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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think Viagogo need to be the ones to sort this out? - disabled access

26 replies

Scribblegirl · 12/12/2016 12:44

My family are all huge fans of ELO and so for a Christmas present, I bought tickets for all four of us to go to see ELO at Wembley in the summer. My dad is in a wheelchair due to MS and my mum is his carer.

On buying the tickets, they were listed as 'upper tier' but with no row number so I didn't have specific seat allocations given. There was no information on the Viagogo website about disabled access, but thankfully I know Wembley has plenty and it's of good quality, so I went ahead and purchased the four general tickets on Saturday night. As soon as the working week started on Monday morning, I contacted Viagogo to let them know that two of the four tickets would need to be in the disabled viewing platform, for dad and my mum as his assistant.

Viagogo have said that I needed to purchase disabled access tickets specifically, rather than the general ones that I purchased on the Saturday. When I pointed out that there were no 'disabled tickets' listed, they said that meant that there were none available. There's no information at all regarding disabled customers on the Viagogo website, and no way that I could have known that these tickets were unsuitable for my dad.

I therefore reluctantly asked for a refund and was informed that Viagogo can't provide one. I can re-list the tickets, but would incur a fee to sell them via Viagogo, which flies in the face of the Equalities Act and other relevant disability legislation. Obviously it's also not guaranteed that they will sell.

It's not my fault that there was no information on their website and most ticket selling companies these days do ask you to buy standard tickets and then inform them that you will need the disabled area.

My issues are:

  • Viagogo were unable to provide us with suitable tickets that do not discriminate against my dad for being unable to walk
  • Failing that, they refused to provide a refund
  • Finally, that Viagogo doesn't believe it is at fault for having no information about disability access on their website.

I am £415 down once you factor in the fees, and I have tickets that I can't even use. This is a huge amount for me if we can't use the tickets. Viagogo have stopped replying to me on Twitter and seem to be refusing to provide any details of how I can make a complaint.

Does anyone have any ideas? I've got a (tiny bit) of rusty knowledge about the Equalities Act, but seem to have hit a bit of a brick wall.

OP posts:
ElsaAintAsColdAsMe · 12/12/2016 12:55

Isn't viagogo a hosting site for other sellers rather than a site like ticket master who sells the tickets themselves?

Original poster
Scribblegirl · 12/12/2016 12:59

It is - but without providing me with any information about disability access, I had no way of knowing that I needed to look out for a category of ticket that wasn't being advertised. Surely they should at least be able to cancel the sale? If it was a technical glitch or similar that was their fault, I'm sure they'd be able to.

OP posts:
lolalament · 12/12/2016 13:02

You say there's no way you could have known the tickets were unsuitable, but there's also no way you could have known they were suitable. You assumed everything would be fine and just went ahead with the purchase anyway. You bought 4 tickets and they sold you 4 tickets - they've done nothing wrong. You're now trying to change the terms of the purchase and they don't agree.

It would be nice if they offered a refund, but they don't have to - and their site is quite clear they don't offer refunds. Just because the tickets were expensive doesn't change your rights here.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 12/12/2016 13:03

I think YABU - sorry. You purchased the wrong tickets.

wasonthelist · 12/12/2016 13:04

What is the discrimination here exactly OP?

OnionKnight · 12/12/2016 13:05

I'd like to preface this by saying that I'm disabled.

I can't see what Viagogo have done wrong, you purchased the tickets without knowing if they were suitable and you assumed that there would be disabled access for that event, why didn't you query it beforehand?

Original poster
Scribblegirl · 12/12/2016 13:06

Appreciate the comments even if the conclusion is IABU!

The reference to the Equalities Act was that noone should incur further costs in order to make a ticketing arrangement suitable.

I accept that I could have checked, but four general admission tickets are general, and without anything in the FAQs to say I needed to buy a specific type of ticket, I couldn't have known how their arrange their wheelchair access.

OP posts:
Original poster
Scribblegirl · 12/12/2016 13:06

*they arrange their

OP posts:
NoSunNoMoon · 12/12/2016 13:06

YABU. You should have checked before buying them. It isn't an official site it's a hosting site. You should have bought direct, surely?

Stillunexpected · 12/12/2016 13:06

I'm sorry but I can't believe that you bought tix in the upper tier without giving any thought to how you were going to get there with a wheelchair. With a wheelchair-bound family member, you must KNOW how difficult it is and that any venue only has a limited number of access seats available. Also which sites specifically ask you to buy standard tix and then request access to the disabled area? This is completely contrary to any ticketing websites of which I am aware (and I'm not just a punter but someone who has specialist knowledge - don't want to out myself by being more specific).

The Equalities Act is not going to help you out here. You failed to provide the most crucial bit of information and are now asking the impossible. If there are no disabled seats available, how can you get access? I don't like sites like Viagogo but in this case I'm afraid I am with them. The only option I can think of is that you approach the venue directly and see if they can help.

Original poster
Scribblegirl · 12/12/2016 13:07

Thanks Onion. It's Wembley Stadium and I know there is disabled access there (we have been before) so I wasn't concerned about venue provision.

OP posts:
Orangebird69 · 12/12/2016 13:08

YABU. You should've called them before buying the tickets. And how are they discriminating against your dad for not being able to walk? They've sold out. Not their problem.

crashdoll · 12/12/2016 13:09

Sorry that it's annoying but yeah, it is up to you to find out.

OnionKnight · 12/12/2016 13:10

I've been to Wembley and yes there is disabled access, but what I've never done is bought general upper tier tickets and then said 'Oh I need disabled access'.

It doesn't work like that.

user1480946351 · 12/12/2016 13:15

You bought specific seats, in the upper tier, which you must have known were not disabled access seats. This site isn't ticketmaster or wembley stadium, its a third party selling site. IT might as well be ebay. Would you buy tickets on ebay and then complain when you couldn't have disabled access seats instead of the seats you actually purchased tickets for?

Original poster
Scribblegirl · 12/12/2016 13:18

I really didn't mean for this thread to look like it was a 'pissed off person cries discrimination' - so apologies if it reads like that.

Happy to accept I am being unreasonable but just a bit upset at the moment as it looks like the whole of my christmas budget is totally fucked and I'm panicking a bit.

Will post a more ordered reply in a bit. Sorry all but thank you for your comments and totally appreciate I am in the wrong.

OP posts:
YelloDraw · 12/12/2016 13:19

YABU in this case!

HeadElf · 12/12/2016 13:21

YABU sorry

user1480946351 · 12/12/2016 13:23

You can resell the tickets, if they are popular you shouldn't have too much trouble. You can even sell them on viagogo.

IcaMorgan · 12/12/2016 13:23

For Wembley disabled tickets you can only buy them direct from the venue. It is the same for 95% + of venues. It also means you get a carer free with the wheelchair user (not all venues but most give some sort of discount)

lurkinghusband · 12/12/2016 13:28

I can sympathise with the OP ... MrsLH uses a wheelchair, and previously was able to walk a tiny bit. This was enough that it was possible to use online booking sites to ensure aisle seats, and away we went.

Now, it's not possible to walk, so it's harder to use online sites - even if you can choose an aisle seat, unless you know the venue, it's impossible to know if there are any steps involved. So we have to use the phone services and wait the eternity they take (on the plus side the carer ticket is free).

One thing which would help, is if venues actually spent a few pounds out of the millions they must make, and release an online internal tour. If a small local theatre like the Artrix in Bromsgrove can, it's hard to see why any of the enormodomes can't, unless you follow a train of thought that says they couldn't give a toss.

(Notice that Google - bless them - happily host walkarounds for free. So if every there was a media studies project in the offing, it would be to map local attractions for accessibility).

titchy · 12/12/2016 13:32

Why on earth didn't you book direct? The website says you have to do that to get disabled access tickets. In fact why don't you do that now? Resell the tickets you currently have.

Original poster
Scribblegirl · 12/12/2016 13:34

Thanks titchy, think that is what I'll do. Just posted in a massive panic - horrid feeling of dread when you think somethings not fixable. Rational brain is back on now I've realised my mistake. Thanks everyone for helping me see sense.

OP posts:
Original poster
Scribblegirl · 12/12/2016 13:36

And in a couple of answers, I know there are viewing platforms on every level hence why the upper tier thing didn't worry me. Totally agree with LH in general (though obviously on this occasion it's my fuck up!)

OP posts:
Bluebolt · 12/12/2016 13:42

Getting tickets with mobility access can be extremely difficult for fast selling acts especially if it is more than two tickets and you want to sit together. Good luck if you re sell, you need to check with viagogo s you may not receive tickets in time for you to repost out. A similar site have resold tickets I bought in error for an admission fee.

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