I've paid for next week's group holiday but no one has paid their contribution!

[Waferbiscuit]

Weird situation. Going on UK holiday with a friend, her two friends and our 5 children. I agreed to pay for the whole thing on a spare credit card on the basis that they'd BACS me their contribution but I've not received a dime. I paid 5 weeks ago and we leave next Monday.

What's the standard protocol on this? I don't want to get into a situation where I have to chase them for money after the holiday, when they'd obviously be less inclined to pay or where I may get dribs and drabs over an extended period. Given the number of people coming it's obviously cost quite a bit.

Tbh if you have given them your details and already reminded them I would just tell them you are going to have to cancel if they don't pay up. You can't afford it by yourself but as thi is stand you risk paying for it all anyway.

Do not threaten to cancel!

You don't hold any of the cards in this game now unfortunately. Except the spare credit card. If you cancel and can't get a refund then it's possibly all on you. If you can get a refund then do it and then tell them it's cancelled but do not offer it as an option beforehand

Personally I'd not be friends with people that would do this without explanation.

I think that they want you to cancel

Find out your cancellation options, privately. In all likelihood, there will be financial penalties for cancelling and this is not just your responsibility to pick up the slack for it. If they pull out then make it very clear that they are still liable for x amount.

I think you need to be blunt and ask outright for the money.
They are being rude and inconsiderate allowing you to shoulder the financial burden alone.

I would also check the refund policy of the property you've booked just in case but keep that under your hat for now.

You need to find out what the cancellation conditions are on the property, preferably today. Then you'll know what your options are.
If you're able to cancel by a certain date and still get a refund then you can say to the others, unless I have payment from everyone by X date and time, I will be cancelling the holiday.
If you aren't able to cancel without losing money then you need to tell them to pay by the end of the day. The payment of x amount for the holiday is overdue. Please transfer this to me by the end of the day.

For what it's worth as it's too late now, don't get in this situation again. I would only do this if I was able to cancel without financial penalty by a certain date so that I could cancel it without losing out myself if someone didn't pay. Then you have more leverage to say "If I don't receive payment by.... I will have to cancel".

Good Morning everyone. Not long now - exciting!

Just a reminder that all payments are now due. The cost is X. Here’s my bank details - X

Just to let you know if the balance isn’t settled in full by Thursday we will incur bank charges.

Looking forward to seeing you all 🤗

I said threaten to cancel assuming OP would get the refund, thought I saw that upthread. If not then speaking to everyone individually asking if they weren't coming anymore since they hadn't paid might be the way.

If you can get a full refund, cancel. You could try one last attempt to get the money back, but you will be getting too close to the date.

Personally, I would be so appalled and reevaluating that friendship. She’s taking the p...... out of you and your kindness. The other people aren’t your friends, so she can take the backlash from them

I wouldn't want to go on holiday with them now.

Even if it goes ahead it will be a bit tainted now op..
If you can cancel and get all the money back I would. Not sure I would even tell them tbh.
Imagine them Cfers turning up Monday with cases!!
Hahaha

I can imagine that the splitting of any food shopping, restaurant bills, drinks, etc is going to be a nightmare with these twits. If you can cancel with no charge, I'd do that.

Find out about cancellation now.
You don't want to miss the last day of no charges.

I wouldn't tell them you will cancel without checking out whether you'd get your money back or not
In face, it might be best to check that now, so if necessary you can message them and say its too late to cancel so can they pay up now please

If you get no response from them by lunchtime today cancel the group booking if you can get full refund ASAP within time line. Don't leave it by Friday too late.
Also check with your booking if you can amend it to just yourself and your children and be refunded the differences minus friend and her friends etc.
Have she or they not been in touch over the last five weeks, even just to chat, check in etc. If not, get rid.

So you're planning to mix 4 adults from 4 households, and 5 kids into one group. Isn't that against the SD rules? (Misses the post of the thread entirely!).

With regards to the money, just text or message today and say no-one is going anywhere until they're all paid their share. Keep it simple and to the point.

Definitely they should pay all balancing payments before you set off.

Have they changed their minds about going but just don’t know how to tell you?

(Not that that would justify not paying you, of course)

Actually thinking about it, unless it's a cancellable booking which a caravan or lodge is unlikely to be, doubt you'll be able to cancel at this stage.
However UK holidays are in high demand, so you may be able to resell by advertising through FB or something if that's ok with whoever you booked it with.

I can't believe the cheek of this. It's definitely time to get stern! You've already been kind enough to put the holiday on your credit card, I hope you get the money asap and get to go on your holiday.

When you sent a reminder a few weeks ago did they give you any update on when they'd be paying?

Sounds a recipe for problems ''My friend....and her two friends
That would be an absolute no no in my book...You are outnumbered three to one.

The fact they haven't paid is alarming, and I somehow doubt they will at this stage.

Maybe a hard, hard lesson to learn, but never pay up front for group holidays especially if you don't know the people.

At 18, I lent half a Month's wages to a boyfriend who never paid me back, and in retrospect, I don't think he ever intended to.

Once bitten, twice shy.

You say you can't afford to go on your own but you've paid anyway. Just tell them the holiday' s cancelled if they don't pay and go on your own if you can't cancel, otherwise you'll end up paying for their holiday.

Yeah go on your own and make the best of it. Lesson learned.

You need to message them with a clear timeframe for payment.

Say something like, you need to pay by mid-day today, which you cannot do without their money. If they don't give get the money to you, the holiday company will cancel the booking but you will still be liable for the fee....so you will al have to pay and no holiday.

You can look into cancellation and money back, but Inwouldnt be mentioning to them if there is a possibility.