Christmas Party or party pooper?

Christmas parties, themed meals and restaurant bookings offer people the promise of a great night of food, fun and entertainment - but what happens if something goes wrong, people drop out or you need to cancel? Consumer Direct, working in Partnership with Herefordshire Council's trading standards department, advises on the issues often affecting a large booking for such occasions.

David Hurst, Consumer Direct Centre Manager, said: "Last year, Consumer Direct received a number of complaints on behalf of trading standards from consumers who had to cancel bookings last minute and were being charged cancellation fees, and in a couple of cases the restaurant had closed and people had lost the deposits they had paid in advance."

• Ensure you know exactly what is included in the price of your package, keep a record/print out of the agreed package, cost, booking confirmation and the receipt to show whether you have paid a deposit or the amount in full.
• If you need to pay a deposit upfront, check to see whether or not it is refundable if someone has to pull out. It is also worth checking if there are any cancellation penalties or charges and how much notice you need to give the venue or organisers.
• If you are using a company to plan your Christmas party, ensure you have the company's full name, postal location (not PO Box address) and landline contact telephone number. If there is a problem with the company who has taken your booking, or with the party itself, you have a point of contact to go back to.
• If you have a number of people attending the event and the total amount of the deposits to be paid is over £100, you may want to consider paying on a credit card as this can give you extra protection if you need to get your money back.

If you start the celebrations and make it to the Christmas party, only to find that the turkey has run out, your table wasn't booked correctly or the event wasn't as described then Consumer Direct can give you further information and advice on where you stand by calling 08454 04 05 06.

If you would like to share your past experiences good or bad as part of National Consumer Week (November 17 to 22) you can send your story to us online at Consumer Direct www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/savvy