Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Fuck fuck fuck just lost £600 due to our own stupidity

182 replies

Changedname1468 · 10/09/2025 21:09

Help. DH just booked a ferry crossing. It came to £600. Which was already steep. As he booked it, I had a look on my phone and realised it was only £400 if booked through a benefit scheme I am member of. He had just verified payment but said no worries and cancelled it straight away within 5 min of booking and paying (not that it mattered) and I booked it at the cheaper price. I asked him to print the cancellation off and saw that the cancellation fee was £600. It doesn't look like the ticket was refundable. I feel absolutely sick that we have basically just lost £600 (and paid basically £1000 for the ferry crossing). I'm not sure what I'm expecting anyone to do. One of us will ring them tomorrow but I'm not having any hope. Any words of advice or stupid fuck ups you did and how long it took you to recover from it?

OP posts:
Diamond2793 · 11/09/2025 07:41

I once booked totally the wrong return flight with wizz air I ended up booking from one uk airport and back to another I rang them and even though it was non refundable they changed it all free of charge as I was within 24 hours hopefully you have some much today

notacooldad · 11/09/2025 07:42

I hope it gets sorted for you op.

My money mistake was to book flights for a day trip to Brussels. I have done this many times but this time asked dh if he wanted to come.

The night before when I'm checking us in I realised I'd booked the morning flight ok but had booked the return flight for 08.00hrs not 20:00hrs!! We would be coming home before we even got there 😆

Diamond2793 · 11/09/2025 07:43

BlueEyedBogWitch · 10/09/2025 21:12

I cancelled some flights this week thinking they were refundable.

They weren’t. That’s £1200 down the Swanee.

That’s my Idiot Tax paid for this year.

You can still apply for all the air tax back it’s a separate form you can find online it’s normally quite a bit of the flight price as long as you don’t use the ticket you can get that part back

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Addictedtohotbaths · 11/09/2025 07:48

If they won’t refund they might let you change the dates so you can have another trip within a year

itainthalfcold · 11/09/2025 07:52

Maybe try telling them that you and your DH had talked about booking and both booked tickets without realising. They might take pity on you.

IcedPurple · 11/09/2025 07:58

anon666 · 11/09/2025 07:40

I've done this sort of thing so I feel your pain. Surely that's misselling as if they're not cancellable/refundable that should be clearly marked! Rather than charging you a "cancellation fee" of the whole cost. Sounds like a scam.. 😔

I'd echo others in that we all get caught out like this once in a while, and sometimes its better to chalk it down to experience ratger than dwell on it. I know that sickening feeling. 😫

Edited

I doubt it's a scam. We're dealing with a reputable company here.

It's quite common for tickets to be non-refundable. She will likely have had to tick a box indicating that she understood the terms and conditions before purchasing the tickets.

Legally the company are very likely not obliged to refund, but I hope they understand the circumstances and the OP gets her money back.

Bjorkdidit · 11/09/2025 08:01

There is an argument that any significant T&Cs, rather than the several pages of legalese in 6 point font, that might affect a person's decision to make the purchase, should be pointed out to the buyer in a 'key facts' type arrangement - this would cover a 100% cancellation fee because that, in effect, makes the ticket non-refundable, so changes the terms of the offer presented.

When DH was booking, did it suggest that the booking was refundable? Is this a case of the information being deliberately deceptive or has he not read it properly?

As an aside, for those who dismiss the mental load, it is this sort of thing that I mean when there's a difference between just doing things, and doing them well. Have you got the best price, are the T&Cs as you expected, have you actually booked the right day/time/location etc. It's well known that tickets for anything are often non-refundable, or so expensive to refund that it's not worth doing, so never assume you can cancel something without penalty. There's lots of stories in this thread where 'DH booked the wrong XYZ' so doing that due to carelessness or lack of thorough reading is just as bad as not doing it at all.

But in any case, I would ring and say 'accidentally booked twice', is it possible to refund. If yes, great. If not, try emailing the same question via customer service. Good luck.

thornbury · 11/09/2025 08:05

We were on holiday in the Maldives and met a couple there who thought they were going to the Seychelles...but booked Male not Mahe.

Hope you get some money back OP.

Bumblebee72 · 11/09/2025 08:15

I call them and explain. I've made errors booking hotels before they have already refunded me if when I've called them shortly after.

IcedPurple · 11/09/2025 08:15

Bjorkdidit · 11/09/2025 08:01

There is an argument that any significant T&Cs, rather than the several pages of legalese in 6 point font, that might affect a person's decision to make the purchase, should be pointed out to the buyer in a 'key facts' type arrangement - this would cover a 100% cancellation fee because that, in effect, makes the ticket non-refundable, so changes the terms of the offer presented.

When DH was booking, did it suggest that the booking was refundable? Is this a case of the information being deliberately deceptive or has he not read it properly?

As an aside, for those who dismiss the mental load, it is this sort of thing that I mean when there's a difference between just doing things, and doing them well. Have you got the best price, are the T&Cs as you expected, have you actually booked the right day/time/location etc. It's well known that tickets for anything are often non-refundable, or so expensive to refund that it's not worth doing, so never assume you can cancel something without penalty. There's lots of stories in this thread where 'DH booked the wrong XYZ' so doing that due to carelessness or lack of thorough reading is just as bad as not doing it at all.

But in any case, I would ring and say 'accidentally booked twice', is it possible to refund. If yes, great. If not, try emailing the same question via customer service. Good luck.

When DH was booking, did it suggest that the booking was refundable? Is this a case of the information being deliberately deceptive or has he not read it properly?

Just had a quick look at the DFDS website.

This is how it describes the booking options:

Economy
€179.00
Our most cost-friendly option for those travelling on a budget.

Travel up to 4 hours before or after your departure on another available ferry

Amendable for a fee

Non-refundable

Or:

Flexi
€239.00
Our flexible option allows you to make changes without fees.

Travel up to 72 hours before or after your departure on another available ferry

Amendable free of charge up to 48 hours before departure

Refundable up to 48 hours before departure

www.dfds.com/en/passenger-ferries/yourbooking

If the OP's husband booked 'economy' then they are very upfront about the fact that it is non-refundable. But hopefully once they see that she still has a booking with them, they'll refund her for the first booking.

Newgirls · 11/09/2025 08:27

I think theres a 24 hour cooling period for any online purchase? Good luck op

Cantbleedingcope · 11/09/2025 08:31

Feel for you OP!

Years ago - when I was absolutely skint - I organised a little road trip with my kids to London and Legoland with a couple of stops on the way. Broke the cost up for me booking a hotel and tickets for things each month.

Couple of weeks before we were due to go I got an email from one hotel saying “Hope you enjoyed your stay!” - yes I had indeed booked one for the completely wrong date and hadn’t realised. Nothing I could do to get a refund. I was gutted.

Branleuse · 11/09/2025 08:40

I think if neither will cancel, you might be able to negotiate one of them giving you a credit note to use another time, so you could have next year's holiday paid for .

spoonbillstretford · 11/09/2025 08:46

Most things you can get a refund if you cancel immediately.

BananaPeels · 11/09/2025 08:46

Honestly I think you have a good chance of a refund. You can show the two bookings and often they have discretion to refund. I’ve had non refundable tickets refunded in cases of error. It is different to just changing you mind.

JustStopItNorasaurus · 11/09/2025 08:47

I applied for travel visas to Australia using a link from an airline we were using for DH and the Dcs.

Cost about £240. Then I realised you can apply direct through the immi.gov.au website for free. Thing is, I have done it before for free through the government website 3-4 times yet never twigged. That was my idiot tax too.

spoonbillstretford · 11/09/2025 08:49

The non-refundable thing is meant for people changing their minds or plans later. Not realising immediately that you have duplicated or booked in error. Usually you can get a refund within 24 hours.

MsMiniver · 11/09/2025 08:52

I booked a channel tunnel home from France for the wrong day. We missed it by a day. Unbelievably it was €13 to change the tickets.
I also booked an entire holiday to Majorca for the wrong YEAR. The young woman at Jet2 took pity and helped me swap it. I wasn’t even doing a ditsy idiot act… I just was a ditsy idiot.
I also told my mum the wrong day to pick me up from a flight home from Thailand, she alerted the airport police when I didn’t arrive.
Solidarity with silly mistakes OP.

GreenAndWhiteStripes · 11/09/2025 08:54

I once accidentally booked flights on the wrong date (a week earlier than we needed - I just got muddled). It cost £35 admin fee to change which didn't seem too bad, but that was £35 per person per flight and there are 5 of us, so that's £350! So annoying.

JustStopItNorasaurus · 11/09/2025 08:56

That reminds me Mrs Miniver i once booked and paid for a cruise for the wrong year. I thought I was doing it for the coming October. Then a few days later was merrily reviewing the details and it said 'Age of primary traveller at time of travel (me) - 48. I thought 'that's not right', Then 'age of second traveller (DH) - 68 and thought 'THAT's not right'. then realised I had booked it for the October the following year.

That October we went to Centreparcs (much fun- we got pizza delivered on halloweeen night and a witch on a bicycle turned up) and then the cruise on the dates I had booked.

marnieMiaou · 11/09/2025 08:57

But they have already cancelled tbe first crossing. How will cancelling the £400 one help? You will still have paid £600 for nothing

LittleGreenDuck · 11/09/2025 08:57

I managed to book airport parking starting a week before we needed it, but ending on the correct date, so two weeks instead of one.

Called to ask if we could just turn up a week later and use the second week. Computer said no, the whole booking would be cancelled when we didn't show up on the original date and we would have to rebook. After a lot of back and forth, they accepted that we didn't need two bookings for the same car for the same week, and refunded the error. It's worth (politely) escalating if the first answer is no.

eqpi4t2hbsnktd · 11/09/2025 09:08

Phone them. If they say no... complain loudly on social media... bad press sometimes gives people a kick up the backside to do the right thing.

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 11/09/2025 09:09

I once booked a hotel room in Norway for three nights - we were going to a gig and then tagged a couple of days of sight seeing on. I pre-paid at a good deal as it was well in advance. When we turned up to check in, I'd booked the previous day as check-in, then that day and the day after. Luckily they were able to give us an extra night on the other end, but the idiot tax was definitely paid at a high room rate.

It's those wheel-y date things that catch me, and I now have to be really vigilant if I'm booking restaurants etc after turning up on wrong days for lunch more often than I care to admit.

Oldglasses · 11/09/2025 09:12

Husband once booked flights for a month earlier than we were flying. We are so careful now when we book anything like that!
We managed to salvage a bit of cash back due to it being through a second-party scheme but it was a salutary lesson learnt.