Refunds

Stickleback79

Is it really legal in 2023 to charge a customer for a theatre ticket, cancel the show then refund the ticket price but keep the booking fee when the theatre did the cancellation? Where else would this be acceptable?

The theatre in question has just refunded me a ticket price but kept 13% saying tough.

Surely this can't be legal?

DullGreyGuy

In most cases you are buying the ticket from an agent and not the supplier of the ticket itself or the organisation responsible for putting on the production. 

Their argument is that they have done what you asked them to do as an agent, the production company has cancelled the show so you get back the money you paid toward them but not the agency fee. In fact the agent has to do more than they would had the production gone ahead as they are now having to recover money and pass it back to you. 

Looking at articles like in the Guardian, the Office of Fair Trade have previously said it would be fairer to refund the booking fees it hasn't actually stated that booking fees must be refunded and as such as long as the T&Cs say booking fees will be retained then there is no strict law or regulator saying they must go back. You could take the matter to court as an unfair contract term but as with all legal action there is an element of a roll of a dice on that.

Stickleback79

My main argument here is that I bought the ticket from the theatre who are putting on the show. 

I do feel ripped off.