Sense and Cents

I'm telling you, this last experience is almost enough for me to end all volunteer opportunities for life.

So this party I helped plan for the kids' school had a popcorn machine rented. I arranged for the rental through, oh let's just say a Party Supply Co. here in town. I should have run away from the guy when, as I was enquiring about different services he provided, he didn't even bother to stop eating. Crap business sense, eh?

I placed an order and no notification was sent. There was no contract. There was no bill. I went to the Party Supply Co. here in town to see what was up. "Oh, riiiiggght. Yup, you're here in the book. Oh, yeah, but we need 30% down." Uh, okay. I put it on my credit card. In return, they gave me a cash register receipt. "Just give us a cheque for the balance there on the day of the party."

I went there the day before the event to pick up the rental of 50 pink flamingos, except that they only had 42, so the balance was made up of penguins, ducks and a cat. Oh, and pretty much all of the lawn ornaments had seen better days. They were mismatched, discoloured, broken, and/or bent. Pretty shabby stuff he was renting out. I told the clerk so. Cheesy business sense.

Anyway, the day of the event, I had my friend M pick up the machine. "Yeah, everything is in that box," was all the guy said. No instructions. Not even an offer of help to bring it to M's car. Again, I thought, as did M who owns and operates a store, lousy business sense.

Event over, and another friend took the popcorn machine back, along with the sad-looking ornaments. He phoned the school that Saturday afternoon asking for me. The secretary said that she wasn't at the school. She's a parent here, so I should be phoned at my home. He told the secretary that the popcorn machine was supposed to be cleaned or there was a $20 charge. "So is Jennifer coming here to clean it or should I just send her the bill?" The secretary said she wasn't going to speak on my behalf as she wasn't sure of what was agreed between him and I - which was nothing.

Frick, I didn't know it needed to be cleaned. Further, I wouldn't know what products to use and I'd be very wary of washing an appliance anyway, particularly without instruction from the owner.

I ended up calling him after speaking with the secretary on Monday. He said there was a sign on the machine, and that when he saw the machine, he tried to catch up with the other woman who dropped it off but she was gone (a boldfaced lie, my friend assured me). I told him that I didn't so much as look at the machine but maybe he could have given us some instruction before it left his shop. Even a photocopied list stuffed in the box would do. Further, buddy, look at the cheque. That's not my signature, nor do I run the school. Take it up with the school board. Oh, and if we're nit-picking, you rented me shitty lawn ornaments. And I say this all of this as a small business owner myself.

As far as I know, he hasn't called the school principal.

If push comes to shove, I'll pay his $20 - in fucking pennies - but I will never use his services again.

DEFINITELY did I not get paid nearly enough.

Which reminds me, the new President's Choice Diet Pomegranate pop mixed with vodka is lovely.