OK--I have been doing art fairs for almost 30 years and they are trying something I have yet to experience. The 2013 Cedarhurst Art and Craft Fair in Mount Vernon, IL has added a new requirement. I was INVITED back this year and am being asked to pay my booth fee of $280 by Feb. 25th --but I am also required to send a check for $150 to insure the fact I am honoring the agreement. The exact wording -"I must submit a separate fully refundable deposit check of $150. This check WILL NOT BE CASHED unless this agreement is not honored" .
What a bunch of BS--keep in mind I was invited back so I must have already followed the rules--has anyone else ever experinced a deposit in case we don't follow the rules???? Someone bigger than me needs to talk to this show--this is a slippery slope...
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I just talked to someone who had done the show since the beginning and her take was this--she thinks it's all geared towards the no shows--so they would cash it if you couldn't attend--so yes if you had to cancel after the deadline of July--you would lose your booth fee PLUS the $150 for not honoring the agreement. That's even more BS than just breaking the "rules". If shows want us to schedule our life and pay 7 months in advance--they also have to realize that life's circumstances change and sometimes one has to cancel--but to penalize us on top of losing our booth fee is too much...
So they want your booth fee plus $150? If you don't show up, do you get your booth fee back? If not, you are out $430? If they do refund it, take the $150 out of there. And does this guarantee that that space stays empty if you are a no show or is there a wait list with another artist forking out a booth fee.
BS is putting it mildly.
They want my booth fee like normal--by Feb 25th and then as I understand I send a separate $150 check for the deposit--I copied what they put in their info. The bold type is how they originally put in their info--it's all new to me but that is how I read it. They do allow refunds for booths until July 1st and I don't think the additional $150 could be kept--but why do I even have to do a damage deposit if that is what they are thinking?? Remember--this show has a lot of repeat artists--and I was invited back. Have you ever done a show that asked for an extra any kind of deposit--even if it was refundable???
If you aren't comfortable after talking to the show, you can always withdraw. There are many more shows that weekend.