Can I vent? (long)

[maxiesmom]

Back in Feburary my whole family decided to take a vacation to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. This would include me, my parents, my sister, her husband, and their 3 kids. After much debate we agreed on a cabin to rent and the deposit was placed on my credit card. Fast forward to August. One week before the vacation my b-i-l's work decided he couldn't go. So we change the date to October. In the meantime, my mother goes in for some "minor" knee surgery. Which turned out to be not so minor. She should be up and around by vacation time, but now she is out of work longer than expected. So there goes her paycheck. So the parents decide not to go. The problem is we are now within our cancellation window, and we would loose the whole deposit, over $500. Meanwhile my sister keeps changing her mind about whether they want to go or not. Hello! Non-refundable deposit. On my card! The cabin company will let us change the date to next spring, but dear sis does not want to go then. So we decide to go with a smaller cabin. But I really want my parents to go so I tell them I can loan them the money. Even though we have switched to a smaller, cheaper cabin, we will all still fit. So I think everything is set. Sis says they are onboard, parents are taken care of. Guess what! Today one of my nieces lets it slip that my sister doesn't want to go! I could scream!!! I have to know in three days what I am doing so work knows if I need the time off or not. I have over half of the cabin paid for, but we still owe almost $500, and it would be hard for me to pay that on top of loaning my parents money. I don't know what to do! I would love kick my sister in the rear!

 

[doxdogy]

Honestly, I would cancel the whole kit and kaboodle and make your own plans.

 

[hugsquared]

Hmmm....I would pretend I had not "accidently heard" about her not wanting to go, go ahead with plans and let her know in no uncertain terms that she's welcome to stay home, but she still pays. Fair is fair and they are not being fair to you and you commitment by putting this on your credit card. Family will put the screws to you before anyone else. Good luck.

 

[disneymom3]

THis would be why I never vacation with anyone but DH and my kids. Well, that and the family reunion cruise I planned several years ago for which my sis called the day I was leaving for Europe (Hello???? You know that continent across the ocean which is it is very expensive to call from???Ooooh I could have shot her.) to tell me she couldn't go afterall. Did I mention this was two weeks after the deadline I gave everyone so that I wouldn't have to call the travel agent from Europe!? Yeah, I share your pain and just stay veeeerrrry far away from planning this kind of stuff now.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Require a decision, and payment in full (or agreement to the loan) as of Tomorrow.

If they don't pay, they don't play...

Very simple, actually!

PS: If parents aren't sure.... and if Dsis seems not to want to go... Well, you can't single handedly FORCE this nice little family trip. Personally, I would just cancel now, while I was within the cancellation window. If everybody does end up deciding that they want to go in the future, then I am sure you could find accomodations, unless it was rather last minute.

Hugs!

 

[Tiggerkeeper]

The smartest thing to do would be make YOUR OWN plans. Having been burnt in this situation before it is the only suggestion I can make!

 

[EthansMom]

Never split the cost unless you get their portion up front.

In your case, I would ask for your sister's portion of the down payment now. You should have asked for $167 from your Mom & Dad and also from your sister and BIL at the time that you put down the deposit.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

So we decide to go with a smaller cabin.

Sounds like an expensive cabin? Can you go even smaller and just go with you and your immediate family?

If not ask for money from sis, if she can't pay you then tell her that you won't bug her again about it.

If you cancel how much do you lose?

 

[maxiesmom]

The cabin we rented you could cancel up to a month before your date of arrival. As the first time we had to change was only 1 week out they would keep the whole deposit, $530. My b-i-l could have got that money back from work, as they are the ones who forced the change of date. So I'm not understanding why he and my sis didn't say then they wanted out when there would not have been any penalty.

The family seems to think of me as their collective travel agent. Sis already has been planning a Disney trip for next fall. Maybe I will go alone