nope. Not got it, ain't paying that amount as I don't believe they have fulfilled their duties as a retail show organizer and as a direct result, they've cost me ££.
The bikers went away, came back 10 minutes later "can you send a cheque for the full amount asap or else they'll take court action and they don't want to do that" No I bloody well won't, where is the organizer, I want to talk to him myself "He's busy, you can't talk to him".
I offered them £45 cash in a full and final settlement which the security guys wouldn't take from me.
I left the venue not paying a penny. I'm expecting a pissy email any day now. I didn't sign a contract and I strongly feel that i am in the right here. You have basic expectations if you are paying £200 for a space to sell stuff, I feel the facility for the public to actually get cash is a basic presumption. After all, they had access to atm's at the show the previous year. Am I wrong for presuming the same basics would be present this year?
I'll offer them £45 again and clearly state why i don't feel they should have £200, They didn't meet their obligations, why should I?
Rant over