An enquiry is the starting point
Milky Way Events is run by Alan Beavis, a sole trader based in Rainworth, NG21 0AQ. Sending an enquiry does not reserve equipment or confirm a booking. The hire items, event date, venue, availability and full quote need to be agreed.
Cancellation and refund policy · 2 October 2026
Booking payments
A 10% deposit is required to secure your booking. This is part of the agreed price, not an extra charge. We will confirm your equipment, event date, hire times, delivery charge and total price in writing.
The remaining balance is due at least seven days before your event, unless you choose to pay the remaining balance in cash on the day and let us know in advance. The deposit is still required. For bookings made less than seven days before the event, we will agree the payment arrangements when confirming your booking.
Full payment must be received before any equipment is unloaded. If a payment is overdue, we will contact you and give a reasonable opportunity to resolve it before cancelling, allowing for how close the event is. Any cancellation charge for non-payment is subject to the same limits below, without affecting your legal rights where we have failed to provide what was agreed.
If you need to cancel
Please tell us as soon as possible by emailing [email protected], calling 07754 702595 or sending a WhatsApp message to that number. Include your name and event date so we can identify the booking. We will acknowledge your cancellation in writing; a clear cancellation notice does not depend on our acknowledgement to take effect.
Unless you are entitled to cancel without a charge under your legal rights or the sections below, these are the maximum cancellation charges:
| Notice before the agreed hire start time | Maximum charge |
|---|---|
| Seven days or more | 10% of the cancelled booking price |
| At least 48 hours but less than seven days | 50% of the cancelled booking price |
| Less than 48 hours, including cancellation on the day | 100% of the cancelled booking price |
Seven days means 168 hours. The limits apply only to the part of the booking cancelled and include any deposit retained; they are not charged on top of it.
These are ceilings, not automatic charges. We will charge no more than the reasonable, evidenced loss directly caused by your cancellation, after deducting costs we save and income from any replacement booking. We will take reasonable steps to reduce that loss. If there is no loss, no cancellation charge applies. Delivery or collection that does not take place will not automatically be charged in full.
We will give you a written breakdown and return any payment above the justified charge. For example, if your cancellation band allows up to £50 but our net loss is £20, the charge is £20. We will not recover the same loss twice. If a later replacement booking reduces the loss, we will return the corresponding amount too.
Moving your date
Contact us if you would prefer to move your booking. A new date depends on availability and is confirmed only when we both agree it in writing. If we agree a transfer, payments already made will count towards the rearranged booking. Any change to the equipment, duration or price will be explained and agreed before you commit. If no new arrangement is agreed and you choose to cancel, the cancellation rules above apply, except where the unsafe-weather or supplier-cancellation provisions below give you a refund.
Bad weather and safe operation
Safety comes first. If weather conditions mean we cannot safely supply or set up an affected hire, you may choose either an available replacement date or a refund of all payments for that affected hire, including its deposit and any delivery charge that no longer applies. You do not have to accept a credit or different equipment instead of a refund.
If the weather makes continued use unsafe after the hire has started, stop using the equipment and contact us. We will discuss what can safely be provided and refund the part of the affected hire that we cannot provide, without reducing your legal rights.
If the hire can safely go ahead but you decide not to proceed because of the forecast, the usual cancellation rules apply. We will still discuss a change of date where availability allows.
If we cannot provide your booking
If we cannot provide the agreed hire for a reason that is not your fault, we will tell you as soon as possible. You may choose an agreed alternative or a full refund for the cancelled hire, including its deposit and any delivery charge that no longer applies. Where cancelling one part makes the remaining booking unsuitable for its agreed purpose, contact us to resolve the whole booking fairly. This does not limit any other remedy you are entitled to by law.
Refunds and your rights
We will issue refunds due under this policy within 14 calendar days of cancellation, using the original payment method unless you agree otherwise, with no refund administration fee. If a later replacement booking reduces a cancellation charge, we will refund that reduction within 14 calendar days of confirming the replacement. If the law requires a different or earlier refund, we will follow it.
Nothing in this policy removes your statutory rights, including rights relating to faulty equipment, services not provided as agreed or any applicable cooling-off period. Where you have a statutory right to cancel, its rules take priority over the cancellation charges above. The relevant cancellation information will be provided with your booking.
This policy is provided by Alan Beavis, a sole trader trading as Milky Way Events. Please contact us using the details above if you have a question or disagree with a calculation. Updating our website policy later will not retrospectively change the terms of an existing booking without your agreement or remove your legal rights.
Damage, breakages and missing items
Damage and breakages policy · 5 October 2026
Please take reasonable care of hired equipment and its supplied accessories, keep them secure and follow the reasonable use and safety instructions provided. Take reasonable steps to make sure people you allow to use the equipment follow those instructions, including any supervision agreed before booking. If we are late collecting, contact us to agree safe arrangements; our delay does not automatically make you liable for loss or damage.
Tell us about any existing damage when you notice it, and report breakages, faults or missing items as soon as reasonably possible. Stop using equipment that appears unsafe and contact us before attempting repairs or alterations. Reporting a problem later does not, by itself, remove your legal rights.
You are responsible for our reasonable, evidenced costs where damage, breakage, loss or missing items are caused by your misuse, deliberate damage, failure to take reasonable care or failure to follow the reasonable instructions supplied for the hire. This includes a failure to provide supervision agreed before booking. You are not automatically liable simply because an accident happens at your event.
We do not charge for fair wear and tear from normal use, pre-existing damage, faults not caused by you, or loss or damage caused by us, our staff or anyone acting on our behalf. Nor will we charge you for an unavoidable event outside your reasonable control where you have taken reasonable care and followed the supplied instructions.
Where a charge is justified, we will use the reasonable repair cost if repair is practical. For an item that is lost or cannot economically be repaired, any replacement charge will take account of its age and condition immediately before the loss. It will not automatically be the price of a brand-new item or an upgrade.
Normal cleaning is included. Extra cleaning is chargeable only where misuse or a failure to take reasonable care causes soiling beyond normal use, and only for the reasonable additional cleaning cost.
We will explain any proposed charge in writing, provide an itemised calculation and supporting evidence, such as photographs or a repair quote, and give you a reasonable opportunity to query it before payment is due. We will take reasonable steps to keep costs down and will not recover the same loss twice. There is no fixed breakage penalty or automatic deduction from your booking deposit under this policy.
These terms should be supplied with your quote before you confirm a new booking. They do not automatically change an existing booking, remove your statutory rights or excuse our negligence or failure to provide what was agreed.
Delivery and collection
Delivery and collection are free for the first 10 miles of the normal one-way driving route from our Rainworth base, NG21 0AQ, to your venue. Beyond 10 miles, we charge £1 per additional mile, rounding any chargeable part-mile up to the next whole mile. This is one total charge for delivery and collection, not a charge for each journey. For example, 12 miles adds £2 and 12.2 miles adds £3. Send your venue postcode so we can confirm the route and total charge before booking.
Check the practical details
Share accurate venue access and space information. Discuss suitability, power, supervision and outdoor arrangements for the items you choose. Displayed product dimensions are not a statement of the operating space required.