Active discussions

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

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Hotel mistake, wibu to tell them I'll correct it after Christmas?

495 replies

Sanshin · 09/12/2017 09:40

Recently went to Vietnam on holiday. Stayed in a 3 star hotel for 3 days at a cost of £90. Lovely hotel, lovely staff.

Whilst there we booked a trip organised by the hotel at a cost of $100.

When we checked out they forgot to charge us for the trip and we never realised as we were rushing around so just settled the bill they presented to us.

A week later I receive a friend request on Facebook from a lady who worked at the hotel. I accepted and she sent a message saying that whilst we were at the hotel we booked a trip that they forgot to charge us for. She goes on to ask if we will now pay for it because if we don't, the staff have to pay for it themselves. It was very polite but almost pleading. I felt really guilty as I know $100 is a hell of a lot of money to these people so I replied straight away and said of course we will pay.

I spoke to DH on the night who wasn't happy because we will now how to pay a currency conversion fee but agreed we would pay. Then as we have been so busy since we got back we forgot.

So she sends another message asking if we can pay now and if we send her the card details we can pay like that. I meant to speak to DH about it again but he's working long hours at the minute and I keep meaning to mention it but when he's here I keep forgetting!

Anyway yesterday she sent another message. However now we can't really afford to pay it until after Christmas. We have £500 left to last us until after Christmas and that $100 will leave us skint. If they'd charged us at the time it wouldn't have been a problem!

As it was there mistake wibu to tell them I'll pay after Christmas?

OP posts:
Imaginosity · 09/12/2017 13:56

Can you pay the hotel by Western Union?

PumpkinSquash · 09/12/2017 13:58

I've messaged her and asked for a proper invoice. I'll let you know what she says.

Sorry to point out the bleedin' obvious, but how do you KNOW she is who she says she is?!
If she works for the hotel, why isn't she contacting you via your actual details that the hotel will have?
You're asking a randomer off Facebook you added to send you an invoice? How do you know that's going to be legit?!
You ring the HOTEL and get THEM to send you an invoice and pay!
That way you'll know it's above board.
Sorry for the caps, but it really does need spelling out!
Easy to see how some get sucked into scams with this thread.
Not saying it is a scam, as could be perfectly legit, but you don't know that for sure! Better to be safe than sorry.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 09/12/2017 13:59

It's a con. The staff deliberately didn't charge so they can contact themselves after you have left

This ^^ I've just contacted a (British) friend who worked in tourism over there and apparently it's done all the time

Of course you should pay - even though they're at fault for not putting it on your bill - but for pity's sake do it properly by contacting the hotel. You don't even have to drop the staff in it; simply say you realised yourself it had been forgotten

Roussette · 09/12/2017 14:01

I do NOT dispute the woman on FB could be a scammer. I do however dispute that the money being asked for is a scam in itself. The OP knew she'd missed paying, the amount is right, the money is owed

Of course the OP should pay, but this should be on production of an official invoice from the hotel and payment should be made in a secure way

That's what we've all be saying, yes.

MiddleClassProblem · 09/12/2017 14:03

Not saying this happened here but someone staff member could have confided in someone about the mistake and that person set up an account of staff member (catfishing) to get the money for themselves. This shit does happen a lot in different ways.

PumpkinSquash · 09/12/2017 14:06

So, she's replied and said she'll send an invoice tomorrow but again if I give her the credit card details they can charge it online

SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM

No fkn WAY should you hand over your details, for crying out loud go via the hotel and pay that way.
If you hand over your details you need your head read.
Giving the benefit of the doubt, if you did pay via the randomer, how would you prove it if they did a runner with it? The actual real hotel management could ring up and say they wanted it paying back, and you'd be like "but I already have!"

MumW · 09/12/2017 14:07

Was going to say more or less what Puzzled said.

Eltonjohnssyrup · 09/12/2017 14:16

Yep. Scam. The charge will have been deliberately left off with the intention you would be contacted asking you for the money after returning home. Because it is a legitimate bill for something you do owe people are willing to hand over card details.

If you hand over those card details your account will be completely emptied and you will still not have paid for the trip and will just have handed your entire bank balance over to scammers. The 'we will make the staff pay' is intended to guilt you into handing your card details over.

Who did you originally book through? Can they not process the payment? Otherwise call the hotel and pay directly.

Do not hand over your card details to this woman.

It amazes me how many naive posters are telling you to hand your card details over.

Ecureuil · 09/12/2017 14:19

It amazes me how many naive posters are telling you to hand your card details over

I haven’t seen anyone say that? People are saying pay what you owe, but do it through the correct channels and don’t hand your card details out over the internet!

Roussette · 09/12/2017 14:24

No one is saying to hand over card details?! Am I on a different thread? I think ONE person might've said that pages back! I dont think people RTFT

Eltonjohnssyrup · 09/12/2017 14:25

Nope. First page is full of people just saying 'pay it' without any qualification and actual being quite unpleasant towards the OP.

Roussette · 09/12/2017 14:28

I don't see that many people are saying to send bank details over to this woman on FB. They are saying 'pay it' as in pay it in a safe way.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 09/12/2017 14:30

If you hand over those card details your account will be completely emptied and you will still not have paid for the trip and will just have handed your entire bank balance over to scammers

That also raises the point that OP's bank would probably refuse to compensate her for anything taken; they cover for many types of fraud, but quite rightly expect cardholders to be as careful as possible too

I'm just trying to imagine what their reaction would be to "I gave this hotel woman on Facebook my details ... what do you mean who was she? Well, she said that's who she worked for ..." Hmm

Roussette · 09/12/2017 14:31

That is why the OP will be contacting the hotel {hopefully}

HidingBehindTheWallpaper · 09/12/2017 15:08

Even though it's Asia it doesn't mean 1. you should not treat them with the same respect as hotels and services in the UK

I completely agree. I would not give my card details directly to anyone who claims to be hotel staff regardless of the country.

A message like:
‘Hello, this is Dave from the front desk at Premier Inn, York. We forgot to charge you for your breakfast, can I have your card details please?’
Would be met with the same response, a phone call to the actual hotel.

As for the op’s original question, you would be very unreasonable to leave it until after Christmas. Contact them directly right now.

StarWarsFanatic · 09/12/2017 15:15

Sounds dodgy as hell. Yes you owe the money, yes you should pay sooner rather than later but do not give them your card details.

How did you book the room originally? Could they charge you through that site in some way? e.g. if they have a room for a night for about the same price, book it and pay then they cancel the booking but don't refund.

Temporary2002 · 09/12/2017 15:25

OP, what I would do, if I were in your position is, call the hotel, tell them you realized to your dismay that you did not pay the outing fee. Apologuise, and say "Let me settle my debt immediately".

Don't be nervous, they are probably concerned so when you call them they'll be relieved that you are not avoiding them ect. Then pay up, transaction completed pleasantly and maybe you can return again sometime if you wanted to.

Loraline · 09/12/2017 15:28

Slightly aside from the main point, who accepts random friend requests from staff in a hotel you've stayed in? Do you just accept requests from anyone? Seems so odd to me.

Iwanttobe8stoneagain · 09/12/2017 15:29

Quite obviously a scam. If that really was the penalty the staff would have been more careful. Telephone the hotel ask for the bank details so you can transfer the money to the hotels account.

Iwanttobe8stoneagain · 09/12/2017 15:29

If they work in the hotel they can easily fake an invoice

kalinkafoxtrot45 · 09/12/2017 15:36

You would be wise to be cautious. Make sure the bill is settled directly with the hotel.

GoulishGoblinPumpkinSnatcher · 09/12/2017 15:52

Don't give any random person your credit card details online via FB, even if they are hotel staff. You're just opening yourself up there for major fraud, regardless if you think you would be doing the right thing or not. Who's to say that hotel member won't write down all of your card details when you give her them? She could do a hell of a lot with that info. That is poor company etiquette. They messed up, they didn't charge you. You don't have to pay it at all, and if you didn't there would be nothing they could do about it. But if you WANT to pay then wait until you receive a proper invoice.
It sounds like management isn't aware and they are trying to cover their tracks before management realise. I would of just ignored her request on FB and not replied. It's not your fault that they messed up and now you can't afford to pay.

GoulishGoblinPumpkinSnatcher · 09/12/2017 15:59

Don't put your financial situation at risk of fraud all over some people you will never see again. But if you must pay then ring the hotel and ask to speak to management and for management to send you an invoice. I have never even heard of this happening before ever. Hotels don't chase you up for trip payments once you've left the country! It was their mistake and now that you have left you have no financial ties with them whatsoever.

PumpkinSquash · 09/12/2017 16:03

Slightly aside from the main point, who accepts random friend requests from staff in a hotel you've stayed in? Do you just accept requests from anyone? Seems so odd to me.

Yeah, I thought that too! I'm a Facebook addict but never accept from people I don't know.
Why would you accept a friend request from staff in a hotel you went on holiday with that presumably you only spoke to a couple of times (if at all?)
Some people do just add anybody and everybody though. Which when they're essentially strangers with privy to all your daily life and doings is daft to me!

Puzzledandpissedoff · 09/12/2017 16:14

...they didn't charge you. You don't have to pay it at all, and if you didn't there would be nothing they could do
It's not your fault that they messed up and now you can't afford to pay

I'd hope OP is better than that Hmm And if I'm right that the FB contact kept the charge off the invoice in order to make a fast buck for herself, then the hotel didn't mess up - except, perhaps, in employing a scammer

Most of us aren't suggesting OP puts herself in the wrong, but that she pays what she owes - safely

Swipe left for the next trending thread