After leaving cert holiday mess

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121733914#Comment_121733914

Couldn’t agree more - but at this stage I think it needs parental intervention - if others start to see trouble ahead they’ll simply back out- all they lost is 60 squid - that leaves the original booker with a hell of a debt - at aged 18 !!!

However even with parental intervention it needs delicacy- they need to realise the background to all of this, the naivety of it all and no blame - they may not even realise that their darling son has signed up to this holiday and that they’re about to fund it 😀

Inkers92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121733685#Comment_121733685

Well, I am just off the phone and had to speak in hypotheticals as I am not connected which is standard and expected but was able to chat a little.

They won't budge on the terms and conditions so that is the situation... but I asked my son to get lead booker to check different options in a ticket.

For option 1 I described even if lads that cancelled pay for their flights the rooms would be cancelled and rebooked for some reason and price goes up by about 200 each for the seven that still want to go

Option 2 Everyone cancels flights and cancellation fees less deposit paid.... 405 a head (465 including deposit loss)

Option 3 New people join in - unlikely anyone will want to get involved in this s**tshow... not clear / vague on charges to change flight names and possible charges to change names at hotel side

Option 4 Leave existing booking in place. Ones that are cancelling pay the 405 cancellation and just no show - minimal increase for lads still going.

So that's it.

Inkers92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121733798#Comment_121733798

They told me head booker can push next payment date by two weeks in the manage booking so told him to do that to buy time until resolution found

Inkers92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121733989#Comment_121733989

Yes, this will be the next step. As I said it been going on a couple of weeks now and seemed to be getting heated and stuff so that's why I am stepping in and trying to help resolve it. Don't think that's going to happen without parents at this stage so...

Not forgetting one lad straight away said yeah no issue lads I'll pay what is owed fair play to him. Others seem they will need encouragement.. if that's from parents so be it.

waterwelly

Surely tell the agent to go after each guy individually.

It's their name on the Aer Lingus ticket.

This must happen regularly to love holidays, people paying a small deposit then backing out.

It's hard to see them going after everybody in the courts.

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121734118#Comment_121734118

Good luck with the parents - some will be totally fine with it, just like their sons- others might be eh, just like their sons😀

I don’t envy you OP - best of luck with it and do let us know how it goes. If you can set the scene of excitement of the holiday and road ahead then there might be a chance of success but have all the maths done and of course, they need to hand over all monies now.

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121734176#Comment_121734176

I think you’d need to be a legal consumer expert as to who they can and can’t go after - however, here’s the thing- if ALL fees aren’t paid up in the agreed time periods throughout the staged payments , the WHOLE holiday can get cancelled- so it’s probably better and simpler looking at this as a non refundable holiday booked day 1- now it’s just about paying for that holiday - it will need the cooperation of the rest of the lads to get this paid for

Grey123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121734176#Comment_121734176

Would be like me booking for my family and telling them to chase my wife and kid for their share.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121733664#Comment_121733664

You did not actually need to name them… and given the details you posted they will probably be able to guess… maybe ask for the thread to be deleted.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121734176#Comment_121734176

IIf it happens regularly, don’t you think they might have included protection in their terms and conditions???

Inkers92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121736477#Comment_121736477

I suppose you're right and Im indifferent..was not intentional. I thought it was important to the context so people could check terms and conditions etc. No idea how to delete the whole thread. I see you are moderator so feel free if you feel it is required. You're in charge I guess? I just checked and it is not clear to me how or where to delete or request delete.

Edit: Just requested mod to delete as per your suggestion - nothing has happened so far.

Kathnora

What a mess! Reading through the posts will hopefully help to remind students and parents that the actual Leaving Cert should be top of the agenda for this year and not the post Leaving Cert holiday. This distraction is not needed.

Dream on I suppose ..... 🙄

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121736645#Comment_121736645

Sorry I am not a mod on this forum….

mondeoman72

Just a thought. Clutching at straws maybe

While it is a stinker of a situation and your son has been dropped in it, is he 18 years old? Is there an angle that as he is below 18, can he enter into a contract, never mind be held to it.

JayRoc

Tbf the people involved may not have truly grasped that they would be expected to shell out more money even if they didn't go on the trip;

Even the OP mentioned "deposits" as opposed to "instalments" and it's fairly standard to have non-refundable deposits for holidays.

But being on the hook for money you haven't paid yet for a holiday you've pulled out of is going to be a hard thing to get the head around for most people. It doesn't sound like a great business model, really, you know someone isn't committed until you've got full payment.

kindalen

If the lead booker was not 18, the contract is not legal.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/birth-family-relationships/children-s-rights-and-policy/children-and-rights-in-ireland/#:~:text=Contracts,until%20you%20are%20aged%2018.

Contracts

You cannot enter a legally binding contract until you are aged 18.

Inkers92

So should say first there is no blame or fault on the holiday company here. They sell a product, the lads bought it, rules attached and that's it.

Long story short, i encouraged my lad to push the conversation to get it sorted and after A LOT of to and fro, lads not going agreed to pay the flights 380 each, no cancellation fee if they leave original booking in place. The others will absorb the other costs into their deal.

Problem is couple of those cancelling said they don't have the money so 4x95 euro installments to pay the 380 agreed, with first of those by next week. Not ideal in my opinion. I'm not sure this will work but that's what they sorted between themselves and they have committed to paying their part in messages. Going back to parents later is still an option.

So hopefully they have a way forward and everyone can move on. For the ones still going it's an expensive trip for them but still cheaper than cancelling the four and rebooking. So everyone will take a hit and hopefully lesson learned to check what you are signing up to for all of them.

Hopeful that's the end of it, let's see.

Inkers92

Just leaving this here for others who may be thinking of organising a post leaving cert holiday/one of these trips:

1. Check it with a parent or guardian first. You may think they are idiots but they are older and wiser and have been through these things before. Do it.

2. Make sure you ask about, read and understand the terms and conditions and tell everyone to read them before you commit

3. Make sure everybody knows what is non-refundable and they will be expected to pay and at least GET THE FULL AMOUNT that is non-refundable from each person upfront before you confirm any booking

This will sort out who is genuinely interested in going from those who just throw in a small deposit and say ah well later and it will mean you are covered (at least to some extent) if and when someone decides they are out.

bullpost

I would echo the advice to not leave your kid take on any financial or legal responsibilities for other kids, especially under-18s.

I speak from personal experience.

I got badly burned in the past and when I went looking to involve other parents to help, they ran for the hills and left me to deal with it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121733215#Comment_121733215

Very good point tbh

Not quite the topic here, but related; if one is making any bookings on behalf of others, as I had to do lately, always important to get a scanned copy of the other travellers’ passports as airlines are fussy about names/details matching precisely with that on the passport.