Stamford Center for the Arts, Inc.

Review: I purchased 2 tickets to a Beach Boys concert for June 1, 2013. Nowhere on the ticket or at the ticketing web site did it note that the concert included a 1 1/2-hour charity auction for a local charity, and that the Beach Boys would play for less than an hour. When I complained to theater management, they said it was on their web site. I had no reason to go to their web site. I went only to the ticketing web site, which said nothing about the charity event. Had we known, we would never have gone. As I paid almost $200 for these tickets (and got exactly nothing, because I left, so fed up with the interminable charity event), I'm reporting the theater for false advertising. I did not get what I paid for. The theater was not at all interested in helping me resolve the problem.

Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Refund

I'd like the amount of $184 re-credited to my credit card.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/08/06) */

The Stamford Center for the Arts, Inc. (SCA) did include that the theatre was for a gala called [redacted] (DART) and that the concert would be preceded by a 45 minute presentation and live auction on our web site. The presentation did run longer then anticipated but the Beach Boys performed over a 90 minute concert.

DART rented the theatre from SCA, hired the artist, and placed all advertising. If the customer complained that evening to our personnel we would have been able to resolve this but a complaint after the fact is difficult to resolve because the services have already been rendered.

We make every attempt to help our patrons but the request was not received in the box office to resolve this problem. We disagree that there was any false advertising.

Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2013/08/08) */

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT ACCEPT the response from the business.)

I was not told to speak to the box office. I spoke to the stage manager the night of the concert who did not say anything about needing to talk to anyone else. Also, there was no need for me to visit the Palace's web site as the web site where I bought the tickets -- a completely DIFFERENT website -- had NO mention of the charity event and that was the only web site I needed to go to. It's interesting that they're now saying I needed to speak to the box office when this was not their answer to my credit card company when I went to get the charges reversed. They simply said it was on their website (doesn't help if I have no reason to visit the website), and now they're saying I needed to talk to the box office. I still want my refund or I am planning on writing a letter to the editor at The [redacted] (where I freelance) about the whole shameful situation and how the Palace rips people off.

Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2013/08/15) */

The Palace Theatre at Stamford Center for the Arts is a credible 501 c 3 nonprofit that has been in operation for over 30 years. We do not "Rip people off" We are the only venue of its capacity and equipment in lower Fairfield County. As to the complainants' remarks about not visiting the venue website, we sell our tickets through our website so the patron HAD to visit our website and the website DID contain information about the charity, DART. The charity, [redacted] is another fantastic organization. They rented the Palace Theatre June 1st to hold a Fund Raising concert to benefit the mission of finding a cure for Neimann Pick type C disease, the very disease that claimed 19 year old Greenwich resident [redacted] life July 12, 2013.

Let's forget for a minute that the back of the ticket clearly states "No refunds". The patron chose to leave voluntarily regardless of all attempts to indicate the nature of the event. The patron's own credit card provider declined the purchaser a charge back request. Now after the Beach Boys have left town with their fee the patron wants SCA to refund her and is threatening negative publicity if her request is not granted.

SCA does not believe that the complainant is entitled to a refund. The information was available, not reading the information does not exempt someone from its existence. However in the interest of finding an amicable resolution Stamford Center for the Arts would like to offer the unsatisfied patron a one-year $100 membership and all of the privileges associated with it. Please respond to our offer and we will issue relevant information.

Thank you.

Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2013/08/19) */

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

I'm not interested. The "information being available" is NOT the same thing as making it available on the ticket and posters (where it also did not appear). SAC has put the burden on the buyer for figuring out that this was a charity event. Also, they changed their excuse twice.

I'd like SAC to apply its $100 credit to my credit card. That's how I want to see this resolved. As I mentioned before, I'm a writer for The [redacted] and I plan to make the newspaper aware of this. This is very bad business practice and it does not make for the good reputation SAC claims that it has. Have they ever heard the expression, "Good customer service costs less than bad customer service."