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:
user1498983411 · 10/12/2017 18:39

Email the hotel directly !! ask for the managers direct email explain that you owe them money for a trip ask them to send you a invoice. When the invoice arrives email back saying you will pay in January.

ihatetosay · 10/12/2017 18:42

you know you owe it so pay now - do it through the hotel officially though not fb

CheeseyToast · 10/12/2017 19:20

All those posters assuming this is a scam, shame on you. The OP owes money and if anyone is scamming, it is her. She knew full well she had not paid for her expensive trip and continues to try to evade payment. Typical bloated foreign visitor mentality, makes me cringe.

The sanctimonious cries of "scam, scam" reek of racism. If any of you had actually any experience of the world outside your narrow lives, you would realise this is what it seems - a roped off employee asking for their money back. Calling it unprofessional because the request did not arrive in your local style is so small town, almost quaint.

It's really very simple. The OP ducked out on a large bill and is hoping to get away with it. Calling her creditor a scammer, presumably because they're brown, poor and far away, is despicable.

Littlemissamy · 10/12/2017 19:21

OP not come back yet then?

Magstermay · 10/12/2017 19:31

Cheesey what a ridiculous thing to say! OP said they’d been emailing prior to her stay so it’s perfectly reasonable to expect a request for an unpaid bill to come via email from the hotel, rather than a random person on FB.
It might not be a scam, but it could be. That has nothing to do with the country or the colour of the person’s skin, just that you should be very wary of giving out credit card details to people you don’t know.

ShiftyMcGifty · 10/12/2017 19:35

“All those posters assuming this is a scam, shame on you. The OP owes money and if anyone is scamming, it is her. She knew full well she had not paid for her expensive trip and continues to try to evade payment. Typical bloated foreign visitor mentality, makes me cringe.

The sanctimonious cries of "scam, scam" reek of racism. If any of you had actually any experience of the world outside your narrow lives, you would realise this is what it seems - a roped off employee asking for their money back. Calling it unprofessional because the request did not arrive in your local style is so small town, almost quaint.

It's really very simple. The OP ducked out on a large bill and is hoping to get away with it. Calling her creditor a scammer, presumably because they're brown, poor and far away, is despicable.”

I read this as if Hyacinth Bucket was lecturing us and couldn’t stop laughing. All them fancy words too!

Blodplod · 10/12/2017 19:37

Totally agree with you @cheesey.. been trying to say that then gave up. The opening facts were the OP knew she had to pay but was looking to delay it.. there was no naivety, just a CF dodge on whether she could get away with waiting. People suggested she could perhaps pay more securely. Then loads waded in with a ‘stop the cheque’ mentality which now means the OP who had tried her best to wriggle out of paying is now sitting at home gleeful in the knowledge she’s got a legitimate excuse not to. Sickening really.

Housemum · 10/12/2017 19:38

Cries of scam smack of racism? No, I'd say the same if it was Joe Smith from an English hotel messaging me on FB to make a
PayPal transfer. Yes, you owe the money. But only pay it to the hotel - not details given on FB by a staff member. It's like the eBay scammers who message you asking to pay direct. Regarding currency fees, look on moneysavingexpert for legit sites with lower fees than banks.

Mumto2two · 10/12/2017 19:40

We realised after we had returned home from a holiday abroad, that we had not been charged for a bottle of very expensive champagne on our final evening at a local restaurant. We immediately rang and explained their omission. The poor staff were hoffified having realised their mistake, and their relief was immense. How could you even question this?? Absolutely unreasonable not to pay!

whoareyou123 · 10/12/2017 19:43

CheeseyToast so you would give your card details over Facebook then? That is what doesn't sound right to many on here (including me).

If the hotel wants their money that they failed to charge for originally they need to provide a safe way for the OP to pay them (and hope that at she does).

Blodplod · 10/12/2017 19:43

And for those just about to wade in with paying the hotel they obviously don’t understand how it works when employees get their wages docked when people don’t pay.

LipstickHandbagCoffee · 10/12/2017 19:44

Scam, for sure. And equally patrionising is notion that aww learn so much from other cultures. So humbling is it to travel and learn,that one must disavow self that anything hooky could go on.shifty you're doing gymnastics to get your self in a position of being seen to be above casting any aspersions

Blodplod · 10/12/2017 19:45

No one said to give the card details over FB though did they? There’s been pages and pages and pages and pages and pages to say not to do that?

PumpkinSquash · 10/12/2017 19:47

The sanctimonious cries of "scam, scam" reek of racism

Confused

Don't be so ridiculous. I'd be saying exactly the same to anyone if it was a hotel worker in Cleethorpes asking for money via a Facebook friend request and bank details!
Why on earth would you risk it? It probably isn't a scam, but you seriously can't be too careful.
Yes, she owes the money and she needs to pay up. Immediately. How is not correct to do it through ringing the hotel up and making the payment through the official channels?
Regardless of where the hotel is located. That's neither here nor there. It's common sense, which some seem to really be lacking!

Roussette · 10/12/2017 19:48

I don't understand why it just can't be paid. Way back upthread I linked to a Foreign Exchange site with an easy way to transfer money to Vietnam, for £1 fee, all that's needed is bank details from the hotel. I could link again but can't see the point because.....

However, no one seems to have noticed that the OP hasn't come back to say she is going to pay this. Or not till after Christmas. Or not at all.

whoareyou123 · 10/12/2017 19:50

blodpod the employee seems to be able to take the payment via card so you would presume the money is going direct to the hotel?

Blodplod · 10/12/2017 19:53

She’s not going to pay @Rousette and I don’t believe she ever had any intention of doing so. I think it was you that mentioned that she knew the moment she left the hotel she hadn’t been charged, and I agree with you. If they’re that bad at money management they’ve got £400 to last them over Xmas after coming back from a holiday in Vietnam they’re going to notice the difference between a £90 bill and a £190 bill.. all this guff about I was too busy, we were desperately trying to check out stressed etc is just that, guff.

Original poster
Sanshin · 10/12/2017 19:55

I'm still awaiting the invoice I asked for. And don't call me racist, you have no idea what race I am for a start!

OP posts:
Christmasgrinchthesecond · 10/12/2017 19:56

YABU to not pay them. You know you owe it, they probably get paid fuck all and they need the money.

However you are NOT being unreasonable to not want to give your card details to an employee through Facebook!

How can anyone think this is sensible?!

It's not racist. It's common sense. Sending unprotected card details to someone over a messenger service = very idiotic.

Send them:

"I'm terribly sorry we haven't gotten back to you, of course we want to pay the bill ASAP. We understand we have been unreasonable in not paying as soon as we realised. However, we do not feel comfortable providing our card details in this manner. If you give us the contact details for the hotel, we will transfer the money straight away in a more official manner. Please also accept a tip of £xwhatever as an apology and a thanks for the wonderful service we had on our holiday."

Original poster
Sanshin · 10/12/2017 19:58

I've not heard from her since I asked for a proper invoice.

OP posts:
Shesaid · 10/12/2017 20:00

Wow.. the amount of people here who want to make out the hotel is scamming you when you are actively scamming them right now.

Blodplod · 10/12/2017 20:00

Have you not got your original invoice? Why can’t you just check that?

Roussette · 10/12/2017 20:00

I just don't understand why you need an invoice. You know you owe it. Just ask for their bank details and pay it!

Here's the page showing what you will need from them to pay here

LipstickHandbagCoffee · 10/12/2017 20:01

Of course it’s a scam.theyve not produced an invoice or legit payment mode

pisacake · 10/12/2017 20:02

Also OP:

"I think bitcoin has its place - DH has sunk all our money into it so I'm praying it comes off!

I put £500 in mine last month and now have £1300 in there so it certainly works. Last night however I bought bitcoin for £13k and today it's worth £11k so it doesn't always come out on a positive."

Swipe left for the next trending thread