“Water slide for rent near me”, “Bounce house rentals near me”, “Best photo booth rentals near me”. If you’ve searched one of these terms recently, then you’re probably planning an important event. Whether it’s your child’s birthday party, corporate event, or a family gathering, choosing to go with the wrong rental company can send months of planning down the drain. It’s amazing, yet sad,  how many of our happy clients come to us after another company cancels at the last minute or simply doesn’t show up. I noticed this while going through our online reviews. Some of them had something in common. It wasn’t just the glamorous details of how good of a job we did. A lot of reviews mentioned that the client came to us after being let down by another company. All too often, the other photo booth or bounce house guys never show up… Every week we get one call after another, all singing the same sad song: “The company I booked with isn’t answering! Can you be here by noon?” “They said they accidentally double booked and now they can’t deliver!” “They can’t find my reservation!” Every week, these calls result in some of our best Facebook and Google reviews. While we really appreciate the kind words, we would rather you not go through this terrible experience in the first place. Especially with such an important event on the line. So what can you do to minimize the chance of this happening to you ? Here are 4 steps you can take today, to make sure that you’re dealing with a reputable event rental company.

1. DO Ask to See Insurance.

Insurance is mandatory for event rental companies. If a company is not insured, they are operating illegally. If that doesn’t concern you, then this should: if someone gets hurt, or damage is caused to the property (such as a bounce house stake hitting an underground pipe), you won’t be able to find the company owners, let alone sue them. Ultimately, they will leave you to clean up their mess. Beyond that, companies that are insured value safety, and treat their business like a business, not like a side hustle. Therefore, they are more likely to take measures to ensure that they can follow through on their commitments, and actually show up when they’re supposed to. Just make sure you don’t let a fancy website or Facebook page fool you. You would be surprised at how many of the companies you’ve already shopped are uninsured. There is no reason a company should refuse to show you proof of insurance.

2. DO Pay a Deposit.

If a company doesn’t ask you for a deposit or asks you to pay cash upon delivery, there’s a much higher chance of them not showing up if they get overbooked. It’s very easy to get double booked during the busy summer months. It almost happened to us our very first year! When you pay a deposit, companies are that much more inclined to find a way to make it work. Sure, they can always refund your deposit if they don’t want to do the job. But taking a deposit to begin with shows that they are making an attempt to be organized. Pay a deposit, get a receipt, and then call back the following week and ask them to confirm your event details.

3. DO Look for Reviews.

This is a no brainer, but you should always look up the company on Facebook and Google. Do they have a business page? How many likes and recommendations do they have? What are your neighbors saying about them? We have tons of reviews across Google and Facebook, and they haven’t stopped coming in! There’s nothing that makes us more proud!

4. DON’T Go With the Cheapest Price You Find.

Unpopular opinion here, I get it. We don’t believe that the term “you get what you pay for” is always true. Sometimes, you get a really good deal on a high quality product. But the product you should be shopping for when planning an event is not a bounce house, soft play, or water slide. The product you’re actually paying for is peace of mind. Paying an extra $50-$100 for a legitimate business that stands behind their name, is a small price to pay in return for peace of mind. Knowing that your equipment will arrive on time and in good shape is priceless! Whether you choose to go with Playtime Party Rentals or another local company, make sure you ask to see insurance and check out their reviews. If they don’t ask for a deposit and don’t have many reviews, then you’re better off paying a little more for a company that will actually show up. Call us at (281) 500-8463 to learn more about our top rated service.