FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

About Us

  • Yes. The Ballentine Event Rentals is truly a family-owned and operated business, with everyone in the process being family and the business operating on land that has been in the family since the early 1700s. Family comes first, so the business was designed to build even stronger familial bonds and help support one another. As an extension of that, we see our clients as part of our extended family and will treat you as such.

  • It’s our ancestral family name. If you trace everyone at The Ballentine Event Rentals back a few generations, we all come from the same “Ballentine.”

  • We are about 4 miles west of the Cane Bay area of Summerville, in an area called “Wassamassaw.”

  • If you need a quote, the best way is to visit our Request a Quote page and submit the form, but you may also email us directly at info@ballentinesummerville.com. If you have a more immediate need, you may call 843-955-8417.

Payments

  • We will send you an estimate (reservation) or invoice (final payment) through QuickBooks, which will allow you to pay via credit card, PayPal, Venmo, or ACH bank transfer. We prefer online payments because it streamlines the process, but if that’s not an option for you, we do accept personal checks when paid in advance.

  • No. We try to be very upfront about any fees. The only time additional fees arise is when the client makes changes or doesn’t disclose pertinent details.

  • We mainly rent infrastructure-type items, such as tents, tables, and chairs, but we also have some décor items like string lights, tablecloths, etc. You can find a complete list of available items in our inventory section. If you don’t see what you want, feel free to reach out; we may be able to get it or already have it on order.

  • At least one week before the scheduled delivery. If you need to make a reservation within that timeframe, full payment will be required at the time of scheduling.

  • The price for each item is included in our inventory section.

Setup

  • No. We separate delivery from setup because not all clients need help setting up, and it wouldn’t be fair to charge them the same amount as those who do. Thus, we break them into separate charges to give you the option to save money. The base setup fee is 25% of the equipment rental cost.

  • The base setup fee is 25% of the equipment rental cost.

  • No. Tents must be set up by our team for your safety.

  • If we show up and you decide you don’t need setup, we’ll just deliver the equipment, but we wouldn’t be able to refund the setup fee because we’ve already done all the prep work to ensure the setup goes smoothly.

  • Talk to your driver and see if they have time. If they’re on a tight schedule, they may not have the time, but they’ll try to accommodate you if possible. The charge will be at least 25% of the equipment cost, but it could be more since the driver may not have the necessary equipment and templates to aid in setup, which makes it take longer.

  • The more exact you can be, the better we can accommodate your vision. If possible, provide a diagram showing where everything should go. With vague instructions, we’ll just use a standard layout.

  • Obviously, we can’t keep rearranging everything, so once everything is laid out, setup is considered complete unless we didn’t follow the provided instructions. Any changes thereafter are considered an additional setup.

After The Event

  • You’re expected to return the equipment in the same condition they were in when they were delivered.

  • You’re expected to leave the equipment however we left it with you. If it was a drop-off service, the equipment should be ready for pickup wherever and however it was dropped off, unless otherwise specified. If you purchased the setup service, we’ll break everything down for you.

Special Requests

  • Yes. We’ll apply a 5% discount if the person ordering is a verified member of the U.S. military or a first responder.

  • Contact us and tell us what you need, and we’ll see if we can arrange it for you.

Orders

  • Absolutely any kind of event, from large elaborate weddings to smaller personal gatherings to corporate retreats. We handle it all.

  • We’re based near the Cane Bay area of Summerville and service roughly 90 miles out from there.

  • No, but there’s a standard delivery fee (see the Delivery & Pickup section), so smaller, long-distance orders may find the delivery fee more impactful.

  • Yes. Just let us know before reserving the equipment, and we’ll ensure everything remains available for however long you need it. The first day is full price, but subsequent days are 50% off. Of course, there’s only one delivery and/or setup fee for the whole order.

  • We have some clients that reserve a year in advance and others that contact us just a few days before their event. We try to accommodate everyone, but it really boils down to availability—both in the equipment and the delivery personnel. Reserving sooner rather than later will guarantee we have what you need, but we’ll do our best to accommodate last-minute requests. Just keep in mind that some high-demand items, such as tents, may not be available without an advance reservation.

Deposits

  • The 25% reservation deposit secures your reservation and guarantees the equipment you need is available on your event day. We cannot hold equipment for you without a reservation deposit. The reservation deposit is due when you reserve the equipment. In most cases, we will send you an estimate, which will request the reservation deposit during the process of accepting the estimate.

  • The reservation deposit is due when you reserve the equipment. In most cases, we will send you an estimate, which will request the reservation deposit during the process of accepting the estimate.

  • The amount of the reservation deposit is applied against the balance due, so it’s not an additional fee at all. However, if you cancel the reservation, the reservation deposit is non-refundable and will be forfeited. This is necessary to protect against those who would otherwise use our services as a type of insurance policy for unforeseen circumstances (bad weather, another rental company backing out, etc.).

  • Yes, to protect our equipment against damage and soiling. However, absent any of that, it is fully refundable.

  • We require a security deposit to protect our equipment against damage and soiling. However, absent any damage, it is fully refundable within a week after the equipment is picked up from your event.

  • We don’t like deducting anything from the security deposit and try not to, but there are times when equipment is damaged or comes back excessively dirty, so we have to charge for that. In extreme cases, such as if someone gets sick all over a chair, you may be charged the full cost of that item, as we can no longer rent it out.

Delivery & Pickup

  • Yes.

  • As long as the new date is available, we’ll try to accommodate you. If, however, the equipment or personnel aren’t available on the new date, we’ll follow the client cancellation protocol.

    Up until the last week before the scheduled delivery or event date (whichever is earlier), you would just forfeit the reservation deposit if you cancel your reservation. In the last week before delivery, you would be responsible for the entire balance due, plus late fees if not paid by the event date.

  • The delivery fee includes both delivery to and pickup from your event location to an area accessible to our trailers and/or carts.

  • We’ll make it work, but if there are conditions that would normally incur charges, you’d still be charged. It’s really in your best interest to be upfront so we can be prepared to handle the circumstances, which will avoid delays and possible additional fees.

  • Delivery fees are calculated based on our actual anticipated expenses, which includes the mileage, time, and number of trucks and people required for the delivery and pickup.

  • No. We used to offer the service, but it ended up taking longer and being more hassle than just delivering the rental ourselves.

  • We will work with you to ensure your equipment is there when you need it and do our best to accommodate your schedule. We also try to arrive within a 30-minute window; you have enough to do already, so you don’t need to be waiting around for a delivery.

  • If we drop off early or pick up later because it fits our schedule better (and you’re okay with it), then no, you wouldn’t be charged an additional day. If you request an early drop-off because you need the equipment longer, then you might be charged, but it’s something we can discuss.

  • Yes. Deliveries or pickups that must occur before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m. will incur a $200 minimum surcharge based on the number of people required for the delivery/pickup. If those times are the only ones that fit our schedule and we dictate an after-hours delivery window, we’ll of course waive that fee.

Changes & Cancellations

  • Yes, but any charges depend on the timing:

    Before reserving: You can make any changes free of charge before you actually reserve equipment, but keep in mind that equipment isn’t guaranteed to be available until you reserve it.

    From reservation until 1 week prior to delivery: Adding equipment won’t cost anything over the rental fee, assuming the equipment is still available. Removing equipment forfeits the reservation deposit applicable to the equipment removed; the remaining reservation deposit will still be applied to the balance due.

    In the final week before delivery: You can still add equipment if it’s available, but you are still responsible for the full rental price of any equipment you cancel.

  • As long as the new date is available, we’ll try to accommodate you. If, however, the equipment or personnel aren’t available on the new date, we’ll follow the client cancellation protocol.

  • Up until the last week before the scheduled delivery or event date (whichever is earlier), you would just forfeit the reservation deposit. In the last week before delivery, you would be responsible for the entire balance due, plus late fees if not paid by the event date.

  • We have never had to cancel a reservation or any portion thereof. However, we have to acknowledge some possibilities:

    Client error: If a client orders a piece of equipment that won’t fit in the proposed location, we’ll first try to find an area where it does fit and still makes the client happy. Failing that, we might try to swap a smaller unit (e.g., a 20x20 tent instead of a 20x40). If that also fails, we obviously just can’t set it up, in which case it’s treated as if the client canceled the order, since it wasn’t our error.

    Acts of God: Bad thunderstorms, hurricanes, flooding, etc., could prevent the setup of certain equipment, especially tents, because it would put our personnel and/or people around the equipment in danger. If we can, we’ll try to schedule setup when the danger passes, but if there is no reprieve, we may have to cancel that portion of the order and issue a refund.

    Other unforeseen circumstances: If something unforeseen happens on our end, such as a fire that damages the equipment, we may not have a choice but to cancel the reservation.