Woman who’s refusing to give her friend back £130 after she pulled out of a theatre trip with non-refundable tickets divides opinion – with some saying she should ‘re-evaluate’ their friendship

  • Woman, who lives in the UK, spent £130 on tickets for a friend and their daughter
  • Mumsnet user, explains that the friend wants the money back 
  • She claimed that they were unreasonable since the tickets are not refundable. 
  • The majority of responses varied in their opinions, however they all advised her against sending the money.  










After her friend demanded money back to buy non-refundable tickets for the theatre, a woman revealed that she may be out of pocket. 

Posting on UK-based forum Mumsnet, the woman explained she had been due to go to the theatre with her friend and her daughter. The tickets cost £65 each and her friend transferred her £130 for her two tickets. 

However, the friend no longer wants the trip and asked for his money back. 

Mumsnet was contacted by the woman to clarify that she had refused to grant the request. She explained that the tickets weren’t refundable or transferable and there wasn’t any way to recover the money. 

A lot of people who responded to this post agreed with her decision to not reimburse her friend. However, others stated that they would attempt to trade the two tickets for their friend and make any cash.  

A woman has sparked a debate about how to respond when a friend cancels plans on a non-refundable booking (file image)

One woman has started a discussion about what to do when a friend cancels plans for a non-refundable reservation (file image).

Posting on Mumsnet, the woman explained her friend has asked her to return £130 after changing their mind about going to a theatre performance

Posting on Mumsnet, the woman explained her friend has asked her to return £130 after changing their mind about going to a theatre performance

She explained to the woman that her friend has been her best friend for many years and she would not be able to sell her tickets without losing hers because of how the orders were made.

The mother vented her anger by writing, “A year ago during lockdown, a close friend of mine and I booked expensive theatre tickets for her and her teenage daughter. We paid £65 per ticket which was the top price on offer but we thought since we weren’t able to do much else we might as well splash out.

“A few weeks back, she reached out to me saying that she had changed her mind and wanted to go. She won’t tell me why but she has asked me to send her the £130 back. Tickets are not refundable. 

‘I’m single and have a small child. I can’t afford it. Although she claimed that I could’sell on the tickets’, the event isn’t over and it would be difficult for me to transfer them. They are also non-refundable.

“It is not financial, but she has some mood issues and is cancelling a lot plans. I understand her feelings. But I don’t think she should be demanding the money. 

“I told her the tickets weren’t refundable, and that I didn’t have enough money for her to pay it. Now she doesn’t respond to me.” 

A flood of responses to the post advised the woman not to send her friend the money, while arguing she shouldn't be left out of pocket

The post received a flood of replies. Many people advised her to not send the money to her friend, but she should be able to pay for it herself.

She said that the ticket sales are difficult because the tickets are under her name. The woman will not receive the tickets until one week prior to the event. 

A flood of replies to this post confirmed that the woman should not send the friend money to buy the tickets. They also argued that it was her friend’s obligation to find someone to pay the money back. 

One individual wrote, “I would go alone.” She owes nothing. The tickets are non-refundable and she agreed to purchase them. She cannot cancel the tickets if she doesn’t want to. It’s not her problem. 

“If you know of anyone who could buy tickets for her, please let me know. If not, she is responsible for paying you.   

One other said, “She is BVVVVU.” You will not be able to refund her money. You can tell her that she has the right to cancel the ticket but they are not refundable. It is now her decision. She has changed her mind. 

The third said: “I’d expect she to give me the money for my ticket. You would not refund her, why on Earth? That’s bonkers. As we are likely to not be able go alone, she should have given us the money. 

Others replied to the thread claiming they’d try to get tickets for their friends at a discount.

Others claimed they would try to sell the tickets to friends and family for a discounted cost and give the money made to their friend

Some claimed that they’d try to pass the tickets on to family members and friends at a discount and then give the cash to their friend. 

“I’d find lovely people to take me along, and offer them tickets at a very low price so that they are getting a deal. Then I’d send the money saying she could have all the money you wanted. Even if just £20. If they enjoy the show, then she will get some tickets for a discounted price and also receive some cash back. One wrote, “Win win!”     

Another commented, “I feel that some of the responses might be different if she was suffering from a physical disease.” If she has been diagnosed with cancer, it’s unlikely that anyone will call her CF. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you shouldn’t be able to pay. 

“I’d like to give her the gift voucher, but I’d also offer to reserve a group trip for all three of us at a later date. 

One third said: “Don’t send her money.” The tickets could be offered to friends or family, but it is up to the woman to decide if she would like any money back. 

Advertisement