FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1.Do you have Insurance?
A&K Events holds a policy of Public Liability Insurance for 5 Million Pounds worth of cover. This cover value has been set as a result of advice from our Insurers and is the minimum cover accepted by Herts County Council in their Guidelines for Schools. Please be aware that NO Insurance Company offers protection for 3rd Party users. In other words, you will only be covered on our or any other hire companies’ policy if we or they are supervising the equipment during use or if we/ they are found to be negligent in our/their duty as a hirer in a court of law. Any accident will have to have been caused as a direct result of our / their negligence if you choose hire only. Please ask Alison for further explanation and evidence.
2.Where can the Inflatable be Set up?
Inflatables can be set up indoors or outdoors, however there are some considerations to be taken into account.
If indoors it is your responsibility to ensure that there is enough space to accommodate the equipment making sure you avoid any low hanging lights, beams and of course fire exits.
If outdoors, Inflatables should be set up on a flat area of grass where safety pegs can be driven into the ground.
Gravel & Tarmac, Current Health & Safety Legislation does not recommend the use of inflatable equipment on tarmac or gravel surfaces, even with the use of sandbags. We are advised by our manufacturer that this is because you would require a van load of sand to give the same protection as the peg fixings which is of course not a practical solution. Consequently, we will only consider bookings on hard standing if we can fix the unit on 3 corners. I.e to a fence. Please discuss this with Alison.
I have a slight slope in my garden, is this ok?
Slight slopes aren’t usually an issue, but the term ‘slight slope’ is of course open to interpretation, if you are unsure then please discuss this with Alison and request a site survey when booking.
3.Are there any Booking or Cancellation Charges?
Upon booking we ask for 20% booking fee. the deposit is non - refundable unless 28 days notice of cancellation of the event date is received in writing by A & K Events.
4.Do you require a Deposit?
A 20% booking deposit is required upon booking, your booking is not confirmed until this payment is recieved.
5.How much space is required for an Inflatable?
Different units require different amounts of space. Please see our measurement pictures for individual unit requirements for both the footprint measurements and the overall space required.
For gardens remember to take into consideration overhanging trees, rose bushes, pathways, washing lines and access requirements.
For indoors remember to check the position of fire exits, hanging lights and ceiling heights and we recommend that you don’t accept “ we’ve had loads of bouncy castles in here before, so it should fit” as adequate checks for units fitting in halls! Please check out our Hall guide to see what we can tell you or if you are unsure then please contact us to arrange a site survey.
6.What time can I expect delivery and pick up?
Our home deliveries start at 7am and will usually be completed a minimum of 1 hour before your party start time. We ask that clients give us as much flexibility at the time of booking to help us accommodate as many clients as possible. We try not to impose strict limitations on how long you can use the equipment although for logistical reasons online we restrict you to 5 hours. However we will always try to accommodate customers at a time which suits them best with pick up times when parties have finished! To help us achieve this, please be prepared to inform us of the time you get up in the morning and the start and finish times of your party. Please state this in the Customer comments section of your order. Should you require a smaller window for delivery please call us a day or so before where we can be more accurate with times for you. During busier periods when customers are requesting similar hire times a compromise may be necessary and preferred times for home deliveries will be offered on a first come first served basis. Halls & Schools of course don’t have this flexibility and will be accommodated at the agreed times.
How do I book?
For all bookings we will need the following information;
1)The date of the Event.
2)Times of the Event (If a Hall, School or Venue booking access times as well)
3)The nature of the Event (ie, Birthday, Charity or School, Corporate?)
4)Your choice of equipment.
5)Do you require any Supervision?
6)Do you have access to a standard plug socket or do you require a generator?
7)Your contact details
8)Event Postcode
There is a choice of booking options;
You can book much of our equipment online although this is probably best suited to back garden bookings where we have flexibility with delivery and pick up times.
You can email an enquiry to info@aandkevents.co.uk, we will then check availability and email you back with a quote.
You can phone: 07951 292455– Office – Monday to Saturday : 8am – 8pm
Once confirmed we will send the details of your booking via email.
7.How much notice do you require?
Due to the popularity of the units it is always advisable to book well in advance, however depending on availability we may be able to respond to bookings at short notice. Please call the office for short notice bookings.
8.How much is the cost of the inflatable and what does this include?
Please refer to the individual equipment for prices.
These prices include:
First 8 miles free delivery (calculated from our office)·
Set up and collection of unit·
Safe Play Instructions ·
Blower/s (appropriate to inflatable)·
Anchor Stakes ·
Safety Mat (appropriate to equipment)·
25m extension lead (RCD fitted leads available on request when booking)·
Reasonable Cleaning ( This does not include Face paints, the contents of Party Poppers or pinyata Food, Sand or Mud Baths where cleaning fines and possibly damage costs will be imposed) ·
9.Can you provide Supervisors?
Yes, please enquire for availability and prices.
10.When are your inflatables available?
Our inflatables are available all year round seven days a week.
11.How long do I get the equipment for?
A standard booking is for 3 hours however if the inflatable is not booked out to another booking straight after we are happy to extend the booking time beyond 3 hours.
12.Am I able to keep the equipment overnight?
Although we don’t say no without due consideration, we don’t encourage overnight bookings as there are many facts to consider that most clients haven’t even thought about! If having read all of the following you are willing to take the responsibility, please feel free to enquire about overnight hire charges.
Firstly, the risk of accidents increases at parties as the day draws in and especially if you are serving alcohol. Wannabe Rambo’s are at every party and as confidence grows when the drink flows they pose a risk of injury to themselves and other guests as well as damaging the equipment of which the host will always be liable. If Rambo isn’t invited, remember that this equipment must be Supervised by an Adult for the entire period of hire which is a very long time for anyone to watch the kids!
Secondly, with the dark comes an evening dew which will render the inflatable wet and slippery which again posses more of a risk to the users. In addition, the chances of you being charged a cleaning fee at the very least will double as even if no one takes drink or food or anything they shouldn’t on it, dirt on feet on a damp castle will look like someone having thrown mud all over the unit by morning.
Insurance is another big factor; Our units are not insured for theft and you will be liable for the replacement of a unit if it’s stolen from your garden! Our inflatables are top quality and as such cost anything from around £1,500 to £15,000 with vat and delivery and if we lose business as a result of a theft you will be liable for that too!
We will not consider overnight hires for anywhere other than a secure private garden.
13.When do you require payment and how can I pay?
A 20% booking fee is required to secure your booking, this can be paid via bank transfer. The balance is then due on the day either in cash or via bank transfer.
14.What if it rains or there are extreme weather conditions?
Firstly, we recommend that our clients do not listen to hearsay when it comes to weather forecasts! When looking at the weather we use the internet to look at three LOCAL forecasts and make an educated decision based on these results. If all three forecasts say the same thing we may believe them!
Please refer to our terms of hire for specific details but we do not operate a free wet weather cancellation policy unless we deem a booking going ahead to be unsafe. We believe this policy to be more of a benefit to hirers having to deal with wet units than our clients! You, the client will have booked our services for a reason and it’s usually to stop 20 kids from wrecking the house! So, instead, we operate a ‘bend over backwards for our clients policy’ whereby we will do our utmost to provide alternatives, help with last minute hall bookings and if all else fails look at another date. To reserve a unit for you we will more than likely have turned down others and just as we wouldn’t dream of dropping you in it at a moment’s notice for a better or guaranteed offer we do expect a little commitment from our clients in return. Please feel free to discuss a wet weather back up plan with the office in advance. Although alternatives will of course be subject to availability, having an idea of each clients needs helps on the rare occasion, believe it or not, when the weather doesn’t play our way!
15.How long does it take to set up and dismantle?
The inflatables can take anything from 15 to 30 minutes to set up and around 30 minutes to pack away. However this is only an estimate, times may vary depending on which castle you hire, any access restrictions, any cleaning required and sometimes the weather.
16.Is there anything I need to provide or do before delivery?
Most castles require a 2' 36 (0.8m) CLEAR pathway to deliver, however please check the individual castle as some require 4’ (1.24m) or 5’ (1.55m) access. Also please ensure pooper scooping, grass cutting, bush and tree trimming are all completed and cleared in advance (preferably the day before).
17.Do you provide Safety Instructions and Risk Assessments?
All our units come with a set of Safe Play Instructions. Risk Assessments are undertaken for all of our equipment and available in advance on request.
18.Is there an age limit for any of the equipment?
Health & Safety have now introduced restrictions in height as opposed to age limits for most equipment and this is specific to each individual inflatable. Some units also have a weight restriction. Please see the individual equipment pages for more information on your chosen unit.
19.What areas do you deliver to?
The main areas we deliver include: Abbots Langley, Adeyfield, Aldbury, Aldenham, Apsley, Ashley Green, Bedmond, Berkhamsted, Bricket Wood, Borehamwood, Bovingdon, Bourne End, Brookmans Park, Bushey, Bushey Heath, Chandlers Cross, Chaulden, Chipperfield, Chenies, Cheshunt, Chorleywood, Colney Street, Cowroast, Croxley Green, Elstree, Flaunden, Felden, Gadebridge, Garston, Grove Hill, Great Gaddesden,Gaddesden Row, Gerrards Cross, Golders Green, Harpenden, Hatfield, Harrow, Hatch End, Hemel Hempstead, Hendon, Kings Langley, Knebworth, Latimer, Leavesden, Ley Hill, Leighton Buzzard, Leverstock Green, Long Chaulden, Loudwater, Little Gaddesdon, North London, Nash Mills, Northchurch, Northolt, Moor Park, Park Street, Piccots End, Pimlico, Pinner, Potters Bar, Potton End, Radlett, Redbourn, Rickmansworth, Sarrat, Shenley, St Albans, South Oxhey, Stanmore, Stevenage, Tring, Uxbridge, Warners End, Water End, Watford, Waltham Cross, Well End, Whelpley Hill, Welwyn, Welwyn Garden City, Wiggington.
However, for larger Events we regularly travel to Ealing, Shepperton and Twickenham with areas in between. We also travel to all areas of London, Essex, and the New Forest and have considered Jersey & even Ireland so please do ask!
Delivery for the first 8 miles is free. Mileage after that it is charged at 50p per mile and may incur charges for the drivers’ time.