Rockness - Earlybird Ticket - Excessive Upgrade Charges

Jackie_Reid

Just a word of warning regarding double booking and handling charges that you may incur after thinking you are getting an unbelievable bargain buy purchasing early bird tickets.

I have included the email thread below, which basically states that AEG are not budging at all and accepting no wrong doing. (I have had to remove links from the email thread as I am a new poster)

Even though I am still saving a small amount compared to buying the tickets now, my points are:

1. It was never advised that if you were to upgrade on early bird tickets that double handling fees would be payable (when the first tickets have not even been issued yet!)
2. The terms and conditions link initially supplied does not work
3. Two lots of postage charge?!

I for one will certainly not be falling for this next time around!



Subject: RE: VIP Upgrade Tickets - Excessive Charges
Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:00:24 +0000
From: [EMAIL="info@rockness.co.uk"]info@rockness.co.uk[/EMAIL]
Hi Jackie

Any new booking will incur similar charges on a per ticket basis irrespective of whether this is an entirely new order or an upgrade. As the upgrade is purchased at a separate time to the original booking it therefore will also incur such charges for the new transaction. Unfortunately we are unable to make exceptions to this for the reasons outlined in my previous email to you. Booking fees are set by the individual ticket agent, the transaction or postage fee is necessary for both bookings as they will be sent to you separately.

The terms and conditions are available through the following link which is live on our website XXXXXXX
Earlybird tickets are offered to loyal RockNess customers so that they may buy tickets at a discounted price before the line-up is announced. Offering the chance for such customers to upgrade to VIP was a decision that we made to ensure we did not put these customers at a disadvantage should they wish to be a VIP. As a valued loyal customer you are still therefore paying less than if you had waited and just purchased a VIP ticket when they went on general sale:

Your original ticket (powered by agent AEG Live)
£99
£6.65 special delivery
£10.89 booking fee
TOTAL - £116.54

Your upgrade ticket (powered by agent See Tickets)
£75
£6.00 special delivery
£7.50 booking fee
TOTAL – £88.50

Total charged - £205.04

If you had purchased a VIP ticket once they were on sale the total charge would have been £235.90 so essentially you are still saving £30.86.

Many thanks
Oliver

From: Jackie Hotmail
Sent: 06 March 2012 13:19
To: AEG Live UK Rockness Info
Subject: RE: VIP Upgrade Tickets - Excessive Charges



Oliver

While I appreciate that the Early Bird offer was advertised as standard weekend camping, at no point can I see that it was advertised that should a subsequent upgrade be purchased that the booking and transaction fees would be charged again.

This should have been made clear on the booking website and could have also been flagged when enquiries were made regarding the upgrade.

I have attempted to refer to your terms and conditions of sale, however this page appears to have been removed from the Rockness website: XXXXXXXXX, therefore I do not have any record of being advised that charges would be payable twice.

As for your explanation of charges, I understand that there are costs incurred by suppliers, but to be paying £10.89 for the initial booking, another £12.25 for the upgrade and an additional £6.65 for postage far surpasses any of the proportionate fees you have mentioned in your email.

Jackie



From: AEG Live UK Rockness Info [mailto:info@rockness.co.uk]
Sent: 24 February 2012 16:39
To: Jackie Reid
Subject: FW: VIP Upgrade Tickets - Excessive Charges



Hi Jackie,

Thank you for your enquiry.

I’m sorry to hear that you are disappointed with the booking fees for VIP Upgrades.

The Early Bird offer was an exclusive offer for standard weekend camping and non camping tickets only, there was never an Early Bird offer for VIP tickets. I understand your frustration but unfortunately the ticket agents do need to add transaction fees to VIP upgrades as they are purchased and processed separately to the original transaction and therefore have separate administration, processing and postage costs to cover.

Ticket agents charge a nominal booking fee to help cover all the costs which go into the whole ticket buying process to make it all possible. This includes the credit/debit card processing services, merchant fees, the distribution costs, the installation and maintenance of computer hardware and software, customer services, labour costs and more. Booking fees will vary from agent to agent depending on the level of service provided.

Many thanks,

Oliver

From: Jackie Reid
Sent: 23 February 2012 13:31
To: AEG Live UK Rockness Info
Subject: VIP Upgrade Tickets - Excessive Charges




I am writing to express my disappointment of how Rockness organisers have decided it is fair to penalise the "Early Bird" ticket purchasers who wish to upgrade their ticket to VIP status.

When initially booking the tickets in October, only standard tickets were available, but I was advised an upgrade would be available at a later stage. However, what was not made clear was that another £12.25 of booking and transaction fees would be added to the £70 upgrade.

It is the Early Bird purchasers that have the faith to purchase in advance and I can not understand why it is seen as fair to hit this group of people with double charges.

However, for those that want to purchase the upgrade, there is no alternative but to be held to ransom and pay the amount, however unfair and however disproportionate the charges - 17.5% to print and post out a ticket, which realistically, is going to be the ticket that the booking and transaction fees paid first time around would have covered.

Unless this policy were to change for 2013, I certainly would not be purchasing an Early Bird ticket, nor recommend this scheme as clearly, it is not as good an offer as Rockness imply to their attendees.

Your faithfully

Jackie Reid