Complaint Review: Oregon Event & Tent Company

Renting from Barbur Boulevard Rentals was my worst wedding weekend decision and I severely regret deciding to rent from BBR. When we went to the shop to order the rentals (we rented plates, cups, silverware, punch bowls, and PA system--we wanted to rent napkins but their options were so limited that we ended up buying napkins elsewhere) the guys in the shop didn't seem like they were too thrilled to be working with wedding rentals (I assume they are more knowledgeable and experienced with equipment rentals). We didn't get very helpful information from them and felt that they didn't really know what they were doing. But, we figured, how badly could rentals get messed up, once we got the ordered placed. We initially thought that we'd have our family pick up and drop off the rentals after the wedding, but then changed our minds and paid to have BBR drop off the rentals and pick them up after the wedding.

When I called to make these arrangements, I was disappointed in the lack of commitment from BBR as to when the rentals would actually be dropped off. I actually had to have the rentals delivered one day before I wanted them delivered because BBR wouldn't guaranty that a "morning delivery" meant that the rentals would arrive before noon. I felt bad that our venue owner had to keep her Saturday flexible to accommodate BBR's lack commitment as to delivery time. The wedding day seemed to go without a hitch so I didn't give our rentals another thought until I got three or four phone calls (two messages and one or two calls without messages) from BBR between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. the day after the wedding.

Apparently, when BBR went to pick up the rentals the day after the wedding, the dishes, they weren't in acceptable condition so they refused to pick up ANY of the rental items, and the first message was to tell me that I needed to go back to the wedding location, wash the dishes and then either deliver all of the rental items to BBR or call BBR to pick up the items (for an additional $95 delivery charge). The second message was to tell me that I would be charged $250 for a missing microphone stand I had rented (that appears to have never have been delivered by BBR to the wedding site). As it turns out, BBR has a policy that all dishes must be returned clean. This information was not conveyed to us when we placed the rental order and we were not aware of the policy. In fact, the terms and conditions of rental state that the dishes were to be returned "food free" which we and our other vendors understood to mean scraped clean of food. I'm frustrated that this information was not conveyed to us before the wedding so that we could ensure that we made appropriate arrangements.

Additionally, I'm frustrated that BBR failed to pick up the dishes when they showed up at the venue the day after the wedding. Picking up the dishes and charging us a cleaning fee would have been a much preferable solution (and the solution that the contract indicates will be utilized for situations in which dishes are returned dirty). I would not have been thrilled about having a cleaning fee when I don't feel the state of the dishes upon return was adequately conveyed to us, but that would have been preferable to scrambling around on the first day of our honeymoon trying to find someone to go back to the wedding venue to clean the dishes and then return ALL of the rental items. When we returned from the honeymoon, we learned that there had actually been wedding day hassles with the PA system and that the PA system we rented was not even fully functional. The cable from the system to the microphone did not work--it kept cutting out, and the lapel microphone was missing a wind cover and a clip to attach it to the person wearing it.

Our videographer saved the day and let us use one of his cables for the microphone, a wind cover, and black electrical tape to attach the microphone to the pastor's jacket. Additionally, since we never found the microphone stand, the other microphone had to be laid on the ground between uses during the ceremony. When my dad dropped the stuff and BBR was at least gracious and said they'd "take care of him" and when the bill came through we weren't charged any extra for the missing microphone stand. However, my dad was concerned that the PA system would be sent out to the next wedding without repairs because the guy helping him didn't take any notes. Ultimately, this was a pretty disappointing and frustrating experience.