Pub let us down 2 days before Xmas meal for 6

[Deepf60]

6 friends paid £10 each deposit for Xmas meal on 1st Dec 1pm.
They let one of us know today they have a funeral party in and we can eat in restaurant at 12 till 2 or eat in the bar which is a sports bar. About 4 weeks ago they did the same to me and a different friend, obviously the place for a Wake! We have decided the options are not suitable, are we being unreasonable asking for our deposits back as they are the ones not sticking to the contract.

I cant quite figure what the issue is? Is it that they want to bring your booking 1 hour forward? Or move you to a different area?

Would it be so awful to eat at noon?

If they’ve moved your booking of course you should be able to get your deposit back if you want. Are they refusing to return it?

They've offered you two suggestions. Someone has died and they are obviously the place locals go to for wakes. So let them have their wake!

I think getting your deposit back depends on what was promised and why the bar area cannot provide this.

1st December is not a Christmas meal

They've offered you two hours over lunchtime, and given you a week's notice? What is the problem?

It is if there's tinsel

Perhaps people can’t get there for noon?

I don’t think OP would be wrong to insist on her deposit being returned - it’s the pub that can’t fulfil their side of things, not OP.

Because they have to leave at 2pm and presumably as they had booked for 1pm that means they only have an hour. Not everyone can just move when they are free

Of course you can have the deposit back as you can no longer have the slot you’ve booked .

They got a better offer. Not very nice of them to change your time or shunt you to another room. Either demand the deposit back, or if you can deal with one of the offered changes, ask for a discount for the disappointment. (Is there an alternative venue you can use?)

What's wrong with sitting in the bar to eat your meal? They usually have the volume on 0 as Nd subtitles on if you're worried it will be noisy.

I wouldn’t be happy with eating in the bar if I’d wanted a restaurant meal - completely different ambience!

Or they thought hang on a wake..ok that gets priority over a Christmas lunch on the 1st of december

More money made from the Wake, we've asked for deposits back and are going elsewhere 😊

Don't fancy eating a meal with a pool cue in my ear 😄

It's not a weeks notice! It's less than 3 days.

Not sure if we can get deposit back waiting to hear.

It is a Christmas meal! From the pubs Christmas menu!

It’s irrelevant what it’s for- if they can’t fulfil your booking they should refund you your deposit

We can't make that time so yes!

The bar is a sports bar, very noisy we also can't make 12 noon.

Yes they should give you your deposit back.

Haven't heard back from them