Who should pay what in this situation?

[payingdilemma]

NCd for this just in case!

I had tickets for an event recently with two friends, A and B. They were expensive, about £200 each for an event we'd been looking forward to. Friend A unfortunately had an unavoidable work trip come up last minute and couldn't attend the event. The tickets were non-refundable but for a fee (about £60) you could transfer them into someone else's name and they could use the ticket.

Friend B then said his partner could come along - stupidly we didn't discuss in advance who would pay for what and we're now in a bit of a limbo situation where friend B and partner have paid the name change fee, but Friend A has still paid for the ticket.

Because I am the link and point of contact between these friends, they're now asking me what should be done but I'm not entirely sure what to suggest, other than asking them to work it out themselves.

On the one hand, I feel like Friend A wouldn't have got a refund anyway, so someone may as well have made use of the ticket. But equally, Friend B and partner have used and enjoyed it so should pay (perhaps taking off the cost of the name change they had to pay).

Just wanted to canvass some opinions on what is fair!

Friend B should have paid for the ticket minus the name change fee.

But you should keep out of this. It’s not really anything to do with you are your not the one who’s going to be out of pocket in any way.

it’s for friend A to say what they want in the way of remuneration for the ticket

I also agree with @Fizzgigg
A pays for name change and B pays face value of ticket.
However if B partner would never ever go to a concert for £200 and went entirely because of wasted ticket I would do halves for £260 so everyone would come out a bit better out of the situation.

so A should basically just gift the ticket, that doesn't make sense.

i think is the fairest way

and NO WAY should B pay for name change AND ticket, max they should pay is the facevalue of the ticket

Halving all the costs seems fair so
Each pays £130 in total

It does if there wasn't enough time or demand for the ticket.

I was once A in a very similar situation, only difference is there was no name change fee. I gave my ticket to the group to find someone else to use. If it’s non refundable and going to waste regardless my mindset was that the money was spent anyway so someone may as well get something from it. If they had offered some money I would have declined but appreciate others may have taken it. I think A has lost out regardless so B’s partner should not feel the need to pay especially if they only went as the ticket would have been unused

A cannot expect the ticket to be changed and the full price at no expense to themselves.

The full price (including change) is 260 splitting in half makes sense so A gets some money back and the ticket gets used

A needs to be aware though that they will only get 70 back in this situation because the other 60 has gone to change it

What kind of event costs £60 to change the name on the ticket 😮

Something so costly should have been discussed up front, too late for that now but B is a CF for thinking they should only have to pay the fee

This is correct in my opinion

I think A has thrown everyone here.
Let's call the OP 'C'. A B & C are going to an event. Last minute B C & B's partner are going - a very different dynamic. I would hate being C here.
If A's work are changing her roster at short notice, would they not have some method of compensating for this kind of loss? Perhaps Bs partner would not have paid £200 but were ok with £60 . B did not opt in, when you were buying the tickets.
As it wasn't discussed and the tickets had no resale value, I think B has paid enough. If the transfer was free, perhaps they could have gifted A a few bob - but A purchased a non-refundable ticket.

Friend B sends Friend A the cost of the ticket minus the name change fee they've paid.

Shocked friend b thinks it's fine to use a ticket and not pay for it tbh

Actually rethinking this. It was on A to make sure they confirmed what they wanted in return for the ticket prior to the event.

Therefore as they didn't state anything B assumed it was free ( except it wasn't really because it cost them £60 to go ).

you have to make it clear before its offered to someone else not say afterwards oh btw can i have face value for the ticket

ive given up tickets fro free when i was ill i wouldnt have got a refund anyway

If I was A I wouldn't be asking for £200 after the event and after B has paid the £60 to change the name as well. I think that is a bit rude, they should have agreed before hand the amount they wanted for the ticket.

However if I was friend B and I could easily afford to pay A for the ticket £200 Inc name change fee I would regardless if they asked for it. However, if B is short on cash and only went as they thought it to be free and they paid the £60 then its A's fault for not clarifying it before hand.

If availability of cash isn't the issue, A could have lost the money otherwise, and its just the principle then I'd suggest splitting total cost equally.

I would say friend b should pay lass than full price for the ticket, if you sell a ticket last minute you rarely get full price, well in advance you can sell for full price or even more than full price if it is a popular event, but last minute you are just trying to get back as much as you can. So possibly halvsies on the whole thing £130 each. If friend b had not taken the ticket then it is unlikely friend a would have anything back at all. If friend a had managed to sell it they would not be getting the 260 for a 200 ticket at short notice to the event. Especially a single ticket. Lucky to get half imo.

Also, was it a sold out event? Where tickets going round on the market for it?

Friend B should pay the cost of the ticket minus the cost of the name change.

Did A offer the ticket or did B ask for the ticket?

The fair thing would be for A to pay the transfer fee and B to pay for the ticket. But, if A suggested you try to find someone else to take the ticket, she should have made it clear whether she was selling or giving away the ticket. If it was B who suggested their partner came, they should have made it clear they only wanted it if it were free so A had the option to find a friend who wanted to buy the ticket or give it as a gift to whoever they chose.

Friend A should pay the cost of the name change by way deduction, so friend who went with you (B?) pays £140 total.

Actually no, I got confused. Total cost of ticket = 260. I think splitting it between two is fair, £130. So each pays the same amount. Friend who couldn't go gets at least something back.

If A could have given it/sold it to someone else who wanted it? Then B pays A £140.

The person who used the ticket should pay for the ticket - friend B's partner - and they should pay that money to Friend A to reimburse them.
Friend A should pay the £60 fee to transfer the ticket, as it is their fault the ticket needs to be transferred.
The ticket was owned by Friend A, they could have chosen to keep it but not attend, or to sell it. Friend B's partner wanted to buy it.

Friend A pays the name change and friend B’s partner pays for the ticket price