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Original poster

Costly mistake....WWYD?

58 replies

Superunsure · 06/02/2018 14:29

Group of 6 friends going away on a city break. One friend offered to book the hotel. All done- everyone transferred their share. Met up with this friend as sharing kid's lifts last week...seemed very upset and distracted, when asked what was up said ‘ don’t worry I've just made a stupid mistake!’. Continued to say, ‘I’m only going to tell you so please don’t let on to the others, but just had an email welcoming us to the hotel tomorrow!’ She realised she'd booked for the wrong month and just before I saw her she had quickly rebooked for the correct dates. Original booking on a saver rate so she is out of pocket about £500.

Doesn't want me to share info with the other 4. I think she should tell everyone, yes it's another £80 each but I don’t think she should have to bear the brunt. Don't want to go behind her back as that may upset her but when I suggested on a message again that she let them know she says she just want to forget it. The problem is she and I won’t forget it, and it may affect the weekend i.e. costs whilst there etc. so WWYD?

OP posts:

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 06/02/2018 15:31

The thing is OP, if you do break her confidence, you will actually obligate the rest of the group morally/ethically/heartstring-pluckingly(?) to repay the whole amount that they paid, again.

That wouldn't be right. If your booking-friend wants to tell the group then she can - you can't.

ShutYoFace · 06/02/2018 15:32

That's unusual, I would expect to pay an extra booking fee etc, but for the hotel not to allow her to do this is really mean

It's not mean, its booked for tomorrow. Why would the hotel be out that much money for no reason?

GnotherGnu · 06/02/2018 15:32

She's going to feel really bad if she feels she's cost everyone £80. Pay her your £80, but keep it quiet from the others.

Original poster

Superunsure · 06/02/2018 15:33

Thanks...first ever post!! It was premier inn and yes she attempted to negotiate not possible at such short notice. She rebooked at another saver rate but it cost a little more. I would happily pay again -anyone can make a mistake, particularly when in Feb and March the dates fall on the same days of the week! We got a good deal really for the location. She is a good friend we have all known each other a long time and been away together before. I am sure the others would feel the same but don't want to break that confidence. I think if just I paid she would feel worse... If that makes sense!?

OP posts:

LyricalGangster · 06/02/2018 15:34

See if she can contact the hotel. They may give her a discount on rebooking correct dates.

See if she can claim on the travel insurance

Original poster

Superunsure · 06/02/2018 15:35

It's her enjoyment of the trip I'm worried about now!

OP posts:

RidingWindhorses · 06/02/2018 15:37

It's totally up to her how she chooses to deal with it. You have to respect her choice. I'd give her the £80 from me and just leave it.

Pearlsaringer · 06/02/2018 15:39

She’s a good person, doesn’t feel she can ask her friends to pay for her mistake so doesn’t want to mention it and put them in the position of having to offer or refuse. But you can. Sound them out, stress that she doesn’t know you are telling them and has asked you not to, see if they will pay some of the extra cost. As another poster has said, what’s the worst that can happen?

honeyroar · 06/02/2018 15:39

Are you good friends? Do you think the others would pay if they knew? Id speak to her and say "look I know you didn't want to tell the others, but I'd want to know if I were them. I'm going to give you the £80." But you need the others to know that your friend isn't asking, so that if any of them would have not come at a more expensive rate they aren't put in an awkward position.

thecatsthecats · 06/02/2018 15:40

I'm afraid I would not want to be out of tune to a whole £80 for someone else's mistake in these circumstances. (I have actually made a similar mistake myself, in booking the wrong hotel for the right date for a getaway, and I paid the cost of the replacement hotel. Though I do now insist that DP and I do any hotel booking entirely separate from each other, as he was pissing me off asking questions and distracting me which I think was part of the problem in the first place.)

I don't think it is problematic for you to pay separately for your share, but you can't assume it is as simple for everyone else to do the same.

I also think the hotel are dicks for refusing even a 'top up' switch.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 06/02/2018 15:40

All you can do OP, is offer your £80 again. You can't do that on behalf of anybody else and you really shouldn't.

This has happened to me before - and I just had to suck it up. Premier Inn is great but if you go for the saver rate then you take your chance if things change because that rate is low for a reason.

What I was trying to ask you (delicately) was that you are sure that your friend paid the saver rate - and didn't ask the group to pay the non-saver rate? Because you would cause all kinds of misery if you broke her confidence under those circumstances.

coffeeforone · 06/02/2018 15:41

if I was your friend i'd take the hit and not let others know - my mistake, my problem

if i was you, I would pay your £80 to your friend (if she accepts), but i wouldn't say anything to the others.

honeyroar · 06/02/2018 15:42

Or could you speak to your friends and see if you could all pay for her meal's/activities between you as a gesture?

Batteriesallgone · 06/02/2018 15:45

If she really can’t afford to absorb the mistake she’ll have to tell everyone.

Obviously now you know I think you should give her £80. But really I don’t think she should have told you.

I did something similar once but it wasn’t the date that was wrong it was a miscalculation. I had booked a set menu for a group that was priced per person but the wording etc was very misleading and made it seem like it was priced per every pair (because it was sharing plates). Ended up being double what I have budgeted / taken from everyone.

I had to suck it up, it was my error, I couldn’t suddenly double everyone else’s bill.

Snacktimonious · 06/02/2018 15:46

That's really odd, did she call the hotel to explain? Seems bizarre a hotel wouldn't let her change it

It's not bizarre. It's standard with a saver rate. It's significantly cheaper than the flexible rate - because it's guaranteed income for them and it's non-cancellable.

I'd have taken the hit myself as well. I once accidentally double booked a Premier Inn because my pc was playing up. I rang them within 5 minutes and fortunately they took pity on me and cancelled one. They could see that I'd booked 2 rooms within seconds of each other. Any other time I've booked a saver room and not used it due to circumstances, it's just my hard luck. It's the risk you take.

Pearlsaringer · 06/02/2018 15:48

Actually, that’s a good point about her picking the saver rate without people knowing. I don’t think I could let my friend bear the whole cost even if it was her mistake, so I’d want to help out, but I suppose it depends what everyone’s circumstances are.

whiskyowl · 06/02/2018 15:54

Oh gosh, this is a really tricky one!

Personally, I'd raise it with the friends. But let them decide what they wanted to do. I don't think they are honour bound to pay up, but I think plenty of mates would in the circumstances. You could then amalgamate the money and present it as a "contribution towards" the mistake if not everyone can afford/wants to pay in.

OlennasWimple · 06/02/2018 15:54

I made a similar mistake and decided to suck it up - I was too embarrassed to admit what I had done, and I didn't want my friends to have to pay more than they had budgeted due to my stupidity. If I had told someone in confidence, I would have been mortified if they had decided to tell anyone else.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 06/02/2018 15:55

Pearl, I was actually asking whether the friend paid the SAVER rate but told the group the NON-SAVER rate, eg. Saver rate of £60, Non-saver rate of £80. 6 x £20 difference, that's £120 unaccounted for. Charitably, perhaps OP's booking friend was going to use that for some kind of treat for the group.

If the group thought that this was a Saver rate then they will wonder why they're being asked to cough up again - if they are asked. If they've paid the Non-Saver rate then still, they've paid and the booker takes the 'hit'.

I agree with pp that the booking friend should not have told OP. It sounds a bit contrived (not the OP) that this mistake would come out and the group would rally to put it right. I thought from the first post that OP is being used as a cats-paw to sound out the group and act as a buffer between them and booking-friend.

It's curious.

BrendasUmbrella · 06/02/2018 16:00

I think if just I paid she would feel worse... If that makes sense!?

Well not really, because then I don't think she would have told you.

Think about your trip. Will you feel better if you give her £80 towards the hotel, or worse because you lost some money? There's your answer.

Original poster

Superunsure · 06/02/2018 16:04

She sent a screen shot of the original booking and we all transferred the money pretty much immediately. I have no doubt of any of the details. I think if she'd not seen me pretty much as soon as it happened she wouldn't have told me and in hindsight she's no doubt regretting it. She'll regret it even more if I keep talking about it. Just want to cushion the blow so think I'll just transfer my bit. Thanks for input

OP posts:

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 06/02/2018 16:07

Fair enough, Superunsure. It's nice of you to transfer your amount over and I'm sure she'll appreciate it.

amusedbush · 06/02/2018 16:10

I don't think she should have said anything. If I'd made the mistake, I'd keep it to myself. On the other side of it, if someone else had made the mistake and owned up I'd feel obliged to pay up but would resent having to pay extra for their mistake.

Of course these things happen and it's unfortunate but that's how it is.

dustarr73 · 06/02/2018 16:10

If she sent the screenshot,did nobody else notice it.If you dont want to break her confidence you could always say someone else noticed the wrong date.And she what she says

Findingdotty · 06/02/2018 16:13

I would absolutely give her the £80 (possibly even just transfer it if you have her bank details). It doesn't matter if she actually wants it. It's the right thing to do. It's not like she is going to say to you, oh don't tell anyone else but yes, I do want the money from you though.

I would not tell anyone else though. It could be only partly about the money. Your friend may well be very upset if you tell the others as she may be worried about how she will be viewed by the friendship group. It was a costly mistake but sometimes most of us would rather pay than be shown up for making a mistake publically.

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