A Redditor has been cheered online after sharing that they had switched up their plans because the friends they were supposed to be vacationing with failed to pay their way.
The vacationer, known as u/comfortable_car_9690 on Reddit, voiced their frustration on the platform on July 7 after several friends failed to pay their share for a rental property. This lack of funds led to a change in plans that left some members of the group dissatisfied.
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The post has led to an outpouring of opinion in the comments section, having amassed more than 9,200 upvotes and 600-plus comments in one day.
"Everyone was supposed to give me money so I could rent a huge house where we were going," the Redditor, who had planned to vacation with a group of 12, wrote. Despite their request, not everyone was prompt with their payments.
"A few people paid immediately, but some said they would get me later or ignored me," they wrote.
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Due to the delay, the original house they had planned to rent was no longer available as they couldn't pay the deposit to reserve it. The vacationer then booked a smaller house that could only accommodate eight people, as that was all they could afford with the money collected from the friends who had already settled their shares.
When the remaining friends were ready to pay, they were informed of the new situation and offered air mattresses as an alternative. This led to further complications within the once tight-knit friend group.
"The issue [here] goes beyond who pays for what," Amanda Kaphammer, chief wealth strategist at Sol Spyre, a wealth management firm, told Newsweek.
She emphasized the importance of clear communication and setting expectations upfront to avoid conflicts in the future, but the present discontent among some of the friends is far from over.
"They said if they were paying full price, they wanted a room. I said okay we are all paying full price. So we all deserve a room. However, there aren't that many rooms to go around," the Redditor said.
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Ultimately, two friends canceled, and two others booked a room at a hotel 30 minutes away from the rental. The friends who did not get a room were "upset" about the change in plans and felt they should have been consulted.
Despite the backlash from some of their friends, the vacationer received firm support from Reddit users online.
"You'd have been crazy to front the deposit with your own money," one user, u/extinct_diplodocus, said. "All those four would have had to do would be cancel or just not pay, and you'd have been out some significant cash. If they don't pay, they don't get the bargain lodgings. They always have the option, as two of them took, to arrange their own lodgings. You didn't change the plans. You got rooms for those who paid you."
Another user, u/ahret, wrote: "Absolutely, it's all about fairness and keeping commitments. No pay, no room!"
File photo of pastel houses on a beach. A vacationer was backed online over how they responded when their friends failed to pay their share of the trip.File photo of pastel houses on a beach. A vacationer was backed online over how they responded when their friends failed to pay their share of the trip.Getty Images"The only exception would be if it were prearranged with an actual deadline and it was someone OP trusted who had a history of actually paying them back," Reddit user u/infinateanomaly commented. "I've had to do that a few times, but it's always after discussing it with the person putting the money up and I always make sure to pay them back [as soon as possible]."
The situation highlights common issues that can arise when planning group vacations, especially when it comes to financial commitments and expectations. Kaphammer advised that in such situations, it's crucial to have open and honest conversations about finances.
For future planning, she recommended setting payment deadlines and having alternative action plans to deal with potential obstacles. The finance expert stressed the importance of transparent and constructive communication, suggesting that couples or groups regularly renegotiate the terms of shared expenses to ensure everyone feels supported and fairly treated.
Newsweek reached out to u/comfortable_car_9690 via Reddit for comment.
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