Booked under false pretence?

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Have any of you ever been booked under false pretences?

Happened to me once and it was an agency gig so there wasn't much I could do. 30th turned to a 21st to an 18th to a 17th by the time I got there To be fair, it might have been the agency who were leading me up the path and not the client.

Anyways I got thinking about it because I picked up a deposit for a charity fundraiser tonight.

The contact has been through the mother of a girl who wants to raise funds for a local children's hospital.

I'm very supportive of that so gave them a great rate and threw in some free extras.

When I picked up the deposit tonight the girl mentioned that she was turning 18 a few weeks before the fundraiser and said something along the lines of: "I didn't want an 18th, I wanted a fundraiser instead" and mentioned that there'd be a massive range of people there including teachers and so on.

It was only on the way home that it ran through my mind: What if she's at it and this is just an 18th or a school night out they're trying to keep under the radar whether that's so they get money off or incase the venue calls it off.


I don't think it is, the girl and her mum seemed nice enough and they showed me a mock up of the tickets they're planning on selling but you never know. I'm covered anyway, my booking form and contracts specifically mention the event purpose so if I turn up and there's a big cake in the corner I can walk away or ask for my full amount.

Anything like that ever happened to you folk?

[surround sounds]

Yes around 2 years ago a took a fundraiser gig on at a very low price cause it was for Charity (i was told for breast cancer)
I used to do 2 fundraisers a year and now i do none for this very reason..
I turned up early like a normally do and started setting up. As always i asked behind the bar if party is for Miss _____ and a fundraiser for breast cancer. The reply was yes and she had reduced her prices for this fundraiser..
Now i finished setting up a good hour before i started and someone came with a cake but left it in a box. 10 mins later someone came with balloon decorations with one balloon in a bunch of 3 saying Happy Birthday. I asked the balloon person if she had came to the correct venue because its for Breast cancer, She said yes and it was booked by the same person who booked me. So i opened the cake box to no surprise to me it said Happy 30th Birthday on it.
Anyway around 20mins before should of started the lady who booked me came over and thanked me for being on time and for a lovely set up.
I then asked her if it was for Charity and she said yes. I replied and said why as balloons got happy Birthday on. She just went bright red and said it was a mistake by the balloon company. I also said i asked the balloon company if the balloons was delivered to the correct venue and they said yes.
The lady still said no its a mistake.
I then stated i can understand one person making a mistake but not 2 people.
She said why 2 people?
I said your cake maker must of got it wrong as well cause its got happy 30th Birthday on it.
She then admitted it was for a birthday but there was a raffle for breast cancer.
I then stated the booking forms stated Fundraiser and not birthday and i would be packing away and going home.
Any way to cut a very long story short, I got paid 80% of my normal fee and we had a good night in the end

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

That's shocking.

I think if they were that brazen about it I'd just pack my stuff up and not even give them the chance to pay up on principle.

[funkymook]

That's shocking.

I think if they were that brazen about it I'd just pack my stuff up and not even give them the chance to pay up on principle.

Me too - I would've hung around for the raffle though!

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Sack that. I once won 6 cans of lager at a boys football club raffle I DJ'd at and was nearly strung up.

I didn't even pick the bloody ticket!!!

[ukpartydj]

I don't alter my prices for charity or different age groups I do it based on what time of day as nd how long I'm thier for, have done charity gigs for free because I knew it was for a charity my family support.wouldnt trust clients though.

My thoughts are its lovely your supporting your charity but I am a business, and I doubt I'll get any real paying work from it

[Vectis]

I was once booked to do a 30th - fairly low key affair at a local yacht club - and it turned out to be a wedding reception... the B&G had been and got married without telling anyone

They were a lovely couple and a great night was had despite me not having their first choice of first dance (well if they'd told me ...) - so I really didn't begrudge them the gig. Probably wouldn't have charged much more in any case as it was a dead simple setup.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

I was once booked to do a 30th - fairly low key affair at a local yacht club - and it turned out to be a wedding reception... the B&G had been and got married without telling anyone

They were a lovely couple and a great night was had despite me not having their first choice of first dance (well if they'd told me ...) - so I really didn't begrudge them the gig. Probably wouldn't have charged much more in any case as it was a dead simple setup.

Yeah I was also thinking that if I was booked for a party and it turned out to be a wedding, it wouldn't bother me as much because they wouldn't have received the extra planning, meetings etc... that go along with weddings.

[DeckstarDeluxe]

I actually charge the same fee be it a wedding, xmas night or 18th...

[vinamtaylor]

I charge my full fee then make a donation from myself during the evening based on what the charity is and how much is raised on the night.