Feeling conned by friend ? Is that the right word to use ?

[picklemedoo]

My friend asked if I wanted to go to the london theatre with her at christmas. She knows i love the theatre. She booked the tickets and i gave her the cash. We will meet our friends there, but they have booked separately and are not sitting with us.

I have since found out - from checking online for the price i paid - that my friend has used a family disability pass to book herself a free "companion" ticket. We are sitting in the disabled section. Nether of us are disabled.

Aside from the moral issues around this, i feel quite conned by her ? Not because I have paid and she hasn't, it's not about the cost I've paid, I don't know what to call it ??

I'm specifically looking for feedback on the conned aspect. We all know the moral issues are just wrong.

Ask her why she has done this? It’s unacceptable.

@picklemedoo what sort of a friend is she actually if she can stoop so low?
Abusing a disabled pass like this is nothing short of disgusting. You may well be asked for proof of 'your' disability at the venue.
If this was me I would have to confront it and tell her you are absolutely not prepared to abuse disabled concessions and want your money back. She can either then just go herself with the ticket she'll have actually paid for, or con someone else.
I hope she's caught out tbh.

Most definitely conned, misled at the absolute least.

I'd be telling her I want my money back pronto.

No way would I go and sit in the disability section.

Can you just explain the bit about finding out from how much you paid that this is what she’s done, I don’t really get it.

@PuppyMonkey what do you not get ? (That sounds rude, not meant to be!)

How did you find out?

How did you realise she had done this? The online price fluctuates surely? Are they the only tickets at that rate? I’d refuse to sit in the disabled section. Can you imply there has been a mistake rather than accuse her of abusing the system?

All of this:

have since found out - from checking online for the price i paid - that my friend has used a family disability pass to book herself a free "companion" ticket.

I don’t under how she has done this when neither of you are disabled? I would be so nervous if this is the set up that they were going to ask me to prove my disability that the event would be ruined for me.

Totally cheeky and unacceptable - challenge her now to find out what has really gone on!

I’m also confused, the price fluctuates and is different by seats, can yoh explain how you know? As it can’t be on ticket price,

As an aside from everything else, I would expect to be turned away. I am disabled and have on occasion booked a disability companion ticket. On arrival I have always had to prove my entitlement, be it my PiP letter/blue badge or something else.

I saw the online prices and the amount i have given her in cash. The price i paid is the disabled price as listed on the ticket website. I know where she got the tickets from. I know she has the pass in the family. I know the pass gives a free companion ticket.. why else would she book disabled seats when neither of us are disabled?

Do you mean she has booked under the name of a disabled family member or that those are Accessible seats but neither qualifies? Neither are valid if that is the case. However price alone is not an indicator, we often do not pay the official rate for shows and they can fluctuate, .

It sounds like the friend has a disabled relative and has used their disability pass to book two tickets (one disabled and one companion). The disabled tickets are usually a reduced price and the companion ticket will be free.

Only disabled people who need a companion should qualify for the free ticket. The pass will have the photo of the disabled pass holder on it, but in reality they never ask to see them. You just give the registration number when you’re booking the tickets.

This would make more sense if you said you knew the seat/section she's booked you into - as in the disability section.

Which theatre is it and we can work out if you're correct before you say anything to her?

Yes that’s what the op thinks has happened but you’d not know this from ticket price, it’s not feasible

I could be wrong.. but I know what I've paid, the site where she got the tickets from, the cost of the different seats. The tickets will not fluctuate (i know for certain, can't reveal too much here as outting). My seat cost = the disabled seat cost, to the exact random penny. The other seat costs are all static and different.

Ok link the theatre, performance and where you’re sitting, what you paid, because it’s hugely likely other seats were priced at rhe same price,

Thanks for explaining OP. Are you going to ask her about it?

@Charlenedickens as if I'm going to do that and out myself ! We're going in December, I shall just wait to see. This is a play I have always wanted to see, I really hope I'm wrong

I would ask her the seat numbers and you can check for sure?

I think you need to at least see the seat numbers, as it is there is no way you can know this and are making a horrible accusation.

Is it worth checking with your friend what section/row you’re sitting in to be sure first (you can casually ask) before you confront her, then if it is the disabled section you definitely should question why?! It’s morally wrong like you say and definitely a con by your friend scamming a free ticket!

What?

You're still going to go and enjoy the performance in a disability spot, despite not having a disability?

Surely you don't mean that??