Skip to content

B.C. woman must pay for Coldplay concert she thought was a date

B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal member Mark Henderson said the woman had not established that the concert ticket was a gift and had to repay the cost.
coldplay-vancouver-concert
Coldplay played in Vancouver Sept. 23, 2023.

A B.C. woman who claimed she thought she was on a date to a Coldplay concert in Vancouver, B.C., has been ordered to pay the man she went with $450.

Michael Stolfi claimed Alyssa Randles agreed to repay him $600 for the cost for tickets to the September 2023 concert and for associated travel expenses, B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal member Mark Henderson said in a July 15 decision.

But Randles said she thought the concert was a date. She said Stolfi didn't ask her to share the cost of the night out until after the concert was over.

“Ms. Randles offered to book the tickets through her Ticketmaster account and Mr. Stolfi agreed to transfer the money for Mr. Stolfi’s ticket,” said the tribunal member.

“Mr. Stolfi says that at that point, Ms. Randles asked Mr. Stolfi to pay for her ticket and that she would pay Mr. Stolfi back on her next payday.”

Stolfi said the tickets cost $450 each and that he and Randles agreed to split the expenses for the weekend.

Text message did not provide breakdown of money owed

Stolfi undisputedly sent an e-transfer of $900 to Randles on Sept. 23, 2023, said Henderson, describing the two as former romantic partners.

The man had forwarded the money because Randles had said she was short of funds at the time. Stolfi asked for repayment in a Sept. 29, 2023 text message but did not mention an amount.

“In fact, Mr. Stolfi never provided Ms. Randles with a breakdown of the money he had spent on the hotel, taxi and dining during the trip to Vancouver,” Henderson said.

Randles replied saying she could not afford to repay Stolfi at that time, according to the ruling. 

“Mr. Stolfi replied, ‘It’s all good’, which Ms. Randles interpreted to mean Mr. Stolfi did not want to be repaid,” Henderson said.

Demand for money prompts call to Vancouver police

On Oct. 3, 2023, Stolfi demanded $1,000. Randles said he became increasingly aggressive and called the Vancouver Police Department.

In his decision, Henderson found Stolfi had not proven the specific terms of any money he was owed for the hotel, taxi and dining expenses. He declined to order repayment on those costs.

But Randles also failed to prove the concert ticket was a gift, said the tribunal member. 

“I find it was a loan and Ms. Randles must repay Mr. Stolfi $450 for the cost of her Coldplay ticket,” said Henderson.