Holiday Gone Wrong...

[kate120]

Hello,

My friend and I booked holiday together but she stood me up. We managed to sort out the flights but an issue with accommodation we booked together has arisen. I paid for the accommodation (she contributed 50% of the cost) but after having changed the booking from 2 people to 1 person the difference is only of £56. She is demanding the original amount which is £212. What are her and my rights in this situation? Thank you in advance.
Kate

[Hopkirk]

If it was her choice not to go she surely has to stand the cost of any loss.

I don't see where your 'rights' come into, it surely if it came to a small claims court they would have the same view.

[kate120]

When I say my rights I mean my right not pay her the amount she wants back i.e. half of the cost.

[kate120]

Hopkirk - yes, she chose not to go.

[Hopkirk]

I am not legally qualified,so we need someone like Barmaid.

I would think much would depend on her reason for deciding not to go, and whether she feels you were in some way responsible for causing her to cancel.

[kate120]

Her parents were responsible for her decision - that is what she told me. I tried to persuade her to go.
She is an adult, by the way!

[wyddfa]

Seek the advice of Citizen's Bureau just to be on the safe side. I cannot see why she should get a full refund as it was her decision not to go. If she had paid via an agent it would have been tough luck !

[jackthehat]

I'd pay her back £ 156.
Her half less any monies incurred by her change of mind.
No court is likely to award her the full amount just because 'she had second thoughts'.

[roopower]

I don't really see why you should be out of pocket because she changed her mind. I think the £56 is fair enough. If her parents were behind it, perhaps they should make the difference up for her.

[Peter Pedant]

the fren (x) has bucked out of the holiday
then X has to pay Kate her losses

the flights have been worked out.

but accommodation - which i work out to have been £414 at some point before cancellation
and then what ? - she is demanding £212 and basically saying, she doesnt really care what single accommodation cost you ? - because you would ahve had to pay that anyway

girls girls

anyway the rights are she has to pay any excess over £212 ( in this example) - and not the excess over the single accommodation

[kate120]

Thank you for all your advice and answers. I shall call CAB tomorrow.

Peter Pedant - sorry to be daft - what is she entitled to then? Total cost of the accommodation was 424.

[atalanta]

If she pulled out for medical reasons, ( or other reasons she simply couldn't avoid) her insurance should cover her losses.

[kate120]

hello atalanta - no medical issues. Her parents told her not to go. She is dominated by them.

[Peter Pedant]

// Peter Pedant - sorry to be daft - what is she entitled to then? Total cost of the accommodation was £424.//

damn sozza - cant multiply 212 by 2 !

what did accommodation cost ? let us say X - then the loss is X - 212
and that is the amount of loss she is entitled to, and she knocks off that amount from £212 she owes
AND SO I think....
frinstance accommodation cost £282 say and so the loss to the holiday maker who went is ... £70 and that has been caused by the actions of the absent no-show friend
and so the holiday maker returns a cheque for £132 to the 'fren'
and I would send the cheque to the girl and a copy to the parents

O and say good bye to the friendship but it sounds 'on the rocks' anyway

cheque - ha ha - shows how old I am .....

[Peter Pedant]

Jesus - it is £142 innit - [ 212 - 70 ]
O god not having a good day

[jackthehat]

^^That's Peter's long-winded way of agreeing with what I said yesterday afternoon..... :o)

[EDDIE51]

She is entitled to the difference between the cost for 2 people and the cost for 1 person which is as you say £56. Very simple!
There is always a higher charge for a single person over the cost of 2 people sharing a room, the room costs the Hotel the same no matter if there is one person or a couple in it. The only difference is the cost of food which is very minor in comparison to the room rate.

[Peter Pedant]

Yes you are quite right JTH

I just didnt understand the question

[kate120]

Right...I'm meeting her tomorrow... dreading it to be honest.
Thank you for your answers! Not sure what the legal answer is but worse case scenario will be calling the CAB which I could not get through to today.

[Ellipsis]

> from 2 people to 1 person the difference is only of £56

As I understand what you've written here, you should give her the £56 as the accommodation is still going to cost you £368 rather than the £424 it would cost for the two of you.

[Peter Pedant]

the legal answer is as we have said ( see JTH's answer for example)

you are the one disbursing moneys
and so just take £ 156

say you have taken legal advice and they can stuff off if they want more
( then they can resort to the small claims court )

[ court fee is £80 so they have to be mad to go down that route )

do you want to give people who have wrecked a holiday more money than they deserve ? no you do not so go out and kick arris