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Original poster

Friends not paying for villa

135 replies

jutishjwee · 17/09/2024 20:20

We booked a villa holiday to Fiji with some friends. We paid for the villa on our credit card and told friends they could pay us when the payment was due. They said sure.

Payment date has gone so paid out of savings. Sent a reminder saying please can you pay me the £1,000 for the villa as I’ve paid it out of my account. Friends said sure sorry been so busy with work.

Still no sign of money and now I could have been earning interest etc on that money. I think friends are a bit tight on dosh as they didn’t book flights for ages because wanted to wait til pay day to pay for flights.

OP posts:
MsPavlichenko · 21/09/2024 23:12

You think they will pay at payday? They should have paid already. Message saying they need to pay now , don’t ask. If they don’t you’ll need to rethink surely.

Abi86 · 21/09/2024 23:15

Living paycheck to paycheck but going on a multi £k holiday? Crazy.

Welshmonster · 21/09/2024 23:22

So they can have money troubles but your can’t. They should have paid their share the day you booked it.
they aren’t coming as waiting to book flights gets more expensive the closer it gets to the date. Can you get any money back if you pull out? Can you afford to go by yourself? Can you put feelers out to see if anyone else wants to come?

Ooral · 22/09/2024 00:04

Abi86 · 21/09/2024 23:15

Living paycheck to paycheck but going on a multi £k holiday? Crazy.

There are so many people doing this, I am like you and can't believe it but....

A lot of keeping up appearances

Maddy70 · 22/09/2024 00:30

"Can i just check you have the. Right bank details as i was expecting the money in by today. Just checking it hasn't bounced back?

Could you please check asap (in know youre super busy) but my mortage payment is due and its needed xx"

PyongyangKipperbang · 22/09/2024 00:37

I can sort of see the issue the OP has.

When someone has had something that they owe you for, its ok to get pissed off and call them out on it. But in this case, if they fall out, they still have this holiday to go on together, so I wouldnt want to sour things now in advance.

Personally I think that I would try to find somone else to go with as I would be too pissed off with them to enjoy it now anyway!

MoveItOnUp · 22/09/2024 00:43

Do NOT tell them you've other friends who want to come.

They may take you up on it and you'll be very out of pocket.

Tell them that you need the money now
as you've bills to pay!

Mumtobabyhavoc · 22/09/2024 00:46

jutishjwee · 21/09/2024 22:47

I think they’ll pay once they get their next pay check…

Honestly, a bit of a red flag of things to come. I would not pay for anything up front on their behalf now.
Buy your own groceries there. Arrange own transport.
Meet them there.

Noodlehen · 22/09/2024 00:59

This is crazy that they haven’t sent immediately. They won’t be paid over a weekend so sounds like they’re just stalling. I’d be getting my own villa.

YippyKiYay · 22/09/2024 05:17

They're not really your friends if they don't pay you back by the agreed date, you even did them a favour in not asking for it straight away (I would have), and then allowing them an 'extension' on their debt. Don't give them any more time, they owe you already! If they're that strapped for cash, they shouldn't be going. have they even booked their flights yet? If not, I'd be putting feelers out to other friends to see if someone else wants to come instead as I don't think these people are serious.
Be very (very, very) careful about spending when you are there - don't split bills with these people, pay for your own stuff only. Do activities that you want to do, don't pay for them, etc. They sound skint and like they will leach off you. Good luck!

Mugaloaf · 22/09/2024 06:32

Hopefully they have paid now, since the weekend is nearly over.

Original poster
jutishjwee · 22/09/2024 07:59

I mean now you’ve made me start doubting whether they’ve even booked their flights! They told me they have, but I haven’t seen any proof… but why would I?

OP posts:
NeedToChangeName · 22/09/2024 08:13

If this trip comes off, Splitwise app is v helpful for splitting costs. Makes it easy to say "currently you owe us X, so you can get dinner tonight"

Lurkingonmn · 22/09/2024 08:26

jutishjwee · 21/09/2024 21:44

Friend messaged to say they’ve had a mad busy week but would transfer over the weekend / I just said yes please, my bank account is not looking happy with me.

Wonder if the message was them hoping I’d say oh no rush

Hmmm, I don't know how "mad busy week" they've had but if I owed a friend £1000 for a holiday and it got to the point they'd had to ask me for it I would've made it a priority. These days with apps it's so easy friend could do it while having a shit or waiting for a kettle to boil etc. No excuse.

TwistedWonder · 22/09/2024 08:27

You need to keep on at them now OP. Text tonight reminding them they said they’d pay over the weekend and keep texting every couple of days until they’ve paid up.

And after the holiday never ever ever pay for anything unless they stump up the cash upfront.

TwistedWonder · 22/09/2024 08:29

Lurkingonmn · 22/09/2024 08:26

Hmmm, I don't know how "mad busy week" they've had but if I owed a friend £1000 for a holiday and it got to the point they'd had to ask me for it I would've made it a priority. These days with apps it's so easy friend could do it while having a shit or waiting for a kettle to boil etc. No excuse.

Show quote history

Absolutely. Not single person on the planet is ‘too busy’ to transfer money they owe soneone. As you say they can to it on the toilet, while they’re making a cuppa, while eating etc etc etc

Its a piss poor excuse

Bjorkdidit · 22/09/2024 08:37

Oh, this is awkward. On one hand, you need them to pay up ASAP, but you don't want to sour relations with someone you're then going to have to go on holiday with.

Depending on when pay day is, it could be well over a week until then, which isn't acceptable for them to delay any further.

How did the plan for the trip come about? They were certain about it weren't they? Are they normally flaky? Does a holiday in Fiji fit in with their normal sort of travel and do they appear to be able to afford it?

It seems so bizarre that they'd risk a friendship by agreeing to an expensive holiday and then leaving you high and dry with the full cost of the villa.

Or are they a bit dim and agreed to go on holiday with you, then when they looked at flights they thought 'shit, it's at the other side of the world, I thought she meant Fuengirola'?

Bjorkdidit · 22/09/2024 08:38

TwistedWonder · 22/09/2024 08:29

Absolutely. Not single person on the planet is ‘too busy’ to transfer money they owe soneone. As you say they can to it on the toilet, while they’re making a cuppa, while eating etc etc etc

Its a piss poor excuse

Show quote history

Exactly. It takes about the same amount of time to transfer money as it does to send a message saying you'll transfer it later.

notatinydancer · 22/09/2024 08:42

jutishjwee · 21/09/2024 21:44

Friend messaged to say they’ve had a mad busy week but would transfer over the weekend / I just said yes please, my bank account is not looking happy with me.

Wonder if the message was them hoping I’d say oh no rush

It takes about a minute to transfer money on your phone.

mummyh2016 · 22/09/2024 08:50

OP can the villa be cancelled or is it non refundable?

Original poster
jutishjwee · 22/09/2024 08:55

Nope - non cancellable, plus we booked our flights etc!

OP posts:
Tiredofthewhirring · 22/09/2024 09:03

I agree, they are waiting for pay day

So rude

diddl · 22/09/2024 09:14

jutishjwee · 21/09/2024 22:47

I think they’ll pay once they get their next pay check…

How many pay cheques have they already had when they could have done this??

burnoutbabe · 22/09/2024 09:21

They have said they will transfer this weekend. And you've said fine in your response.

So realistically you can't chase and be annoyed until first thing tomorrow. I'd be sending a short curt message tomorrow saying that money didn't arrive, please send asap.

DecafDodger · 22/09/2024 09:49

If you think they might be lying about flights, ask them something that would get them caught if lying. 'Hey the airline just emailed me that my first flight has been changed from the original one to flight BA123 at xx time. What are we going to do? Have you also been offered the same flight?'
If they say yes, they don't have any flights. If they say no, send them a text in half an hour that you managed to sort it out with the airline, they put you back on the originial flight.

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