Who should pay for these tickets?

[Ppejfhfhrhhfhf]

I was going to an event with Sarah and Philippa. I bought the tickets and they were meant to transfer the money.

Sarah then said her DH had arranged to see friends and so she could no longer come. Annoying, but okay. I asked Philippa if it would be okay if we offered the ticket to another mutual friend, Cheryl. Philippa said yes, but that she had seriously overspent so could no longer afford to come and so did I want to find someone else take her ticket too.

I was annoyed, and said I couldn’t think of anyone to take it but if she didn’t want to come just send the money and don’t come. She said she’d send it when she was paid. Meanwhile, Cheryl and I went for drinks with Jessica, mentioned there was a spare ticket, and Jessica said she’d like to come.

So Cheryl, Jessica and I went to the event. I have been paid for the tickets by no one.

Who should pay?

YABU - Cheryl and Jessica
YANBU - Sarah and Philippa

OP, your communication is crap. C&J thought the tickets were freebies and so didn’t pay. ( you also thought the tickets were free to them).

S&P think you sold the tickets to C & J. And so haven’t paid. ( presumably they would have paid on the day if they went).

You really need to communicate better.

I can't imagine attending a show and not paying for the tickets. It's really weird that your friends who went didn't even ask? Offer?

I can't imagine being handed tickets and assuming I don't have to pay. Unless I was told they were free. Did you say they were free?

The tickets were yours because you paid for them all. You chose to be give them away for free when you didn't ask Cheryl and Jessica for the money. They probably thought you were treating them. You mentioned in another post that tickets were only £15 each so I wouldn't get this worked up.

Can each person pay half each? So those that went get discounted tickets but the original two don't get completely let off for letting you down but you don't end up out of pocket.

You’re biggest mistake was not taking payment immediately when you booked the tickets or getting them to book their own.

*Your

The first 2 definitely should have paid but it became a grey area when others took their tickets. As they hadn’t paid, they assumed (of course, being tightwads) you’d just sold the tickets to someone else. The 2 that did go assumed they were going spare, ie free, as you never mentioned a cost to them. over the years I’ve learned who the flakes are who resist paying and drop out. I ask them for money upfront before buying tickets now. Also I have become less polite about asking for money back.

This tbh. While I appreciate that the original ladies should have paid up, by finding replacements the assumption is that they are taking on the financial cost. By not talking to the new people about this you have left yourself short. Even your checking messages were ambiguous, I think most people would (and looking at this thread did) assume you were selling the tickets on.

If I was one of the new comers I would have asked what I owed and that would have shed some light on it too.

All 4 are wrong in my opinion, Sarah and Philippa should have already paid for the tickets and ensured you were not out of pocket.

Cheryl and Jessica should have clarified and personally offered to pay for the tickets and not expected them for free.

You could always set up a group chat with all 4 saying you are feeling rather short changed and hoping to be reimbursed and you are unsure of what was agreed in regards to the offering of the available tickets.

Unless you specifically told the second pair the tickets were a gift I think it’s bad form of them not to ask how much they owed.

In the instance I took a ticket I asked how much it was. The person who had invited me said the ill person didn’t expect me to pay. I insisted and handed over £20.

I wouldn’t dream of using a ticket in this way and not pay for it.

The original pair should definitely have already paid though.

The people who attended should pay, but given that you didn't ask them to then the boat has now sailed, and lesson learnt.

You should have got the money from the original two much earlier.

As you didn’t do that, once the first two dropped out, you should have given them the option of finding someone else to take their ticket (and pay for it), or just pay you anyway, since it wasn’t your fault they weren’t going.

Then when C and J entered the scene, you should have explained to them that the tickets were going, and would they like one for fifteen quid each.

What you should probably do now is not bother any more with S and P, seeing as you don’t seem to like them much (from your trolley pound splitting comment).

Yes that’s the reality you’ve paid for them to go really
now you know what your friends are like though I mean none of them have even offered so rude !!

Agree with this.

Tight people can also be good company.

It's too late now OP, you've given Sarah and Philippa the impression that someone else paid for their tickets. And you gave Cheryl and Jessica the impression that there were free spare tickets.

I'm often in the Cheryl/Jessica position. Sometimes it is "Sarah is ill, she'd like her ticket to be used" (I don't know Sarah but I know the mutual friend who Sarah was going with = a free ticket).

Sometimes it is "I can't go anymore but I know you were interested, would you like my ticket" = I would ask how much it is and buy the ticket from them.

NB in the first instance I would also usually clarify if I owed anything

I agree, although they all do know each other. Philippa and Jessica are actually aunt and niece.

Philippa and Jessica are actually aunt and niece.

😁

Well done on your restraint on holding that bit back until the 169th post. Most people would have got too impatient and fired it off too quickly.

The people who made the arrangement should pay.

Anyone arguing otherwise is likely a flakey CF themselves

Why in earth did you not sort this before you took Cheryl and Jessica? You should gave asked them if they like to come but explained the tix cost. The friends who let you down are also at fault.

This situation is entirely of your own making, OP.

I've been on both sides of this with tickets for concerts, and it is not mortifying in the least to be upfront about the financial side of things. "A friend has pulled out, I have a spare ticket going, £15 if you'd like it?". Friends post this kind of thing on facebook all the time. I suspect the only reason you didn't do this is because you are petty and annoyed with the people who pulled out and you'd really like them to pay for it.

The people who took the tickets and attended the event absolutely should have offered to pay. I invited a friend to a concert last night, no mention of money, afterwards he offered to pay for his ticket, which I refused. I've never taken someone out for a concert or ticketed event without them offering to pay, at least once. It's only polite.

However it's now a mess as you weren't clear with anyone about who you expected to pay. You absolutely could insist that the original people pay for the tickets and pursue their £15 from the people who attended but that will make 4 people annoyed with you.

Up to you how much being right and £30 is worth to you.

Well, it’s not really relevant to the situation other than to demonstrate that they know each other. I did say in the OP that we are all friends.

And if they’d been happy enough to come to keep me company, but wouldn’t pay for the event as it wouldn’t be their first choice? Then I’d have been stuck with my ticket unable to go.

Agreed.