Feeling duped by "friends"

[amyharris0919]

I hate that happened. I've had my share of paying too much/subsidizing someone else's fun. I don't bring it up. Not worth it, I just decline future invites. I was involved, as in I was there not a part of the swabble, of a serious scene at a resort on the gulf due to the organizer not only telling us an amount for the condo that covered her part of the condo plus several hundred dollars. I had flown everyone down on points and used points for the car (which I didn't care about). My folks would have also let us use their free and nicer condo. The girl who figured it out had a drink throwing fit with the girl who did it - at the pool in front of God and everyone.

Oh. My. Yeah, I don't want it to come to anything like that! LOL

Is it possible that the price was higher back in June, or maybe they recently switched from per person pricing to per room? I have definitely seen prices as high or higher than $65 for two people at some escape rooms...

We've done the escape rooms a few times and it's about $60 per couple. Maybe it changed from per person to renting the room? We hadn't to pay per person and there's a cap on each room.

I'd also let it go, but I would def distance myself from them if that's really what happened.

I would probably also play detective and call the place and ask them incognito. Not the couple themselves.

Thank you for the suggestions! I hadn't even considered this, and I think contacting the business is what I will do. My curiosity is piqued now for sure, especially since it's been mentioned that per person prices are pretty normal. I really do hope the business changed their policy. I hate thinking negatively about these people. I will update after I've had a chance to call.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Escape rooms can be different prices for private rooms versus group rooms. I know when my group of friends do it we try to get a private room, no outsiders allowed, but it's more money. It's cheaper if we do a public room but then it's open for more people and it can be up to 12 people.

I would let it go. The price sounds right to me.

 

[gillep]

Between $30-40 per person is how much I have paid for every escape room that I have done, and my friends and I have done quite a few, so the individual price would be what I would expect. We do have one escape room that randomly offers private room pricing, but it isn't consistent, and hard to book when they do offer it.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I would want to call and double check the rates before I jumped to a negative judgement.
Maybe they are usually higher, but this is a late-season promo or something?

I am the kind who likes to know the details and facts..... So, I might double check the different rates.

If, for sure, you were 'duped', well, I wouldn't do that to a friend, and I would not consider somebody that would do that to be a 'friend'.
In that case it is a fine line on how to handle it!
For the sake of the boys, I would not want confrontation.
I would definitely not want to accept any similar invites, and not be close to the adults...

It might be funny to make a casual mention to this couple that you, your son, a friend, (somebody) is wanting to do the Escape Room now, and how it 'seemed cheap/reasonable'.

We were part of a large group who planned annual reunions, with families from several states.... It def. seemed to me that the person who was planning the more recent reunions before we quit participating were using the group to pay for their vacations!!!! Had a Cub Scout leader who was not forthcoming with the finances/dues/fundraisers, etc... Planned a LOT of fundraisers for these little kids, but most of the money seemed to go no further than his pocket.


Unfortunately, I think this is almost to be expected!!!
I go into things with my eyes open.

 

[fly girl]

My curiosity would be peaked too, I'd check the website online and see if prices vary during the week vs. weekend or season. And perhaps even give the establishment a call.

Even if you do find they swindled you, I'd chalk it up to fool me once shame on you. Naturally, I would be more guarded with my time and money with them. But I wouldn't confront them because it really won't do anything other than potentially sever a good relationship the 2 boys have. You can always distance yourselves quietly.

It's a bummer though. I'm really hoping you'll find that you weren't swindled.

 

[mjkacmom]

Escape rooms are popular here. The closest one is $56 pp, but if you book the whole room for yourself, it's only $280 (10 person max). Did you book alrivate room?

 

[Hikergirl]

Escape rooms can be different prices for private rooms versus group rooms. I know when my group of friends do it we try to get a private room, no outsiders allowed, but it's more money. It's cheaper if we do a public room but then it's open for more people and it can be up to 12 people.

I would let it go. The price sounds right to me.

This is what I was thinking they did.

 

[Nancyg56]

I would let it go. My son is booking one and he was able to secure a discount if he booked by a certain time. Thx discount was substantial because the regular price was $40 per person.

If you are really upset about the discrepancy maybe avoid scents that you pay the couple for your share.

 

[cedricandsophie]

At this point I would let it go but be very clear in future about who is psying what. When I invite anyone to a birthday dinner I always assume I'm paying. Would never occur to me to charge for dinner or an activity.

 

[amyharris0919]

Update: I'm so glad a lot of you suggested to check with the business. It was more because we had the room to ourselves.

Now I feel absolutely horrible that I automatically thought the worst of these people. We do genuinely like them, so why was my first inclination was that they did us wrong???

Thank you all so much for the input!! It's nice to know I have someplace other than mainstream social media and clearly biased friends and family to get feedback on situations.

 

[AquamarineSteph]

Thanks for posting the update! I'm glad it's a happy ending!!!

 

[amberpi]

So glad you found out it's all good!!!

 

[Hikergirl]

Update: I'm so glad a lot of you suggested to check with the business. It was more because we had the room to ourselves.

Now I feel absolutely horrible that I automatically thought the worst of these people. We do genuinely like them, so why was my first inclination was that they did us wrong???

Thank you all so much for the input!! It's nice to know I have someplace other than mainstream social media and clearly biased friends and family to get feedback on situations.

Don't feel bad OP, I think anyone who didn't realize there was a cost difference for private rooms would have questioned it.

 

[frostedpink]

I think it's tacky that they asked you to chip in. You were their guests at their event.

Regardless, glad you found out that they were honest.

 

[Daniela Rose]

I'm so glad you called and got the update. Don't feel bad about your negative reaction at first. I would want to know bc I wouldn't want to have a bad opinion of people. So happy it worked out.

 

[mjkacmom]

I think it's tacky that they asked you to chip in. You were their guests at their event.

Regardless, glad you found out that they were honest.

It depends, it sounds like a group of friends decided to go out for dinner and an escape room to celebrate a birthday, folks here do it all of the time. Thats different than hosting a birthday event, and it's usually easy to decipher which kind of event it is by the invitation (verbal or written). It appears that the OP expected to pay for their portion.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Here's the background. DS10 has a really good friend that he has shared two grades with and has now played on the same baseball team with for two years. In fact, the friend's step-dad is the baseball coach. As a result of all this togetherness and the fact that our boys love spending time together, we have gotten friendly with the mom and step-dad. Let's just call them the Smiths.

Back in June, the Smiths asked us for a night out with two other couples (so 4 couples in total) for Mr. Smith's birthday. We were genuinely flattered that they wanted to include us in this celebration! We went to dinner and then did an escape room. We paid for our own dinner, and at the end of the night, the Smiths told all of us that they had to book and pay for the escape room up front, and it was going to be $65 per couple. I thought at the time that was high, but I didn't know. Some of those places are pretty expensive, it was a Saturday night, etc.

However, I am planning to book a room for some us and some other friends at the same location. When I went to book it (on a Saturday night), I noticed that it's $120. For the room, no matter how many people are in there. Hmmm.

Now I'm feeling duped by these people that we really genuinely liked. And I'm trying to figure out what to do, if anything. Part of me wants to confront and ask for an explanation. But I really don't want to mess up DS's good friendship with the other boy. Plus, we are planning to continue to play on the same baseball team. So on the other hand, maybe I just let it go and be a little less trusting in the future. You know, "fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me".

Thoughts?

We're actually doing Escape Room KC this Sunday though a couple years ago we did Breakout KC. When I was playing around with Escape Room KC the price on some of the rooms did change depending on the number of people you selected. I know with Escape Room KC the rooms are private with the exception of 1 room that holds up to 12 and that one you book by how many people. Breakout KC doesn't have private rooms and thus you have to select how many people from the beginning for the time slot you'd like.

Breakout KC is $30 per person no matter the room (so 4 people=$120). But I did find, as I mentioned above, the price changed depending on the number of people for Escape Room KC. I have really looked up any other companies around town though.

Escape Room KC for example one of the rooms is $34.00 per person if you only have 2 people but if you have 4 people it is $26.00 per person.

Do you know which one they booked through? Could it be that they are confusing something up on their end if they had been looking at multiple options? It's still possible they over-charged you though.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Update: I'm so glad a lot of you suggested to check with the business. It was more because we had the room to ourselves.

Now I feel absolutely horrible that I automatically thought the worst of these people. We do genuinely like them, so why was my first inclination was that they did us wrong???

Thank you all so much for the input!! It's nice to know I have someplace other than mainstream social media and clearly biased friends and family to get feedback on situations.

Don't feel bad. It happens and sometimes you just want to make sure on things.

FYI: I quoted your first post prior to reading through the 2nd page. . Sorry 'bout that. Glad to hear it all worked out.

 

[mummabear]

Not what I said.

I'm referring to OP's kid. A strain between the parents definitely has potential to damage his friendship with their son -- and his relationship with his coach.

And the strain is already there, if they were dishonest about the cost it was caused by them.
Do you really think OP wants to go back to inviting the family over for BBQs even if they never raise the issue?
The only way to make that strain possibly go away is to deal with the issue.
As I suggested in my second post OP could call the escape room and seek clarification around any cost changes since June, if the business says "yes we used to charge per couple now we charge per room" problem solved if they say no this has always been their pricing I see no issue with saying to the other couple "We had a really great one at the escape room, I decided to go back with another group and was surprised to find that the amount was per room or per couple, it seems we were overcharged"
OP could either say "do you have the recipet so we can complain to the business because clearly the staff member who booked you did something dodgy" or just flat out ask why they told them it cost $65.

 

[mjkacmom]

And the strain is already there, if they were dishonest about the cost it was caused by them.
Do you really think OP wants to go back to inviting the family over for BBQs even if they never raise the issue?
The only way to make that strain possibly go away is to deal with the issue.
As I suggested in my second post OP could call the escape room and seek clarification around any cost changes since June, if the business says "yes we used to charge per couple now we charge per room" problem solved if they say no this has always been their pricing I see no issue with saying to the other couple "We had a really great one at the escape room, I decided to go back with another group and was surprised to find that the amount was per room or per couple, it seems we were overcharged"
OP could either say "do you have the recipet so we can complain to the business because clearly the staff member who booked you did something dodgy" or just flat out ask why they told them it cost $65.

Op updated, nothing dishonest happened.