Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

Original poster

re paying for spa trip with friend who can't now make it?? WWYD??

18 replies

CocktailQueen · 03/07/2011 16:55

Can't decide what to do!

Months ago a friend and I booked a spa overnight stay. She came down with chicken pox last week - a few days before we were due to go :(.

I rang the spa to rearrange but we can only rearrange for the next 2 weeks - my friend can't do any date over the next 2 weeks so I just booked for 2 weeks time as it would be pointless both of us losing our money. My friend has said I can ask another friend to go with me.

She has also said that she's happy to lose the money so she'll effectively pay for my friend's ticket, but I don't know if this is fair. What do you think - is it fair for my friend to forfeit her money due to being ill, which is not her fault?

I haven't been able to find a friend who can go with me either but that's a different story! So, wwyd? If I find another friend to come with me, shoudl I ask her to pay all, or pay half, and I'd pay half, or say it's free, or something else??!

Thanks :)

OP posts:

BabyYoureAFirework · 03/07/2011 16:57

I would not mention it to the friend that you take, get her to pay for her own ticket, and pocket the money

PfftTheMagicDragon · 03/07/2011 16:59

If you can find someone else happy to go, then they should pay and your friend should get her money back.

If you go alone and cannot find anyone else, then your friend should still pay.

centrecourt · 03/07/2011 16:59

Depends. If you know loads of people who would be happy to pay and have that amount of free time, then get them to pay. I would struggle a bit to fill that slot at such short notice (esp if it was expensive) so if I could find a friend I would ask them to pay a fair contribution but maybe not full price depending on what they felt able to pay.

ENormaSnob · 03/07/2011 17:16

What pfft said.

buzzsore · 03/07/2011 17:22

What Pfft said.

MistressFrankly · 03/07/2011 17:24

What Pfft said

BornSicky · 03/07/2011 17:29

what pfft said, but can't you phone the spa back and explain and plead with them?

Original poster

CocktailQueen · 03/07/2011 18:00

Thanks :) Thanks pfft and centrecourt :)

Have asked a few people but they are busy at such short notice. The spa has been rubbish tbh, only giving us 2 weeks to change our booking - my friend is contagious and cannot be out in public so what do they expect!!!

The spa is Whittlebury Hall by the way and I am seriously unimpressed with them. Completely unhelpful.

OP posts:

NearlySpring · 03/07/2011 18:12

Tell the spa your friend has chicken pox but is feeling ok, just very contagious. Tell them if they wont let you change your dates with more flexibility or give you a refund then she's going to be coming to the spa contagious! Of course she wouldn't really but I imagine the spa would worry about complaints from other guests!

TidyDancer · 03/07/2011 18:14

Ooh NearlySpring has it! That's so what I would do!

Original poster

CocktailQueen · 03/07/2011 19:43

Thanks Nearlyspring but the spa is soooo not playing ball. I said I was surprised they weren't being more flexible what with there being a recession on etc and she just repeated her '2 weeks to change' like a robot. Gah.

OP posts:

PfftTheMagicDragon · 03/07/2011 19:48

TrilllianAstra · 03/07/2011 19:50

Let friend and other friend sort it out between themselves?

Would any non-infectious friends be able to go if they only had to pay 70% or 50%? That was chickenpox friend would only be alosing some money (think of it as a deposit, which is now lost because she cancelled).

LauLauLemon · 03/07/2011 20:01

I agree with Pfft.

DoMeDon · 03/07/2011 20:06

Does she have holiday insurance? I have it with my bank account and didn't realise it covered short trips too - it covered me for illness when I couldn;t make a weekend away.

If not, I think the friend who goes should pay; although when I had a cancelled holiday place my only friend who could go couldn't afford to pay so took the place 'free'. Your ill friend has to pay either way so any money back is a bonus.

doozle · 03/07/2011 20:18

This isn't Champneys is it?

zipzap · 03/07/2011 20:18

Is it because they are going to be really busy over the summer so don't want you taking peak places? Could you ask them would it be better for them if you delayed until sept/oct for example (having agreed with your friend a couple of dates that would be good for her) to show you are nice and flexible?

Also worth speaking to the person's boss and their boss up to the manager if they give you any grief. And bring up the coming with chickenpox if they can't rearrange.

Anyhow, w hall is just down the road from me silverstone and is likely to be really busy in the run up to the grand prix which I think is next weekend so would have thought it was in their advantage for you
not to be going so soon...

And bet they would love to have somebody there with chickenpox with all their big money paying F1 guests and drivers etc staying...

What do the t&c say about changing the reservation?

CoffeeIsMyFriend · 03/07/2011 20:24

ooh I was in Towcester a couple of weeks ago. A little bit far for me to come but if you were really really stuck, obviously I would step into the breach.

Flip