Cancellation terms.

[Excalibur]

Brought on by a call from a colleague. I'll give you the scenario, and then ask for your thoughts, and suggestions for cancellation terms.

Scenario: Wedding disco. Contracts signed, all money paid. So far, so good. Ten days before the event an email comes in saying " Sorry, but our friends have organised a disco, and didn't realise we had too. We'll have to cancel you". When you've wiped the coffee off your monitor that you spat out in disbelief and indignation, and cooled down to simmer, let's see what you make of it.

Disbelief and scepticism were high on my list of initial responses, followed by mil His cancellation terms are fourteen days, 50% refund, seven days, no refund. He's thinking how to change these, and asked what mine were. Nothing so cut and dried in my case, and quite possibly mine could be deemed unfair.

Less than twenty eight days, and you may be charged the full fee. Gives me wiggle room, but might be construed as loaded towards me.

If you're happy to give your terms, or suggestions, fire away. Many thanks.

[yourdj]

Brought on by a call from a colleague. I'll give you the scenario, and then ask for your thoughts, and suggestions for cancellation terms.

Scenario: Wedding disco. Contracts signed, all money paid. So far, so good. Ten days before the event an email comes in saying " Sorry, but our friends have organised a disco, and didn't realise we had too. We'll have to cancel you". When you've wiped the coffee off your monitor that you spat out in disbelief and indignation, and cooled down to simmer, let's see what you make of it.

Disbelief and scepticism were high on my list of initial responses, followed by mil His cancellation terms are fourteen days, 50% refund, seven days, no refund. He's thinking how to change these, and asked what mine were. Nothing so cut and dried in my case, and quite possibly mine could be deemed unfair.

Less than twenty eight days, and you may be charged the full fee. Gives me wiggle room, but might be construed as loaded towards me.

If you're happy to give your terms, or suggestions, fire away. Many thanks.

This is what I do. If you take payment 1 month before also that gives you good leverage as you have the cash. My guess is they would have cancelled the other guy, but i have not seen this happen in all my events, so the client must be very badly organised or have bad communications. I forget people cannot even arrange a dinner party at home properly, let alone a wedding.

As per refunds, i usually love it on an individual basis. Some people I let off and others I would keep the money.
i have never pursued anyone for payment, and in the circumstance I had someone just not get back to me, I kept the booking fee.

The booking fee is non refundable in the case of any cancellations from the time of booking.
You may be able to transfer a date, should you wish but this is subject to our availability and discretion.

Any cancellations under 4 months will result in a proportional payment of the final balance.
Failure to pay this fee may result in interest & debt management charges.

Cancellations more than 5 months = 0% of the final balance (booking fee non refundable)
Cancellation 4 months = 10% of the final balance (booking fee non refundable)
Cancellations less than 3 months = 25% of the final balance (booking fee non refundable)
Cancellations less than 2 months = 50% of the final balance (booking fee non refundable)
Cancellations less than 1 month = 100% required (booking fee non refundable)

[rth_discos]

All very well posting your contract terms here, but have they actually been tested?

Following a post on Facebook I've been following, there are some very strict criteria to follow within your contracts. Have you have them written by a solicitor, specifically for your business, or have you copied them from elsewhere?

Do you state that there is a 14 day cooling off period in your terms - or if you don't offer this, do you explicitly state that there is no cooling off period when booking.

If you don't state this, then there is automatically a 12 month and 14 day cooling off period, so the client could cancel, and get a refund of their deposit too.

Contracts are only as good as when tested in court.

[musicology]

Have they actually asked for a refund? If not then it will be up to them to take action. If the terms state that no refund is due in that period, just see what happens.

[Excalibur]

If the terms state that no refund is due in that period, just see what happens.

Ten days before the event an email comes in saying . We'll have to cancel you". His cancellation terms are fourteen days, 50% refund,

Do try to keep up at the back.

[musicology]

Oops, sorry. So that would be a 50% refund then. Am I missing something else? My terms are simple: 14 days full payment.

[Excalibur]

My terms are simple: 14 days full payment.

And I suspect my colleague may now be considering something similar. In your case, what is the position at fifteen days and upwards?

[musicology]

And I suspect my colleague may now be considering something similar. In your case, what is the position at fifteen days and upwards?

No penalty. Maybe I'm lucky but cancellations are so very rare that I don't feel the need to extend that period with a variety of percentages, and thereby complicate my t&c's.

[Benny Smyth]

In answer to the thread question:

Whilst the company does not require a booking fee or deposit payment, fees are payable on a sliding scale in the event of cancellation by the client. These fees are detailed below. Payment in full is due at least ten working days prior to the day of the event.

Cancellation within six calendar months prior to event – 30% of full fee, or
Cancellation within three calendar months prior to event – 50% of full fee, or
Cancellation within two calendar months prior to event – 80% of full fee, or
Cancellation within one calendar month prior to event – full fee.

[Twinspin]

Hi Everyone.

It was myself that had the cancellation that Peter was talking about.

Contract terms.

50% of full fee (less than 2 weeks)
100% of full fee (less than 1 weeks notice)

Whilst out working last night. I received an E-Mail from them at 21.39pm. Last night excuses been that they didn't realise that their friends had booked another DJ for them as a wedding present ??? Had the email come 150 minutes later. I should have been able to get the full amount.

But it ended up been 50% of the fee that I got. I had the payment in Full as I ask for payment in Full at least 7 days before the wedding. So it was a case of doing them a bank transfer with half of their money back.

Now it raises the question are my cancellation terms tight enough. Or could they be tighter?

Thanks for your help