Accidental clash of activities

[Llamapolice]

More a WWYD.

My son's godparents take my DS (7) to the theatre in London twice a year, for birthday & Christmas, which I'm v grateful for. I know it's not cheap. I'm a lone parent with no other support and life's not easy.

Several weeks ago they gave me the date for this Christmas's trip, it's next Saturday, unfortunately I already had our Santa visit that day, but never mind I rebooked for a.different day instead, lost the cost of the ticket (£15) but was prepared to take the hit. I've also booked DS into an activity in the Sunday at the cost of £45, he wanted to do it but it's also childcare for me as I need some final bits of shopping and work ft. So this has cost me £60 so far (lost Santa ticket and the activity). This isn't a typical spend for me, it's a fair whack but okay it's Christmas.

They've just messaged me to say sorry but they gave me the wrong date accidentally and the theatre is actually next Sunday. DS wants to go and miss the planned Sunday activity but I'm gutted, I won't get any money back now and I desperately needed that shopping/down time.

I just have to take the hit don't I?! I could honestly cry.

I would have messaged godparents back saying that unfortunately you already have plans that day that can’t be changed. I wouldn’t have given dc the choice, just told them that godparents had the date wrong so unfortunately it isn’t possible to go this time.

Same.

If he is going to the theatre, won't you still get the downtime?

A bit but the activity was 9-4 so the whole day, this will be more like 10-2.

We have a breezy conversation about ‘isn’t it tricky when there are so many lovely things to do’ when there is a clash. We say we can do the other thing another time.

I'm also a bit confused about how you've just been told the date as a done deal at such short notice.

Can you ask them to keep him longer, closer to 9-4? Or take him for a couple of hours on the date you expected as well as the theatre trip, so you can have downtime and/or do your christmas stuff?
Can you resell the ticket on any local parents groups? Ask the organiser if you can exchange?

I'd explain the problem and ask if they can move the theatre tickets instead.

Well the theatre trip hasn't come out of the blue, we obviously knew it was happening, it's just they made an error. This isn't like them - it's all usually very straightforward and I know will have been a simple mistake.

I can ask them to keep him longer. I'm annoyed about the money I've spent, there's no chance of money back, it's for a named child and non transferable .

This is their fault, not yours. You can't afford to lose the money you've paid, but it sounds like they can afford to rebook and lose theirs. If they change their date then your son won't miss out.