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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:
Tippexy · 09/12/2018 20:48

You've misinterpreted the screenshots.

The non-refundable rooms are always pay in advance.

southeastdweller · 09/12/2018 20:59

Expedia booker here and never experienced anything like this with them so I was intrigued about booking.com and what's happened here. I just did a pretend non-refundable booking on booking.com at a different chain hotel for York next April and under the Prepayment section when you click on the 'what are my booking conditions' link, it says: You will be charged a prepayment of the total price at any time.

You've messed up so if I were you I'd contact the website now and plead with them to cancel the booking. If you're a first time booker then emphasise that.

Zwischenwasser · 09/12/2018 21:02

Is cancel the room going to be the new cancel the cheque?

StateofIndependance · 09/12/2018 21:17

You have no protection booking on Airbnb. The reservation can be cancelled at any time. Not wise when there's a big event on and it will difficult to find alternative accommodation.

JustMarriedAndLovingIt · 09/12/2018 21:59

I found out recently that some Airbnb places will allow each person to be charged individually which I think is fab. Not helpful now but an idea for the future. What CFers 🤬

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 09/12/2018 21:59

You've misunderstood the booking screen.

Look at this one. Top one is non cancellable; pay now (except for breakfast). Bottom one has the "pay at property" tag.

To expect my friends to pay?
Bluehues · 09/12/2018 22:17

It’s not your friends fault, imagine the counter thread

“my friend booked a hotel a hotel 7 months in advance and now expects me to pay up right on top of Christmas!”

I do understand why you booked it so far in advance btw but honestly I’d take it up with the hotel, it’s not your friends fault, Christmas is an expensive time and they didn’t budget for this, just as you didn’t.

expat101 · 09/12/2018 22:47

Get onto Booking.com - I have booked several accommodation stays through them and whilst I have read that condition, never been charged until point of arrival. There are also usually two prices, the pay now price and the pay later price. If you booked for the 2nd one, then booking.com should know of the unexpected early charge.

AtomicSquirrel · 09/12/2018 23:01

Whenever I've gone away with friends, we've always paid the friend who was booking the room/tickets immediately, that way it's paid for and the booker isn't left short.

HappyBumbleBee · 09/12/2018 23:12

As a previous poster has said, get in touch with booking.com as I only ever use them and have always booked in advance and selected the pay on arrival and free cancellation up until a day or two before.
Check your booking and what the room and cancellation policy was - if its pay on arrival and free cancellation up until... Then they definitely shouldn't have taken the money. ESPECIALLY so far off. I would be concerned this money has been taken now.... If you selected the other option where you pay a slightly cheaper rate for paying in full at time of booking - that's exactly what would have happened.... You would have paid for it when you booked it!
I can't remember if you've posted if you've spoken to hotel or not, but you need to definitely speak to booking and I wouldn't be too happy with friends leaving you to carry the burden and sort it out either. My friends wouldn't - even if they couldn't afford it, they'd still help me try to sort it out!!!

HappyBumbleBee · 09/12/2018 23:14

Ps just to add, I booked hotel rooms for Portugal earlier in the year, pay on arrival at hotel etc and saw the line about "payment can be taken anytime up until arrival" so rang the hotel to check and they assured me they never take money before - and didn't... I paid when I arrived. Good luck x

garethsouthgatesmrs · 09/12/2018 23:16

So these people got you to book expensive gig tickets and a hotel on your card for them, told you which hotel they wanted you to book and one of them told you that the money wouldn't be taken yet. Now they know the money has been taken they are ALL categorically refusing to even give you some money towards this?

These people are not your friends. If this happened to me I would put the money in a credit card rather than see my friend out of pocket I can't believe that all 3 of your friends have no money. I would send a final text saying that you need the money (give them a chance to do the right thing) if they refuse tell them that you will need to sell their pink tickets in order to afford your christmas and will be putting them online if you don't receive money by x. Personally even if they cough up I wouldn't be going with them after this and would sell my pink ticket, write off my share of the hotel money and walk away.

TheWickerWoman · 09/12/2018 23:27

I had exactly this with booking.com.

The hotel took the money straight away, I called booking.com and they were most unhelpful, I then called the accommodation and the lovely owner refunded my money, luckily.

I wouldn’t use booking.com again as their site is misleading and their customer service is crap.

CorpseBridezilla2be · 09/12/2018 23:52

Try to go through the booking process again so you can screenshot where it says pay on arrival. Contact booking.com and if they won’t help go to your bank and tell them what’s happened, I think they’ll deal with it as an unauthorised payment, it’s worked for me in the past.

onegiftedgal · 09/12/2018 23:55

Your friends are not thinking of you and how you also need the money at this time of year.
You could say to them that you didn't know the money was coming out this early but after speaking to the hotel, they will allow you on this occasion to either swap the room to a single and the hotel have offered to pay you back the additional straightaway, they will cancel room entirely or they will hold said £248 room for 24 hours. What would your friends like to do as otherwise you can only afford the single. The hotel won't be able to give our details to your friends due to confidentiality so they won't know that you are making it up.

Mummaloves · 09/12/2018 23:57

I work for a Hotel chain, we often get people call us who have booked with Expedia or Booking.com and are very cross that payment has been taken from Theo card. They book the cheapest non flexible rate and don’t realise that the hotel can take payment at any time. They also call us expecting to change or cancel and get a refund - even thought they chose the cheapest possible portion which doesn’t come with the benefit of free cancellation. Why should we let them cancel and get a full refund when they didn’t take the more expensive option of free cancellation. They think they can just take the cheapo option and still get their money back.

If you booked with booking.com then that’s how it works, it’s likely the hotel have processs the payment and they don’t have any obligation to refund it at all.

Mummaloves · 10/12/2018 00:05

Apologies for typos, half asleep

Tippexy · 10/12/2018 00:35

@StateofIndependance

There’s actually no booking protection on booking.com either. Hotels can cancel at any time, saying they’d “overbooked” and Booking.com can’t do a thing about it.

GrandTheftWalrus · 10/12/2018 00:36

That's crazy they can take it at anytime. So no matter what you need to make sure you have the money there?

Remind me to either never book or book the cancellation one.

OffToBedhampton · 10/12/2018 00:50

It's been an eye opener reading this about booking.com not being clear on conditions.

And especially OP being left in this position by her friends. I also would be disappointed in so called friends , given OP was asked to book that room at that hotel & rate by at least one of the other friends. As a friend, I'd go without to pay my share so she and I were in same position because that's what real friends do - share the burden.

I think @garethsouthgatesmrs and several other PPs have all made helpful suggestions that may or may not work. Poor you OP.

I don't get how friends absolve themselves of any of the strife. Four friends being £62 down just before Xmas is far better than OP, their friend, being £248 down until they do decide they can afford to pay her, when she too can't afford any of it (& certainly not the bigger sum!).

As I get older I find I'm less tolerant of "slopey shoulders" from others than leaves me in a bind.

hiddeneverythin · 10/12/2018 04:58

I can't believe anyone is saying you are in the wrong for offering to book, and for asking your friends for money.

Your "friends" should be finding the money and giving you it, no questions asked

Alieeeeeens · 10/12/2018 05:07

(Lie and...?) Tell them you’ve lined up some other friends to go and you’re selling their tickets and will refund their ticket money for them.

Survivedanotherday · 10/12/2018 07:18

Your friends are dicks OP. I am so often gobsmacked at what some people think is acceptable behaviour and an acceptable way to treat others. I hope they pay up soon! Unacceptable that you are completely out of pocket over Xmas because of this. Please don't be the person who pays the whole bill upfront in future! xx

erykahb · 10/12/2018 07:29

If they can't afford it this close to Christmas then why do you think you can?!

Tell them they need to pay as it's unfair on you. They're meant to be your friends!

erykahb · 10/12/2018 07:30

Do they think you can*

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