Fandango Customer Service

[KSUowls]

I'll start off with the tl'dr version.
I doubt anyone will stop using Fandango from this, but when ordering multiple tickets at a time I encourage you all to make separate and individual transactions for each to avoid issues like below.

Backstory.
A week ago I made a bulk purchase of 4 tickets to see Captain America on 5/5 with reserved seating. My cousin texts me yesterday to tell me he's sick and can't make it. I couldn't find anyone else to take the ticket instead so I went to get a refund on his ticket.

I contacted Fandango's customer service department because the only option I found was to cancel the entire order, which obviously I didn't want to. I still wanted 3 of the tickets, I had reserved seating that I wanted to keep, and there was a $1.50 convenience fee I paid on each ticket at purchase ($6) that is non-refundable (I understand losing the $1.50 on the one ticket I wanted to cancel). The agent told me that their system did not allow for partial refunds. I could only cancel the entire order (4 separate non-refundable charges of $1.50 for each ticket) and then re-purchase the 3 I wanted to keep (another $1.50 convenience fee for each ticket, $4.50). I found this unacceptable and after a period of what felt like pulling teeth I finally got them to escalate the issue.
*Full disclosure: I will note that I was informed of the option to receive a "fandango credit" where for the full amount including fees. Doing so would void my reserved seats so there was still a change (albeit small) that I could lose the premium seats I had selected for a major movie premiere, and at some point the principle of the matter has to come into play.

I followed up with their customer service today, and was told that my claim was denied. The agent today re-iterated the company policy and eventually hung up on me. Admittedly I was very pissed off, but I only used one profane word at the beginning and never made any disparaging remark towards him personally.

So basically Fandango's logic is.
-Our system is smart enough to charge a convenience fee on every individual ticket you order in a transaction, even if it's multiple in a single transaction. But the system doesn't do a partial refund, and we can't go against company policy to refund the entire amount to your credit card.
-To get a refund on 1 ticket in a 4 ticket purchase forces you have to lose the convenience fee's on all 4...then if you still want to do business with Fandango on the remaining 3 they are going to re-charge the convenience fee for those tickets for a grand total of 7 fee's to cancel 1 ticket...oh and someone could theoretically swipe up the seats you originally selected while you are doing all of this maneuvering.
-Fandango would rather consumers buy multiple tickets individually in separate transactions, which of course causes them to incur a cc fee on each transaction #logic
-Fandango "Company Policy" is the holy grail, and can not be altered in any way even when it makes financial sense for them to do so.

[mgoblue]

I'd go see Captain America even if I was sick...sounds like you need a cousin who plays hurt.

[IndianBird]

Why not order three seats first to confirm you could get three, then have them cancel the entire first order?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mgoblue]

Quote: Originally Posted by IndianBird

Why not order three seats first to confirm you could get three, then have them cancel the entire first order? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

He doesn't want to pay the fee twice

[IndianBird]

Quote: Originally Posted by mgoblue

He doesn't want to pay the fee twice

I don't see a way around it.

Unless you don't purchase through Fandango and you wait in line at the theater. Not doing that would be worth the convenience fee again.

Moral is they have some system limitations that need to be corrected. And probably some CSR training protocol to work ok.

Of course, I've hung up on people who used profanity on the phone too, so maybe I can see some fault on the OP's end too.

[KSUowls]

As to why I wouldn't pick out seats, it's reserved seating for Captain America on opening night and the theater is full except for right in front of the screen. And in either case I still am forced to pay a fee twice.

I started off with a single profane word, I said, "That's BS", when the agent told me why my claim was denied ("it's policy" and we went on from there for several minutes where I explained the completely asinine logic he was giving me and that there had to be someone with the authority to override policy on a case by case basis.

Yeah moral of the story is that their systems lack any sense, and their customer service team can't use logic. One agent I spoke with didn't understand why I was upset with the prospect of refunding the entire order and then re-purchasing them....This is partially to vent, but also to just let people be aware that in order to avoid a similar situation with Fandango if you plan on buying a group of tickets then you need to purchase them as separate transactions. That way if someone bails you can just cancel that one ticket and not have the entire order screwed up.

[kehlis]

Probably some gaps here in their system but I wouldn't go as far as to say they're terrible.

I feel bad that your cousin is sick but the ultimate problem falls on buying 4 tickets and not being able to use all of them. That really isn't their fault.


I mean, if I buy four tickets to a Pirates game and the day of the game someone tells me that they can't go that's on them. Not me or the Pirates.

[KSUowls]

Quote: Originally Posted by kehlis

Probably some gaps here in their system but I wouldn't go as far as to say they're terrible. I feel bad that your cousin is sick but the ultimate problem falls on buying 4 tickets and not being able to use all of them. That really isn't their fault. I mean, if I buy four tickets to a Pirates game and the day of the game someone tells me that they can't go that's on them. Not me or the Pirates.

I would call it horrendous customer service simply because it lacked logic from just a common sense approach, and it doesn't make financial sense for the company. The potential outcomes were
-I cancel my order completely so they keep $6 in fees on a $70 order, and leave a current/potential future customer very unhappy.
-I continue doing business with fandango in some firm but now I will make all ticket purchases individualy increasing their fees from the cc company.

I thought you could get a refund at a sporting event if you cancel the order prior? The Braves use ticketmaster which does have a return policy. But if you can't, then the fact that one instance isn't consumer friendly doesn't make it a good excuse for all businesses to have the same behavior.

Will I use fandango again? Maybe as they are the only option for advanced movie ticket sales. However, now i know that as a consumer I need to buy all tickets in individual transactions. Slightly less convenient, and more expensive for the business. It's the only one to protect myself from their policy though