to think friend should give me her Taylor Swift tickets?

[ticketproblems]

I am a huge fan and signed up to all the presale access codes for UK and close by European countries. The only one I got a code for was a nearby EU country. I felt this was fine as DH and I like to go there and it’s not far away. So I bought tickets, which were in the local language and I was in a panic, which happened to be the expensive, tier 1 tickets for standing right by the stage. I didn’t see an issue overall because I was excited to go.

With an access code you can purchase up to 4 tickets, I bought 2 as that’s all I needed. My best friend and her (then) boyfriend (he was a bigger fan, she likes Taylor but never been too into her) didn’t get tickets to the UK events they signed up to and asked to use my code to buy 2 more tickets, if any were available.

I managed to get them 2 tickets (after spending hours in the virtual queue for them) on VIP which were seated, they’re decent. All was fine, he paid. They then broke up and he let her keep the tickets (presumably because he broke up with her and it’s her friend’s account)

Now I am pregnant and will be in my third trimester, just able to fly still, when the concert comes. I have attempted to contact the event for months about accessibility and been thrown pillar to post, I hope to swap them for accessibility but time is running out. My friend is now bringing new boyfriend and has seated tickets. My friend is fit, healthy (recently ran the marathon) and has no issues with standing, albeit preference is seated.

AIBU to think that she should offer to swap my (better) tickets for hers? It will come down to whether or not I can go. I will not go if I’m standing, this would be idiotic for my health and baby’s. So far, it’s silence and she just said it’d be a shame if I had to miss it.

My reasoning is 1) she only got the tickets because of me and 2) she didn’t even pay for them, her ex did. I also wouldn’t think twice about doing this the other way round.

I can’t tell if I’m being an entitled brat or if it just seems unfair.

YABU- get over it, sell your tickets.
YANBU - a good friend would do this. Especially one who isn’t a big fan.

I'm struggling to understand a little.
You say if you aren't there, then she can't go either as your presence is needed for her to get the access.
Yet you say you could sell to someone else. How come they would have no access issues then?

Once you bought the tickets and knowing that they were 'Standing Tickets' you should have immediately refrained from any form of sexual relations until after the concert to avoid this sort of thing happening.

That's what I would have done. ✌

Agreed. What a shitty attitude some people have towards pregnant women. I had low blood pressure in my pregnancies (down to 80/54 at one antenatal visit), so would probably faint if I'd had to stand for that long. And to the pp who mentioned a festival, at festivals there is at least the option of taking a folding chair.

Some people are very thoughtless and selfish; they're all me, me, me and sod anyone else. I hope you can get something sorted, OP.

Good idea about the boyfriend swapping. But at the end of the day OP sorted out the tickets for her friend in the first place, and has stated if they swap, the friend will get superior tickets anyway. I can’t imagine not swapping for my heavily pregnant friend, I would want to make sure she was comfortable. I would count myself lucky to be there, as the concert is so sought after.

I can’t imagine not offering my seated ticket to a pregnant friend, I don’t think you’re being unreasonable at all. your friend sounds very thoughtless

You can sell back to Ticketmaster. OP doesn't have to be there now anyway as the lead Booker rule no longer applies (ticketmaster removed the rule a few months ago).

Oh, thanks for explaining!

I'm on the fence. On the one hand, it would be the nice thing to do - for a friend to swap tickets, (and I probably would if I was your friend @ticketproblems )

On the other hand, there is a strong sense of entitlement coming across in your posts, so maybe this is coming across in real life.

I hope you manage to work something out anyway.

If I understand correctly - it's bloody Ticketmaster, so probably not - the OP couldn't sell the tickets directly to other people, but could submit them back to Ticketmaster for resale on their platform, then if sold, OP would get the money back via TM. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. 🤷‍♀️

She is entitled to the tickets. They are on her account and in her name, not the friends.

So say you’ve tried again and no other options.

Which tickets are more expensive? The standing ones or the seated ones?

As the tickets are all in your name, I'd be telling friend I need to take the seated tickets or else I can't go. If I can't go, you can't go as I need to be present.

You’ve had a miscarriage, are in 3rd trimester, are swollen, big, at the cusp of no travel threshold and you seriously think it’s a good idea to go abroad. For a concert.

It sounds like the friend has reasons for not wanting to stand herself, it doesn’t make her selfish, she’s already suggested op tries sorting it via other means . I’m not pregnant and could stand 8 / 9 hours but there’s no way I would buy tickets to a concert in the standing only area

I would say to her (message if it’s easier) ‘as you know I wasn’t expecting to be in this condition but I am. The only way I can realistically go is if we can swop tickets. Ticketmaster can’t help me because I have seated tickets on my account. If you still want to go you will have to take the standing tickets. I am not prepared to go just to get you in, and you can’t get in without me. Otherwise I’ll sell them all.’
Then either swop or sell. That seems fair to me (what would be cheeky of you is if she said no, to say ‘you can’t go then’ and take the seated one anyway. But you could do that if you didn’t want to keep being friends with her….)

You need a fit to fly note as well don't you for airlines?

Just tell her that you're not going because you can't, and you're sorry she can't go either. If you can't stand owing to your pregnancy, then that's that. If she doesn't offer you her seat she can't go.

@Mummyoflittledragon yes and I edited my post before you even commented because I realised I was being a grumpy arse!

many way I hope the OP sorts out her ticket issue, all tickets are in her name so hopefully her friend and her can come to some agreement so everyone can go

Tell her that you can’t go if you have to stand up for 8 hours, so unless she’s willing to swap you’ll have to not go and thus nobody goes. Then try to resell them and give her back her original ticket price and stop thinking if her as your best friend.

I'm assuming posters are right that nearer the time the lead booker requirement will be removed and the tickets will become transferable. But surely if they are in OP's name it's up to OP to transfer them.

If this is right then OP holds all the cards. I would just be saying to the friend that I will transfer the two standing tickets and retain the seated ones. Then just do that.

Normally I think "pulling rank" tends to be entitled but being third trimester pregnant and your friend only being able to go in the first place because of YOUR codes (that is absolutely massive as the codes were so sought after) I think it's fair enough. If she throws a strop and refuses the standing tickets you can return/sell them and repay her or her ex what was paid.

Well if THAT is the case, why does the OP not just take the tickets then, cancel it all, and re-sell them?

Well yeah, that's what I would do.

Why don't you and friend use the seated tickets and then sell the standing ones and use the money for the trip. It doesn't sound like your DH is bothered and your friend's boyfriend hates TS so I'm sure they'd rather have extra money for the trip.

Because then she misses out on the concert too.

Why would she when an alternative is she can insist on taking the seated tickets on her account and giving the standing tickets to friends?

and of course refunding her friend /friends ex, if friend says they don’t want the standing tickets and then selling those unwanted tickets back to ticketmaster.