Ticket buying advise needed.

MarT_3

Hello,

I need some advice with regards to a problem I'm currently having with a ticket reseller - Viagogo.

Preface:

Viagogo guarantee:
Once your order or winning auction has been confirmed by the seller; We guarantee that you will receive your tickets in time for the event. We will provide similar or better tickets than the tickets you have ordered or a full refund if any problem arises.

Now, to the situation.
Back in May I ordered my two tickets to a gig that was due this month. 3 days before the gig I received a call from a customer service advisor saying that my tickets were not available and they can provide with other ones, 8 rows behind... I agreed (as this was the gig I waited for half a year), but as per the advisor she had to check back with the seller to see if the tickets were available and if they were, she would give me a call back. I didn't receive any callback so assumed the tickets were not available (after 5 months' waiting...) and sent them an e-mail asking to refund the amount I paid. No response to my e-mail...
Next day I gave them a call myself and had the same advisor saying she can't refund the tickets as "they are already sent" to my address. I refused to accept the tickets as I had no confirmation although she promised and had to call back. After a long argument and her refusal to admit that they were in breach of their own policy saying that if the tickets were not available the company would get the same or better tickets, or refund the money if any problem arises. She was firm in assumption that 8 rows back were better tickets than my previous ones as "they are 20 pounds more expensive" (in 5 months' time even the worst tickets would be selling for twice as much). At the end of the conversation she agreed she would provide me with tickets in the same row (note that before this she mentioned that the tickets were already sent, which, as it appears, was untrue). The same day I received a "congratulations" letter that my tickets were on their way to me.... All my attempts to get through to their customer support failed and I could only reach them on the day of the event. I asked to speak to their manager straight away as I was not in a mood to speak to advisors being untrue to customers. Their managers were unavailable, but they promised to call back...
I then was contacted by the representative's manager who didn't believe a single word I said: that the support was one of the poorest; that although customer service reps promise to call back, they never call; but I insisted on her going through the calls of her subordinates and checking whether I was right or wrong.
A day after the event she called me back to confirm I was right and as a "gesture of good will" to refund 80% of the order... I said I hadn't received the tickets and I wasn't expecting them to pay me back 80%, I wanted 100%. She said "send me the tickets, and I'll arrange a refund". They had to be joking as I hadn't received any tickets on the day, or the day after and only received them a week after the event. As soon as I received them I sent them to her address, but during today's conversation it appeared that she would not refund the 100% as, in her words "You agreed to only receive 80% of your refund, and you can get your lawyer if you don't agree with this"...

How on earth is it possible that when a seller advertises his policy on his website he does not comply with it even though his goods were not delivered to the client in time. What measures can be taken against this seller and what are the chances? I've decided to start a legal action against them, but haven't yet decided where to start, so your inputs would be highly appreciated!!! Thanks in advance!

f1re_cr4cker

i would advise you to first email them with their policy and state the fact that you will take legal action if you are not fully refunded. Then if they do not refund you take legal action as you are def in the right.

boonkoh

Hi there, this is absolutely shocking, but I am not surprised as I myself saw the possibility of such a fiasco happening when I looked into using viagogo myself.

It is definitely your right to ask for a 100% refund, and actually even compensation for the hardship this situation has created.

I run a online news website about London, and I would be happy to write an investigatory article on this if your issue is not resolved, as I really do think it is unjust.