Accommodation booked when one not needed

Hi rory it’s J, I booked you for the 18th October,
I’m so sorry I’m rubbish at communicating over email, I did look over your set lists, I absolutely love set 3 but is it possible to take a few songs out of it? Also I booked a dj to start at 8:30 so I only need you to play till then if that’s ok? x

Title
Accommodation booked when one not needed.

Description
Artist was originally booked for a performance from 18:00–21:00 in Cardiff on 18/10/2025. Under the original conditions, the last train back to Gloucester would have been missed. However, new train times appeared on the Trainline app closer to the gig date, which would have allowed same-day travel. The issue was exacerbated when the client, J, messaged via WhatsApp on 07/10/2025 saying, “Hi RD, it’s J, I booked you for the 18th October, I’m so sorry I’m rubbish at communicating over email, I did look over your set lists, I absolutely love set 3 but is it possible to take a few songs out of it? Also I booked a DJ to start at 8:30 so I only need you to play till then if that’s ok? x” The client had not been responding to show advance emails.
A flexible accommodation rate was booked for £34, which enabled cancellation up to two days before. On the day of the event, the artist was verbally informed that the new performance start time was 16:30 and the finish time 18:30. This change had not been communicated in advance. The artist was already on site, set up and sound-checked, and therefore able to comply. The new timing made overnight accommodation unnecessary.
The artist attended the accommodation in person on the day to request cancellation. Reception made several phone calls to five different managers; eventually, one manager advised that the booking was non-refundable at that stage. The artist therefore incurred a £34 loss for the accommodation, and an additional £7 loss for having purchased an open return train ticket rather than a cheaper day return.

Action Taken
The artist had originally chosen the flexible rate at £2 more than the non-refundable rate to allow for possible schedule changes. Upon learning the revised gig timings, the artist approached reception to enquire about cancelling, aware from the terms and conditions that it was unlikely to be possible. Reception initially appeared to be arranging a refund authorisation but, following contact with a manager, confirmed that the booking could not be refunded. The artist therefore complied with the accommodation terms and initially decided to make use of the room.

Resolutions
After confirming the earlier finish time of 18:30, the artist collected belongings and caught the 20:22 train home to Gloucester, accepting the incurred costs as a learning experience. For the next booking on 15/11/2025 in Kingston-upon-Thames (finishing 21:00, after the last train home), the artist has opted to stay up overnight and travel back on the 06:00 coach to offset previous losses.

Notes Comments
Do not book accommodation until the day of the gig, and if possible, only after the performance has commenced. Clients can be unreliable or uncommunicative, and may alter event details at short notice without warning. If advance accommodation is essential (e.g., for remote locations or group travel), continue to use flexible rates and confirm logistics before any cancellation deadlines.

Reported
Reported Date: 20/10/2025
Reported By (Individual): RD
Reported By (Organisation): R

INDIVIDUALS

Responsible, Passive, JMO, Client
Communicating event details and schedule

Responsible, Responsive, RD, Artist
Booking, travel, accommodation, performance