What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 29 July 2013

Welcome to another week and whilst we wanted to share some exciting news about a new home for Cloud 9, it seems that last weeks freak weather may have delayed our enthusiasm. For some time now we have been on the hunt for new offices for the Cloud 9 team, and finally last Monday we found the perfect spot, not a million miles from where we currently reside.

As half the team headed off to Thetford for the Fresh Awards Judging, and sat in the sunshine, the landlords at our new offices had some bad news for us on Wednesday following Tuesdays torrential downpour.

Carpets and fittings have all been ruined and Severn Trent are having to investigate the drains and damage....

A month's rain fell with 56mm recorded in 3 hours and whilst in our immediate vicinity, the worst of it seemed to hit a local pub, and caused a few road closures, we were considerably luckier than residents in the rest of the city and especially Southwell.

We're a bit too busy to worry about moving immediately anyway and in comparison to lots of others, its no big deal but it does go to show just how much us Brits can be affected by the weather no matter the occasion.

Some of the major festivals from 2012 had some pretty devastating decisions to make last year following our soggy summer and for this year at least, up until now, all of us have pretty much been enjoying one of the best summers for many years so hopefully we will not see another series of cancellations despite the odd shower (or downpour!).

But just what are your rights if an event you are planning to attend gets cancelled?

 

If the organisers cancel the event, you are entitled to a full refund of the face value of the ticket, and usually the booking fee. The face value is the cost of the ticket as printed on it, without extras on top such as postage, administration and booking fees.
You are entitled to this refund because the organisers failed to provide what they sold you, and have broken their contract with you.This will often be done automatically , although some will explain the way to claim on their websites or through emails. 

All events have a risk associated with them and we know from past experience that sometimes you have to just go for it, and hope it delivers!

Check whether your ticket seller is a member of the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR). If they are, they should follow a code of practice which says they must refund all fees, when an event is cancelled. Not always applicable in our industry when its a corporate event but we luckily have not been faced with any consumer orientated cancellations!

Sometimes the small print on your ticket, or wording on the website about the ticket sale, is unfair. For example, if it says you're not entitled to a refund if the event is cancelled by the organisers, this is likely to be unfair. In this case, you should complain to your ticket seller. If you have difficulty getting a refund for the event, you can contact the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR) if your ticket seller is a member.

The organisers have changed the date:If an event is changed to another date, your tickets should be valid. If you can't make the new date, then you're entitled to a full refund.

If you bought from a secondary ticket seller: If you bought from a secondary ticket seller you may not have the same chance of getting a refund. Secondary ticket sellers look for tickets and sell them on, often for much more than the cost printed on the ticket. Event promoters may only refund if you bought a ticket from one of their authorised agents or directly from the venue. You can find out more about secondary ticket sellers from the Association of Secondary Ticket Agents (ASTA).

We're members of IATA which has even tougher rules so you can be safe with Cloud 9! 

Refund of other costs such as travel and accommodation: If the event is cancelled or changed, the event organisers do not have to give you a refund for any travel or accommodation costs you have, unless you bought the tickets as part of a holiday travel package.

Getting a refund if you paid by card:If you paid by credit card and the ticket cost more than £100, contact your credit card company as you may be able to get your money back through them. They are likely to be ‘equally liable’ with the ticket seller to refund money, when the ticket seller has broken their contract with you. 

So there you are, our bit for consumer rights this year!

Have a great week, remember that The Fresh Awards nominations go live on Friday, and stay dry!

Enjoy...