Influencer issues stark warning to travelers after simple mistake left her with $10,600 bill in Bali
An Australian woman went through 'every emotion' after making a simple mistake with friends in Bali that left them facing a $10,600 bill on NYE.
Hayley Davis and her friends were left lost for words after noticing days on from a New Years Eve event that they had been charged more than $10,000.
The 21-year-old believed that she had paid $1,650 for a luxury daybed at Atlas Super Club in Kuta, where American rapper Swae Lee was performing.
But it wasn't until her bank card declined at McDonald's three days later, that she discovered they had actually been charged six times that amount.
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"We were literally living like the rich," Davis said in a TikTok video, as she explained the daybed was situated right next to the stage and complete with a private pool.
But even problems with payment didn't spark any concerns among the excited group.
Speaking with UNILAD, Davis said: "The amount did show clearly, but because we were in Bali and dealing with Indonesian rupiah, I think my brain just didn’t process what I was actually looking at.
"At the time, nothing really clicked we were all so excited and I genuinely thought everything was fine. It wasn’t until afterwards that I realised just how much money had actually been spent."
Numerous attempts to pay the beach club failed, but eventually called Atlas and paid over the phone.
And even after sending a screenshot to the girls' group chat, no one spotted the costly mistake.
Speaking about the biggest red flag in hindsight, the 21-year-old said: "Looking back, the biggest red flag was probably the fact it was a massive day bed with a private pool.
"At the time we didn’t think anything of it, but knowing what we know now, it’s definitely the moment where we probably should have stopped and double-checked everything."
Staff brought food and drinks to their daybed on silver platters, and after getting the feeling they had reached their spending limit, Davis even tried to encourage her friends not to order more.
Little did she know, they had thousands left to use.
And despite the waitress' numerous attempts to explain the large amount of money that remained on their tab, Davis noted that the language barrier meant she didn't understand the extent of the situation.
She casually told the waitress to keep the remaining amount as a tip, which amounted to an astonishing $7,000.
The influencer later acknowledged that the mistake was 'stupid' and could have been 'easily avoided', and opened up about the valuable lesson it had taught her - albeit a costly one.
"I check everything now," she said, "I’m so much more conscious of currency conversions and I make sure I actually look at the amount before approving any payment.
"I don’t think I’ll ever see a bill overseas and just assume it’s right again! It’s definitely an expensive lesson."
Fortunately, her friends were eventually able to pay their share of the enormous bill.
Topics: Food and Drink, Travel, Money, Social Media, Viral
Mia Williams