TicketMaster and returning unwanted tickets

learnerplates

Should Ticketmaster allow clients to return unwanted tickets?

I have tickets which I no longer want, I'd be willing to return them, the gig is not sold out so it's no loss to Ticketmaster.
I can't get rid of them online because it's not sold out and I cannot go. I'm down 160euro

Oryx

From: ticketmaster

Ticketmaster sells tickets on behalf of promoters, teams, bands and venues which means Ticketmaster does not set the ticket prices or determine seating locations. Policies set forth by our clients, such as venues, teams and theatres, prohibit us from issuing exchanges or refunds after a purchase has been made or for lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed tickets.

Im afraid its up to you to sell them on somehow or accept the loss of the price.:(

learnerplates

Are there no grounds for return like any other consumer product which has been unused?

Oryx

learnerplates wrote:

Are there no grounds for return like any other consumer product which has been unused?

You dont automatically have a right to return ANY product once purchased. Exchanges or refunds for perfect goods are at the discretion of the seller.

calsatron

Theres no grounds for refund of any consumer product on the basis that you no longer want it I'm afraid.

Some companies operate policies that allow you to exchange unwanted items as a display of good faith but Ticketmaster isn't one of them.

The only grounds you would have for refund would be if the goods were defective,damaged of unfit for purpose and since you have the tickets in hand and the concerts going ahead none of those conditions apply.

Stick em on Ebay and hope for the best.

learnerplates

Thanks.
I've stuck them on but it's not ideal since the concerts not sold out, who would bother buying on ebay, I've had to try and sell for less than the buying price.
Most sites now including this one have idstanced themselves from ticket selling, pity as I'm not a tout..

ruprect

learnerplates wrote:

Should Ticketmaster allow clients to return unwanted tickets?(

They should as it is good customer service and they are charging huge amounts for service charges, c/c charges, booking fee, handling fees. If you buy from www.tickets.ie and choose to collect from the box office the ticket acutally costs €1 LESS than face value. So if you even went to a reasonable shop like sound cellar it would cost €3 more than www.tickets.ie you can pay by c/c online with tickets.ie just like ticketmaster but your ticket can be up to €7.35 less!

Obviously tickets.ie are not a charity and being a small company loose out on overhead economies of scale that ticketmaster enjoy. So ticketmaster are charging €7.35 above and beyond what is a reasonable profit. The least they could do is offer a return service.

They are often in the press speaking out about touting and how they are trying to combat it, yet will not take back tickets, even for sold out gigs. I wish some shop in town would take them back at a loss to the seller, or a place you could leave them for the day so the shop can never loose out, they would stand to make more as a ticket agent than a regular one. I rang sound cellar today as I am stuck with tickets for the who, but they wont take them back, even at 25 below face value. Years ago they did hold onto some for the day for me and sold them and charged nothing, it was U2 and was sold out so they went quick.

sites to sell on are
www.buyandsell.ie
www.gumtree.ie
www.scarletmist.com
of course ebay

learnerplates

Yes Ticketmaster will soon rule the world, wait till they start dictating venues and dates, it'll be like Sky on sports.
Thanks for the links they look great.

mcaul

And if ticketmaster did accept returns, then touts would buy tickets hoping that the concert is a sell out and charge higher prices, and if the concert is not a sell out they would return the tickets to ticketmaster.

Boy, the touts would have a field day and all the forums would have hundreds of people complaining that ticketmaster is simply supporting touts!!

imo cut your losses and try and sell the tickets for €50 each - someone who would not normally be able to buy a ticket for the show may appreciate it. - And that'll be your good deed done for the year!!

Our man in Havana

Is it true that if a concert is cancelled and ticketmaster has to return money, it simply refunds thee money to the credt card used to originally purchase the tickets? If you bought from a ebay seller, the seller would get the refund and the buyer left with nothing?

Any truth in that?

ruprect

mcaul wrote:

And if ticketmaster did accept returns, then touts would buy tickets hoping that the concert is a sell out and charge higher prices, and if the concert is not a sell out they would return the tickets to ticketmaster.

Simply have stricter limits on the amount of tickets per c/c, 4 should definitely be the upper limit. As for normal tickets with cash, somebody said soundcellar do take them back, only if bought from there. But there should be a 4 ticket limit there too. Should have a time limit to return, maybe up to 2 weeks before the event.

Is it true that if a concert is cancelled and ticketmaster has to return money, it simply refunds thee money to the credt card used to originally purchase the tickets?

Yes that is true.

If you bought from a ebay seller, the seller would get the refund and the buyer left with nothing?

If the seller is an absolute kunt, then yes they are left with nothing, but you would expect the seller on ebay to refund it.

mcaul

ruprect wrote:

Simply have stricter limits on the amount of tickets per c/c, 4 should definitely be the upper limit.

Do you know how many kids these touts have????

17 kids x 4 tickets each = 68!!!

choz

if the gig is cancelled / rescheduled / or moved to a different venue you can normally get a refund. otherwise nada

if you bought online you need to post the tickets back and yes they are refunded to the credit card used to buy them.

Guy:Incognito

learnerplates wrote:

the gig is not sold out so it's no loss to Ticketmaster. (

If the gig is not sold out then it is a loss to ticketmaster as they are down your €160 and up 2 tickets that apparently no one wants. Instead they have your €160.

ruprect

mcaul wrote:

Do you know how many kids these touts have????

17 kids x 4 tickets each = 68!!!

If the kids have all got credit cards!
But that is the problem, it is not really fair on people paying cash. I remember stories of Uk guys coming here with kids all getting max amounts of U2 tickets.

If the gig is not sold out then it is a loss to ticketmaster as they are down your €160 and up 2 tickets that apparently no one wants. Instead they have your €160.

And a loss to the buyer, as I mentioned they are making €7.35 above and beyond what is a reasonable profit, the least they could do is take them back, call it insurance or whatever you want, they just treat it like the tickets were never sold in the first place, the massive charges would surely cover admin.
It would also be goodwill for the company, but I imagine in their accounts their "goodwill" is listed as a negative...

ruprect

Ticketmaster are taking them back from me!
I went onto their site and went to the online refund section for cancelled gigs. The support act for the band had pulled out. I had never seen ticketmaster advertise that they were playing but it was fairly "official" on other sites.
In the email I just said I only got the tickets to see the support act, so they have asked to send them to a certain address for a full refund.

My other tip would be to search for completed listings on ebay. You can check the bid history and see what people who did not win had as their max bid, so you can then email them and offer it at that price

learnerplates

So if one band at the gig cancells you may have a chance, that's not bad, at least there is some chance.
I've found the refund link
http://www.ticketmaster.ie/h/cancelled.html

ruprect

Venues are now barcode scanning tickets, so it is much harder to sell tickets. I would think twice at buying any tickets outside of an agent, e.g. ebay. You could get a stolen ticket, or duplicate and get caught on the door going in.