Panto cancelled but no refunds?

[ChristmasyCrackery]

Just had an email saying the date id booked pantomime tickets for has been cancelled. It’s between Christmas and new year so not the best news, but I thought I could use the money to arrange for us to do something else. Except when I’ve gone on the website, they’re saying they’re only offering a different date and not a refund. I’ve had a look online and the only show we can go to, only has seats at the back in the middle. Nothing like our booked front row seats they’ve cancelled.
do I have any recourse? Can I insist on a refund since they’ve cancelled, or do I have to accept shitty seats (when I’ve paid for front row!)

Credit card claim ?

Read the T’s &C’s of your original booking/back of the tickets.
I imagine it says no refunds though.

Surely they need to give you tickets of an equal value or refund the difference?

I can understand no refunds if you have to cancel but they can't change the whole thing and expect to hold onto the money

I'd contact them as it may be that they can do the odd refund but don't want to refund everyone. They need to offer you something of similar value at least

I used to work in a theatre. Obviously it depends upon their Ts and Cs but if the alternative dates don't work for you, then of course they should refund.

Performances do get cancelled occasionally and the theatre/company would rather you attend a different one, but they should refund if you can't. At the very least I would expect a credit note to attend something else at my convenience.

Are you sure there's no refund? When I had a similar situation last year they sent me a credit voucher, but buried in the small print at the bottom was an option for a refund instead. As it happened this was a west end show and I could actually get better seats with the voucher, but in your case I'd expect a refund.
Check the T&Cs but this came up a lot in the Covid years, and generally if they cancel you should get a refund but if you can't attend they don't have to offer anything but most will give you an exchange as a good will gesture.

www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-do-i-get-a-refund-from-a-ticket-seller-aogBR6N4YmlJ

You are entitled to a refund, don't let them fob you off.

Just because something is in terms and conditions doesn't make it legal.

That’s disappointing for you all. I would check with the theatre though. We had a theatre performance booked which was cancelled due to main person having covid. We were offered a refund or reschedule to another performance.

Thanks everyone. I’ve followed advice and quoted the T&Cs to them, so they’ve agreed to refund the cost of tickets, but not the booking fee 😠

Glad to hear you got it back, it's wrong that they don't have to refund the booking fee but at least got majority back.

@Againstmachine definitely! Now I just need to work out what to do instead :)