Theatre tickets - show cancelled and alternative seats offered dont match the cost

peteuk

I brought tickets for a theatre show as part of a Black Friday deal, 20% off.  Three tickets total cost £150.  The show has been cancelled and as its a run of three weeks we have been offered alternative seats, 

As a bonus they have offered us free drinks and nibbles…

Looking at the box office web page, two of the seats are VIP (includes pre drinks) the third is a normal seat.  The VIP seats are £40 and the third £13. Total price £93.

The theatre have given us a take it or leave it option, take the seats or have a full refund…

Any suggestions.

Aylesbury_Duck

I suggest you decide if you want to see the show or not.   If you still do, take their offer, or risk going for the full refund and hoping you can buy the £93 worth of tickets they are offering you, getting yourself £57 back.

If you don't, just take the refund.

The Black Friday "deal" doesn't sound that great on the face of it.  Unless the original seats were fantastic?

user1977

Take the full refund, pay £93 for the new seats, keep the change. Surely?

peteuk

Aylesbury_Duck said:

I suggest you decide if you want to see the show or not.   If you still do, take their offer, or risk going for the full refund and hoping you can buy the £93 worth of tickets they are offering you, getting yourself £57 back.

If you don't, just take the refund.

The Black Friday "deal" doesn't sound that great on the face of it.  Unless the original seats were fantastic?

We wanted to see the show, so 20% allowed us to move up to the next seating level.  So we were happy with the deal.   I suspect they have reduced the prices since.

Aylesbury_Duck

What sort of suggestions are you after?  It seems you're in a win-win situation.  Take the new offer and enjoy the show, or ask for a refund and buy new tickets at the lower price.  The only risk is that you can't find three tickets next to each other on the date you want,  but if they've reduced prices it suggests they've got tickets to sell.

HillStreetBlues

Seems a very strange offer by the theatre, take these seats worth £93  or we will give you your £150 back!

peteuk

Aylesbury_Duck said:

What sort of suggestions are you after?  It seems you're in a win-win situation.  Take the new offer and enjoy the show, or ask for a refund and buy new tickets at the lower price.  The only risk is that you can't find three tickets next to each other on the date you want,  but if they've reduced prices it suggests they've got tickets to sell.

I was looking at the legality of offering cheaper seats with no refund for the difference. Thankfully they are STAR members so I may also ask them.

Hoenir

peteuk said:

The theatre have given us a take it or leave it option, take the seats or have a full refund…

What alternative option are you expecting to receive? 

Sounds as if ticket prices have been heavily discounted since Black Friday in any event.  I'd take the refund then rebook the same seats myself. 

user1977

peteuk said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

What sort of suggestions are you after?  It seems you're in a win-win situation.  Take the new offer and enjoy the show, or ask for a refund and buy new tickets at the lower price.  The only risk is that you can't find three tickets next to each other on the date you want,  but if they've reduced prices it suggests they've got tickets to sell.

I was looking at the legality of offering cheaper seats with no refund for the difference. 

All they need to offer you is a full refund. Which they are. Any other options are a bonus.

HampshireH

Sounds like you are making it complicated which will ultimately waste your time.

Buy the new seats at the cheaper price and that the full refund. You can't lose.

But if you chase this you lose time and risk getting frustrated with the process. Why bother?

Aylesbury_Duck

peteuk said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

What sort of suggestions are you after?  It seems you're in a win-win situation.  Take the new offer and enjoy the show, or ask for a refund and buy new tickets at the lower price.  The only risk is that you can't find three tickets next to each other on the date you want,  but if they've reduced prices it suggests they've got tickets to sell.

I was looking at the legality of offering cheaper seats with no refund for the difference. Thankfully they are STAR members so I may also ask them.

Nothing illegal about it,  given they've offered you a full refund.  You have a remedy on offer that entirely fulfils your consumer rights.  You have also been offered an alternative.  If you accept the alternative that's your choice.