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Website is launching the first West End ticket resale service
Louise Jury, Chief Arts Correspondent15.12.08
THEATRE-GOERS are being offered the first ticket resale service for West End shows.
The whatsonstage.com website will tomorrow launch a ticket exchange with tight controls. It will offer a legitimate place for people to re-sell tickets for a date that they can no longer make. The site will be monitored for any evidence it is being used by touts. To stop profiteering out of subsidised venues, such as the National Theatre or Royal Court, there will be a cap of a maximum 25 per cent above the face value.
The site will point out that many venues have a refund/exchange policy of their own. It will offer customers the chance to donate a portion of the sale directly back to the relevant theatre company.
There will be no cap on the re-sale price for commercial shows.
Terri Paddock, editorial director of Whatsonstage.com. said: "Theatre can be expensive, especially when you pay out for tickets that, for whatever reason, you're no longer able to use. Across West End theatres and sales outlets, there's no consistent policy on refunds and exchanges. Now there is a real alternative to just writing off the loss."
Every transaction is guaranteed for both buyer and seller under the system which builds on an informal forum that has operated on the whatsonstage website for two years. The technology is being provided by viagogo which already offers a secondary market for tickets for pop concerts and sporting events.
Eric Baker, chief executive officer of viagogo, said: "Theatregoers can buy and sell tickets to all the leading productions in a 100 per cent safe and secure environment."
Reader views (2)
About time too. We had tickets for Mama Mia to celebrate my mother in laws 80th Birthday. 6 tickets cost £280 plus but before we could go she had an accident and broke 5 vertebrae in her back one month before the date.We contacted the Theatre and were told by the box office manager that they would not take the tickets back even though they were for a Saturday night show in July for a sell out show. They said if we returned them they would try and sell them and give me back what they received less 10%. I returned them by registered post and awaited a cheque. When I finally contacted them they said they had not been able to sell them and basically "tough luck " .I did wonder if they gave the tickets to their mates to see the show for nothing and just fobbed me off with an excuse. I felt that I was robbed and complained to Cameron Macintosh who did give us the chance to see the show ON a midweek (Tuesday or Wednesday night or afternoon performance). But this is not the point- there was no opportunity for us to get our money back for a show we could not attend. A rip off.
- Michael, London
If they were really interested in providing a service no mark-up should be allowed. Why not sell at face value plus a small amount for administration and/or charity, similar to that operated by the Leicester Square ticket booth.
- Patrick Griffin, Dalston, London
