"Can't use my tickets, you want them?" Need your opinion....

[Moses]

A relative of my wife has season tickets for the San Jose Sharks. He sent me the following email yesterday;

Hi guys,
I can't make the game on Wednesday night against Calgary 'cause I'll be in LA. Otherwise I'd be all over this. No work on Thursday except for eating and watching football. Does one of you want them?
Bob

My response;
You have two tickets? Justin and I would love to go!
Let me know if they're still available.
Thanks, Moses

His reply;
Dead-center Ice. They're yours. Heading out the door. I'll get in touch later.

So.... I called and during the conversation I offered to pay him for the tickets. I gulped a little when he said, "Sure, it's $234 for the pair".

Anyway, I've given away lots of tickets to family and friends when I couldn't use them. High priced tickets like Super Bowl tickets I might put on Stub Hub or be very clear from the beginning that the tickets were for SALE.

What does the Pelican braintrust think?

[vash]

oh damn. too close to call

i probably would have backed out once i heard the price..but i dont understand hockey. at all...

[stomachmonkey]

I'm with you.

Sounds a bit bait n switch to me.

[herr_oberst]

I'd say something like, oh, gosh that's more than I want to spend right now...

(and you need to do it ASAP so he doesn't blame you for causing him to not be able to sell the seats.)

(You're right, the fact is, these are expensive seats and he should have made it clear that they were offered for sale, not for free)

[Hugh R]

Sounds like he offered them for free. Since he wasn't using them and you offered to pay, he should have said "it will cost you two beers"..

[Amail]

Sounds like it might be a small misunderstanding. From his email I'd have guessed they were free, but re-reading it there's no such implication. He may well have been looking to sell them, just didn't couch it that way.

You did the right thing by offering to pay, and if it were me I'd also be surprised he accepted.

This would be hard to discuss after the fact without one or both parties feeling a little foolish. I know I would.

[craigster59]

"....first $234 takes the pair" should have been included in the email. If I offer up tix to friends, relatives at the last minute it's always free or a simple "You pick up the bar tab next time" as an alternative payment.

[craigster59]

I guess me and Hugh run in the same circles, you can buy us off with beer!

[2porscheguy]

I'm with herr on this...you did offer to pay him for the tickets after all.

He'll probably come back and say "I understand....how about 1/2 price on them then?"

BTW the Flames are doing pretty well so far this season, I must say!

[gordner]

Seems from a quick read that they likely were free until you offered to pay for them....

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Bait and switch, IMHO. Offering them up without the price and then accepting payment is pretty low.

I had a spare ticket to a show that I had originally intended to go to with my wife, but she was not feeling well. She insisted I still go so I took a friend along instead. Never asked him to pay, though he did offer.

[scottmandue]

It is hockey... they should pay you to go!

Tough call... sounded like he meant to give them away... but you offered to pay and he jumped on it.

[Rikao4]

a note to in-laws..
with no mention of $$ implies free as I read it..
all it took was one more word....
does one of you want to buy them...

Rika

[cashflyer]

I agree with gordy... Original email asks "Does one of you want them?" implies free, to me. He did not say, "Does one of you want them for $234?" or "Does one of you want to buy them?"

To me, no request for money = free.

Also, to me, he reaffirms this position when he replied to your email with "They're yours."
Your email did not offer to pay. You only said to let you know if they were available, and he replied with "They're yours."

When you offered to pay over the phone, he should have declined the gesture.

I learned a long time ago; Never trust anyone named Bob.

[sugarwood]

I don't think you can assume they were free.

You should have asked "How much?" in your first response.
At this point, you will be labelled a cheapskate if you back out.

[Gogar]

You were awesome to offer to pay,

And he dropped the ball a little bit when he accepted your offer.

[Bill Douglas]

Email him back and say "Big thanks for the offer of the tickets but can't make the game after all."

[aigel]

All the language I read pointed towards this being a free offer.

I would have asked "what do I owe you" and expected something along "just get dinner next time we are in town", or "How about you send me a case of shells for duck season" or "Just send my kid a donation for their college fund" etc. making up for about 1/2 of the ticket cost. I would definitely NOT have expected to be asked for full price.

G

[bell]

That's ****ty imo.......Had something similar happen years ago.....
Had a friend who had an extra concert ticket for ministry......sure man I'll go. ....
after we're inside i got told that he'd need the $65 bucks for the ticket by the weekend.....wtf?
he was a total dick about it, and to top it off the concert sucked ass.......never heard from him again until he needed something fixed on his car.....never returned that call.....

[bell]

And everything about that first email says free......season tickets are already paid for.......can't go means they are going to get wasted......so who wants em?........
if he was expecting money for them he shouldve clearly stated that.....

Edit.....however.....you offered to pay for them......so they may have in fact been free until that offer to pay.....
i got nuthin lol