I am not a parent and have not attended a child’s birthday party since I was a kid, so I have no idea what the current protocol is around the things. Not showing up, apparently, can cost you. Julie Lawrence was left £15.95 (about $24) out of pocket when young Alex Nash did not attend her son’s birthday party, so she sent an invoice for a “no-show fee” to Alex’s parents. After accepting the invitation to the party, Alex’s parents realized he could not attend. “They realized their son was double-booked and due to spend time with his grandparents, which he did,” reports the BBC.
But because the Nash family didn’t RSVP with their cancellation, Ms. Lawrence sent them the bill–in an ominous “brown envelope” which was tucked into Alex’s schoolbag. “I can understand that she’s upset about losing money,” Mr. Nash said. “The money isn’t the issue, it’s the way she went about trying to get the money from me. She didn’t treat me like a human being, she treated me like a child and that I should do what she says.” Ms. Lawrence is taking him to small claims court to recover the money.
