Hello Katie,
Recently I purchased a pair of tickets to a concert for my friend and
I with the agreement that she pay me back for hers. She was fully
dedicated and excited to go. Then almost immediately after I bought
the tickets, she remembered she had a prior engagement and wouldn’t be able to make it. The concert was last weekend and I went alone since I couldn’t find anyone else to take the other ticket. My dilemma is the money situation. She thinks that since I had a week to find someone else for the ticket, that she shouldn’t have to pay me back. And I obviously think otherwise since the only reason I bought two to begin with was because she was committed to going.
Who is right? Is there a way to handle this situation tactfully while
(hopefully) still getting reimbursed? Should I just let it go and get
nothing back?
Amanda, 26
Dear Amanda,
Sometimes, our friends do things that aren’t very friendly. It wasn’t very cool that she bailed on you, and it probably wasn’t very fun to go to a concert by yourself.
Since your friend couldn’t come, she could have found someone to take her place at the concert. You could have sold the ticket, too.
Since she had told you that she would be attending and bailed on you after you paid for her ticket, she owes you the money for her ticket. You did her a favor by buying her ticket with yours, and she owes you for it.
You could kindly ask her to pay you back, but if she doesn’t think she should, there has to be another option. Maybe she could buy your ticket to the next concert you attend, at an equal value, or pay you the difference. Hopefully you don’t have to call it a loss and lose the money.
If anyone else has an opinion on the matter, please leave a comment. Every opinion matters!
Ask Katie 
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