Is It Hard To Cancel My Uniform Rental Contract?

Before getting mat at your uniform rental company and cancelling your uniform rental contract, you should examine the contract and make sure that you have complied with all of the terms of the agreement as well as make sure that the uniform is not fulfilling the terms of their agreement. How do you do this? After confirming you are in compliance, follow the four elements of cancelling a uniform rental contract listed below.

The Four Elements of Cancelling Your Uniform Rental Contract

1. There must be a current deficiency in the product or service that alters the terms of the contract that you have with the uniform rental company.
2. You must notify the uniform company of the deficiency pursuant to the terms of the contract. Usually, this is accomplished by sending a certified letter to the General Manager outlining the deficiencies.
3. You must give the uniform rental company 30-60 days to correct the deficiencies (see your contract for the exact verbiage).
4. Uniform rental company must fail to correct the deficiencies within the 30-60 day period.

If you meet all of those elements then you might have reason to terminate the agreement due to the breach of contract by the uniform rental company in failing to fulfill their legal obligations of the contract.

However it is not that simple, and you should consult with a lawyer before terminating the contract. In any uniform rental agreement, there will always be a liquidated damages clause which entitles the uniform rental company to 40-50% of the remaining value on the contract. If you cancel the contract and a uniform rental arbitration case is brought against you, there is a chance you could lose if the arbiter does not decide in your favor.

Can You Increase The Odds Of Cancelling A Uniform Rental Contract?

Four Crucial Action Items That Support The Four Elements Previously Mentioned

1. Keep a detailed log of the deficiencies in a spreadsheet which records the date of service, the deficiency, and with the uniform rental company said they would do to correct the problem. If you can, get the delivery driver to sign the log. If you would like a free template emailed to you, just contact us today.
2. Take pictures of the deficiencies in the proper lighting. Take videos as well. All of this will be beneficial in the event you are called to appear at an arbitration hearing.
3. Email copies of these logs, pictures & videos, to the Sales & Service Manager or Route Manager of the uniform rental company. Do not just call them, or give them your logs. The most important thing in this process is creating a permanent record which will give you the evidence you will need to win at an arbitration hearing.
4. When you get a response back from the uniform rental company on how they corrected the deficiency, you must respond back that they did not correct the deficiency or they did not correct it to the standards of the contract. This is important because even though the problem did not get fixed, the company will pretend that it did and they will email you back saying that the problem has been corrected within the 30-60 day period and now your attempt to cancel the contract has just been thwarted. They might even send you a certified letter to that effect. In that case, you must respond in kind by either email or certified letter stating accurately with all of your documentation, that they in fact, have NOT corrected the deficiencies.

Even after meeting the four elements of cancelling a uniform rental contract and supporting it with the compiling of  sufficient documentation, you will still want to think twice about going to an arbitration hearing. I have seen seemingly invincible cases go down the drain for some unforeseen event or witness. See if there is some way you can come to an amicable agreement. Usually in the end the lawyers are the only ones that come out winning in the end.

Is Fighting Your Uniform Rental Company Worth It?

The path to winning against a uniform rental company is a long and hard road which will take time, money and resources. Yes, you have the right to cancel, but for those who don’t take the steps that I’ve outlined above, your chances of winning are slim to none.

If you would still like a free consultation, please contact us as soon as possible.

Eddie Ferguson, Uniform Rental Expert Witness

951-963-9575