Failed to follow through on festival ticket purchase - can I sue?

[Jackknows]

I put a festival ticket worth £300 for sale on FB. Had several offers, but went with a guy who told me he definitely wanted it and would be in Reading the day before the fest to do the deal.

So arranged to meet him the night before. Chased up via several FB messages without response. Quickly put it back up for sale, had two interested parties. Then he responded to tell me he still wanted it - or his friend did, and his friend would message me.

Friend messaged me to tell me he defo wanted the ticket, meet him early the next morning, in Reading.

Then nothing the next day. And did not sell the ticket.

Messaged this man, who told me his friend go it elsewhere. Asked him to pay for the unused ticket. He blocked me.

Messaged him from two other FB accounts, both blocked.

I have his address, can I sue him for breach of contract?

[dslippy]

Do not such tickets normally include clauses denying your right to assign them? If so in this case, a contract to do something unlawful would not normally be enforceable.

[Jackknows]

Oh no you can sell this one one if you want.

[dslippy]

Who are you wanting to sue - the man you communicated with or his friend?

[Jackknows]

The man I communicated with. He initially told me he wanted it, and then told me he was, effectively, acting as an agent to facilitate a sale to his friend (a bit odd, in hindsight)

[dslippy]

An agent for a disclosed principal is not generally liable for a principal's failure to complete. I think there are doubts here, but, on balance and just, I would put it behind me.

[Manxman]

An agent for a disclosed principal is not generally liable for a principal's failure to complete. I think there are doubts here, but, on balance and just, I would put it behind me.

Are you suggesting Jackknows just writes off £300 with no attempt to recover anything?

He (or she) says that the tickets can lawfully be resold, that they advertised them for sale, that a person "D" offered to buy them, and it sounds as if the OP accepted that offer. If the OP knows the name of person "D" and their address, what do they have to lose by raising a claim against them? It's irrelevant what happened after the OP accepted D's offer to buy, as D was already bound, weren't they?

Of course the OP might lose any claim, or the person D might not be able to pay any judgment that the OP might win, but surely that is no reason to "put it behind you"?

Most people can't afford to just write off £300 as a learning - or any other kind of - experience.

[islandgirl]

I do not believe the money can be recovered in this case. The sensible thing to do would have been to meet and transact the night before still giving time to resell the ticket if there were problems.

[Jackknows]

I would usually let it lie, but I find it particularly galling both the attitude of the man who lied to me, and that he continues to block me after telling me to "f&** off" - absolutely no remorse being shown by this unpleasant person.

[DE DOGS]

I do not believe the money can be recovered in this case. The sensible thing to do would have been to meet and transact the night before still giving time to resell the ticket if there were problems.

Or possibly quite a few days away that allows this occurrence will not backfire.

[Jackknows]

What difference does that make? In any case it was only put up for sale three days before the event, when I knew I could not attend.

[islandgirl]

Perhaps take a deposit next time? De Dogs is right - sell as early as possible. This person may be horrible but I do not think you would win a case against them though others may disagree