Provided wrong tickets by Seetickets - what are my rights?

Jonahmaul

I bought two tickets in the downstairs standing area for a concert from Seetickets.com but when my tickets arrived they were for the upstairs standing/seating area (the standing area upstairs is right at the back of the venue with a very bad view and sound). I phoned Seetickets to complain about this and after waiting over 30 mins to get through the advisor knew immediately what my problem was. They advised that they couldn't replace the incorrect tickets because they wouldn't arrive in time. I queried this saying that if they dispatched the tickets by 24 hour post then I would recieve them in time or I could collect new ones from the box office. They then backtracked stating that my only options were a full refund but they would cancel the tickets that I had recieved or they would refund the booking free and I could keep the tickets.

I chose to keep the tickets as the concert is sold out and I really want to see the band. However, I am very unhappy with the way Seetickets have dealt with this as they have effectively sold me a product they couldn't provide. It seems clear to me that they sold too many tickets for the downstairs standing area and I've been put in an area I don't really want to be because of their mistake. I purposely bought downstairs tickets because I wanted to be nearer the stage and the sound is also not great in the upstairs area of the venue. The terms & conditions for the tickets are as follows:


If See is unable to fulfil an order for any of the reasons below the customer will be entitled to a full refund, including any booking fee charged:

See despatch the wrong order, ie wrong event / wrong type of tickets


It does not mention anywhere that if I take the option for a full refund then the tickets I have been given will be cancelled. Does this mean that I should be provided a full refund AND get to keep the tickets? If not then what are my rights for this? Can I complain to trading standards because they have taken my money for something they are now unable to provide?

Any advice on this is much appreciated.

Thanks

Jonahmaul

After a bit more searching I've found a bit of information on this which I'd like to share with anybody who might be reading this with similar complaints

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/buying-services/buying-tickets-your-rights/

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Consumerrights/Yourconsumerrightswhenbuyinggoodsandservices/DG_194548


Basically I've sent a complaint to seetickets.com stating that I want the cost of the tickets refunded as compensation due to a loss of enjoyment caused by placing me in an area that I specifically did not want tickets for. I have also made it clear to them that although I chose to have the booking fee refunded and keep the incorrect tickets I only did this because the concert was sold out and I would be unable to go if I did not do this and that this was not an admission that I was accepting them as appropriate replacements. Hopefully I'll get a positive response to this but they're not a member of STAR or ASTA which concerns me slightly. However, it does seem that the Financial Ombudsman can deal with complaints of this nature so I have advised seetickets that I will refer the complaint if I do not receive a satisfactory response.

Will let anybody who's following this know how it goes.

sb65

Jonahmaul wrote: »

After a bit more searching I've found a bit of information on this which I'd like to share with anybody who might be reading this with similar complaints

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/buying-services/buying-tickets-your-rights/

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Consumerrights/Yourconsumerrightswhenbuyinggoodsandservices/DG_194548


Basically I've sent a complaint to seetickets.com stating that I want the cost of the tickets refunded as compensation due to a loss of enjoyment caused by placing me in an area that I specifically did not want tickets for. I have also made it clear to them that although I chose to have the booking fee refunded and keep the incorrect tickets I only did this because the concert was sold out and I would be unable to go if I did not do this and that this was not an admission that I was accepting them as appropriate replacements. Hopefully I'll get a positive response to this but they're not a member of STAR or ASTA which concerns me slightly. However, it does seem that the Financial Ombudsman can deal with complaints of this nature so I have advised seetickets that I will refer the complaint if I do not receive a satisfactory response.

Will let anybody who's following this know how it goes.

Your entitles to a full refund (inc booking fees). I think it would be difficult to push your case that you want the tickets as well (because its a sold out concert) although I empathise with your issue.

You mentioned that it was clearly obvious that they over sold for the downstairs and you got the left over circle seating. I don't see why its clearly obvious. See have in the past made mistakes with incorrect tickets. It may have happened here. I doubt that you could prove that issue.

Lastly the financial ombudsman, in my understanding deals with financial companies under its remit. But See Tickets is a entertainment / ticketing company...not a bank or insurance company. Are you sure this is the right watchdog for See?

pulliptears

If See is unable to fulfil an order for any of the reasons below the customer will be entitled to a full refund, including any booking fee charged:

And they have adhered to that. You stated:

my only options were a full refund but they would cancel the tickets that I had recieved or they would refund the booking free and I could keep the tickets.

So you turned down their offer. You cannot have both refund AND tickets. See have been more than fair IMHO.

Jonahmaul

My issue is that the concert is completely sold out. If See Tickets had made a genuine mess up dispatching the tickets then the actual tickets I ordered would be available somewhere, they are not. They could have cancelled the incorrect tickets that I had electronically (something I know they can do from previous ticket purchases where they had to cancel tickets and arrange for box office collection) then sent the correct ones via guaranteed delivery or have arranged for me to have box office collection (I even said that I would be prepared to go to their own shop to collect the tickets). They said that none of these options were available and the only explanation for this is that they have sold too many tickets for the downstairs area. If they hadn't done this then the correct tickets I bought should be available for me or the concert shouldn't be sold out, which it is.

I was surprised that the financial ombudsman would deal with a complaint of this nature but I found an example of this type of complaint on their website (although the example was a few years old now so I would need to double check that they still deal with this type of complaint).

I do not feel that See have been fair because I feel I should be offered compensation for the loss of experience I will have in the upstairs area. The concert is in the HMV Forum and if anybody knows this venue (which I have attended for concerts on many occasions) then they know that the sound upstairs is nowhere near as good as it is downstairs, as well as lacking the atmosphere created by being nearer the stage.

I have had a reply from See stating they will not offer me anything but the e-mail also stated that I should have been able to 'opt for a face value refund and retain the tickets' when I originally phoned to complain about the matter, something that was not offered (although later in the e-mail the agent goes on to contradict this). I have since replied stating that I would have taken this option had it been offered as I would have considered this fair compensation for their mistake. Have yet to have a reply though.

pulliptears

Jonahmaul wrote: »

My issue is that the concert is completely sold out. If See Tickets had made a genuine mess up dispatching the tickets then the actual tickets I ordered would be available somewhere, they are not.

See cannot give you what they do not have. They made a mistake, there are no more tickets left to give to you.

They could have cancelled the incorrect tickets that I had electronically (something I know they can do from previous ticket purchases where they had to cancel tickets and arrange for box office collection) then sent the correct ones via guaranteed delivery or have arranged for me to have box office collection (I even said that I would be prepared to go to their own shop to collect the tickets). They said that none of these options were available and the only explanation for this is that they have sold too many tickets for the downstairs area. If they hadn't done this then the correct tickets I bought should be available for me or the concert shouldn't be sold out, which it is.

Again, they cannot give you what they dont have. they have told you they have sold too many tickets already for standing. They simply cannot replace your upstairs tickets for downstairs ones they dont have.

I was surprised that the financial ombudsman would deal with a complaint of this nature but I found an example of this type of complaint on their website (although the example was a few years old now so I would need to double check that they still deal with this type of complaint).

You can try the financial ombudsman, but I believe See have done all they need to at this point. You were given a choice of a refund or to keep the tickets with a booking fee refund. This is fair.

I do not feel that See have been fair because I feel I should be offered compensation for the loss of experience I will have in the upstairs area. The concert is in the HMV Forum and if anybody knows this venue (which I have attended for concerts on many occasions) then they know that the sound upstairs is nowhere near as good as it is downstairs, as well as lacking the atmosphere created by being nearer the stage.

You didnt have to go. You were offered a refund. Loss of experience I'm certain will never stand up in court.

I have had a reply from See stating they will not offer me anything but the e-mail also stated that I should have been able to 'opt for a face value refund and retain the tickets' when I originally phoned to complain about the matter, something that was not offered (although later in the e-mail the agent goes on to contradict this). I have since replied stating that I would have taken this option had it been offered as I would have considered this fair compensation for their mistake. Have yet to have a reply though.

Again, you will not get a refund AND to keep the tickets. And to be honest, if upstairs is so bad that you will lose experience and atmosphere why do you want to attend anyway???

Jonahmaul

Because it's a band that haven't toured for years and who I really like. Given the choice between not being there or being there then I will reluctantly go for the upstairs area as I cannot afford to pay the ridiculous prices the downstairs tickets are going for on eBay (approximately £80-£90 each). However, See Tickets have not admitted that they made a mistake and sold too many tickets. They have maintained that it was just an error in dispatch but they can't resolve it because of the time-scales involved (the concert is now tomorrow) whereas this would not be the case in light of what I have discussed already.

I certainly appreciate where you are coming from in terms of what they have offered and what I have reluctantly had to accept but I still feel that they should do something to correct their error. In particular because I had a pre-sale password for the tickets but only the upstairs area was available so I purposely held out to buy them on general release to ensure that I got the downstairs area. The Which guidelines state that if you have a loss of experience then you are entitled to ask for compensation which is why I am pursuing this, especially in light of the fact that See Tickets will not admit that is them who have made the error.

Gillian0000

Hi did you have any luck getting this resolved? In a similar position and don't know where I stand, thanks

jonny_chanook

after weeks of back and forth writing letters to See tickets because the head of complaints refused to speak on the phone, I used the template letter referenced above and within days was refunded my ticket.

Thank you kindly.

sanel_2

So, at the end, you saw the gig and got your money back. Well done