Dear Abby: After planning a bachelor party, three guys caved after the trip was already paid for
DEAR ABBY: I helped plan a 12-guy bachelor party in Boston.The best man’s initial email outlined the itinerary — two nights away and a Bruins game — and included a link to the Airbnb.
Everyone RSVP’d with an enthusiastic “yes.” With headcounts locked, we booked the lodging and group-rate tickets.The total came to $565 per person (including covering the bachelor).Once the price was announced, three guys backed out.
I offered installment plans, but they refused.We filled one spot but were still left holding a huge deficit.
While on the trip, the remaining attendees agreed that the dropouts should help cover the nonrefundable losses.We asked them for a reduced fee of $200 each.
One of them paid, one sent half and the third has gone silent.They are all furious.
I understand money is tight, but they shouldn’t have committed before we pulled the trigger on bookings.Are we wrong for asking them to pay for backing out late? — STUCK WITH THE BILLDEAR STUCK: Airbnb and traditional hotels ask for a booking deposit so that they won’t lose money if someone backs out of a reservation.
You should have done the same.If you had collected some or all of the money for the trip before making the deposit, you wouldn’t have suffered such a big loss when people changed their minds.Because there is fault on both sides, $200 seems like a reasonable compromise to me.
Thank the man who paid the full requested amount.I wouldn’t pressure the others or ever mention it again — even if they choose not to pay.
They’re probably embarrassed that they couldn’t afford to join in, and as the saying goes, “You can’t squeeze blood from a stone.”DEAR ABBY: My granddaughter, “Melanie,” hates me.She is 11 and a pre-teen, but she has been like this for many years.
I don’t know why.Melanie won’t even say hello to me when I greet her.
She’ll let me take her and her friends to places that cost lots of money, but she doesn’t want to be with me.She’s hatef...