Student spends £129 on a Wowcher mystery holiday – to the city where she lives

A student who impulsively spent £129 on a mystery holiday package was devastated when her destination was revealed.

Cara Piper, from Derry, Northern Ireland, had high hopes for a weekend away in New York City when she bought her Wowcher, which offers cheap holiday lotteries.

But when the 23-year-old received the email revealing her destination, it was Edinburgh – the city she’s lived in for four years.

She filmed herself opening the email, capturing her shocked reaction as she shouted, ‘No!’

Cara, who studies education at Queen Margaret University, later said: ‘I was honestly happy with anywhere as long as it wasn’t the UK.

‘I opened it in Edinburgh because that’s where I’ve been living for the past four years.

She and her friend Ethan had decided to book the mystery holiday on a whim, but as they hoped to go in the summer months, she had to put her departure airport as Belfast.

‘We’re limited on where we can go,’ she explained. ‘We don’t think it’s going to be New York or anything like that. We’re happy anywhere. I’m nervous.’

Cara went on to open the email, when she said: ‘No, no, no, no. We’ve got Edinburgh. I’m in Edinburgh right now.

‘We did not just pay £130 each to go where I go to uni for the past four years. For f*cks sake,’ she laughed.

‘We can ring up and change, I think. I literally live here. I actually can’t believe that. I was saying if we got somewhere in the UK I’d be fuming.’

Cara’s shocked reaction gathered more than 126,000 views on TikTok,

Viewer Morgan Mcsherry said: ‘I’m not joking, as soon as you said Wowcher I was like ‘they’re either getting Belfast or Edinburgh.’

Another added: ‘I honestly would have ended it right at that minute. Devastated for you.’

Ads for Wowcher show postcard photos of Florida, New York, Vietnam and Bali, as well as snapshots of city breaks such as Berlin and Copenhagen.

But there are some limitations to travel and destinations when you buy the holiday lotto ticket.

Travelling to the aforementioned destinations – plus short-haul beach hubs including Crete, Malta, Sicily, Tenerife and Ibiza – will set you back £99, if you travel in low season.

That’s from January to March, in May, or from September to December.

Travelling during peak times incurs an additional fee, bringing the total cost to £129 per person. There’s also an administration charge, which appears to be £9.99 per booking.

The deal includes a two to seven-night stay (depending on the destination) in three-star accommodation, in a private room with an ensuite.

All short-haul flights are direct from the UK to your destination.

The mystery deal has become a popular TikTok trend, with people filming the moment they find out the location they’ve been given.

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