What is your policy on giving refunds or exchanges for an advance ticket - specifically when the show has sold out.

Any other thoughts or suggestions concerning advance ticket sales are appreciated.

Generally advance tickets are not refundable unless I can sell the ticket again. My boxoffice people are instructed to say that when they sell them. I olny really press the issue with them when we are doing lots of advance sales a week or so out like with a Harry Potter movie. However, each circumstance is different and goodwill can go a long way sometimes.

Scenario: This weekend we sold advance tickets for Diary... all shows sold out. We had people coming up later wanting to get a refund or exchange for another show for various reasons. We turned alot of people away for these shows because it was sold out and would lose money if we gave them refunds. If we do refund and try to resell those tickets, we have a riot because so many other people were told we were sold out.

And what if they miss the show and come back after the show has started and want a refund or exchange. I am thinking a movie ticket is like a concert ticket - it's yours once you buy it (unless that particular show was unable to show). Once you buy the ticket, it's your responsibility to either attend or sell it.

It is a rarity that I sell advance tickets but these issues come up each time. Thanks for your input, Dave.

Jason, RTS prints the following on each of my tickets.
***** Cinemas reserves the right to remove from the premises any patron who in anyway is causing a disturbance or disrupting the enjoyment of the movie for other patrons. N0 refund(s) will be given.
Ticket ONLY valid for date & showtime shown. No Refunds or Exchanges can be given if performance is missed.

We do bend the rule once in a while based on each circumstance.

I also have this posted at the box office, and the last part is told verbally to anyone buying an advance ticket. I've had very few problems, but as we have discussed in the past, I don't have the same clientele as you.

Brad: What printer/ticket are you using? I can't possibly get that much info on my ticket stock.

I wish National Ticket would do customized messages like that instead of the one they have. I'm sure they would do it for a substantial fee.

quote:

No Refunds or Exchanges can be given if performance is missed.

What if the particular show has not started yet so they haven't missed it? And what if it has sold out? Refund? Exchange? Resell?

Samsung thermal printer. Use's regular old receipt paper. I'm cheap.

Well, that's when the rules get bent, Sell outs, and they are unhappy with seating, I will exchange for the next showing and tell them to get their sorry a.. oh wait, that they should arrive 30 minutes early AT LEAST if they want good seats. Then yes I resell the ticket.

Problem I have is if I refund and resell, I have already told 100 people that there are no tickets available. Someone surely finds out or witnesses it and arguments and accusations come flying. Each situation is different - that's why I am trying to find a happy medium and stick by it.

Thats a tough situation. Sounds like you don't have a lot of choice but to refund the ticket and leave it at that. No reselling. I rarely have the problem of refunds on advance tickets.

I agree No refunds on advanced tickets should be posted. I know the chain around here has that printed on the back of their ticket stock. I just use a sign. One at the box office and one at the ticket taking box so the usher can point out rules if they need to and say this is posted outside before you bought your ticket.

Tell tehm no refund and then if you must refund for some good will. Illness etc. not we were running late because of the sitter. sorry too many people got turned away becuase you had tickets. But reselling it at that opoint might be a bad idea. Poeple understand sold out but if someone gets in behind them you may loose more than one customer.

I too am curious how you get all that on a reciptprinter ticket. Is each ticket 3 inches long?

Nope, 3 1/2 inches to be exact.

I also have couple of lines of advertising as well.

I put all of the disclaimer info on there after having a run in with a very, very smelly patron that had to be asked to leave. Info was added at the advice of a lawyer.

I use the Boca printer with the concert type tickets. I love the tickets but they leave limited space for that kind of info. Again, it would be nice if National Ticket would change the disclaimer on the back to include what Looney said.

Thanks for the information.

We do LOTS of sold out special one time only events. Our procedure is to start a waitng list when a show sells out. Those people are told to be waiting outside at a certain time, and there names are called as tickets become available. This way, we never have a refunded ticket that doesn't get resold, and it ensures that the people who asked first are the first to recieve tickets, as opposed to some jerk who happens to 'drop in' off the street behind someone getting a refund, and he gets the ticket instead of the 100 people you turned away before him. It's worked well for us.

Shawn

Sounds great for certain places...sounds like a riot waiting to happen here.