Dear clients, a few things you should know...

Dear clients

Below are a couple of interesting details that might or might not occur to some people, but they can be rather frustrating when being repeatedly on the receiving end on a daily basis over years:

1. Please do not assume opening hours: I have one sign on my yard wall and one sign on the gate and a dedicated page on my website with the opening hours.

2. Opening on weekdays in the evening after seven does not mean that I will be there at three in the afternoon or already at six. These opening hours are because I have a main job and costume are my second job.

3. If there are two of the same looking costumes listed on my website, that means that I only have two of them and not thirty just because you happen to need thirty on short notice.

4. Getting costumes either locally made or imported from overseas takes quite a bit of time and is expensive. There is also the issue of getting different sizes which is costly, especially if something is hardly ever requested.

5. The refundable deposit is because some people do not look after costumes and cause damages and lose parts. The deposit of 200 Rand is actually too low due to damages, same with the renting fees.

6. Having to repeat the exact same answer three times on the phone just because you are confusing yourself is not fun.

7. Just because a costume fits and looks good on other people does not mean it will fit you.

8. Packaging photos are sometimes a bit incorrect. Actual photos give you an idea how a costume looks on someone, but it still might not work out well for you.

9. If you promise to send me lots of photos, please do so. Many people want to see how a costume actually looks on someone.

10. My costumes are not the super expensive collectors edition type.

11. Try not to wear costumes that you know will be a bit too tight or too small for you. I end up with stretch related damages and eventually have to pay for repairs and replacement costs. This just happens to usually make a costume not look too good.

12. Asking me five times for the same costume that I do not have will not make it magically available in your size.

13. If someone has a reservation/booking for a date that you want it for, then you are too late and have to pick something else.

14. Collecting a day early is often not an option due to other costume reservations.

15. Please use the search on my website and look at the different costume theme pages before you ask me. You might get lucky and see actual photos.

16. I do have days on which I get home after seven from work. My website states that as well. Unfortunately that is the way it is.

17. Trying to get me to rush to be home on time for costume collection and you being an hour or two late is not nice, especially not when you then suddenly take days to return the costume again.

18. The reservation form is not the enquiry form.

19. Just asking to keep a costume for you and then not showing up and no contact details does not work since many people ask that and it becomes impossible to track phantoms like that over weeks. Just do a reservation if you really want something.