Paying for other people's holidays

[woodstonobserver]

I was going on holiday next week to a Spain to a villa that sleeps six with my daughter, a girlfriend and her daughter. Girls only, no blokes allowed!

Holiday was all paid for, but due to family difficulties my girlfriend and her daughter pulled out last week.

Phoned up holiday company and was told that it would cost £30 to change the name on the ticket and that extra tickets were £250. Was told it might be more nearer the time.

Didn't want to be by myself with my daughter on holiday so offered "free" tickets to another girlfriend and her daughter. Her daughter then wanted to bring her boyfriend, age 14, and his mum wanted to come along as well.

So suddenly we had six people, two of whom I have only met a couple of times. Told them the holiday company needed passport details before accepting bookings, and that the extra flights would need to be paid for. The boyfriend needed to get a passport. Finally got all the details and phoned holiday company.

They told me it was now £275 to change a name on a ticket and extra flights were now £500. So suddenly it would cost £550 to change 2 names and £1000 to buy two extra tickets, total £1550.

Told the holiday company to forget it and told my friend we had left it too late. I planned to go by myself with my daughter, bit sad I know, but not worth paying those prices.

Since then been subjected to a torrent of abuse to the effect that I had promised them a holiday and that I now had to provide them with said holiday no matter how much it cost.

My reply to my friend was that whilst I might be able to pay for her and daughter, I most certainly was not going to pay for her daughter's boyfriend and his mum!

Major row taking place tonight! Why should I pay for my friend's daughters's boyfriend and his mum?

Why can't his dad pay?

Am I being unreasonable?

Amy xx

What will happen if these insane people WRECK the villa? It is in your name, so your responsibility.

Do you really want to let these people ruin your holiday? Your child will hate you for it. Sorry. You are possibly ruining your own childs holiday by letting these people come and take advantage. The atmosphere will be horrid. It will be THEM and YOU. They are not going to be grateful, or keen to spend time with you. They will view you as the bitch who tried to wriggle out of the offer of a free holiday.

Who do you think will pay all the food once you are there?

You will. Because you have promised them a free holiday.

You need to tell them they are faffin gyou about so much you are withdrawing the offer.

Are you still taking the daughter and friend then and maybe the boyfried and mother if someone pays? I'm getting confused.

Simple answer is that I would like the company and not really feeling strong enough to go all that way by myself with my five year old daughter.

please dont go on holiday with these people

pleeeeeaaseeeee

they are bullying you with their terms and conditions - please just take your DD and have a lovely relaxing time - as the others have said - they will take the piss on holiday too

I know that you have said they can only go if they pay but seriously, they are out for all they can get. Can you change the flights for you and your dd and go by yourself? You'll have more fun.

but do you feel strong enough to go on holiday with people who take advantage of you? i am going to worry myself sick about you now if you take them!

my sister (Amy!) took a friend on holiday with her as the original friend dropped out - friend no 2 gave her a right hard time telling her that she felt she was second best as she had been asked as an afterthought etc - totally ruined my sisters holiday
x

Take a random Mnetter (would offer my lovely self and lovely DD but who would feed the choocks?), anything would be better than these people. They sound toxic.

Could your mum go with you? A cousin? a different friend? I really, really wouldn't go with these gold diggers because you don't want to go alone. Could you change the tickets to when the origional friend can go?

you know what OP? You will have a lovely time, you and your DD. You will meet people and chat and it will be whatever you want it to be!

Go alone, be brave, it will be liberating!

Dont let these people take the piss out of you.

The villa is the expensive bit, and that was paid for 13 weeks in advance. So it is next week or nothing. So I am thinking of letting them go and me staying at home! xx

No! Oh woodston.. YOU go and THEY can stay home and pick their noses.

I think I would sooner not go at all than go with such selfish money grubbing selfish tossers.

Don't go with them. Of COURSE you can go, just the two of you. It's Spain, not Timbuktoo. It'll be an adventure , you will be bound to meet other famililies out there, it's the hols. People who, if you don't like them you can avoid - something you won't be able to do if you're sharing a villa with PITAses!

Don't be so silly wood. I'd just go by myself, get out a bit and meet some of the locals.

Alternatively, I haven't told them the flight numbers or the flight times yet....

For god's sake woman get a back bone!

How can you be so passive? I think they can tell they can walk all over you and you will just let them. If you go with them it is going to be horrible for you and your DD.

Look go,just you and DD. If you hate it, come back after a few days. Still cheaper, even with changing flights, than paying for that shower of gobshites.

Make sure you send them a postcard though

Having a five year old with you will probably actually help you meet people - children are adored in spain. No doubt, your daughter will make friends with another little girl / boy and you will then meet their family and have a lovely time with them......much better than spending your precious holiday with these awful people!

Right, I've got backbone, my reason for posting in the first place. xx

You can either have a great time with your daughter in Spain or a really, really shit time with the gold diggers in Spain. I know what I'd do and it's not staying at home! Tell them the origional person is now able to go but you will bear them in mind for the next time (snigger)

Well there is no use having backbone here you need to use it to stand up to people who seem to think you are a money box.

There must be MNetters in Spain, maybe someone could come and say hello?
I bet though you will have a fab time. I get nervous doing things alone with DD (LP too) but am always fine.

Please tell them to take a hike.

Go with your dd and have a wonderful time!

Don't disappoint your dd by letting these fuckwits encroach on your holiday. Go with her and relax and enjoy it.

Your 'friends' are freeloading arseholes, you sound lovely!

another vote for not going with them, this will all end in tears if you go with them, you do know that don't you?

Just you and her go.I took my two aged 11 and 3 to Spain when got divorced. It was the most liberating thing I ever did and a totally relaxing holiday doing what I wanted with kids. I honestly count it as one of my life changing experiences on my road to independence. Did it every year after. even took them to India. please go alone. then let us know how fab it was and how proud you are.