What should I ask about a holiday lighting company’s take-down and storage contracts?

Collect the standard contract and any variations. Read the take-down terms closely: the timing, charges for late removal, and who pays if equipment is damaged or lost. Ask the seller whether promises were made verbally that the contract does not mention. Do this before you accept any verbal promise about either one.

Then turn to storage. Some customers own the lights and the installer stores them; others rent the display from the company. Ask which is which, and how the business tracks it. If the company stores customers’ property, learn what insurance covers it. Your lawyer should check who is responsible if something goes missing. Ask whether the storage is dry, secure and insured, and whether customers have ever lost items from it.

Look at the storage space itself. Ask whether it is leased, how long the arrangement runs and whether it can be shared with a new owner. Finally, check the track record. Look at complaints about late removal or lost items and how they were settled. A buyer should also learn which contracts renew automatically. Ask also whether customers have disputed charges for storage, and how those disputes ended.

Key takeaways

• Read take-down timing, charges and damage terms for each contract type.
• Find out who owns the lights and where they are stored.
• Check complaints about late removal or lost items.
• Find out which contracts renew without anyone asking.