AIBU to request a full refund for tickets when the show has been changed?

[ThisMustBeMyDream]

I booked tickets to see a show called The Greatest Showman Live, at Liverpool Echo arena. An email was sent while I was on holiday (25th July) that I've just read this evening on my return.
The show is no longer the advertised show. It has had its name changed to The Greatest Show Live: Songs from Hollywood.

The show is something else entirely now from reading the blurb.

No refunds have been offered for such a drastic change. AIBU to think that this should be offered?

It was going to cost me a lot of money in babysitting and transport, which I'm not willing to pay and go through the hassle for, when I'm not going to see the show I really wanted to see. I'm really disappointed!

I've heard of this happening in Essex and people really kicking off about it too...

Have you asked for a refund? They probably won’t offer in the hopes that not too many people cancel but if you ask they may well do so.

If they've completely changed the show, of course you should get a full refund if you wish.

I presume it was always supposed to be the second show, but advertised incorrectly?

I've emailed and said I expect a refund as not the advertised show. The T&C's state "Change to Event14.The Event Manager and/or ACC Liverpool reserve the right to make alterations to the published Event programme where reasonably necessary".

It doesn't appear to have been advertised incorrectly. I'm not 100% sure but from googling it looks like copyright issues. It was always intended as the first show...

God that is really shit OP. No idea if you’ll get it but I would do the same.

That would annoy me too. I don’t think you are unreasonable to want your money back.

HERE is an article about it in the Liverpool echo

My brother complained and got a full refund op

Have just read the updated blurb - no idea what it said before but that sound crap! I loved the bit about deciding to drop the circus acts to focus on ‘anthemic’ songs.

Clearly they’ve fucked up and can’t put on the show that was planned and are trying to make out like it’s an artistic choice!

Thanks for the info PitchBlackNight and Atwitsend99. That's all useful.

Hopefully I will get a refund then!

So disappointing when I've only booked 2 evenings out all year! Never mind!

This happened to us too (Essex). I have a full refund after phoning the box office. We had booked 11 tickets!

This is what I used from the t and c on website. It is materially different.

I had bought tickets for this too but phoned up the venue for a refund as the show wasn't what I had signed up for and my daughter won't appreciate legends of Hollywood (she's a massive Showman fan!) There was a very brief attempt to dissuade me from cancelling but I got my refund. Call your venue tomorrow. HTH

If you used a credit card it’s worth trying your bank as your purchase is not as initially described. Although can be quite slow to resolve so try venue first.

This was all over Facebook this morning (for the Birmingham show). People were getting full refunds.

An actual bike bell?

I know some people who saw it in the last week and said it wasn't very good (and not what they thought they'd paid for)

try to get a refund "not as advertised"

I booked early bird tickets for a festival once, based on the line-up. They then totally changed the line-up by cancelling most of the good acts as it was going to cost them too much money. Complained that what I was getting was totally different to what I booked and they refused to refund me - was not cheap either.

Our local theatre was offering refunds for this.

Could it just be they have used the name "Greatest Showman" without permission?

Most likely they didn’t get the rights to the music. If so the revised show will either be old public domain stuff, or a mish mash of music they don’t think will present a problem, so definitely fight for that refund.

This sort of thing happens all the time. You can’t put on a show of someone else’s copyrighted work, you have to actually buy the rights to perform it, and a recent film like Greatest Showman would not be selling those rights.

When buying tickets to something like this, even if it’s based on a much older work, always make sure it’s authorized and not just a group doing a knock off with the material.

Thank god I clicked on this thread! Was just about to book for ds1 and his girlfriend to go as they adore the Greatest Showman...no way they will enjoy the new version of the performance.

I would guess that the original show was probably vetoed for being too much of The Greatest Showman and being too much of a rip off of the film, and that they’ve had to add in other numbers and drop the circus performance so that it is more a variety and not just trading off TGS.

Yes, it was saying in the FB thread that the touring company had been unable to secure copyright permission for their original plans, so had been forced to change the show.