The terms that apply to every Event Equip hire, in plain English.
Event Equip is a trading name of Four Seasons Catering Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales, company number 10319180. Registered office: 16 Holt Lane, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, L27 0YA. VAT registration number: GB 448 8505 58. Contact: [email protected], 0151 230 1600 (option 2). These details identify the party supplying your hire, referred to as “we”, “us” or “our”.
“You” means the named customer. A consumer is an individual acting wholly or mainly outside their trade, business, craft or profession. A business customer is any other customer. Equipment includes its accessories, cases, racks, crates, cables, hoses, regulators and other items listed in your booking.
These terms apply with your accepted quotation and written booking confirmation. Expressly agreed booking-specific terms take priority over conflicting general terms, subject to applicable law. Nothing removes a consumer’s statutory rights. These terms do not apply retrospectively to existing bookings.
A quotation is subject to availability and valid until the stated expiry date. It does not reserve equipment. Before accepting, check quantities, specifications, venue, event date, delivery and collection times, total charges and any replacement-value schedule.
A binding booking is made when you accept the quotation and these terms in writing or electronically, pay any booking payment required by the quotation, and we issue written confirmation. We will supply a copy of the applicable terms that you can save. Website enquiries and baskets alone do not create a booking.
The person placing a business booking confirms their authority to bind the named organisation. This does not create a personal guarantee. Changes require written agreement, including the revised price and any cancellation consequences. We will not substitute materially different equipment without your agreement. If we cannot supply an agreed item, you may reject the proposed substitute and receive a refund for the unavailable item and any associated service that is no longer required; other legal remedies remain available.
The minimum charge is one two-day hire. For our standard weekend package, delivery is normally Thursday or Friday and collection Monday or Tuesday. Customer collection is normally Thursday or Friday with return Monday. When confirmed as a weekend package, these arrangements are charged as one two-day hire, despite the longer possession period. Your confirmation must state the actual handover and return dates and times.
Early return or unused equipment does not normally reduce the agreed hire price, subject to statutory cancellation rights and any failure by us to perform the contract. Extensions require written approval and are subject to availability. No automatic renewal is offered.
Orders follow the stated pack sizes: cutlery and crockery normally in tens; most glassware in 24s; gin balloons, martini glasses and champagne saucers in 12s; flutes in 35s; espresso glasses in 12s; shots individually. Item-specific pack sizes in the accepted quotation prevail.
Your quotation itemises hire, cleaning, delivery, collection, labour, fuel, consumables and any other agreed services. Consumer quotations show the total including applicable VAT and unavoidable charges. Business quotations may show net prices with VAT separately and the amount payable clearly stated.
Delivery and collection are separate chargeable journeys, each normally subject to a minimum of £50 excluding VAT (£60 including VAT where the rate is 20%). Driver labour is normally £25 per hour excluding VAT (£30 including VAT at 20%). Loading and unloading are charged in half-hour units at the rate stated in the quotation. These costs are included in the confirmed total or their calculation and circumstances are disclosed before acceptance.
Setup, positioning beyond the agreed delivery point, installation, dismantling, stairs, long carries, additional crew, timed services, waiting, parking and failed visits are chargeable only where agreed or where a pre-disclosed charging provision applies. We will seek your approval before optional extra work. Additional costs resulting from inaccurate access information or failure to make equipment available must be reasonable, evidenced and calculated at the agreed rates.
Gas and consumables are separate unless expressly included. A compatible regulator is included where specified for the equipment. Any seasonal pricing is incorporated into the accepted quotation; it is not added to an existing agreed booking later.
A booking payment of 25% of the total agreed hire and service price is required to secure the booking. The remaining balance is due seven days before delivery or customer collection. Bookings made within seven days of handover require full payment when booking. The refundable security deposit is separate and must be paid before handover. Approved business credit arrangements apply only where expressly agreed in writing.
The booking payment is credited to the agreed price. The standard refundable security deposit is 50% of the equipment hire charge excluding VAT, subject to a minimum of £100 and a standard maximum of £500. A higher deposit for high-value equipment may be agreed and must be disclosed before booking. The deposit is security for properly payable charges, not a booking fee or the maximum extent of your liability.
We will inspect returned equipment promptly and normally refund the undisputed security balance within seven working days of return. If further investigation is reasonably needed, we will notify you within that period, explain the reason, release the undisputed balance and give an expected resolution date. Deductions require an itemised explanation and supporting evidence. If justified charges exceed the deposit, we will invoice the difference.
Post-hire invoices are payable within 14 days unless other lawful terms are agreed. Notify us promptly about a disputed charge; we will investigate and you should pay the undisputed amount. No blanket authority to charge your card for unagreed amounts is created by these terms.
For qualifying business debts we may claim statutory late-payment interest and compensation under applicable late-payment legislation. This does not apply to consumer debts. If payment is overdue before supply, we may suspend release after notifying you and allowing a reasonable opportunity to pay, taking account of the event date. Any termination charge is subject to clause 13.
You must provide the correct address, postcode, on-site contact, access photographs and details of parking, loading restrictions, steps, lifts, door widths, slopes, surface conditions and carry distances before booking. Obtain venue permission and ensure agreed access is available for the size and weight of the equipment and our vehicles.
Unless otherwise agreed, delivery and collection are to an accessible ground-floor point adjacent to suitable vehicle access. Keep routes clear and provide any agreed assistance. You must not require our staff to perform unsafe lifting or enter an unsafe site. We may pause or refuse unsafe work and discuss alternatives; resulting charges depend on the cause and the agreed contract.
Delivery windows are as stated in the confirmation. Tell us before booking if a time is essential. We will notify you of material delays and take reasonable steps to resolve them. If we miss an agreed essential deadline or cannot deliver as contracted, statutory and contractual remedies remain available.
Provide an authorised person to receive and check the delivery. Unattended delivery requires your express written agreement to a specified secure location. Leaving equipment at a venue does not itself make the venue the contracting customer.
We supply equipment that is safe, fit for its agreed purpose and in working order, with appropriate operating information. You must tell us the intended use and site requirements. Advice and specifications we expressly agree form part of the booking.
Check quantities, condition and accessories at handover where reasonably possible. Report visible shortages or damage promptly, ideally before use, with photographs. A signed delivery note acknowledges receipt, not a waiver of hidden defects or statutory rights. A delay in reporting does not automatically extinguish a valid claim.
If equipment fails or appears unsafe, stop using it, isolate it safely and contact us immediately. Do not attempt repairs, modify wiring or regulators, or arrange third-party repair without our written agreement except where immediately necessary for safety. We will investigate and arrange a reasonable remedy; consumer rights to repair, replacement, price reduction or other remedies apply where legally available.
You are responsible for agreed suitable power, water, drainage, ventilation and fuel at the venue. We are responsible for any connections or installation we expressly undertake. For equipment faults attributable to us, we will not charge you for repair or replacement.
Only competent adults may operate equipment. Follow manufacturer instructions, stated electrical loads, ventilation requirements and clearance distances. Keep equipment stable, protected from weather and away from unauthorised users. Do not alter, overload or use equipment for an unapproved purpose.
Use only suitable electrical supplies, correctly rated leads and protective devices. Do not use domestic multiway adapters or extension leads unless we have expressly approved a correctly rated arrangement. Installation requiring a qualified electrician must be undertaken by one.
LPG appliances must be used only in approved locations with suitable ventilation. Cylinders must be secured upright, away from heat and ignition sources. Use only the specified gas, hoses and compatible regulator. Any work requiring a Gas Safe registered engineer must be performed by an appropriately qualified engineer. Do not bypass safety devices. If gas is suspected to be leaking, stop use, avoid ignition sources, withdraw to safety and follow the supplied emergency instructions.
Refrigeration must be positioned and allowed to settle in accordance with its instructions. Allow time to reach the required temperature before loading, do not obstruct airflow or overload it, and monitor food temperatures. You remain responsible for your food handling and temperature-control procedures; this does not exclude our responsibility for faulty equipment or negligent advice.
Drain and cool appliances safely before return. Do not move fryers containing hot oil. Dispose of cooking oil lawfully; do not pour it into drains or return it inside equipment unless specifically agreed.
Equipment remains our property or that of the owner identified by us. Do not sell, pledge, sub-hire, remove labels or move equipment to another location without written permission. Keep it secure and protect it against theft, misuse, fire, water and weather damage.
You are responsible for reasonable care from physical handover to you or your authorised recipient until physical return to us or our authorised collector. You are not liable for fair wear and tear, pre-existing defects or loss caused by us. Where we fail to collect on time after you have made the equipment available as agreed, there is no extra hire charge; liability for subsequent loss will be assessed according to responsibility and reasonable care, rather than imposed automatically.
Business customers must maintain suitable hired-in equipment cover for the disclosed replacement values throughout their custody, including transit where they arrange it, unless we agree otherwise. Consumers should check suitable cover; no insurance product is supplied by these terms. Insurance and any security deposit do not remove your responsibility for properly payable losses.
Report loss, theft or damage promptly. For theft, notify the police and provide the reference where reasonably available. Our charges must reflect loss for which you are legally responsible. We will provide an itemised invoice, photographs or other evidence where available, and the relevant replacement-value schedule supplied before booking.
For repairable damage we charge reasonable repair cost, not more than a reasonable equivalent replacement cost. For missing or irreparably damaged items, charges reflect reasonable equivalent replacement cost and the item’s condition, with any allowance needed to avoid an unjustified improvement at your expense. No charge is made for ordinary wear or pre-existing damage.
Where you are responsible for missing or irreparably damaged items, we may also charge reasonable supplier delivery costs and necessary additional labour for sourcing, ordering, receiving and restocking replacements. Labour is charged at £18 per hour excluding VAT (£21.60 including VAT at 20%), calculated proportionately for the actual additional time taken. We will disclose this charging method before booking and itemise the costs and time charged. We will not charge for costs already included in the replacement price, ordinary overheads, or unnecessary work, and will take reasonable steps to keep replacement costs down.
Crates, racks, boxes, lids, cables, hoses, regulators and other accessories are counted as separate items where listed. We will not recover the same loss twice through replacement, repair, insurance, deposit deduction or continued hire.
If an item is later found, contact us promptly to arrange return. We will review any charge and refund the amount no longer justified, accounting for reasonable unrecoverable costs already incurred. Paying a replacement charge does not automatically transfer ownership unless expressly agreed.
Unless your quotation states otherwise, the standard cleaning charge is 20% of the net hire charge for glassware, cutlery, crockery, linen and furniture, and 30% for heavy catering equipment. A minimum cleaning charge of £25 excluding VAT applies to each order. The applicable charge and basis are shown before booking. It covers normal post-event cleaning, not unrestricted damage or contamination.
Empty all liquids, scrape food from tableware, remove loose waste and repack items in their supplied containers. Do not place glassware loose in boxes or mix it with cutlery. Keep linen dry and separate from food waste; do not seal wet linen in plastic. Do not wash or chemically treat linen without our agreement. Glassware must be returned sorted by type into the correct supplied racks or boxes, in the designated compartments. If returned mixed, loose or in incorrect containers, we may charge for the reasonable additional time needed to sort and repack it at £18 per hour excluding VAT (£21.60 including VAT at 20%), calculated proportionately for the additional time taken. This rate will be disclosed before booking. We will itemise the time and charge and will not charge twice for work already covered by the standard cleaning fee. Any resulting damage is assessed separately under clause 10.
Allow cooking equipment to cool, drain oil safely and remove food debris. Do not use abrasives or chemicals that damage finishes. Furniture must be dry and protected from weather when stored.
Exceptional cleaning for burnt-on deposits, wax, mould or contamination beyond normal use is charged only for reasonable additional work at a rate disclosed before booking, with evidence; standard cleaning already paid is taken into account. Permanent staining, scorching, tears or other damage is assessed under clause 10.
Customer collection and return are by appointment. Use a suitable enclosed vehicle with adequate load capacity and restraints. Do not use an open-backed vehicle unless we have expressly approved suitable protection and secure transport. Our staff may decline unsafe loading.
Return all equipment and accessories at the confirmed time. For our collection service, have equipment accessible, cool, empty and packed at the agreed point. A preliminary collection count may be followed by a detailed depot check; it is not conclusive proof that every item is present or undamaged.
Tell us immediately if return will be delayed. Where delay is your responsibility, additional hire is calculated at the extension rate disclosed in the quotation, together with any reasonable agreed repeat-visit costs. We will take reasonable steps to minimise loss. We do not charge extra hire for delays caused by us.
If equipment is lost or cannot reasonably be recovered, we will assess replacement promptly rather than accrue hire indefinitely. Any claim for additional business losses must be lawful, evidenced and avoid double recovery. Recovery of equipment requires lawful access and does not authorise forced entry.
Cancel or request changes by email or another written method using our contact details. We will acknowledge receipt; cancellation takes effect when received, and does not depend on our acknowledgement. Statutory cancellation rights take priority.
Outside statutory cancellation rights, you may be responsible for our reasonable direct net loss caused by cancellation or reduction: committed non-recoverable costs and demonstrable lost net profit, less costs saved and income from replacement bookings. We take reasonable steps to reduce the loss and provide a calculation on request. Charges cannot exceed the price of the cancelled element, apart from separately payable loss or damage to equipment already supplied.
Booking payments are applied against the justified charge, not automatically forfeited. We refund any excess payment within 14 days of agreeing the calculation, and will not unreasonably delay calculating it. There is no automatic 100% charge simply because the event is close.
Postponement is subject to stock and date availability and a revised written agreement. We consider transferring paid sums to the new booking, accounting for unavoidable costs and any justified cancellation loss. Additions are subject to availability and agreed payment; reductions are assessed on the cancelled portion.
Where the Consumer Contracts Regulations give you a cancellation right, you may cancel within 14 days after the contract is made without giving a reason. Tell us by a clear statement, using the contact details above, or the form below. We will refund sums due within the statutory timescale, normally within 14 days of your cancellation notice, by the original method unless you agree otherwise.
We do not assume that standalone event equipment hire is automatically exempt because it is for a particular date. Any applicable statutory exception must be established for your particular contract and explained before booking.
If you want performance to begin within a statutory cancellation period, we require your express request in a durable form. If you then cancel, a proportionate charge for services actually supplied may be payable only where legally permitted and the required information and consent have been provided. Loss of the right on full performance requires the legally required prior consent and acknowledgement. Separate unticked consent options are used; accepting these general terms alone is not that request.
Model cancellation form — To: Four Seasons Catering Ltd, 16 Holt Lane, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, L27 0YA, [email protected]. I/We hereby give notice that I/We cancel my/our contract for the hire of the following equipment/services: ____. Ordered on: ____. Name: ____. Address: ____. Signature (only if on paper): ____. Date: ____.
If an event outside our reasonable control prevents performance, we notify you promptly, explain the impact and take reasonable steps to limit disruption. We discuss alternatives. If the agreed event date cannot be met and no acceptable alternative is agreed, either party may end the affected booking and we refund sums for equipment or services not supplied, subject to any lawful entitlement for work already supplied. This clause does not excuse lack of reasonable planning or remove statutory rights.
Cancellation of your own event, bad weather or venue closure does not automatically remove hire charges where we can still perform safely. Any cancellation charge is assessed under clause 13; we consider reasonable postponement options.
We may end or suspend a booking for a material breach, including unsafe use or non-payment, after reasonable notice and opportunity to remedy where appropriate. Immediate suspension is permitted where necessary to avoid serious safety risk. We account fairly for payments, performance and actual loss.
Nothing excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. Statutory consumer rights remain fully effective.
For consumers, we are responsible for foreseeable loss and damage caused by our breach or failure to use reasonable care and skill. We do not impose the business liability cap below on consumers. We are not responsible for losses caused solely by your misuse, inadequate facilities or other matters for which you are responsible.
For business customers only, and subject to the first paragraph, we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, or loss of profit, revenue, business opportunity or anticipated savings. Our total liability arising from a booking is limited to £6,000,000. This limitation does not exclude obligations or remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded.
No blanket indemnity for all claims or damage is imposed on you. Each party remains responsible to the extent its breach, negligence or other legally relevant conduct caused the loss.
Contact [email protected] or 0151 230 1600 (option 2) with your booking reference and details of the issue. We will acknowledge promptly and aim to provide a substantive response within 14 days. If unresolved, we will provide legally required information about an appropriate alternative dispute resolution provider and whether we are obliged or willing to participate. This does not prevent court proceedings.
We use booking, contact and payment information to administer the hire, protect equipment and meet legal obligations as explained in our separate privacy notice (see our Privacy notice page). Marketing consent is separate and optional. These terms are not a substitute for a privacy or cookie notice.
The terms accepted for your booking remain its terms unless both parties agree a change. If a provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue so far as legally possible; this does not make an unfair provision enforceable. A failure to enforce a right immediately is not a waiver.
English law applies. Business disputes are subject to the courts of England and Wales. Consumers retain mandatory protections and rights to bring proceedings in their home jurisdiction where applicable.