Real-life MMD: Should my replacement on theatre trip contribute to ticket cost?

Sopheline

I'd say definitely yes - in fact, I find it a bit rude that they haven't already paid you for the ticket. I ended up being the one to organise tickets for myself and five friends to go and see The Hobbit together, one person dropped out and asked me to find a replacement, which I did without any issues.

Had my friend already paid me for the ticket, I would certainly have passed him back the money for a film he didn't see. Had we been unable to find a replacement, my friend would have paid his ticket.

(As it was, I paid for the "replacement" guy to come with us as he'd paid for my ticket to a different event - we even things up eventually!)

SandraDJ

If you didn't make it plain in the first place, then no you shouldn't ask for payment.

I was too ill to go to the theatre a few years ago, so my daughter got a friend to accompany her and she did pay. I wasn't expecting it, so it was a nice gesture.

A friend couldn't go to a concert, so I got someone else to come. She did make a contribution towards the cost, but it was voluntary.

A was invited to see a show because of illness earlier this year, and a contribution to the cost wasn't wanted.

If you're too ill to go, then the ticket would be wasted anyway.

pollypenny

Yes, the ticket might have been wasted. However, it would have been polite to at least offer to pay something towards the cost.

rosemary54

when a friend gave me 3 tickets for a show I offered to pay but she refused anything,it would have been nice of the people to have offered something or maybe bought some flowers to make up for you missing the show

jackieblack

gloriouslyhappy wrote: »

If I were offered last minute tickets and money wasn't mentioned, I would ask if they'd like a contribution but wouldn't expect to pay full price unless it was something sold-out for which I'd tried to get tickets myself.

In your case, if you asked if anyone 'wanted' your tickets and didn't mention money, I think it's fair for the organiser and the eventual recipient to assume they were a gift. So I think you're right to suppose you won't see your money back, and that it's right not to ask for it now

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^

crimson.addict

If you wanted paying for the ticket you should have told your friend before they found someone to take the ticket.

If they hadn't found anyone the ticket wouldn't have been used and you wouldn't have the money anyway.

Harsh but true

pollypenny

It depends whether the theatre was likely to be sold out.

On two occasions we have had to return tickets. My OH had a dreadful cold and couldn't make it to a The Everyman to see Pete Postlethwaite in King Lear. I gave his ticket in at the box office and collected a refund at the end if the play.

The other time, he had a gardening accident and could not drive to Llandudno to see King Lear, again ironically, with Derek Jacobi this time. The theatre gave us a credit note for the full price.

So maybe, the offer of something towards the cost would be better.

Cimscate

My sister had a ticket for Dirty Dancing but was unwell so offered it to me - I offered to pay her but she did not want it. I bought her a huge orchid instead, seems to me good manners to pay in some form whether the person has specified it or not.

Prothet_of_Doom

It depends on the face value of the ticket. Less than £40, I'd take a hit, and give the ticket and hope that if they enjoyed the performance they might choose to contribute. More than £40, I'd be expecting a contribution, especially if there was a 'black market demand' or there was a return to theatre possibility

alittlemadam

It really has a lot to do with the conversation initially.

If you said that you were unable to go and for your friend to ask around to see if anyone could go in your place the majority of people would presume that it was a free ticket, however the majority of people would also offer you something for it.

seems to me that this is a lesson learnt for us all.