Money Moral Dilemma: Should I pay my colleague for the ticket I thought she'd given me for for free?

2Scratters

As no money was asked for upfront and neither was checked if needed on the recipient nor the intermediary giving any clues of recompense. It would appear to be offered freely.
If the OP used the actual wording of "contribution" then that means making SOME offer NOT the full price.

Stick to your guns next time. 

Bantamspaul

It looks like it is a little too late. I would have offered something like £20 straight away as soon as £100 was mentioned repeating that it wasn't really fun for me which is why I didn't go in the first place. 

W_Y_S_I_W_Y_G

Quite simply....No! 
What kind of a colleague who cannot make the event, expresses to you that you can go in their place and not clearly state at the outset, that they want full reimbursement for the ticket? 
If you had had that opportunity at the first instance, you could have diffused this present issue, having reiterated your wish not to attend and they would have then either had to stomach the loss at that time, or ask someone else. 
This approach by your colleague, is both unfair and inequitable. 
Ask them whether they'd feel the same, if the tables were turned, as I'd be mildly certain they'd state they wouldn't put their hand in their pocket, to repay you? 

Lanjan

You should have checked first before you accepted it.
Why did you take the ticket anyway when you originally said you didn't want to go?
You should have declined the offer.
Why go to something you didn't want to go to just because you thought it was free?
Too late now though.
Someone  else who genuinely wanted to go could have had it and would possibly have paid the full amount 
I think you should offer to pay something but not the full amount.
Everybody  else paid £100 so you had if the experience for £50 say you would have still had a bargain.
presumably you can afford it because had you originally wanted to go you would have paid £100.
Learn by your mistakes.

gloriouslyhappy

Pollycat said:

If I'd already declined because it wasn't 'my thing', I'd have declined the use of the ticket anyway, even if I thought it was free.

However...
The author of the dilemma is at fault for not checking if any contribution was required but the person who paid for the original ticket is more at fault for not making it clear to whoever offered the ticket that they expected to be reimbursed in full.
That person has - imho - an unreasonable expectation to be paid the full £100 as the ticket was non-refundable.
The author of the dilemma has made things worse by asking if they could make a contribution towards the ticket cost.

Why is this posted in 'Employment, job seeking and training'?

Because it’s a work place dilemma.

Pollycat

gloriouslyhappy said:

Pollycat said:

If I'd already declined because it wasn't 'my thing', I'd have declined the use of the ticket anyway, even if I thought it was free.

However...
The author of the dilemma is at fault for not checking if any contribution was required but the person who paid for the original ticket is more at fault for not making it clear to whoever offered the ticket that they expected to be reimbursed in full.
That person has - imho - an unreasonable expectation to be paid the full £100 as the ticket was non-refundable.
The author of the dilemma has made things worse by asking if they could make a contribution towards the ticket cost.

Why is this posted in 'Employment, job seeking and training'?

Because it’s a work place dilemma.

It's a MMD that could apply to any situation. Such as people in the pub.

horatio30

Your colleague is a chancer. No way I’d be paying for it. You didn’t want to go and the way the ticket was offered to you implied it was free of charge. It’s not your fault your colleague couldn’t go.

Explain that if they wanted payment for the ticket this should have been said at the time the ticket was offered, not after it had been used.

I wouldn’t be giving them a penny.

jollydee

Did you ask her about the contribution before you went on the trip? If it really wasn't your thing, I would have stuck to your principles and not went. But you chose to go so I would pay it up....

dangermike

You only went because it was free but then you offered to contribute to the cost. 'Contribute to the cost' could easily be interpreted to mean 'pay my part of the group bill'. If you were going to offer contribute to the cost, you should have done it before you went when you had some bargaining power. It's hard to see what honourable option you have now except to pay it. But if you're thick-skinned enough, just never mention it again, and if they bring it up say you'll pay them and then never mention it again. Plenty of people seem to feel fine about doing this even for legitimate debts. Hope that helps!

letthemeatcake

You offered something towards it , so I would give them £25 as a goodwill gesture. You stated you didn't want to go and no contribution was discussed prior to them sending you the ticket so anything you give is a bonus for your friend.