Claiming back mobile phone charge after left hanging whilst making a Purchase

Fakefurbabe_2

Just a quick question in the hope that someone may have an answer.

I recently made a call to a local theatre box office to buy tickets for an upcoming popular show. As usual I was told I was number 27 then 26 then 25 in the queue and so on. I eventually got down to single figures but was quite sure that by this time the box office was closed.

However as the queue number was still decreasing I hung on. Eventually I was number 1 in the queue but after 30+ more minutes of hanging on as number 1 I decided that even the most incompetent purchaser would have managed to buy tickets in this time so I tried calling from my landline and found that the ticket office had indeed closed and was not accepting any calls so I hung up on my mobile.

I have today received my mobile phone bill and I have a charge of £19 for this specific call - do I have a case here to chase the box office for this charge as they must have kept me hanging even though they had obviously packed up and gone home.

Your thoughts and/or advice would be much appreciated.

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

No you have no case.

McKneff

bummer eh !!!!!

Mind, on second thoughts why no write a very nice letter to the theatre, explain this and see what they say.
Don't ask, don't get I always say.

tbw

I don't want to appear unsympathetic but I am a bit taken aback that anyone would hang on for so long ! You say you hung on while around 28 people in the queue were dealt with and then stayed on the line for ANOTHER 30 minutes - I'm just amazed at your perseverance. You surely must have known that the call would be expensive ?

I wouldn't think you have much chance of the company refunding your charges, they probably won't believe that you hung on so long.

Crazy_Jamie

Why did you not call on your landline initially, which would surely have been significantly cheaper?

Fakefurbabe_2

Thanks all for your thoughts - I will probably try the don't ask, don't get route as I also think it's worth a shot especially as I have proof.

As regards using the landline my DS was using it to connect to the internet to do homework as our wireless connection was not working. It never rains but pours in this house!

Anyway I didn't think it would take that long once I was in the queue! and I didn't want to hang up and have to go back to the beginning as I thought they were close to closing anyway.

Suffice to say I won't be doing that again!

Thanks again everyone for your help.

:A

pinkshoes

I think you do have a case, as if the box office had closed, then they should have closed the phone line, rather than allowing customers to run up a phone bill. Do they make any profit from this phone line?

No doubt after the box office closed, the person at number 1 in the queue waited and waited, didn't get anyone picking up, so in turn hung up, thus putting the queue length down.

If they still permitted the calls to stay online, then they should have answered them.

willo65

I once rang BT and was in a so called "Queue" after 30 mins after they had closed I figured they wouldn't answer so left the phone of the hook and a few hours later I was still on hold, It was a free number so didn't run up a bill but i was shocked that they had gone home and left me hanging.