Ticketmaster wont refund me for tickets I didnt get.

bricam2096

Hi, long time browser, but joined today for advice.

In February, I purchased 3 tickets from Ticketmaster for a Britains got talent event on June 24th which cost me £118. These tickets were basically a treat for the g/f and kids who had always wanted to go to one of these events. Me? I avoid these kind of shows like the plague.

Anyway, as it was a surprise, only I knew about the event and as the weeks/months passed, I genuinely forgot about this event.

On June 24th, the concert took place and the next day one of the kids mentioned to me that one of her mates had been at the concert and she wished she had gone. It was then that I felt like a huge hammer had hit me square in the forehead as I remembered about the concert and then realised that I couldn't recall receiving these tickets, surely I would have remembered?

I logged into my ticketmaster account and contacted them. They said they would investigate and now I have received a reply which I had to read 3 times as I couldn't believe what I was reading.

I bought tickets Feb 4th, concert was on June 24th and Ticketmaster say they sent the tickets out on June 21st, they claim "in good time". Whoa, sending tickets out by standard delivery less than 3 days before a concert is "in good time"? The tickets never arrived anyway.

Basically, they say they wont pay me back my £118 as they said I should have contacted them about the tickets but being old and forgetful as I am, you do tend to forget about things you bought 4 months earlier. But i would argue that they had plenty of time to send these tickets out.

Anyway, tickets never arrived and ticketmaster therefore blame royal mail but why were my tickets not posted til 3 days before a concert? Surely not every ticket for this event was sent so soon to the event? Their postage prices are a rip off (I guess that's another story) but surely ticketmaster should have sent me my tickets by special delivery (which was still less money than I paid for standard delivery)

I am asking for help and advice to try and help me claim back this money and use it to buy something nice for the family as basically my idea of winning brownie points with this concert didn't exactly work out too well.

many thanks for any helpful advice

misssarahleigh

As far as i'm aware ticketmaster have to make sure that the tickets arrive to you safely. How they choose to do this is none of your business.

If they choose royal mail then thats their contract with them. Your contract is with ticket master and i'm gonna assume they have no proof of postage nor did they do it recorded delivery and therfore cannot prove that you have the tickets.

I believe a similar problem was had with train tickets.

Not sure of the legislation, hopefully somebody else will no that one.

Occams_Razor_2

I would think there may well be issues with the sale of good act.

and if you paid by credit card, I would think they may well take a dim view on this too.

posting on the 21st, means it could easily take until 23rd to receive them. not in good time at all.

and also, it doesn't sound like you ever received them? lost mail isn't very common, despite all the stories you hear down the pub so you may get traction that way.

shaun_from_Africa

if the tickets don't turn up arrangements can be made to collect at the venue on the day

Even if that was an option, it's not what the OP paid for.
They paid for tickets to be delivered to their house, not for them to have to travel to the venue and hope that the tickets would be there.

Irrespective of what their T&C's may state, the OP's statutory rights take precedence over these terms, and if they didn't receive what they paid for then they are entitled to a full refund.

misssarahleigh

arenaman wrote: »

Are they paying for the tickets to be delivered to their house or just guaranteed entry to the venue on the day with proof of purchase? I genuinely don't know what the bottom line is.

The OP is being a bit unreasonable trying to claim, had they remembered even the day before it would have been sorted out no problem.

Not really. I've seen a thread on here explaining ticket master wouldn't let them collect tickets at the venue.

I assume it's to avoide the customer selling the tickets then claiming that they haven't got them and picking 2 free ones up on the night.

Just having a quick look on the site it says:

f you have not received your tickets within five days prior to an event, or you notice your tickets are missing or have been destroyed, please click on the link below and "Ask a Question" immediately.

So, why did they send them so late if they tell you to contact them 5 days prior when they sent them 3 days before the date?????

and

General admission tickets cannot be replaced.

So, depends what tickets the OP had as to what could have been done

mrputney08

You might want to read the comments that accompany this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gBVdYSHxvg

barvid

arenaman wrote: »

Ticketmaster do tend to send tickets very close to the date for some reason (Bulk postage?)

Partly because promoters only "release" tickets late in the day and partly to try to limit or halt the trade on auction sites. If your tickets only arrive a few days before the show you are less likely to be able to sell them on.

RadoJo

I can totally understand your frustration OP, but I think that by failing to contact them before the concert, you have limited your options. Had they known that you hadn't received your tickets, they could have made alternative arrangements, but as it stands they had three seats which they cannot now re-sell. For all they know, one of you was ill so you didn't go to the concert and now you're just looking to recoup your costs.

mr_fishbulb

RadoJo wrote: »

I can totally understand your frustration OP, but I think that by failing to contact them before the concert, you have limited your options.

As I see it, the OP entered into a contract with Ticketmaster to supply (via post) tickets to the event. Ticketmaster did not fulfil the contract.

Unless it is written in the terms and conditions agreed when purchasing the tickets (not the help page) that the OP must contact them if they have not received tickets, then the OP has done nothing wrong and is entitled to a full refund.

RadoJo

mr_fishbulb wrote: »

As I see it, the OP entered into a contract with Ticketmaster to supply (via post) tickets to the event. Ticketmaster did not fulfil the contract.

Unless it is written in the terms and conditions agreed when purchasing the tickets (not the help page) that the OP must contact them if they have not received tickets, then the OP has done nothing wrong and is entitled to a full refund.

I don't disagree about the contract terms, but by failing to contact Ticketmaster before the event they haven't given them a chance to remedy the situation without leaving themselves out of pocket. The five days is written into their purchasing policy (seems to be just another term for Ts and Cs) which is agreed to when you buy tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/legal/purchase.html?tm_link=tm_homeA_i_purchasep

bricam2096

Thanks for the replies so far.

As I said, I had booked the tickets 4 months earlier and genuinely forgot about the event and no one reminded me due to the fact that no one knew.

If the tickets had been sent to me weeks/months before the event and I hadn't gone, I wouldn't be trying to get my money back but to have claimed to have sent them less than 3 days before the event surely wrong? Again, they claim to have sent them but what proof do I have that they did.

Of course they will say I should have done this or done that and I would have if I had remembered but surely it can't be right to be charged an amount for goods that you don't even get?