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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Was I being U or was friend?

58 replies

TowerRavenSeven · 21/03/2015 15:28

Went to dinner with a friend Thursday. She asked if I would mind this particular restaurant as she had coupon. It was one of those coupons you pay for, so say she paid $12.50 for a $25.00 gift card. I agreed it was fine.

I had paid her for petrol as she usually drives, as she usually likes to drive fairly far and I'm not familiar with the areas.

When the bill came, it was for exactly $25 for both. If this were me I would have split the tip and called it good but she hinted she wanted what I owed her. It was very cordial, I paid her exactly what I owed her (a bit more than hers) plus my part of the tip.

But what gets me is that she wouldn't even been able to get hers free without me going in with her. She paid 12.50 for the gift certificate worth $25.00. If I hadn't gone in with her she couldn't have used the $25.00 gift card because the bill was only $25.00 all together. So me paying her $14.00 plus my share of tip she Made money off me. Fwiw she makes $60 K (Pounds) annually.

Am I b U thinking she made money off next? Usually when I have a deal like that other friends would pay for half of the coupon ($6.25) and anything extra that they had if their bill was more than mine. Personally I'd treat the other person but I wasn't looking for that but I feel weird she made money on me so to speak.

OP posts:
diddl · 21/03/2015 16:54

well I think that she should just have paid with the voucher & let you leave a tip.

$12.50 for a meal for two?

that's good going isn't it?

BellsUpMyNose · 21/03/2015 16:55

i can see why your annoyed but other than her paying the extra £6 25 it dont seem very fair either way. she should of shared the cost of the voucher in the first place and then just paid for your own meals after that. saves any resentment or confusion

Original poster
TowerRavenSeven · 21/03/2015 16:58

Yeah, she had the saving...BUT if I wouldn't ordered with her on the same bill she couldn't have used that voucher. I think she took advantage personally. Next time I'll just pay separately. She'll then say, "Well, I won't have $25 so I can't use my voucher!" and I'll say, "Then I'll pay half the voucher or just pay for my own".

Do you think she thought I was just doing her a favour so she could use her voucher? Which I wouldn't have minded if it were put that way. It was put, "I have a $25 voucher for there! Do you mind going there?" I thought it implied we'd Both be getting a deal. That's what I would have done, or made it very explicit. But I'd never dream of asking someone to cough up the whole cost of the meal if I had a voucher. I mean, why use the damn thing anyway then? She didn't save any money, she made money on me! I'd never do that.

OP posts:
emotionsecho · 21/03/2015 16:58

I'm pretty crap at maths but can't see the issue here.

Cost of meal = $25
Cost of voucher = $12.50

Balance required, excluding tip = $12.50

You both paid $12.50 for the meal, excluding the tip.

mommy2ash · 21/03/2015 16:59

you aren't out of pocket. you got what she paid for and it's just like she cashed in the voucher so to speak. seeing as it has caused so much confusion here I don't doubt your friend didn't mean to catch you out.

Original poster
TowerRavenSeven · 21/03/2015 16:59

Sorry getting riled up Grin

OP posts:
basgetti · 21/03/2015 17:01

She actually got her meal free, because she pocketed the OP's costs. I'd be annoyed too.

GoooRooo · 21/03/2015 17:01

Silver she didn't use it for her half of the meal though - she used it for the entire meal but still expected OP to pay for half the meal.

Voucher was £12.50 and entitled the friend to £25 meal.

Meal came to £25 - which the voucher covered.

The friend asked OP for £14 (which is what her half of the meal would have cost if they hadn't paid with a voucher) instead of £6.25 - which is half the ACTUAL COST of the meal because that's what the voucher entitled them too.

So the friend made £1.50 from OP AND got a free meal out of it!

YANBU OP. That's a horrible way to treat a friend.

Fannydabbydozey · 21/03/2015 17:05

I'd be pissed off in your position. Surely the whole point of going out and using a vouchers is that you both save. Any time I've ever gone out with mates and we've used vouchers we've split it equally.

As it is she got a free meal and a little tip... you should give her another little tip: she may be good at counselling, but she's a crap date!

Annabannbobanna · 21/03/2015 17:05

No, emotionsecho, the voucher covered the full cost ($25) but only cost $12.50. Therefore when OP paid her cost of half the total bill it came to more than the voucher had originally cost, subsequently, the friend got back the only money she had paid (the cost of the voucher-$12.50) so she had a free meal! Very cheeky!

Original poster
TowerRavenSeven · 21/03/2015 17:05

mommy2ash, but she cashed in the voucher on ME. That's what I resent. I just wouldn't do that. Ok, time for me to move on. I'm not out any money, my money allowed her to collect money. Still I wouldn't do that to a friend. I get excited when using coupons with friends because then we can both save and go out more. I guess we just don't think the same way.

OP posts:
emotionsecho · 21/03/2015 17:06

Ok, I get it now GoooRooo, thanks.

Original poster
TowerRavenSeven · 21/03/2015 17:07

Me and my friend that is. I was treating us as a "unit" she was treating us "separately".

OP posts:
diddl · 21/03/2015 17:08

The voucher covered the whole meal.

Therefore OP should have paid for half of what the voucher cost!

If they both paid for their own share, presumably the friend would have handed over the voucher & got no change & she wouldn't have benefited from the voucher!

emotionsecho · 21/03/2015 17:09

Thanks for explaining Anna, maths and me fall out regularlyGrin, and yes it is a poor way to treat a friend.

HermioneWeasley · 21/03/2015 17:11

So she gave the $25 gift card to cover the combined bill, and you gave her what your meal had cost ($14)? So she's made a small profit and had a free meal? Cheeky! I would only continue friendship if she's got a lot of redeeming features!

Todaysthedayorisittomorrow · 21/03/2015 17:13

I'm confused

Bill was 25
Friend paid 12.50 (for the voucher)
You paid 14.00

Friend gave 25 voucher over
Pocketed your 1.50

Both put tip on the table

Is that right?

If so its 1.50 for therapy :) bargain I say ;)

basgetti · 21/03/2015 17:20

No, friend pocketed the 14 pound.

diddl · 21/03/2015 17:26

So the bill was $25, of which $14 was yours & $11 hers?

Unbelievable that she didn't just ask for half the price of the voucher.

Or at a push half the price of the voucher plus a couple of extra$.

TheoriginalLEM · 21/03/2015 17:26

im lost - she paid £12.50 and you paid £12.50 - the only winner here as far as i can see was the resturant

TheoriginalLEM · 21/03/2015 17:27

no, ignore me., you are right

Todaysthedayorisittomorrow · 21/03/2015 17:39

Ah I get it friend got 14.

Op didn't pay 14 more than due, but could have paid 5.75 less!

In fairness as pp said due to the confusion here I don't think friend did it to make a buck just didn't think it through.

Chalk it up to experience and mention it next time a voucher is raised.

sykadelic · 21/03/2015 17:46

If she hadn't had the voucher:
14.00 - you
11.00 - her

Because of the voucher:
12.50 - her - 14.00 from you = +$1.50
14.00 - you

How it should have been done:
6.25 - her
6.25 - you

Basically, looks like you bought the voucher ($12.50) and gave her an extra $1.50 PLUS you shouted her to a free meal... plus whatever you paid her for gas. You were totally taken advantage of.

So she "made" the cost of her meal and the cost of gas plus a free meal.

Original poster
TowerRavenSeven · 21/03/2015 17:51

Great learning experience though, really!

OP posts:
MinceSpy · 21/03/2015 17:51

Voucher cost = £12.50
Voucher value = £25.00

Cost of Meal for 2 = £25.00 (voucher value)

OP is asked to pay £14.00 for her meal

Friend who bought voucher gets her £12.50 voucher spend back plus £1.50
Oh and money towards her petrol.

OP I'd buy a voucher and pull the same stunt on her next time.