Halloween comes every year, bringing with it an array of social
functions that demand nothing short of innovation and creativity when
coming up with a costume. For most of us, finding the time to design and
create our own costume is out of the window, and so the only option
available to us is to buy or rent a costume. Renting a costume from a
local costume shop is an easy enough process, but it is full of pitfalls
and potential dangers should you happen to fall into disagreement with
the costume shop. In this article, we will look at how you can go about
preparing to rent a costume without jeopardising your wallet, and ending
up significantly out of pocket.
When hiring a Halloween costume, you will most likely be expected to
put down some form of deposit against the costume, as well as the fee
for hiring for the period you require. Depending on the specific nature
of the costume, the deposit can range in size, designed to reflect the
value of losing the suit or excess damage to the condition. One of the
main problems with this kind of business practice is that it is designed
to protect the costume hire shop, but is not necessarily tailored to
the person hiring the costume. There is no protection on your side when
you hire a suit, and if you're paying a deposit there is no guarantee
that you will ever see that money back. Unfortunately, there are
unscrupulous traders out there that will take any opportunity to make
more money, and with a deposit, simply disputing some damage or flaw can
enable them to deduct from the deposit whatever they deem appropriate.
Whilst it may be a completely unjustified practice, there is very little
you can do as an individual, other than refuse to put down a deposit.
The other option available to you is to fully investigate the
condition of the costume, and to record every flaw to bring to the
attention of the costume hire shop. That way, you should at least be
able to avoid having to pay for damage that you didn't cause, which
could help save on your deposit first off. Any damage that is attributed
to you by the hire shop should also be fought. Whilst the ball is in
their court, if you are willing to fight for your deposit you a more
likely to be successful in receiving all your money back.
Hiring a Halloween costume is often seen as the easy way out when
you've got various functions and events approaching. When you've got to
have something novel to wear, heading down to the local costume hire
shop can be a quick solution, and it can also be a good solution,
provided you make sure you take all the relevant precautions in order to
make sure it doesn't end up costing you more than you bargained for. By
taking care to note damage, and by taking the precaution of clearing
this before you take out the costume, you should be able to avoid any
eventual disputes that could cost you money.
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