Unbelievable........ .

pompa Or vice versa?

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

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

And I thought the silly season was in August!

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

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.

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!

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

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!