Unbelievable........ .

I heard this on the lunch time news and though that's a friendship which isn't going to flourish!
On the one hand I think sending an invoice is indeed unbelievable and so rude!
On the other hand the boy's parents presumably replied in the first instance (not that people always do) and so must have had some contact details and it is only good manners to say the boy couldn't make it. They would surely have had a "back up", maybe a sibling, who would have been happy to take the place.

Nul points all round for manners as far as I am concerned!

Don't think any of them come out of it particularly well.

Don't think any of them come out of it particularly well. Nor me Katek, but it was very rude to just not turn up. If they had no contact for the mother then they could have phoned the company to explain.
£15.95 is quite a lot of money to lose for a child who didn't come - and what if he had been the only guest - birthday boy would be very upset.

DF broke his wrist on that ski slope!

Yes, as Soutra said, someone else could have gone instead. Very rude indeed. I don't think I would have sent an invoice but I would have been very cross and upset.

We heard it on the news too. DH and I were amazed. As a parent if my child was invited to this childs birthday next year I'd be reluctant to accept.
How much notice would have been acceptable? ( I do think they were wrong not to inform the organisers) If the non attender had been ill that morning and organisers had been informed would they possibly have said "Sorry, you've past the deadline for telling us we'll have to charge you"
On another note, how can they say they were out of pocket ? If they booked and paid for x amount of children they paid no more than they originally planned

And I thought the silly season was in August!

Children miss parties. That's what happens sometimes. If people didn't spend ridiculous amounts on parties these issues wouldn't arise.

Very worrying, next wives will be able to sue their husbands for being late to dinner.

pompa Or vice versa?

Quite quite bonkers! They would have had to pay for the child whether he went or not and had obviously budgeted for that number of children. Crazy people

What happened to jelly and ice-cream + pass the parcel. Birthday parties have gone totally mad imho- and so much one upmanship and keeping up with the Joneses.

Yes, nul point all round. Surely when the parents who accepted the invite for their child must have known it would cost a few bob- and therefore there is NO EXCUSE in my book for not phoning and explaining the double booking in advance- rather then just not turn up. SO INCREDIBLY RUDE - another child could have gone instead. I don't think I would have sent a bill though- ridiculous- but would have been quite cross.

And how did it get on the BBC lunch-time news? And why?
Is there nothing else going on in the world?

How embarrassing all round, but then some parents don't care about embarrassing their children as long as they get their 15 minutes of fame!

Just heard father on PM - he said his son was allowed to choose on the day which event he wanted to go to. Unbelievable. I wouldn't have sent the invoice but my dd was always taught that once you accept an invitation it doesn't matter what better offer might turn up.

Agree-your first commitment takes priority unless it's some family issue that can't be helped. I don't believe in giving five year olds too much choice anyway.

Some people have absolutely no conscience about letting other people down.
DS has given up organising social events for his group of friends because people would say they were coming then not turn up.
Is it a generational thing?

Don't think this is big enough news for the 6 o'clock News on the BBC.

Yep- just seen it on the news- how ridiculous.

But other parents confirmed that all detail were indeed on the invite- so dad of non show child is lying- no excuse for not sending apologies in advance- and 5 year old should not be given 'choice' on the day. Very glad DD1 and sil instill the concept of commitments with GC.

Apparently the father tried to get in touch but didn't have the birthday boy's parents phone number so it must have been one of those 'invite the whole class' do's. I can't imagine sending a child off to a party with no contact details.

I think, since he knew where the party was he would have had an idea of the expense he should have got in first and offers to pay.

Bad manners on both sides.

You choose the shape of your child's birthday party and set a budget. If you choose to go skiing then the cost has been budgeted. I cannot understand why anyone would now want to go to this child's birthday party ever again - just in case you get charged as you leave.

Yes, it isn't good not to turn up to a party without letting the host know but that is a separate thing.

Other parents confirmed clearly that all contact detail were on the invite- so NO excuse in my book, sorry.

I would not have charged- just been very annoyed at the sheer rudeness. But another aspect is that the party was very possibly limited in number- so another child could have gone and enjoyed it, instead of it being wasted!
Spending money on children is great- wasting it is not, especially when another child, perhaps a family member, could have gone in his place.

Surely they wouldn't have invited the whole class at £15.95 a head to a 5 or 6 year old's birthday party
How could you keep an eye on 20 or so little ones whizzing (or falling) down a ski slope?

I reminded me of an evening do arranged by a club DH belongs to - one couple said, yes they were definitely coming then didn't turn up. We each had extra added to our bill to cover the cost of their dinners!
The couple were shamed into paying it back to us (and were not pleased) and we never went back to that pub/restaurant again either.

Perhaps we could have made it on to the ITV news!

We've had a similar conversation on here a few days ago......its why I'm still rooting for the days of half a dozen friends, jelly and ice-cream (perhaps a pizza for you modern types) and a game of pass the parcel...and a DVD.

For heavens sake BBC News is talking about it with 2 women like there has been a national disaster.