3,068 posts
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Post by Rory on Apr 12, 2020 6:15:18 GMT
I may be being unduly naive or optimistic but surely ATG can't write out to say that they are are working with producers to reschedule events, with dates to be confirmed by the end of the month, if they actually have no intention of doing so? I got such an email for The Doctor and will be very annoyed if it wasn't sent in good faith. If false, it would just make for a bigger admin nightmare and weaken consumer confidence further, no? realmissbarnaby any assurances on this would be helpful and thank you for all your hard work.
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Post by talkingheads on Apr 12, 2020 7:28:32 GMT
Not sure where else to post this, apparently Cameron Mackintosh has sacked all staff including actors, dancers and musicians.
It is worth saying that a few people on Twitter have debated the veracity of the claims made and the bloke in the video is very defensive in reply, but it does seem that the facts are true.
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Post by jcs619 on Apr 12, 2020 8:46:42 GMT
Interesting that Mackintosh states in his email that he had been privately told that theatres won’t reopen until mid September at the earliest but his company and many others are still selling tickets for June onwards...
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Xanderl
Member
Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
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Post by Xanderl on Apr 12, 2020 9:53:46 GMT
Regarding the Barbican, I've had a look on twitter, can't see any evidence of anyone having received a refund yet, lot of tweets asking about events going back to mid-March, and the Barbican's responses are alternating between either
and
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544 posts
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Post by amp09 on Apr 14, 2020 8:58:47 GMT
Has anybody had any contact with Encore tickets? I’d emailed on 22 March in which they were quick to reply and offer a voucher or refund. I accepted the refund which they agreed would take 3-5 working days. I emailed a week later to check as the agreed period had passed and no money. They replied that 10-15 days was now advised, which has also now passed and still no refund. They aren’t replying to any of my emails now, and I’m slightly worried.
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Post by talkingheads on Apr 14, 2020 9:20:25 GMT
I'm not quite sure of the legality of this, but I can see a lot of lawsuits in Ticketmaster's future! They have changed their policy to state that refunds will no longer be given on postponed events. Correct me if I'm wrong but they can't do this can they? You buy your tickets based on the policy at the time of purchase not anything published hence surely? lambgoat.com/news/32963/Ticketmaster-changes-refund-policy-amid-COVID-19-outbreak
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748 posts
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Post by horton on Apr 14, 2020 9:42:18 GMT
If there was a clear timetable of how this pandemic will proceed, agencies, theatres and producers would make definite decisions.
However we just don't know a) what the bug will do and b) how the government will respond. Will we be allowed to open theatres in July? August? September? January?
Will open air theatres open earlier? Will theatres have to sell alternate seats?
None of us know, which is why producers, theatres and agencies are trying to tread water as long as patience allows.
I have huge sympathy for all ticket outlets- they simply do not have systems on stand-by to deal with this many exchanges/ refunds all in one go- emergency plans are one thing, but who could reasonably envisage the closure of all events nationwide for 3- 6 months? I don't think it's something any of use could have imagined.
There is so much uncertainty at present, I think the wisest strategy is not to make promises that can't be fulfilled later.
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Post by clair on Apr 14, 2020 9:52:29 GMT
Called Cadogan Hall today as I can't make the new Louise Dearman date - no problem, immediate refund back to my card, not even asked if I would donate/take credit to my account (which I would have as I go there often enough). Great service and nice to have one done so easily
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144 posts
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Post by lou on Apr 14, 2020 11:08:30 GMT
I'm not quite sure of the legality of this, but I can see a lot of lawsuits in Ticketmaster's future! They have changed their policy to state that refunds will no longer be given on postponed events. Correct me if I'm wrong but they can't do this can they? You buy your tickets based on the policy at the time of purchase not anything published hence surely? lambgoat.com/news/32963/Ticketmaster-changes-refund-policy-amid-COVID-19-outbreakThis is for the .com site isn’t it? Assume there are different laws in the US for this.
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Post by partytentdown on Apr 14, 2020 11:13:28 GMT
Regarding the Barbican, I've had a look on twitter, can't see any evidence of anyone having received a refund yet, lot of tweets asking about events going back to mid-March, and the Barbican's responses are alternating between either and I have to say, my patience is wearing a bit thin with the Barbican now - I understand they're a relatively small organisation in the grand scheme of the world, and that none of this is their fault, but I've seen absolutely no evidence of any refunds being processed yet, and it's now been almost a month since this all kicked off. Many people are still due refunds for events cancelled 2 weeks ago. Are they really that far behind? They should at least be sending out a holding note to explain the delay. If other organisations of their size can do it, they should be able to as well.
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Post by talkingheads on Apr 14, 2020 11:18:13 GMT
I'm not quite sure of the legality of this, but I can see a lot of lawsuits in Ticketmaster's future! They have changed their policy to state that refunds will no longer be given on postponed events. Correct me if I'm wrong but they can't do this can they? You buy your tickets based on the policy at the time of purchase not anything published hence surely? lambgoat.com/news/32963/Ticketmaster-changes-refund-policy-amid-COVID-19-outbreakThis is for the .com site isn’t it? Assume there are different laws in the US for this. I think it applies to all Ticketmaster venues. A friend of mine works in one and Ticketmaster did this - without even notifying them! They are trying to leave Ticketmaster but the red tape is so tangled it's incredibly difficult. UPDATE It does seem that in the UK, they have now clarified (i.e. hurriedly rushed out a statement after such enormous backlash) that people will in fact be able to claim refunds. www.nme.com/news/music/ticketmaster-criticised-for-coronavirus-refund-policy-2646164
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Xanderl
Member
Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
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Post by Xanderl on Apr 14, 2020 15:16:29 GMT
I have to say, my patience is wearing a bit thin with the Barbican now - I understand they're a relatively small organisation in the grand scheme of the world, and that none of this is their fault, but I've seen absolutely no evidence of any refunds being processed yet, and it's now been almost a month since this all kicked off. Many people are still due refunds for events cancelled 2 weeks ago. Are they really that far behind? They should at least be sending out a holding note to explain the delay. If other organisations of their size can do it, they should be able to as well. Yes, same here. They seem to be handling this significantly less well than the National or Southbank Centre (or outside theatre, the BFI) who are all comparable in terms of size. And because they changed their systems recently, there's no way of checking your order history online, and once you've entered your bank details there's no way to go back and check the details you gave them. In other news - just got an email from DMT confirming my DMT+ membership for a year once the theatres reopen, after I took a credit for some tickets rather than a refund.
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Xanderl
Member
Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
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Post by Xanderl on Apr 15, 2020 11:10:22 GMT
Tweeted the barbican today as its now 2 week since I gave them my bank details
Have now emailed them which got an auto-response asking me not to email them
Then got a follow-up email:
So basically - no news.
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Post by Forrest on Apr 15, 2020 11:23:20 GMT
Wow, and there I thought I may be one of the few who are 'forgotten' by the Barbican.
I am surprised to see how poorly they are handling the situation, compared to all other venues. But I guess there's nothing else to do but wait...
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Post by floorshow on Apr 15, 2020 11:25:23 GMT
Just received a RAH cancellation with auto-refund for ticket and parking, no messing around.
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Xanderl
Member
Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
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Post by Xanderl on Apr 15, 2020 11:28:10 GMT
Wow, and there I thought I may be one of the few who are 'forgotten' by the Barbican. I am surprised to see how poorly they are handling the situation, compared to all other venues. But I guess there's nothing else to do but wait... I think it would help if they would say "so far we have got as far as refunding performances up to [date]" or whatever.
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Post by Forrest on Apr 15, 2020 11:39:19 GMT
Xanderl, you are absolutely right, some information and reassurance that things are moving would be nice. The Barbican and the Boulevard are the only venues I've asked for a refund from, and while Boulevard managed to handle it with speed and grace, Barbican really seems to be struggling. I've already donated the money they owe me towards a different cause, so I'm not really in a rush to get it, it will just fill a 'gap' in the account, but it's a good indication of how they have a lot to learn about crisis management.
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144 posts
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Post by lou on Apr 16, 2020 14:46:12 GMT
I sent Nimax a message as I hadn't heard about my 2nd May booking for City of Angels and others going after me had. They replied saying that everyone should have received an email with their options for refund/swaps so if you haven't it is probably worth getting in touch with them.
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Post by clair on Apr 16, 2020 15:54:14 GMT
So far I've had 14 things either rescheduled or cancelled through 13 different companies - all dealt with efficiently and professionally (well, BA was that when I finally got through on the phone after days of trying!). The only exception being ATG and I'm still waiting on that one, nothing but a vague, general email.
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Post by partytentdown on Apr 16, 2020 16:33:31 GMT
So far I've had 14 things either rescheduled or cancelled through 13 different companies - all dealt with efficiently and professionally (well, BA was that when I finally got through on the phone after days of trying!). The only exception being ATG and I'm still waiting on that one, nothing but a vague, general email. Gearing myself up for the BA phone battle (have a flight to the US in early June which I strongly suspect is now off!). Any tips for getting through?
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Post by clair on Apr 16, 2020 16:45:57 GMT
Just keep trying, really - or you could tweet them saying you've been calling for days which I did in desperation. Although I finally got through about 5.15 pm yesterday (be prepared as I was on hold 25 minutes but so relieved not to get the automated message saying they couldn't take my call I just stayed and waited!) I had tweeted them asking if anyone was actually there and I recieved a reply on that today with a link to dm them so they could deal with it that way.
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1,177 posts
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Post by joem on Apr 16, 2020 16:47:33 GMT
I haven't asked for a refund from any of the fringe venues I had bookings for.
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7,505 posts
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Post by alece10 on Apr 16, 2020 17:46:23 GMT
Just keep trying, really - or you could tweet them saying you've been calling for days which I did in desperation. Although I finally got through about 5.15 pm yesterday (be prepared as I was on hold 25 minutes but so relieved not to get the automated message saying they couldn't take my call I just stayed and waited!) I had tweeted them asking if anyone was actually there and I recieved a reply on that today with a link to dm them so they could deal with it that way. I've also got a flight with BA in June which I doubt will go ahead. Are they refunding or giving a credit note? Are they making you go through insurance first?
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2,529 posts
Member is Online
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Post by n1david on Apr 16, 2020 17:51:53 GMT
Just keep trying, really - or you could tweet them saying you've been calling for days which I did in desperation. Although I finally got through about 5.15 pm yesterday (be prepared as I was on hold 25 minutes but so relieved not to get the automated message saying they couldn't take my call I just stayed and waited!) I had tweeted them asking if anyone was actually there and I recieved a reply on that today with a link to dm them so they could deal with it that way. I've also got a flight with BA in June which I doubt will go ahead. Are they refunding or giving a credit note? Are they making you go through insurance first? If any flight on your itinerary is cancelled, you have a right to a full cash refund, even if they offer to transfer you to another flight. If you go through the BA website, you will be directed to get a credit note - don't accept it as once you've got the credit note they won't change it for cash. You need to call BA to get a cash refund. Oh look, a company making it difficult to get the cash to which you're legally entitled - ring any bells?
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Post by partytentdown on Apr 16, 2020 17:54:29 GMT
I've also got a flight with BA in June which I doubt will go ahead. Are they refunding or giving a credit note? Are they making you go through insurance first? If any flight on your itinerary is cancelled, you have a right to a full cash refund, even if they offer to transfer you to another flight. If you go through the BA website, you will be directed to get a credit note - don't accept it as once you've got the credit note they won't change it for cash. You need to call BA to get a cash refund. Oh look, a company making it difficult to get the cash to which you're legally entitled - ring any bells? Plus the ongoing problem that flights that far ahead aren't cancelled (like theatre) even though they clearly won't be happening (like theatre) so you have to hang fire until the right moment, at which point tens of thousands of other people try to claim their refund at the same time...I guess it could be worse.
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Post by clair on Apr 16, 2020 18:38:14 GMT
Wait until they've cancelled the flight and then ring them, you're only entitled to a refund if THEY cancel the flight otherwise they can say it'll just be a credit voucher. Phone number is 0800 727 800 if that's helpful , had to go through the site to find it!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2020 9:46:10 GMT
Haha, agree with the above that BA deffo a challenge. I stupidly accepted a voucher as it seemed to be all the website was offering and didn't have the strength to go for the phone lines. Finally received the voucher this week. Took 4 weeks.
But back to theatre land.....
DMT - was due to see Les Mis this week. Had e-mail about 10 days ago, selected refund, and got it through the day before was meant to see the show.
Ticketmaster - thought they might be a nightmare, but was very impressive. Had Strictly - The Professionals at Brighton Centre next month. E-mailed them asking for refund and had a nice e-mail back 2 days later and a refund 2 days after that.
Now Ticketmaster are a huge corporate and they seem to be managing fine, which means sympathy really is waning with.....
You guessed it - ATG! Owing to a bizarre combination of vouchers for some shows, a couple for incorrect amount, e-mails saying things were re-scheduled (they weren't) and an e-mail calling me Catherine (who is she lol!?) was all looking like such a mess, thought would have to phone....
Got through last week very easily and spoke to a really nice guy. I've so many bookings I was chatting to him for about 20 mins. He said no refunds had been processed for anything whatsoever yet as the systems had not yet been launched. He noted all the ones I was after and said they really should start to come through this week. But as of today - nothing. My first cancelled show was over a month ago now.
Lovely customer service agent. Terrible company! And the lack of transparency is what gets me. If they just said refunds will be processed on such and such date or even if they said we don't know when refunds will be processed, that would be better.
I've got about 500 quids worth of cancelled events with them. Home town Bristol, university town Manchester and live in Brighton - they account for 90% of my touring show investment!
Hey-ho.... Shall continue to wait!
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169 posts
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Post by jess173 on Apr 17, 2020 12:52:15 GMT
I just got my refund from ATG. They kept the £3,65 transaction fee but whatever.
Got my refund for Be More Chill two days after I emailed LWTheatres and now all of my tickets for the Easter weekend have been refunded.
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215 posts
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Post by galinda on Apr 17, 2020 14:23:47 GMT
I just got my refund from ATG. They kept the £3,65 transaction fee but whatever. Got my refund for Be More Chill two days after I emailed LWTheatres and now all of my tickets for the Easter weekend have been refunded. I just had an email about Be More Chill - offering a refund, credit voucher or rebooking for a future performance up until 1st August. Are theatres just doing this to keep your money a bit longer as can’t see performances going ahead that soon anyway.
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4,458 posts
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Post by poster J on Apr 17, 2020 16:54:26 GMT
I just had an email about Be More Chill - offering a refund, credit voucher or rebooking for a future performance up until 1st August. Are theatres just doing this to keep your money a bit longer as can’t see performances going ahead that soon anyway. I would have thought they're doing it t least in part because no-one knows what the situation will be like in August and there is no point in being overly pessimistic, especially with existing shows rather than ones that hadn't started rehearsing or tech.
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