Company refusing the change the date of the tickets

[Tothebeach]

I booked tickets to go do a Christmas lights trail with friends and family and managed to book the tickets for the wrong day. I realised straight away and email them last night and call them today to ask to change for 2 days later ( tickets still available). They refuse to do so, I am so upset, I can’t go on that date and neither some of the other families. The tickets are non-refundable. AIBU to think this is really poor customer service especially for a Christmas event not even sold out yet? Is there anything I can do ?

This relates to goods, not services.

Go onto twitter. Shame them Into doing it. Start nice at first say you immediately realised you had booked incorrectly and contacted them immediately. You were hoping for good customer service

from your link
'If an item is being sold by a business, they need to tell you if an item doesn’t have a cooling-off period. They must tell you before you buy the item.'
They say non refundable, they've done their bit (and I don't actually think the page you've linked to covers things like tickets)

It's a pain but as they were stated to be non refundable and they don't even have a facility to refund if they wanted to then you can't return them.

I will say that the light trail events where I am get really booked up closer to Christmas. By late November the weekend days have usually fully sold out. There are lots of people disappointed because they didn't start thinking about Christmas until late November! So hopefully you should be able to resell them, particularly if they are splittable tickets (you might need to separate out the pdf/barcodes but if you get your money back that will be worth it!)

I do think it’s harsh that they won’t swap them, especially this far in advance. It’s easy for others to say it’s your fault OP but I’ve done the same before and accidents do happen. I hope it works out for you

If you are within 14 days just reject and ask for a refund under the distance selling regulations (assuming you bought online/mail order/phone). If they didn't bother to inform you of your right to reject you actually have 12 months rather than 14 days. Their policies and T&Cs are irrelevant and don't override the law.

Whilst they're technically right, it does seem like they are being unnecessarily rigid.

Even easyjey changed a date for me free of charge once! And they're the originals scrooges.

If they were bought online/by mail/over the phone, the 14 day cooling off period is automatic and nothing the company says can override it.

Distance selling regs apply equally to goods and services: https://www.gov.uk/online-and-distance-selling-for-businesses

Pity you don't actually know the law

I think it's bad form of them. Yes their T&C say non refundable but you'd think they'd at least try and help you out. Hopefully you get through to someone higher up today.

If you are within 14 days just reject and ask for a refund under the distance selling regulations (assuming you bought online/mail order/phone). If they didn't bother to inform you of your right to reject you actually have 12 months rather than 14 days. Their policies and T&Cs are irrelevant and don't override the law.

This does not apply to services such as tickets for events.

Would be good… except that’s not what the law is.

I imagine this is the advice page you need?

And you'll see from my other post that one of the exceptions to these regulations is a ticketed, dated event. The OP has no legal right to a refund or exchange, she's relying on goodwill.

@ReviewingTheSituation - hence saying "shit (but honest" - rather than just "shit"

Interesting that that exception is not actually mentioned at all on the official government page describing the regulations. They mention exceptions for streaming services, transport tickets etc, but not for ticketed events such as concerts.

If you booked them online, I think you get a 7 day cooling off period, which you wouldn't have if you booked them in person at a box office.

If they are non refundable they are non refundable that would not be refundable because your reason is more important to you than others

As OP has made clear, she is not seeking a refund. It makes absolutely no difference whatsoever to the company whether they get your money for the Friday or they get the same amount of money for the Sunday.

They're just being difficult and power-hungry for the sake of it, and I certainly don't think a poor review would be out of order for this - nothing wrong with praising the event itself (assuming it's great), but criticising the bad customer service that lets it down.

But a 'shit but honest' review is still a 'shit' review, and still a shitty thing to do.

Bad reviews should be for when things are not as they should be, not for when they're not as you'd like them to be.

I have full sympathy for OP - it's annoying. But sometimes you have to own mistakes, and this is one of those times.

@caerdydd12 ah found it: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/3134/regulation/28/made

I stand corrected!

Tbh most people would read the review and just roll their eyes at them sort of reviews… that’s what I do.

That’s really lousy. I would call in and appeal to them.

You need to look at The Consumer Contracts Act section 28(h).

It's a small company yet you expect them to put themselves out changing non-refundable tickets?