714Tickets

Review: I ordered two tickets from 714 Tickets on 10/12/2013 for a 1/24/2014 performance of The Book of Mormon at the Pantages theater. What I paid for were two tickets with a retail value of $193 each, with an already inflated service charge of $108.08. What was actually delivered to me via FedEx on 10/29/2013 were two tickets with a retail value of $92 each, and an outrageous service charge of $310.08, along with an invoice showing the purchased tickets with the higher retail value.When I called to complain, I was told that all sales were final and that I could not return the tickets. I disputed the charge with Bank of America, who were also unable to persuade the vendor to accept a return of the tickets.Obviously, I did not receive the merchandise I paid for.Desired Settlement: I want to return these tickets to 714 for a full refund, and I would like a record of a negative report to appear on your site.

Business

Response:

Hello [redacted],

On October 11, 2013 we received an online order for the Book of Mormon show on 1/24/14 for [redacted]. He placed his order on a third party marketplace website – a website that clearly states that the tickets are being sold on the secondary market, that the prices charged on the website may be higher or lower than the printed price on the ticket, and that all sales are final, there are no refunds or exchanges. These policies are very clearly stated, and the customer must click that they have read and understood the policies before being able to place an order.

On December 1st, I received this email from Mr. [redacted]:

“I ordered two tickets for a 1/24/2014 performance of The Book of Mormon at the Pantages Theater on 10/12/2013. What I paid for were tickets with a retail value of $193 each, and an already inflated service charge of 108.08. What was actually delivered to me on 10/29 were two tickets with a retail value of $92 each, with a usurious service charge of over $300, along with an invoice showing the higher retail value.

Clearly, I did not get what I paid for, and I have no intention of keeping the tickets. When I spoke with one of your operators over the phone, I was told that all sales were final and that I would not be able to return the tickets. I disputed the charge with Bank of America, who were also unable to facilitate a return.

I filed a complaint with the Revdex.com today. My next complaint will be with the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, and I will continue to file whatever complaints are available to me, through any and all government agencies until you have taken these tickets back and issued a full refund of $509.08 to my Bank of America Visa.

Please contact me immediately to facilitate a refund and pickup of your merchandise.

Best regards,

[redacted] J. [redacted]”

On December 4th, I replied to him with this email:

“Hello [redacted],

I received the email that you sent to [redacted] a couple of days ago and I wanted to address the situation. First of all, I want to say that I am sorry for your dissatisfaction with your purchase. The tickets you purchased were bought through a third party marketplace, similar to a hotels.com or Travelocity, where the website doesn’t own the inventory but makes their money from the extra fees that are charged. So the handling fees that you were charged come from official-online-tickets.net. Also, when placing an order on that website, you must agree to the Terms & Conditions of the website before you are able to submit an order. These Terms and Conditions very clearly state that you are buying tickets on the secondary market, that tickets may be sold above or below the face value printed on the tickets, and that all sales are final. Here are some of the Policies that are published on the website that you used, and which you agreed to (you can also follow this link http://official-online-tickets.net/policies.aspx to see the entirety of the Terms and Conditions):

General. Official-Online-Tickets.net ("SITE") acts as an intermediary between buyers and ticket sellers ("TICKET SELLERS") to facilitate the purchase and sale of event tickets, and as such is not directly involved in the actual ticket sale transaction between the buyers and TICKET SELLERS. All sales are final. As tickets sold through SITE are often obtained through the secondary market and prices are determined by the individual TICKET SELLER, the prices for tickets may be above or below face value. Tickets sold through SITE are from a third party; therefore, the buyer's name will not be printed on the tickets. Please note that the name on the tickets does not affect the buyer's ability to access the event.

The following are the rules ("TERMS") that govern use of the Official-Online-Tickets.net Web Site by the user of the SITE ("USER"). By using or visiting the SITE, USER expressly agrees to be bound by these TERMS and to follow these TERMS and all applicable laws and regulations governing the SITE. SITE reserves the right to change these TERMS at any time, effective immediately upon posting on the SITE. If USER violates these TERMS Official-Online-Tickets.net may terminate USER'S access to the SITE, bar USER from future use of the SITE, cancel USER'S ticket order, and/or take appropriate legal action against USER.

Above Face Value. Tickets sold through SITE are often obtained through secondary market TICKET SELLERS and are being resold, in many cases, above the price or "face value" listed on the ticket. All ticket prices include additional service charges and handling fees as defined on each order. SITE and TICKET SELLERS are not directly affiliated with any performer, sports team, or venue; and SITE does not act as a primary sale box office, unless otherwise stated. By agreeing to these TERMS, USER agrees that the purchase price for tickets on USER'S order does not reflect the original purchase price of the ticket and may be either higher or lower than the original purchase price.

All sales are final. Since tickets are a one-of-a-kind item and not replaceable, there are no refunds, exchanges, or cancellations. If an event is postponed or rescheduled, tickets will be honored for the rescheduled date. New tickets will not need to be issued. If an event is cancelled without a rescheduled date, USER will need to contact FULFILLER for a refund. FULFILLER may require USER to return the supplied tickets at USER'S expense before receiving any refund USER is entitled to due to cancellation. SITE is not responsible for providing or securing this refund for USER. Any shipping and handling charges are not refundable. Refunds will be processed in the same currency as the original order. Conversion charges, including though not exhaustive of the ones issued by USER'S bank, if any, are not covered by SITE or FULFILLER. Neither SITE nor FULFILLER will issue exchanges or refunds after a purchase has been made or for lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed tickets. When USER receives tickets, USER should keep them in a safe place. Please note that direct sunlight or heat may damage tickets.

Schedule of Fees and Charges. The price charged to USER'S credit card beyond the price of the individual tickets may include the following fees and charges:

Service Fee: Cost per ticket associated with SITE operation, customer service center operation, and other costs associated with the fulfillment of USER'S ticket request.

Delivery: Costs associated with the Delivery Method chosen by USER and the SITE'S arrangement of USER'S ticket delivery by FULFILLER.

The total price stated is the entire amount charged to USER, including each ticket's price as set by FULFILLER, Service Fee, and Delivery.

Moving forward, while you cannot return your tickets and I cannot give you a refund on your order, I would like to offer to take your tickets back on a try-to-sell basis. This means that 714 Tickets will take your tickets on consignment and try to sell them for you as a method of recouping your money. This does not guarantee that your tickets will sell for the full amount that you paid for them nor does it guarantee a refund. But 714 Tickets will try to sell them for you, in an effort to help you recoup what you paid, and if they sell 714 Tickets will send you a check in the mail.

I truly believe that this is a fair compromise, since there does need to be some responsibility taken on your part since the Terms and Conditions were clearly laid out for you. While I know that this may not be the answer you were looking for, I want to assure you that we have a very high success rate in selling tickets on our consignment program. Should you choose to list your tickets on consignment with us, I think you will be pleased with the results.

I appreciate your time and understanding. If you have any other questions or concerns, please let me know.

Sincerely,

[redacted]”

I never received a response from Mr. [redacted] regarding my compromise of re-selling his tickets for him. He was made fully aware of what he was purchasing, the prices and fees he was being charged, and that all sales are final. He received the merchandise for which he placed his order. If he did not read the website’s policies, or did not understand what he was purchasing, we cannot be held responsible for that and it does not entitle him to a refund.

Thank you very much and please let me know if I can do anything further.

Sincerely,

Senior Administrator

714tickets.com

P: ###-###-#### Ext. 107

F: ###-###-####

E: [redacted]@714tickets.com