Massive holiday cock up !

[TheDogsMother]

We’re on a ferry on our way to a small Greek Island and I was checking the accommodation arrangements. I have just noticed I booked from 23-30 October not September 😮. The booking is for a week and not refundable. This is so unlike me but what a bloody idiot !

😂 I was hoping for a different story too 😂

Glad you've got it all sorted out OP!

I tend to double-and-triple check holiday books but my achilles heel seems to be hire cars, which have caused near-disaster on four different occasions

-realising I'd lost my driving licence card not long before a big US roadtrip - the entire trip hinged on it as I was the only driver. Replacement card arrived two days before we flew!

-once forgetting to take a physical credit card on holiday and they wouldn't release the car without a card for a damage deposit (we resolved it somehow, but it was touch-and-go)

-booking car hire online then missing an email from the hire firm saying they couldn't fulfil the booking, which I only spotted after we arrived (thankfully we managed to hire another car at the airport)

-once I was absolutely 100% convinced I'd booked the hire car, I knew exactly who I'd booked with and what car, then when we arrived at the airport there was no record of it anywhere. An on-the-spot booking was eyewatering and as we only needed a car to get to the mountain resort we were staying in we worked out we could get there by public transport - except we got 90% of the way there, to a remote mountain village, and the bus that was supposed to take us the rest of the way just didn't exist. Luckily we managed to ask around the village and someone took pity on us and drove us the rest of the way!

Oh and a tip for those who are paranoid about getting dates wrong - I often book complex multi-leg holidays and most recently I've used AI for double-checking - I plug in my itinerary then screen shot my bookings and feed them it, so it keeps a log of everything I've booked with confirmation numbers etc and verifies I've got the dates right.

You mucky minded mare🤣

Did you get sorted OP? Are you sipping a cocktail from your villa in Paxos?
my husband dud similar about 4 years ago..apparently we arrived 2 years too early! Not was the south of France at the height of summer and we had our dog with us! We managed to move around hotels for 10 days.. he is lucky to be alive…

Yes I agree with this and was thinking the same thing.
It is worth asking them if you can swap the dates. You are not asking for a refund so no harm in trying. If they are not busy and have rooms available, they might agree.

OP I have read your update. Goodluck.

Best of wishes with your holiday.

Glad you are sorted. I haven't yet done anything that hasn't been noticed before the event, but have had some near misses. At the beginning of this year I booked the Premier Inn for Jan 31st staying the night before a swim comp, suddenly realised a week or so later, the swim comp was not until Feb 8th. Also managed to book train tickets down to London without somehow booking the return journey. I blame turning 50.

Thread title sounds like you had a good time.

Why not? Just do it 😎

🤣

This is a great idea

They did t have space unfortunately and I did ask about a date change. Fortunately lovely host offered a partial refund despite it being my error.

Oh wow 🤣 yes we did get another place and the new host came and picked us up after some lugging cases about in the heat. Host and his sister are so nice and it’s been great chatting with them. Sister who owns our apartment is a coast guard in Athens when she’s not doing this so some fascinating stories.

Hire cars give me the instant angst with all the upselling and collision damage waiver stuff. I’m not surprised the issues you’ve had as it’s a minefield. Our new accommodation is further out so we’ve had to hire a car which has seen much, much better days 🤣

Glad you got it sorted OP!
I did something similar when I had DC2. I was booked in for a c section just over an hour from home, so thought I’d book a hotel for the night before to be closer to the hospital. We turned up at the hotel and it turned out I’d booked for the night OF the c section 🙈 Luckily they had a couple of rooms spare so we could still stay, and as the following night was non refundable DH stayed again so he was closer to come back to us in the morning, but I felt such an idiot!

you booked that for half term week- it is expensive then! i’m sure you’ll be able to find someone who would buy that booking from you for something if they won’t refund it.

One of my most memorable bookings gone wrong. I’d arranged to go to a Simon & Garfunkel tribute concert with my daughter. Standing outside the venue I was congratulating myself for finding parking a street away. Then we looked around and everyone else was dressed in neon leg warmers, shorts and platform boots which we thought was a bit strange. Wasn’t until my ticket wouldn’t scan and the doorman said you’re a year early, this is a 70s revival concert !

Brilliant 🤣

Thank God it's not high season, I'm sure you'll get sorted - life's an adventure xxx

I see that you’ve sorted it out now OP but you have my absolute sympathy 💐 a few months back I realised that I had booked my trip flights in the wrong direction … when I was checking in. The day before 🙁 And Ryanair truly make the most of day before bookings … I had to cancel my trip. I put it down to mental load. I’d never made a mistake like that before … but undoubtedly booked the flights at midnight when I was already shattered 🙁

Mad for what?

What is the cryptic message at the end of the first paragraph?

I once booked my full Christmas food shop and it arrived on the 24th November. I had been so pleased that I got a Christmas Eve date! We ate a lot of smoked salmon salads and fish cakes that month.

People make mistakes but it sounds like it all worked out well for you. Have a great holiday!

Not in the same league but I’ve been within days of going to a UK holiday and realised I’ve not advance booked train tickets. Just one of those things you have to grit your teeth and throw money at (much cheaper if I’d booked 12 weeks in advance)

I’m glad everything worked out OP and that’s a generous refund, probably because you explained in person and were so lovely. You are lucky with your cool as a cucumber DH, mine would definitely not have been