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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be cross about this holiday booking?

151 replies

Divette · 07/08/2018 12:31

Aaargh I’m at the end of my tether here! We decided last minute (Friday last week) to book a holiday to our favourite resort for this Friday. It’s privately owned self catering apartments and we book the flights separately. We looked at flights and prices and knew we could (just about) justify it having bought a house this year too.

I got in touch with several owners and management companies to enquire about apartments. Nothing was quite what we were looking for (we specifically need to be in a certain place on resort so we can always be near the children when they’re in the pool etc. We know the resort well and so know which apartments work for us and which don’t).

One man (management company) got back to me eventually yesterday and said he had availability for our dates but we’d have to move apartments halfway through due to availability. We understood and were about to go ahead and book when he replied to say someone had agreed a booking on the apartment for the first part of our stay and this first one now wasn’t available after all but the second still was.

He then phoned me to say he had somewhere else for the second part of the stay but couldn’t tell me any details or price. This was 5ish yesterday and having checked the flights again we realised they had gone up in price by £250 (aaargh!) but that if we stayed longer, we could pay the original flight price so decided to extend our stay in the second apartment which he said was free and would be no problem.

We told him we would have to book our flights for fear of them going up again (they had already increased in price by £150 the day before). He said he definitely had somewhere in the correct location and with the 2 bathrooms so go ahead and book our flights. So we did.

Today he emailed to say he should have somewhere for me by 9am. He gave me a price which was high but we had to go with it by this point. I thanked him and explained again we were quite specific about location on resort and that if whatever he had found didn’t suit, we’d be happy to use it for the first week, then move into his second apartment as agreed yesterday. He then said he had an apartment for the whole of our stay that his friend could offer us, but that he couldn’t remember any details about it (not the location on resort or if it had 2 bathrooms like we wanted). He told me at this point to email his friend instead (not a company just an owner who lives on the resort). I reiterated that we’d need to know the details of location etc before we booked. He said he didn’t have any details and it was very short notice for me to be asking for them.

I said again we’d need to know info so we knew our boys would be close by in the pool etc and that we’d need to go with the original plan of moving apartments if the first wasn’t suitable. He said we could no longer do that as he’d just taken a booking on the second apartment and the only one now available was this one through a third party in the resort which he had no details about!

I called him at this point and he told me to speak to this other man for details. I said I was booking through him (it’s him he had asked me to pay), so although he was really not happy he said he’d try to find out some details. He said he had been told details this morning but it was very early so he couldn’t remember and he had 3 children to look after Confused

He called me back and said this man wanted to speak to me and tried to give me his number to call him in the resort. He said he had tried 3 times to give the man my number but couldn’t (something to do with a landline). I was cross by now and asked him to email the man my number as I didn’t want to pay to call internationally when I was trying to book through him. He put the phone down on me!

Now we’re left with nowhere to stay potentially or having to stay somewhere unsuitable and some really expensive flights booked! Shock

Am I wrong to expect more?!

OP posts:
Halfpastfreckle · 07/08/2018 15:17

OP - AIBU?
Mumsnet - yes
OP - no I’m not!!
Another what the hell do you want post?!

JustBeReasonable · 07/08/2018 15:25

He can't be sure you're going to go ahead and book until you've actually transferred the money. If he's got someone ready to pay you can't reasonably expect him to wait out for you maybe phoning back with your flights booked (and probably more questions and expectations), over just getting the place booked out. He can't risk it going unrented.

You are being unreasonable. Ring the other option yourself- why on earth should he, it's not his property?! Or branch out and have a holiday that isn't a carbon copy of your previous holidays? Wink

SassitudeandSparkle · 07/08/2018 15:27

That sounds like an awful lot of hassle just so you don't have to sit poolside, OP!

MsOliphant · 07/08/2018 15:29

You've no holiday booking to be cross about!

BoomBoomsCousin · 07/08/2018 15:37

I don’t think there is anything wrong with being fussy about it if you are happy to be told your request can’t be met. I agree with you that the man was too ready to promise something he couldn’t meet and that that is very frustrating to be on the other end of. But I also think the indication that he was over promising was there right at the start of your dealings with him and you should be more cross with yourself for ignoring that in order to lock the flight price in. It sucks to have it all go wrong on you though and I hope you can you can find an alternative that ends up being fun.

Everyoneiswingingit · 07/08/2018 15:45

To be honest I would never have booked the flights without having accommodation if you need it to be that specific. If you're willing to be flexible its fine. Verbal agreements of the phone are not to be relied upon. hope you can sort it.

MyDirtyLittleSecret · 07/08/2018 15:48

BoomBoomsCousin You nailed it. The signs that this man couldn't guarantee the OP's exact requirements were there right from when he told her the original accommodation had been booked up in between emails and other accommodations he was thinking were available were probably getting booked up even as he was speaking to the OP. OP already knows how this works from her flight watch - or should do; as it is with flight prices and availability, changing literally between screens sometimes while you're entering your credit card details, so it is with accommodation during peak season and especially at last minute. It's travel 101 when you're making separate arrangements. I've been bitten in the past but then I wised up and realised it's not a firm booking, be that flights or accommodation, until I have an email confirmation with a reservation number on it.

Ignoramusgiganticus · 07/08/2018 15:49

I can't see that you've done anything wrong op.

You had specific requirements that he said he could meet. You've been let down.

Good luck in finding somewhere. Have you tried Homeandaway? - previously owners direct

Everyoneiswingingit · 07/08/2018 15:50

Only deal with reputable people and check what you're paying for before you booked flights. He said "I have something" is terribly vague. I'd want "You will be in apartment 25 and I've emailed you the details and cost and it's yours if you pay within 24hrs." for example.

Ignoramusgiganticus · 07/08/2018 15:51

Oh and his "friend" sounds decidedly dodgy.

nancy75 · 07/08/2018 15:57

Op, it all sounds like it’s been a bit of a faff but you have the flights now so need to sort something out. I’m sure this man isn’t the only person letting out places in the resort - have you tried looking on other letting sites?

PlatypusPie · 07/08/2018 16:01

From the agent’s point of view, you could be getting info on other accommodation at the same time as from him, to compare and then make your choice. He doesn’t know if he is in an exclusive discussion with you or not, no matter what you may have said to him - until money changes hands your interest is only theoretical. Last minute booking is a such a moving target !

Divette · 07/08/2018 16:01

Thank you all. Yes we’re looking again now. I’ve looked on all the rental sites (holidaylettings, homeaway, airbnb), tries just googling the name of the resort etc. There is some availability but not ideal at all, (smaller apartments and much further down into the very steep resort, away from the much needed sea breeze etc) but you live and learn and it certainly won’t stop us from having a good time! Smile

OP posts:
LemonysSnicket · 07/08/2018 19:04

Tbh, if you book everything so last minute that you can't wait for confirmed invoices etc then it's your own fool fault

TheEmmaDilemma · 07/08/2018 19:20

It's not a myth about flights. Unless two people sitting next to each other using different devices on different connections and searching multiple times counts as 'myth'.

And you were an idiot for booking something unseen and and unqualified in this manner if was going to cost you thousands. For a couple of £ I might have punted it. Thousands. No way.

Bluntness100 · 07/08/2018 20:22

It is a myth, and you can easily check it out and disprove it.

It's also highly illogical. It would only be logical if an airline had a monopoly on a given route, if they have loads of competition, which they always do, then putting the price up just makes people, go to s competitor.

It's not just a myth, it's illogical too.

Budgiegirlbob · 07/08/2018 21:52

It is a myth, and you can easily check it out and disprove it

I agree. I’ve tried it out, I’ve made a dummy booking for flights, then come back a day later and the flights had gone up a little. I then tried booking from a different computer and location (DHs work) and ingocnito from home, and the price has gone up a little that way too. All identical prices. I’ve never found the cookie thing to be true, despite my best efforts !!

OP , I don’t understand why, if there was an apartment available that met your requirements, as the man had suggested, why didn’t you just book it then and there? If you were waiting for more info (that could have confirmed it wasn’t suitable after all?), you shouldn’t have booked the flights

GingerLDN · 08/08/2018 03:46

It’s not a myth. I nearly paid a small fortune extra for a holiday before I double (and triple checked) on other devices. Three devices At the same time with wildly different prices. Ironically the highest price was with ‘member pricing’. I’ve done this many times since to make sure I am getting the best deal. There is often at least a small difference.

PrimalLass · 08/08/2018 11:05

It has never worked for Mexico's

PrimalLass · 08/08/2018 11:06

Spectacular last minute auto correct there

It has never worked for me.

Soulstirring · 08/08/2018 18:06

Op, I haven’t read all replies, the first page was enough. You’re not unreasonable. You booked flights based on being told there would be availability, what that would be is a different thing! Yes, of course you want to be near the pool. Yes, you are absolutely in the right to book a holiday now. Things could have been managed bett r of course, but whenever does it go smoothly?! Enjoy you’re family time.

Soulstirring · 08/08/2018 18:07

Oh flipping heck - your family time!!!

Butterymuffin · 08/08/2018 18:17

If you book last minute you're never going to get exactly what you'd really like.

greenlanes · 08/08/2018 18:22

i havent read the whole thread, but you are NBU. The chap was flaky! he knew what your requirements were from the start - if someone else came along - he needed to say to you book now or lose. I think he was over promising -- perhaps with not having the right level of authority - and under delivering. But sadly I dont know where that leaves you.

Exmouthlady · 08/08/2018 18:35

So when he said good news, we have an apartment, why didn't you just book it there and then. Turnover at this time of year is rapid, you can't blame him if it wasn't available after you delayed it by wanting more.

Personally when mine were little, I wouldn't have even sat on an apartment terrace near the pool, have kids that need watching, be poolside watching.