Is it fair to ask for a refund?

[Anonymous]

The families' budgets have been planned out. Whether you use the room or not is immaterial.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
So it's not fair for them to pay a refund, but it's OK for them to use our room if we don't go?

Of course it's okay, but if you feel really strongly about it, you could drive there and put police tape across the door.

Each family agreed to pay a certain amount for the vacation. That's how much they have budgeted. It would be kind of them to offer a refund, but it is in no way required; nor should it be expected.

[Anonymous]

http://www.drycast.com/

OP, pay for tue amount you agreed to.

Go for a day or two. Your kid will likely surprise you and have more fun than you think she will. You might even end up staying longer.

With a broken arm she can still wade in the surf, build sand castles, play games and visit. If she is older, she can sunbath and hang out.

She can probably even get in the pool. They sell waterproof cast covers online. Maybe you can order some and give it a try if your doc gives you a thumbs up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would say it's not fair to ask for a refund. The vacation isn't "still" two weeks away, it's only two weeks away from the point of view of the other two families.

Also, why can't the kid go to the beach with a broken arm? Still plenty of fun to be had and it would be a good lesson for the kids to see that circumstances don't have to be ideal to follow through on something or to have fun.

I think it will be the torture for the kid to be on the beach and not be able to go in the water. The house has a pool too.

So it's not fair for them to pay a refund, but it's OK for them to use our room if we don't go?

PP here. Sure, it'll be hard for the kid, I think "torture" is a bit dramatic though. Do you see no value in the child learning that sometimes things don't work out the way we'd always like them to, but that their reaction to circumstances is far more important? Attitude really is everything. And, if you've already decided it'll be torture for the kid, I guarantee that's exactly how they'll react to it. But, if you help re-frame the situation and show them how to have a good time under less than ideal circumstances, your vacation will be saved and your kid will be much better off for learning how to adapt. If you act as though there's no question they'll still be able to have fun, they'll be much more likely to try. You can't and shouldn't protect your child from every situation that might bum them out.

And, yeah, I do think it's unfair for them to pay a refund, especially because I don't really think your circumstances are such that cancelling is the only reasonable course of action. It's just a broken arm, not a death in the family. The extra room is an unplanned bonus for them and it might not seem "fair" from your POV that they would get to use the space without refunding you, but that's what happens when you're two weeks out from a vacation and you voluntarily cancel. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

How old is the kid with the broken arm?

[Anonymous]

Talk about over-reacting... you're not going because you think it will be "torture" to be at the beach but not in the water?

Martyr-mommy. But only for your kids, f that other family, you're a cheap martyr-mommy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://www.drycast.com/

OP, pay for tue amount you agreed to.

Go for a day or two. Your kid will likely surprise you and have more fun than you think she will. You might even end up staying longer.

With a broken arm she can still wade in the surf, build sand castles, play games and visit. If she is older, she can sunbath and hang out.

She can probably even get in the pool. They sell waterproof cast covers online. Maybe you can order some and give it a try if your doc gives you a thumbs up.

I would assume that if they aren't going because of the broken arm it's due to follow-up visits to the doctor or surgery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:http://www.drycast.com/

OP, pay for tue amount you agreed to.

Go for a day or two. Your kid will likely surprise you and have more fun than you think she will. You might even end up staying longer.

With a broken arm she can still wade in the surf, build sand castles, play games and visit. If she is older, she can sunbath and hang out.

She can probably even get in the pool. They sell waterproof cast covers online. Maybe you can order some and give it a try if your doc gives you a thumbs up.

I would assume that if they aren't going because of the broken arm it's due to follow-up visits to the doctor or surgery.

Okay, I see from the OP that the above is not the case. Just go on the vacation!

[Anonymous]

Get a waterproof cast cover

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it will be the torture for the kid to be on the beach and not be able to go in the water. The house has a pool too.

Meh. I broke my leg when I was a kid and couldn't swim all summer. Somehow I survived.

[Anonymous]

For less than a hundred dollars you can get a waterproof cast. Problem solved.

[Anonymous]

A broken arm is a very lame excuse to not go on a beach vacation. Happens to kids all the time, and believe me, they will have fun. Happened to my brother back in the day when their were no waterproof casts. Cheap plastic bag with rubber band works every time.

[Anonymous]

I recently took a vacation where 5 of us shared a condo. One guy was a no-show due to a work situation. We ended up refunding about half of his money, so that 4 of us lost about $50 each and he lost about $200. We'd all budgeted for a certain amount and chosen this condo because of the price, so we figured that was fair.

Maybe the family could get back half of their money? It could probably come out of the security deposit.

[Anonymous]

No, you cannot ask for a refund. The point of putting down deposits is to reserve a place when many other people want to rent it. You put down the rental/deposit and you had an accident. You have the choice that your family can still go and use the room (there are plenty of other things to do at the beach than go into the water and it's still a vacation), you can opt for some of the family to go and one parent stay home with the kid with the broken arm, or you can opt to skip it. Either way, like a non-refundable deposit, you made the commitment to pay for your share of the house, so you are responsible.

You can ask the other two families if they know of another family that might be interested in going, and if you get lucky and another family agrees to go, then they can pick up your portion. If not, that's the risk you have in booking a rental in a popular destination at a popular time. Under no circumstances are the other two families responsible for your portion of the tab. They didn't have an accident, so there's no reason, they should be expected to cover your commitment unless they feel charitable. In their situation, I would be charitable if it was truly something that prevented you from actually going (like your child being hospitalized, or having a family emergency that required them to go/be elsewhere), but for something optional like a broken arm, that's your choice to come or not and hence, your responsibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Talk about over-reacting... you're not going because you think it will be "torture" to be at the beach but not in the water?

Martyr-mommy. But only for your kids, f that other family, you're a cheap martyr-mommy!

I'm cool with name calling, but your phrases are just plain stupid, you add nothing to this conversation.

Actual NP btw.