Contract & logistics
Hidden cost (event services)
A hidden cost is an expense that does not appear in the headline price of a service but becomes unavoidable once you have committed. In event robot hire, the most common are the operator charged as an option, travel charged at cost and set-up hours outside the package.
Updated on 12 October 2026 · Libella Robotics · Also known as: hidden costs, surcharge, additional fees
The mechanism is always the same: the advertised price corresponds to a service that does not exist in practice. A bipedal robot without an operator does not work; a set-up without preparation hours does not hold together; a “bare” robot, with no sequence prepared for the event, produces no effect.
The answer is simple and fits in one sentence to send to the supplier: “Please confirm in writing the all-inclusive price, with operator, installation and travel included, for this date and this venue.” An evasive reply to that question is a reply in itself.
Two other items deserve checking before signing: the amount of any deposit or insurance excess, and what happens to the equipment if the event is cancelled.
Key facts
| Most common | The operator charged “as an option” |
|---|---|
| Heaviest | Travel charged at cost |
| The sentence to send | “All-inclusive price, in writing, for this date” |