Shopping students were stopped for a while Wednesday after NIU approved, then cancelled, then approved again a discount clothing merchant.

Einarsen Industries of Dubuque, Iowa, talked with NIU officials for about a week to make sure it was okay to sell brandname clothing at discounts of more than 50 percent inside Grant Towers South, owner Pat Einarsen said.

But Donald Buckner, associate vice president for Student Affairs, cancelled the sale Tuesday evening, Einarsen said.

The sale was cancelled because it was scheduled without finalization, said James Brunson, Grant Towers coordinator. Solicitation is not allowed in the residence halls unless it is sanctioned by the hall council, he said.

Einarsen said his company agreed to donate $250 to Grant Towers South Hall Council for allowing him to set up shop in one of the residence hall’s main lobbies. Although he didn’t have a written contract, Einarsen said he thought the sale was final after talking with NIU for the past week and working out the deal with the hall council.

Sue Zarlenga originally told Einarsen he could sell his goods after talking with the Housing Services Associate Director Jack Felver and Brunson. Zarlenga is Grant South’s hall director.

Buckner and Felver could not be reached because they are out of town until Monday.

Einarsen said Felver told him residence hall policy permits such sales, but Brunson would not allow it.

Outside vendors are allowed in the halls only if they are sponsored by the hall council, Zarlenga said. Although Einarsen Industries was sponsored by the council, certain procedures were not followed correctly, she said.

One busted procedure was an official document detailing the event. Only a flier came from the industry, Zarlenga said.

However, Einarsen said he had been talking with Zarlenga for more than a week about the sale and thought a verbal contract had been made.

On Wednesday morning, Gary Gresholdt, assistant vice president for Student Affairs, gave the sale the green light for the second time after discussing the situation with NIU Legal Counsel.

Gresholdt said Einarsen’s expenses were considered when approving the sale again. He also said current policies will be reviewed as a result of this situation.

University Legal Counsel George Shur said he doesn’t know if the rules were followed, but there is nothing illegal about vendors at NIU as long as they follow procedures.

Ken Kringle, account executive at Einarsen Industries, said he called Shur’s office Wednesday morning. When he received the second approval, it was too late for the clothing truck to arrive on time.

The sale was planned to run from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, but it didn’t begin until 3:15 p.m. The prime selling hours are from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Einarsen said.

He said he stands to lose 80 percent of his profits after the sale was cancelled, then given the go-ahead and finally starting six hours late. Einarsen expected to make about $20,000 if he started on time, he said.

Freshman Michele Meister, pre-business major, said she arrived at the sale at 9 a.m. and found a sign stating the sale was to begin at noon.

Meister said she came back and found another sign stating the sale will start at 2 p.m. When she arrived at 1:50 p.m., she waited more than an hour before the truck arrived at about 3:15 p.m.

Einarsen Industries held a smaller sale at an on-campus church at NIU in January.

“We’ve done four sales a week in the last two years and never, ever had a problem,” Einarsen said.