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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Who should pay?

89 replies

JollyGiraffe · 29/11/2018 21:40

Friend 1 messages Friend 2 to say they have a spare ticket to the cinema. Their partner is too busy with work to come, and other friends can't go so they ask if Friend 2 will go with them. Friend 1 is aware that Friend 2 doesn't like the genre of the film (and hasn't seen the first one in the series), but Friend 2 agrees to come.

Both Friends have similar amounts of disposable income. Each ticket costs £7.50.

Would you expect Friend 1 to pay for both, or for Friend 2 to reimburse Friend 1 the cost of their ticket?

OP posts:
londonrach · 29/11/2018 22:42

Friend 2 offers to pay, friend 1 says no ticket is bought and be wasted. If you dont use it just buy the popcorn

strawberrypenguin · 29/11/2018 22:44

I'd expect friend 1 to pay as friend 2 is going along to keep them company. Friend 2 could maybe offer to get popcorn or snacks

Original poster
JollyGiraffe · 29/11/2018 22:44

Film is Fantastic Beasts 2.

I hate fantasy books/movies, including Harry Potter (sorry) which she definitely knows. She loves things like that though!

She must be desperate if she's asking me to go with her Grin

arethereanyleft I would definitely be going because of reason 1!

OP posts:
Bloomini · 29/11/2018 22:45

Friend 1 should definitely pay! Especially if they say they have a "ticket spare".

However, if I were friend 2 and didn't like the genre and hadn't seen the first film, I wouldn't go!

WellGoshDarnIt · 29/11/2018 22:46

I'm going to assume it's Fantastic Beasts - if you haven't seen the first one, I definitely would not recommend attempting to watch the second as a 'stand alone' film. You won't be able to make head nor tail of it.

Mumshappy · 29/11/2018 22:47

If i had a babysitter (never gonna happen) id go purely to get some extra sleep as a film like that would bore me to death. In all seriousness though no I wouldnt go as it does sound like she wants the 7.50 and it will be shite

Katedotness1963 · 29/11/2018 22:50

Friend 2 is doing a favour by being company for a film they have no interest in, or have seen the first instalment of. I wouldn't ask them to pay for the ticket, but I think the fact the cost has been brought up means friend 1 expects to be paid back.

RomanyRoots · 29/11/2018 22:53

I don't understand why friend 2 would consider going in the first place.
just meet another time.

Iloveautumnleaves · 29/11/2018 22:55

You’re going to keep her company as a favour, there’s NO WAY you should pay OR buy snacks (cost a fortune here!)

...I’d never make a friend sit through a movie they’d hate just to keep me company, it’s ridiculous.

StoppinBy · 29/11/2018 22:55

I would offer to pay but knowing my friends they would say they didn't want to be paid back.

I do think it would be rude for your friend to ask for the money for a ticket they already paid for as their invited friend in this instance is doing the other one a favour going to a movie they don't even want to see and wouldn't have paid to go to.

Wait.... maybe I missed it but are you friend 1 or 2 in this story?

PolkaDoting · 29/11/2018 23:09

Snacks could easily cost more than the ticket!

GabsAlot · 29/11/2018 23:52

tell her thanks but its not your thing and as a sequel u dnt think u would follow it

Ellisandra · 29/11/2018 23:57

My son saw it as a birthday party group - some mums of children who weren’t into HP said their kids were utterly lost.

This wouldn’t even be a dilemma on who paid what for me, I’d just say no thanks.

lisasimpsonssaxophone · 30/11/2018 08:24

Oh god OP don’t do it. I do like Harry Potter and used to LOVE it in my 20s, but the new FB film is so dull!!!

WhateverHappenedToTheHeatwave · 30/11/2018 08:31

I would forget all the paying malarkey and tell her its not your thing and you wouldn't enjoy it. Even if it is free, its not worth the 2 hours you lose in boredom.

Sooner you tell her, the sooner shevcan find someone else

Bringbackbertha · 30/11/2018 08:34

Will repeat what I said above.

If you haven't seen part 1 then part 2 will make no sense and bore you.

I love these films but to be honest this was very slow and mainly a gap filler for part 3. You need to have watched part 1 and have read the books to understand what is going on.

If you are expected to pay then don't waste your money.

Blanchedupetitpois · 30/11/2018 08:36

Friend 2 should offer to pay. Friend 1 should then refuse. Friend 2 should then buy snacks.

Trills · 30/11/2018 08:38

The person who said they would go but dropped out should be paying for the ticket, if they dropped out after they knew the ticket had been bought.

And you should not go. You won't have a nice time.

QueenDaisy · 30/11/2018 08:41

Since you haven’t said you’ll go & you won’t enjoy the film, decline the invite, problem solved Smile

hibbledibble · 30/11/2018 08:44

In this situation I would offer to pay, then if the offer was turned down the get food. I think it would be rude to not offer to pay.

It sounds like you don't want to go then, so don't go.

EverythingsDozy · 30/11/2018 08:53

I do this all the time, buy two tickets and then ask someone to come with me. I never ask for reimbursement, and I've had some which have cost me £70 (so much more than a cinema ticket!!)
I would offer to pay but friend 1 should say no, don't be daft. I probably wouldn't offer to pay for all the snacks though, because they'll cost more than £7.50 and friend 2 would be out of pocket.

mrswishywashy1 · 30/11/2018 09:01

I watched part 1 and I still couldn't make head not tail out of the second one 🙈

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 30/11/2018 09:05

I wouldn’t go if I were you. I couldn’t sit through a film I didn’t like.

If you do go, she should pay, you should offer to buy the popcorn.

diddl · 30/11/2018 09:10

In the circs I wouldn't expect you to pay for the ticket-maybe just your own snacks (if that).

I think best not to go tbh.

chocatoo · 30/11/2018 09:11

If I was Friend 2 I would say something like can I give you some money towards the tick? in the expectation that Friend 1 would say No. I would expect to treat to coffees/popcorn or whatever as my contribution (which, these days in the cinema can cost as much as the tickets!)