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

To expect my friends to pay?

252 replies

samppo · 08/12/2018 15:39

Me and 3 friends are going away for one night next year June.
The hotel room is 2 double beds and is costing £248.
As usual I reserved it on my bank card (using booking.com) 3 months ago.
Today checked my bank and yesterday they've charge my account the full £248.
I've text my friends telling them what's happened and can they all pay there share.
They've all said no this close to Christmas,they have nights out planned and this close to Christmas can't do it.
So basically I've lost £248 ..I can't afford to cover £248.
Aibu here?

OP posts:
MustShowDH · 09/12/2018 17:52

You've been in touch with the hotel and they can't help. Have you tried asking Booking.com for help - maybe somewhere public like Twitter?

I've used Booking.com before and never had any problems, paid on departure for a few trips etc, so no reason to suspect deliberately misleading.

Mumtoboy123 · 09/12/2018 17:52

This is awful. Any real friend would panic at that and pay straight away. Thats awful

jwpetal · 09/12/2018 17:53

I go away with a group of friends every year. The hotel is not booked until everyone pays a deposit. We also agree to pay so much through the year. If anyone cancels, they have to find a replacement person and if not eat the cost ie anything paid is lost and we will find someone but with a lower price. Hope that makes sense.

as for the current situation, I would suggest as others have said. explain the situation and ask for some money and explain that interest will be charged to them. If they do not pay by a certain date, cancel the room and book your own room. Sorry this happened to you.

ToftyAC · 09/12/2018 17:54

YANBU.

MarilynSlumroe · 09/12/2018 17:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BewareOfDragons · 09/12/2018 18:00

Any luck, OP? Have your friends realised they're being utter arseholes, apologised and paid their share?

Theflying19 · 09/12/2018 18:01

Sounds to me like you can use the money they gave you for the concert tickets as part payment for the room. If they don't pay up the full amount you'll sell the concert tickets too. Absolute cheek to prioritise a night out before your debts.

dwab45 · 09/12/2018 18:03

As usual? Does that mean they have usually coughed before? I should have got cash from them before booking.

LizzieBennettDarcy · 09/12/2018 18:05

They aren't friends if they are leaving you out of pocket.

Simple group text. "I simply cannot afford to be £X out of pocket this month. It's either pay up or I sell the tickets to cover it and we all lose out".

dinosaurglitterrepublic · 09/12/2018 18:06

Sounds to me like you can use the money they gave you for the concert tickets as part payment for the room. If they don't pay up the full amount you'll sell the concert tickets too. Absolute cheek to prioritise a night out before your debts

I am pretty sure the money they gave to pay for the concert tickets has already been accounted for my way of paying for the concert tickets.

Notagainagainagain · 09/12/2018 18:09

Do your friends know you are short & struggling & they don’t care?

I don’t suggest you actually do this but if you have concert tickets in your possession could you tell them you’re only option is to sell them so your Xmas isn’t ruined.

I wouldn’t actually sell them as possibly leaves you on dodgy ground.

Might make them think?

skybluee · 09/12/2018 18:09

I'd speak to booking.com again. If absolutely nothing can be done, I'd sell the whole lot to the poster who mentioned they were interested, and be done with it. These people aren't friends if they're happy to leave you with a £250 bill right before Christmas, when you did them the favour of booking it - and they chose the hotel too.

Do you even want to go any more? I don't think I would, the whole thing would leave a horrible taste in my mouth. I'd sell the lot and get rid, then put it all behind you.

DontTouchTheMoustache · 09/12/2018 18:14

Do your friends know its non refundable? If not say if they cant pay you will cancel it altogether.
Otherwise sell the tickets.

SusieQ5604 · 09/12/2018 18:15

Find other people to go with who WILL reimburse u for tickets/hotel room. Fuck that fuckin' shit. They seem horrible. Bet they won't like that, huh????

Iloveacurry · 09/12/2018 18:18

I think your friends are being very unfair not paying you back. They’re not being good friends leaving you short so near to Christmas.

Jaxhog · 09/12/2018 18:21

If you have the concert tickets then I'd be holding them to ransom until your friends pay up in full. If not, then they don't get to stay in the hotel room unless they pay up. Can you take someone else (who will pay up?)

JudasPrudy · 09/12/2018 18:27

I'd sell the tickets.

Isitweekendyet · 09/12/2018 18:38

I'd call their bluff, OP.

Message them all and say you need half now and half after pay day, Christmas or not. If not, you'll sell your ticket and pass on the hotel room to someone at work because you can't afford to be so out of pocket before Christmas.

I bet they'll find the money then!

GabsAlot · 09/12/2018 18:40

so they push for posher hotel and still expect u to book it on your card-that was your first alarm-tell them u will sell the tickets to recoup hotel money if its not paid

M4J4 · 09/12/2018 18:44

I don't think OP's coming back.

SushiMonster · 09/12/2018 18:45

“Guys, you say you can’t afford to pay me the money you owe, well I can’t afford to be out of pocket for you hotel costs. I’m really worrying here, it’s a huge amount of money to go out of my account. Are you really prepared to hurt a friend financially like this? If you absolutely can not pay me back, I’m going to have to sell you concert tickets ASAP to recoup the hotel cost before Christmas. I don’t want to do this as we will all miss out on the concert. Please transfer the cash before Wednesday, otherwise I’ll relist your tickets”

Frazzledstar1 · 09/12/2018 18:49

As others have suggested I would just send a message saying that you can’t afford £248 either so are going to have to cancel. Bit cheeky of them!

MrsFezziwig · 09/12/2018 18:56

OP you say your friends weren't prepared to use their bank cards. Well now you know why.

I organise quite a lot of outings and my friends wouldn't dream of putting me in this position (although we would definitely be staying at the Premier Inn, who would pay a crazy amount of money for a hotel room when you're going to be out all evening?).

Obviously money is tight at Christmas but I wouldn't think it would be totally impossible for someone who's prepared to pay what will probably be at least £200 for the night out to come up with £62 now. They have taken you for a fool and they're not your friends.

Bekstar · 09/12/2018 19:00

There is a solution.

Contact said "friends" and say "I dont have that kind of money before christmas either, I have however spoken to my bank/card issuer and they have stated that they can cancel as ot was believed it was a pay on arrival. However the hotel have confirmed this will result in room cancellation and these would be snapped up immediately and although I have searched for other hotels if I have to do this the only one I can find is a single room in a premir inn.
So can you please all confirm if you would prefer I void the oayment as bank has suggested and cancek the rooms and you all look for your own hotel for the trip or would you rather pay this now in irder to keep the room booking secure.

If you want to convince them that theres not a lot you can do you could also say it has taken you into the red, and the bank have said notified you that as you dont ahve an overdraft the payment wikl be voided in 24 hours if the balance is not brought up to a level high enough to pay the transaction.

CuriousMama · 09/12/2018 19:07

Your friends are CFs to expect you to cough up all if it before Christmas and then GO OUT!

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.