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Original poster

Taking Eventim to small claims court over tickets.

27 replies

QuestionableMouse · 22/09/2022 12:28

Sorry, this might be on the longer side!

I booked tickets for the Teesside Air show this year. Left Hartlepool at 9:30 (couldn't leave earlier due to an appointment!)

Due to the sheer and utter lack of planning, there wasn't enough parking, the traffic was absolute chaos and by 3pm we still hadn't reached the airport. Because I had two kids and my disabled mum in the car, we made the decision to turn around and head home.

The company decided to issue a refund as asked us to send our tickets back. I did, and have been waiting for a refund. I've contacted them several times and have been unable to speak to anyone. Then when I did speak to someone, they told me the tickets had been returned too late and I am ineligible for the refund - it's £45 all in iirc. I was never told this date and have the emails to prove that.

The tickets have just landed back at my house and are marked "not called for" by royal mail.

I'm considering taking Eventim to small claims court - they've been so utterly shit for the entire process and have obstructed the process as much as they can so they don't have to pay out. I'm deeply frustrated and honestly just want them to pay what they owe me!

Can I take them to small claims to get the money back? They haven't even apologised for the terrible planning!

OP posts:
VanCleefArpels · 22/09/2022 12:31

The cost of the proceedings would be more than the £45 you have lost. Honestly I’d put it down to experience and buy tickets through a different agent next time

VanCleefArpels · 22/09/2022 12:32

And the planning is not Eventim’s fault!

WagathaChristieMystery · 22/09/2022 12:32

Sorry I can’t help, but I think Citizens Advice might be able to help here - can you give your local branch a call or pop in and see them?

SleepySleepyByeByes · 22/09/2022 12:33

Yep it’d be a £35 fee just to start the claim, frustrating but time to move on I think

Original poster
QuestionableMouse · 22/09/2022 12:34

VanCleefArpels · 22/09/2022 12:32

And the planning is not Eventim’s fault!

Yes it absolutely is. They knowingly oversold tickets, sold more parking permits than they had spaces, had no traffic management plan in place, made no effort to put on park and ride... I could go on and the investigation found them to be at fault.

OP posts:
BobVanceVanceRefridgeration · 22/09/2022 12:35

SleepySleepyByeByes · 22/09/2022 12:33

Yep it’d be a £35 fee just to start the claim, frustrating but time to move on I think

But don't you get this back if you win?

I get it Op on point of principle!

Assume when you talk about planning you mean the event organisers planning of parking spaces, not your own planning on the day

VanCleefArpels · 22/09/2022 12:36

Ok so eventim not just the ticket agent (ie following instructions from the event organiser) in this case? In any event the points out the costs still stands

Lockheart · 22/09/2022 12:39

It's an awful lot of time and stress to commit to for the sake of £45. By the time you've finished going back and forth, spending hours writing your claim up, travelling to court(?), I doubt it would be worth it. Up to you of course, but if it were me I would just leave it.

Original poster
QuestionableMouse · 22/09/2022 12:41

The full report is online if anyone wants to read it. imgur.com/a/IHbd2E7 pics because I can't link it unfortunately!

OP posts:
BlindGirlMcSqueaky · 22/09/2022 12:43

As others have said, it's going to cost more to apply to small claims, although I think it's likely they would settle.

Can you raise a bank inquiry instead?

Original poster
QuestionableMouse · 22/09/2022 12:43

www.teessideinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Airport-Airshow-report-27.6.22.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjhxNqsp6j6AhWBYMAKHRhZCuAQFnoECDIQAQ&usg=AOvVaw32QcxiWAflWZqCHLS3osxB might work.

It was honestly a total and utter farce! I'm so frustrated by how badly they've treated me (and other people).

OP posts:
Original poster
QuestionableMouse · 22/09/2022 12:45

I'm also entitled to help with the fees because I get a bit of UC. It's not even really about the money, it's about making the accountable for their actions and the utterly shit way they've treated people.

OP posts:
Dreamscomingtrue · 22/09/2022 12:46

Did you pay be credit card? you can often make a claim that way, especially as they said they would issue a refund & are now going back on that. I think even payment with a credit card you can possibly still make a claim.
There was a similar problem with a concert at a NT house Waddesdon, where the parking & traffic management was awful. A friend of mine paid nearly £200 for tickets & parking and eventually got a full refund because of the bad management of the concert.

Original poster
QuestionableMouse · 22/09/2022 12:48

Paid by debit card. I have to head out to work but will give the bank a ring in the morning! Gotta be worth a try. ☹️

OP posts:
ThreeB · 22/09/2022 12:50

VanCleefArpels · 22/09/2022 12:32

And the planning is not Eventim’s fault!

It absolutely was, and the post event report makes their failings crystal clear

Doubleraspberry · 22/09/2022 13:00

Absolutely file with Small Claims if you can't resolve this. It's really easy - some of these posts must be from people who haven't done it.

But check their terms and conditions for their dispute resolution process. The court will want evidence that you've already tried to reclaim the debt this way before action. You need to write (not call) them, setting out what happened, and telling them that unless they refund the tickets within a set period of time, you will take action. Eventim's T&Cs say that they would go to mediation before court action and give the contact details of their mediators so you might want to get in touch with them and discuss the best way to complain formally if you're worried that an email will be ignored. See here: www.eventim.co.uk/help/terms/

When contacting them, include copies of the emails they sent you, and the tickets, and a copy of the envelope marked 'Not Called For'. All and any evidence you have. Their terms and conditions say you must claim a refund with 28 days of the event, which may be the time period they are referring to. Did you do this? If not, then that may be an issue.

Icanstillrecallourlastsummer · 22/09/2022 13:03

I think you'd be massively inconveniencing yourself for £45. Hound them on SM instead, much more likely to be successful.

KrisAkabusi · 22/09/2022 13:18

ThreeB · 22/09/2022 12:50

It absolutely was, and the post event report makes their failings crystal clear

Show quote history

I've just read the report, but I can't find a mention of Eventim anywhere in it. There were considerable failings, but they were all the fault if SkyLive Air. I think the OP is going after the wrong company.

TimboWimbo · 22/09/2022 13:25

That report doesn’t mention Eventim. They are just a ticket agent.

VanCleefArpels · 22/09/2022 13:46

QuestionableMouse · 22/09/2022 12:45

I'm also entitled to help with the fees because I get a bit of UC. It's not even really about the money, it's about making the accountable for their actions and the utterly shit way they've treated people.

Legal aid is not available for civil cases like this

VanCleefArpels · 22/09/2022 13:52

KrisAkabusi · 22/09/2022 13:18

I've just read the report, but I can't find a mention of Eventim anywhere in it. There were considerable failings, but they were all the fault if SkyLive Air. I think the OP is going after the wrong company.

Show quote history

Para 5 specifically refers to claims of refunds from Sky Live Air

Darkstar4855 · 22/09/2022 13:53

You’d need to check very carefully what the terms and conditions of the ticket sale where as many have small print to cover their arses with this sort of thing.

HouseProud22 · 22/09/2022 14:00

ThreeB · 22/09/2022 12:50

It absolutely was, and the post event report makes their failings crystal clear

Show quote history

Except for the fact that… it literally doesn’t?

Eventim merely sell tickets. They don’t organise. They are not mentioned anywhere in the report 😂

OnlyOpenMouthToChangeFeet · 22/09/2022 14:02

@VanCleefArpels
It's not legal aid. It's a reduction of court administration fees due to low income.

Also, those saying Sky are at fault, and not Eventim, it makes no difference. The OP still needs to claim from Eventim as that's who her sales contract was with, and they in turn claim from Sky. Much the same if you buy a faulty Hotpoint washing machine from John Lewis, your claim would be from them and not Hotpoint .

VanCleefArpels · 22/09/2022 14:14

Except that Eventim T&C require a refund claim within 28 days which is way past

It sounds like it was a really shit day and the OP is out of pocket. But taking legal action for £45 is madness