NYE restaurant refund

vaughjam

I booked a restaurant for 6 people for New Years Eve but had to cancel at short notice (3 days prior) because my wife tested positive for Covid. The restaurant gave us a couple of options - 1) they would attempt to fill the table and refund us our down payment (approx £300) minus our deposit (approx £30). If they were unsuccessful, they would allow us to rebook up until the end of February. They were unsuccessful at filling the table and now they have said we can only rebook on a Wednesday or Thrusday night up until the end of February. The issue is we are nor available on any if these dates and we were hoping for at least a Friday or Saturday night reservation. Please can anybody offer any advise - we like this restaurant and don't want to fall out with them but they are making things rather awkward. TIA 

onashoestring

It would depend on the T&Cs of your NYE booking and whether you are entitled to anything more than a goodwill gesture.  The restaurant has also lost out substantially with an empty table on NYE.

If you are regulars at this restaurant, you could explain that you are not available mid week and would really like to book a Friday or Saturday. 

Hopefully they will not want to loose valued customers especially at the moment , however it could be that they are fully booked on the weekends and do not have availability. 

Talking to them especially if you know them will be the best way to resolve to the satisfaction of both parties and not fallout with them. 

If they won’t / can’t accommodate a Friday or Saturday booking can you adjust your plans and make a special day out of a mid week booking ?

Thrugelmir

vaughjam said:

Please can anybody offer any advise - we like this restaurant and don't want to fall out with them but they are making things rather awkward. 

The owners are running a business. Offering you a quiet night of the week seems logical. Given they were under no obligation at all. Why potentially lose yet more money to accomodate your demands? 

binao

vaughjam said:

I booked a restaurant for 6 people for New Years Eve but had to cancel at short notice (3 days prior) because my wife tested positive for Covid. The restaurant gave us a couple of options - 1) they would attempt to fill the table and refund us our down payment (approx £300) minus our deposit (approx £30). If they were unsuccessful, they would allow us to rebook up until the end of February. They were unsuccessful at filling the table and now they have said we can only rebook on a Wednesday or Thrusday night up until the end of February. The issue is we are nor available on any if these dates and we were hoping for at least a Friday or Saturday night reservation. Please can anybody offer any advise - we like this restaurant and don't want to fall out with them but they are making things rather awkward. TIA 

6 diners at £330 =£55 each. Includes NYE premium. 

Actual cafe loss can't be more than 50%

So suggest £150 goodwill refund or you join TripAdvisor. 

Grumpy_chap

vaughjam said:

I booked a restaurant for 6 people for New Years Eve but had to cancel at short notice (3 days prior) because my wife tested positive for Covid. The restaurant gave us a couple of options - 1) they would attempt to fill the table and refund us our down payment (approx £300) minus our deposit (approx £30). If they were unsuccessful, they would allow us to rebook up until the end of February. They were unsuccessful at filling the table and now they have said we can only rebook on a Wednesday or Thrusday night up until the end of February. The issue is we are nor available on any if these dates and we were hoping for at least a Friday or Saturday night reservation. Please can anybody offer any advise - we like this restaurant and don't want to fall out with them but they are making things rather awkward. TIA 

The offer of the meal on a less busy day seems entirely reasonable - arguably the restaurant could simply say you get nowt as I understand it.

There are 16 "Wednesday or Thursday nights" between now and the end of February.  What is is that means absolutely none of those are possible?

Upsidedownandaround

binao said:

vaughjam said:

I booked a restaurant for 6 people for New Years Eve but had to cancel at short notice (3 days prior) because my wife tested positive for Covid. The restaurant gave us a couple of options - 1) they would attempt to fill the table and refund us our down payment (approx £300) minus our deposit (approx £30). If they were unsuccessful, they would allow us to rebook up until the end of February. They were unsuccessful at filling the table and now they have said we can only rebook on a Wednesday or Thrusday night up until the end of February. The issue is we are nor available on any if these dates and we were hoping for at least a Friday or Saturday night reservation. Please can anybody offer any advise - we like this restaurant and don't want to fall out with them but they are making things rather awkward. TIA 

6 diners at £330 =£55 each. Includes NYE premium. 

Actual cafe loss can't be more than 50%

So suggest £150 goodwill refund or you join TripAdvisor. 

How did you work that out?

The table sat empty because they couldn't get another booking at such short notice.

Their actual loss is anything less than the £330 the OP paid which prevented someone else paying £330 for the table never mind the possibility of spending on extras.

Why should they lose out because the OP had to cancel?

They appear to be doing more than enough by trying to rebook the table and then when they couldn't allowing 2 months to make another booking.

binao

Grumpy_chap said:

vaughjam said:

I booked a restaurant for 6 people for New Years Eve but had to cancel at short notice (3 days prior) because my wife tested positive for Covid. The restaurant gave us a couple of options - 1) they would attempt to fill the table and refund us our down payment (approx £300) minus our deposit (approx £30). If they were unsuccessful, they would allow us to rebook up until the end of February. They were unsuccessful at filling the table and now they have said we can only rebook on a Wednesday or Thrusday night up until the end of February. The issue is we are nor available on any if these dates and we were hoping for at least a Friday or Saturday night reservation. Please can anybody offer any advise - we like this restaurant and don't want to fall out with them but they are making things rather awkward. TIA 

The offer of the meal on a less busy day seems entirely reasonable - arguably the restaurant could simply say you get nowt as I understand it.

There are 16 "Wednesday or Thursday nights" between now and the end of February.  What is is that means absolutely none of those are possible?

But a "less busy day" is not NYE, which  is normally subject to a substantial premium.
In the case of my local upmarket tavern, greasy spoon , +50% for weekends, let alone NYE.   It's popular. 

Personally NYE is for partying.