Contents
PLI - Public Liability Insurance
PAT - Portable
Appliance Test
Booking a mobile DJ who states they
are registered with
the DJ Association
Booking a DJ - Advice and Tips
Because the time suggested for all the arrangements for a bespoke function can
literally be anything from several months to even two years in planning,
choosing the right entertainment should equally not be rushed or compromised.
Booking a
professional DJ service for a Wedding or private function can be just as much a
headache as booking the right caterer or right venue.
Word of mouth is
a great way to hear about the DJs reputation and how a particular function
panned out, but what if the function was totally different to what you require?
What if the DJ in question is unavailable or not suitable for your function?
Who would you book?
People don't generally book DJs everyday and are not versed on the
legal 'requirements' and obligations, let
alone the specifics that one should be looking for when booking a DJ.
We will outline
some of the essential pointers to look for in booking professional DJ
entertainment to help your special occasion run as smoothly and as memorable as
possible.
PLI - Public Liability Insurance
Most function
hire room venues require an entertainer to hold Public Liability Insurance
cover.
This indemnifies
the venue in the event of an accident claim on the premises should it involve
the DJs disco equipment.
Effectively, there needs to be a paper-trail in the event of an
accident and consequently the venues can insist on the degree of PLI required.
More often, the
PLI cover requested for an entertainer to hold can be anything from £1m to
£5m+.
Please note that members registered with this
DJ Association are covered for £10 million pounds Public Liability.
PAT - Portable Appliance Test
The venue may ask
the entertainer to present a Portable Appliance Test certificate too. The P.A.T.
'certificate' states that the electronic disco equipment used by the Mobile DJ
is electrically safe.
So before the DJ
ventures on to the venue premises, it is important that he or she holds these
requirements and can present or forward copies of as requested.
All the DJ entertainers registered with the DJ Associates Association
are encouraged to Portable Appliance Test their DJ equipment.
Where possible, it is advisable to meet your DJ
entertainer to discuss the requirements of the day.
When testimonials are available to read or
references are offered, please take the time to read and verify that the
entertainer mentioned is the actual entertainer in discussion!
Check which organisations and bodies the DJ is
registered with and always verify membership.
Some DJ services actually offer incentives to
those wishing to complete bookings and payments in advance of function dates.
A reservation fee (booking fee) secures the
services of your DJ, usually in sums of either 15-25% of the whole fee or up to
50% retainer of the whole fee.
Your entertainer
should also provide a written confirmation of the booking, either in letter or
client contract.
Apart from the
pricing details, it should state the nature (type) of function, the date, the
times required and contact details for the client and the venue.
The letter or
contract may also include entertainer hire terms.
Always read the Terms and Conditions of the
entertainers hire contract and question anything you do not understand;
read all terms and conditions of hire before committing to any
agreement.
Confirm your
booking within the requested time-frame to guarantee confirmation.
What forms of action are available to you when a Wedding DJ lets
you down?
The purpose
of this guide is for general guidance only.
Q) What forms of action are available if the DJ fails to turn
up?
If the DJ
does not show up and you have to find another DJ, you
can take legal action for the recovery of reasonable costs
from the original booked DJ, for example, cost
of finding the replacement DJ (phone calls etc) and any extra
that you may have to pay.
So, if the original DJ cost £300 and the one you have to book at
the last minute due to being let down costs £800, then the
original DJ could be facing a payout of the £500 difference!
Q)
What if the DJ I book with contacts me to say they can not do
the function, but someone else can who then charges me more?
If the DJ you
booked with says they can't provide a service, but someone else
can, they run the risk that if the new DJ wishes to charge more,
therefore, you can sue the original DJ for breach of contract
and for the difference. Note, the difference may have to be
greater than £50.
Q) If the DJ supplies a sub-contracted DJ, do I have reasonable grounds
to sue if the contracted DJ does not turn up?
If the
supplier fails to supply the goods/service at the later date,
for instance, the subcontracted DJ fails to turn up for the
function,
then the
supplier is in breach of the contract.
The potential for further action is a possibility regardless of
whether any deposit (booking fee) is returned by the supplier,
however,
you have no
right to "compensation" for breach of contract, only to be put
back in the position you would have been had the breach not
occurred.
So you can
sue the supplier, not the sub-contracted
DJ.
PDF Download
What
forms of action are available to you when a mobile DJ or Wedding
DJ lets you down?
Documents
are presented in Portable Document Format (PDF) and a PDF
reader is required for viewing.
Download a PDF reader or
learn more about PDFs.
If you are booking a DJ who states they are a
registered DJ, always ask to see their registered members card.
Always check their DJs Association
Registered Photo ID card front and back.
This way, you can be confident
they are who they say they are, and that they are indeed
registered.
The membership card
The members card is plastic. Alongside their photo, Public Liability Insurance details
are printed on the
reverse. The level of Public Liability Insurance and the
Policy Number is also included on the reverse of the card.
To ensure that the DJ is indeed registered with
the DJ association, please check:
-
Is the
membership card plastic?
-
Does the
ID photo match the card holder?
-
Does it
have the registrants name, membership number, renewal
date?
-
Is the
membership in date?
-
Does the
card list period of insurance and level of liability?
-
Is there
an Insurer and policy number on the reverse of the card?
-
Are there
more than three registrations on the front of the card?
1 - Membership number
2 - Members name
3 - Liability details
4 - Insurer details
5 - Period of insurance
6 - Policy number
7 - Limit of Indemnity
8 - Registrations (option)
9 - renewal date
10 - members photo
If you are in doubt about the membership
status of the DJ / validity of the card, please do not
hesitate to contact the DJ Association on: 0800 083 0633
For all other correspondence, please
contact the association via
