Pokemon Go event rescheduled to a new date we cant attend - what are my rights?

SRRAE

Hi,
Pokemon Go the mobile app game, do live in-person events called a Safari.  A three day event was arranged for April 2020 in Liverpool, Sefton park. As the event was during the school Easter holidays I bought tickets for the whole family to attend the event on Friday.  The tickets cost £90..

When it was cancelled a message was sent saying you can get a refund or keep your ticket for the newly arranged event.  As the whole family was excited to go, I decided to keep my ticket.

Two weeks ago the announcement was made that the event was rearranged for 15th-17th October 2021 and my ticket is now for Friday the 15th October.  However this is not a school holiday so no-one in the family can attend.

I tried to contact the company who runs the event to day we cant attend Friday because people are at school I was told they wont change the date of my ticket. When I said I would like a refund then, I was told the deadline for a refund was April 2020. 

They keep saying I dont have to physically be in Liverpool to get the in game benefits, however this doesn't help as the game benefits are between 10am and 6pm.  My children and teacher wife are in school for nearly the whole of that period. 

What are my consumer rights for something like this?  Surely a rearranged organised event must offer alternative days or a refund.

mattyprice4004

They've amended the event to give all benefits to everyone who has a ticket, regardless of if they're at the original location or not. 
From the event page: 

'Not only will these Safari Zone celebrations take place in their original park locations, but also ticket holders will be able to participate in the event they have a ticket for, no matter where they are in the world. Global event hours will be based on each participant’s local time; for example, a Friday Early Access ticket for Safari Zone Philadelphia will grant event access on Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time.

Ticket holders will be able to enjoy the following features, whether they participate in an in-person event or play globally.

• Featured Pokémon will be appearing in the wild and attracted to Incense.
• You’ll be able to complete event-exclusive Special Research and Field Research tasks.
• Incense activated during event hours will last for eight hours.
• Lure Modules activated during event hours will last for four hours.
• Special 2 km Eggs will be available.
• For Safari Zone Philadelphia ticket holders, take a snapshot for a surprise!'

SRRAE

But I paid £90 to attend a physical event, I didn't pay £90 for things to happen on a screen.
The event happens between 10am and 6pm.  My children and teacher wife are in school from 7:30am to about 5pm.

So that's £90 to get about 1 hour of "benefits" 

Aylesbury_Duck

SRRAE said:

But I paid £90 to attend a physical event, I didn't pay £90 for things to happen on a screen.
The event happens between 10am and 6pm.  My children and teacher wife are in school from 7:30am to about 5pm.

So that's £90 to get about 1 hour of "benefits" 

You might try your card provider (assuming you paid by card?) to see if they can help, but you may find that since you agreed to the rescheduled event and they are providing something, that the card company is unwilling to intervene.

Letter before action with the threat of small claims court is the other possible route, but it depends how much effort you're prepared to go to for £90.

pinkshoes

I would argue that as it is an event that attracts school age children (me and my son play!), then they cannot just re-schedule it to a day that kids will be at school! This would be an unfair T&C.

(If they'd scheduled it in half term a week later then fair enough!)

I would contact them pointing out that this is an unfair T&C as they are not scheduling it like for like. e.g. people pay a premium price for school holiday stuff, and therefore TELL them that they either need to move your ticket to the Saturday or Sunday, or refund in full. Give them 7 days to respond.

If you paid by card, I would contact your bank if you don't get a satisfactory response. 

y3sitsm3

pinkshoes said:

I would argue that as it is an event that attracts school age children (me and my son play!), then they cannot just re-schedule it to a day that kids will be at school! This would be an unfair T&C.

(If they'd scheduled it in half term a week later then fair enough!)

I would contact them pointing out that this is an unfair T&C as they are not scheduling it like for like. e.g. people pay a premium price for school holiday stuff, and therefore TELL them that they either need to move your ticket to the Saturday or Sunday, or refund in full. Give them 7 days to respond.

If you paid by card, I would contact your bank if you don't get a satisfactory response. 

But the OP was offered a refund when the first event couldn't take place.  They accepted an unannounced "date in the future" instead.

It's hardly like Pokémon Go exclusively attracts school kids either.  In fact, most of these games are "pay to win" so they really need manchildren playing them to stay afloat.

SRRAE

y3sitsm3 said:

But the OP was offered a refund when the first event couldn't take place.  They accepted an unannounced "date in the future" instead.

It's hardly like Pokémon Go exclusively attracts school kids either.  In fact, most of these games are "pay to win" so they really need manchildren playing them to stay afloat.

Is there any legal protection.  I decided to keep my ticket as I thought I would at least have the chance to select which day on the new dates.  The Saturday or Sunday would do.  Its not like they would lose money changing the date and there isn't a capacity issue as as people have since got refunds and other have decided not to turn up in person.

Aylesbury_Duck

SRRAE said:

y3sitsm3 said:

But the OP was offered a refund when the first event couldn't take place.  They accepted an unannounced "date in the future" instead.

It's hardly like Pokémon Go exclusively attracts school kids either.  In fact, most of these games are "pay to win" so they really need manchildren playing them to stay afloat.

Is there any legal protection.  I decided to keep my ticket as I thought I would at least have the chance to select which day on the new dates.  The Saturday or Sunday would do.  Its not like they would lose money changing the date and there isn't a capacity issue as as people have since got refunds and other have decided not to turn up in person.

see my comment above.  Possibly, but the trickiness might be that you declined the offer of a refund and accepted a rescheduling without knowing the dates.  Try your card company.

born_again

pinkshoes said:

I would argue that as it is an event that attracts school age children (me and my son play!), then they cannot just re-schedule it to a day that kids will be at school! This would be an unfair T&C.

(If they'd scheduled it in half term a week later then fair enough!)

I would contact them pointing out that this is an unfair T&C as they are not scheduling it like for like. e.g. people pay a premium price for school holiday stuff, and therefore TELL them that they either need to move your ticket to the Saturday or Sunday, or refund in full. Give them 7 days to respond.

If you paid by card, I would contact your bank if you don't get a satisfactory response. 

But some will be on holiday. School holidays are not uniform over the whole country.

Sadly for OP they missed the chance for a refund when it was delayed in 2020.

Card Co will not be able to help, as it is the OP that is now cancelling the trip. Not the company.

sheramber

The event isn't specifically for children so there isn't really any need for it to be in school holidays. 

pinkshoes

y3sitsm3 said:

But the OP was offered a refund when the first event couldn't take place.  They accepted an unannounced "date in the future" instead.

It's hardly like Pokémon Go exclusively attracts school kids either.  In fact, most of these games are "pay to win" so they really need manchildren playing them to stay afloat.

I will have to own up to also playing Pokemon Go , and I play it with my kids because it gets us out the house and walking around new places.

So although lots of "manchildren" will be attending, there will also be a lot of parents attending with their children. The people who run the event are well aware of this. I've not attended one yet but have many friends who go WITH THEIR KIDS!

Therefore a school holiday date swapped with a term day is NOT a fair condition of keeping the ticket until the event was rescheduled. 

sheramber said:

The event isn't specifically for children so there isn't really any need for it to be in school holidays. 

As above, no, it is not SPECIFICALLY for children, but lots of event players will be families and the event organisers know this.