Who Should Pay?

A question about : Who Should Pay?

I'm not sure if this is the right section to post my question in - tried searching for 'money moral dilemmas' but couldn't find a separate board.

I bought film tickets in advance for a group of friends and one pulled out a few days before the night, saying she'd still pay for it if no-one else took her ticket. Another friend said she'd take it but fell ill and didn't make it out. Whose responsibility should it be to pay? Both of them seem to think it's the other's, leaving me stuck in the middle with the bill. It's Ј12 which isn't a massive amount but enough to make me feel a bit put out!

Any thoughts would be appreciated

Best answers:

• Why not get them to pay half each? That way you're not out of pocket and they are only paying Ј6 each. In my opinion, it's not worth falling out about though.
• The first person should pay IMO. The second one only said she'd go because person 1 didn't, so doing them a favour (even though she'd have benefitted by seeing the film, obviously). Not her fault she was ill. The orginal "contract" should be honoured.
  Although they could maybe reach an agreement to pay half each. They certainly shouldn't leave you out of pocket!
• I was thinking the 50/50 approach would be a good compromise but I'm not sure either is even prepared to meet in the middle. Not worth falling out over, no, but in principle it's worth making a bit of a stand.
• You could ask for half each from them, but I doubt you will get it.
  You may have to take this one on the chin, and never, ever, ever buy stuff in advance for people again. People pay up before you get stuff, or they don't join in! I remember a thread on here the other week about some lad being out of pocket for Ј100 after 2 of his mates failed to materialise for a stag night, and they never offered him the money.
  Some people are just timewasters, and think nothing of making you pay for stuff fo them, and not offering you what you lost if they don't come.
• I think the first person should have paid you and then awaited reimbursement if/when the ticket was sold on.
  Person 1 should pay you and work with person 2 to get a reimbursed if they wish.
  Personally though, the 50/50 scenario sounds like a good plan.
• It's a depressing reality that money can cause such ructions! At least my bill is only Ј12 - I feel for the guy that was Ј100 down. ALI1973, I like your suggestion of them working it out together
• Friend 2 didn't pay so nobody took the ticket. Friend 1 should do the honourable thing and cough up. Actually friend 1 should have paid in the first place and been given back any money if you managed to resell the ticket.
• Thanks, folks - your opinions are really useful and will help me next time...not that I'm planning a next time!
• Definitely the first one, plus a bottle of wine for you in interest payments.
• I've lost out to "friends" in the past, so I'll only buy tickets for a couple of highly trusted friends from now on. I lost Ј80 and the friend (who'd since "forgotten" I had a ticket for them and who bought from a tout instead) expected me to swap it for their cheaper ticket & not pay me for mine! I politely explained that their ticket would be just as useless as mine once the concert started so what was I meant to do with it?
  With something like cinema tix for a group, I'd want cash in advance that I'd then take to the booking office in person, then give each person their ticket in advance. The ticket is then paid for and in their possession beforehand, to be sold/given to someone else if they wish.
• Wow, "friend" in quotation marks indeed - totally out of order to leave you Ј80 short. I'm feeling pretty fortunate after reading these horror stories!
• At work, our terms and conditions state that if you agree to a shift swap, in the event of no-one turning in, then the person who agreed to swap is the one who is subject to disciplinary action
  Obviously a different scenario but I think the premise is the same.
  Friend 2 relieved Friend 1 of her liability by agreeing to take her place. At that point, you were not going to be out of pocket.
  Friend 2 then lets you down and as liability had been transferred to her, she should pay.
  If you had a contract, there'd be no question at all. Don't see why the liability would be different in a casual situation
• I'm surprised nobody has commented on Ј12 for cinema tickets! For that I'd expect to watch a film, have some snacks and still get change! - Ј5 is the going rate for at least two local(ish) cinemas.
• Around London and South East you easily pay nearly Ј10 at a local, so 12 doesnt surprise me if it was somewhere central.
  I had a similar thing to poster, where I bought a group of tickets, 3 people paid, the 4th said they would get a round of drinks in pub after the film and took that as not needing to pay me back. The round for everyone must have cost more than the ticket but I only actually personally got a drink worth couple of quid out of it.
  Dont think was fair, but in a situation like that you think you will come out looking worse if you question it.
• Friend two should pay. Friend one was only going to pay if no one took her ticket, friend two offered to take it. Its not friends one fault that friend two didnt go. Friend two should have found someone else to go, but didn't.
  Why should friend one pay anything?