Trip Withdrawl Question

[flip-flop]

This is just out of my curiosity, not an actual scenerio.

Say you have planned a trip planned with another couple. You book the house about 1 year out, each paying 1/2 of the house deposit. A few months before the trip you realize you are not going to be able to make the trip for whatever reason. Final payment is due.

Do you:

A) Pay your remaining part of the house rental no matter what

B) Try to find an acceptable replacement to take your spot and pay the final 50% of your 1/2

C) Feel no obligation to pay up the final 50% of your 1/2 of the house

I know what I'd do ... but I just wonder if I am strange.

[AnyTing]

Oh, I see. I misunderstood the title. I thought maybe I needed to help you out with some bad dreams and a case of the shakes.

In this case, if you are lucky enough to find someone to replace you, and that is acceptable to the other couple you made the plans with (I think they get first right of refusal since they made the plans with you, not someone else), then that is a-ok.

If you can't, I vote Option A. I would pay what I agreed to pay.

[Tracy in WI]

Do you:

A) Pay your remaining part of the house rental no matter what

YES!
B) Try to find an acceptable replacement to take your spot and pay the final 50% of your 1/2

An acceptable replacement might be acceptable to you, but not the other party. I think this would be unfair as it might potantially ruin the vacation of your original travel mates.
C) Feel no obligation to pay up the final 50% of your 1/2 of the house

I think you are obligated for your whole portion of the rental whether your plans changed or not. When we go in with others, the amount we can spend is usually determined by taking the others into account. If that amount goes up by 50% that may be more than we can afford.

I know what I'd do ... but I just wonder if I am strange.

I know what you would do to!!

[Marcia (Mrs. Pete)]

This is just out of my curiosity, not an actual scenerio.

Say you have planned a trip planned with another couple. You book the house about 1 year out, each paying 1/2 of the house deposit. A few months before the trip you realize you are not going to be able to make the trip for whatever reason. Final payment is due.

Do you:

A) Pay your remaining part of the house rental no matter what

B) Try to find an acceptable replacement to take your spot and pay the final 50% of your 1/2

C) Feel no obligation to pay up the final 50% of your 1/2 of the house

I know what I'd do ... but I just wonder if I am strange.

This is a no-brainer for me. I would do A. And, I would allow the other couple to find a suitable replacement (it's their trip now, not yours). If they find someone, you should get a portion of your money back but not all (due to the stress you have put them in for your dropping out of the trip.)

I know you said "for whatever reason" but, even if it is a financial one, I believe you are still on the hook for this.

Trip insurance is always a good idea. As well as a "contract" if you are traveling with others.

[bevm]

We have had people back out on us a few times. They say book the villa so I do and send the deposit (the entire 50%) then when their portion is due they back out. We've gotten screwed twice. This year we rented a three bedroom under the assumption another couple was coming. Yep, they screwed me over AGAIN! We paid the final payment Mon. and said, "To hell with them we're going anyway!!" (If I had to back out of a trip I would expect to pay my portion. Why should those people have to make up the difference especially if they can't find replacements...) Another couple are coming with us so it's all good. But...next time I will have a check in my hand before I book the villa! Maybe I need new friends....Any takers??

[NoWorriesMom]

We would DEFINITELY pay what we owed but would also ask our friends to see if other friend's of theirs could take our place. however, short of a level 5 hurricane or a death in the family what would make one not go

[sailorgirl]

For me it would depend on the reason I couldn't go and how close I was to the other travlers. With my closest friends they know I wouldn't drop out unless it was for a very good reason and I couldn't imagine them not saying, don't worry about it, I would do the same if the shoe was on the other foot.

[djmom]

I absolutely would pay the full amount, no matter what. Even if the reason I was not going was financial.

An agreement is an agreement....

I guess the only other option not listed would be to help the other couple find an equal yet smaller villa so they would not have to pay as much(assuming you were within the cancellation time frame). That might be ok.

[Joshie]

...

[Jo Ann - VA]

A) Pay your remaining part of the house rental no matter what I would pay no matter what.

B) Try to find an acceptable replacement to take your spot and pay the final 50% of your 1/2. No, I would not try to find a replacement. I think that would be something that the other couple would want to do IF they would want to chance someone else backing out.
C) Feel no obligation to pay up the final 50% of your 1/2 of the house Already answered in question one.

[Pete (Mr. Marcia)]

Okay, do your answers change if the couple backing out is doing so because one or both lost their jobs? Let's say they are backing out purely for financial reasons. Would you ask them to pay, even though inability to pay was the very reason they backed out?

I'm generally a "your word is your word" person, but sometimes unforeseen things happen.

[flip-flop]

I have been exceedingly lucky with our travel companions thus far. If Gromit and Mr. Gromit hit hard times and couldn't pay the balance but already had paid flights and I could swing it ... I would say what the hell come anyway and we'll handle it. Because I know she'd do the same for me if the situation arose.

If it were a medical problem I would fully expect to pay my part but hope that we could work something out where they switched to a smaller house or find another couple to come for 1/2 off. I would never expect my deposit back and if no alternative could be worked out, I'd pay up for sure.

Short of extreme financial distress (not financial stupidity) or a family/health emergency I would never consider dropping out without paying in full the remainder I owed. On the financial side, the people being ditched/left holding the bag may have limited means as well and won't be able to swing the house w/o your part. That is wrong wrong wrong.

Bev we always have each couple pay an equal share of the deposit. At least that way if they bail you have some of their money! Makes it a little less painful. Another route I've taken is to book the house I could afford with room to expand and then invite others (at a reasonable share) to come closer to the date if I am feeling like having company. When we did that it worked out well.

[Jo Ann - VA]

That is a hard question Pete. I would find it tough to enforce it if there were children involved. The thoughts of a child not having what they need would haunt me. I'd have to let the money issue go until they were back on their feet financially and then I would hope they would do the right thing.

Now if there are no children involved and the couple seem to have problems telling the difference between wants and needs then I would be more aggressive and try to work out a payment plan.

[bevm]

Flip Flop, you're right and I've learned the hard way. There are always extenuating circumstances though...
And Joshie stop with the sock monkey crap already!
Jorge freaked us all out with that and I just started sleeping through the night again....thanks to copius amounts of Scotch and 3 or 4 tranquilizers!!

[Pete (Mr. Marcia)]

STJ is time for us to be alone, so we wouldn't think about inviting another couple. But, if Marcia backed out, I would make her pay...you better believe it.