Is This Telecharge Policy?

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 2/17/10 at 6:52pm

I've never had this issue before. So I am coming to NYC by myself end of April. I was going to meet a friend and catch Promises, Promises. We decided on another show to see together, so I'm now attending Promises alone. Online I see 2 seats in row D. Alone it's giving me row P! I called and they refuse to sell me one of the D seats. Is this common Telecharge practice? As idiotic as I think it is I'm fine if that's their policy, but it seems odd to let a sale go in hopes that a duo will take those seats. I suppose it makes sense but my question is simply if that's common practice for them.

Actually for the whole week I'm there it's giving me row O and P as best available but I can find many pair options that are significantly closer. I've always benefited by being a single at the theatre every time I've chosen to do so. It's gotten me fabulous seats to popular events that wouldn't have been available if I weren't solo. It kind of feels like I'm being punished for being a single (I don't mean that to sound as dramatic as it likely does).

Updated On: 2/17/10 at 06:52 PM

[Eris0303]

Posted: 2/17/10 at 7:00pm

I've heard of that happening. Two seats in the front and further back. I don't get it. Does it upset the cast to see a person sitting alone?

[theatreguy]

Posted: 2/17/10 at 7:00pm

That's a pretty standard policy for most theaters. If there are only two seats left in a row, they usually won't split them up since a single seat is generally harder to sell than a pair.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 2/17/10 at 7:04pm

I think I'm more in disbelief that the closest regular priced single seat that whole week, long before the show opens, is that far back. I'd imagine they're holding seats and more will turn up. I can buy a premium seat in row C solo though!

[theatreguy]

Posted: 2/17/10 at 7:08pm

Yes, I'm sure most of the better seats are being held back as premiums and house seats.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 2/17/10 at 7:11pm

Well if they hold them back too long this is going to be one promise that'll be broken!

[Patash]

Posted: 2/17/10 at 10:53pm

Are you talking about full price tickets or tickets with a discount code? I'm finding more and more in some theatres the codes are not for best available, but limited to specific rows (usually further back). This was particularly true of A View From the Bridge, when the discount codes only were good for last four rows of mezzanine and last two rows of orchestra, even when they still had good seats available otherwise.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/17/10 at 11:09pm

This particular show doesn't have discounts, yet.

I believe it is within the THEATER's rights to sell the remaining two in a row as a pair. Hell, some of the theaters will only sell the AISLE seats in a pair and you have to pay extra.

I often go to the theater and I will say I've MORE often had the opposite be true...that I've been able to get a single seat MUCH closer than if I was looking for a pair. ESPECIALLY directly from the box office.

[Luv2goToShows]

Posted: 2/18/10 at 9:42am

Try calling Telecharge, maybe the Rep can book you a closer seat, they probably have more flexibility in picking the seats.

[tamra2]

Posted: 2/18/10 at 10:39am

usually only the box office can "break up a pair" of tickets

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 2/18/10 at 12:07pm

I never understood the deal with breaking up a pair of tickets. I mean LOTS of people go to the theatre alone. Most of the time I do, as well as a lot of tourists, business people, etc. Whenever I go alone I am usually seated next to another fellow traveler/theatre lover and we have the nicest conversations. It really stinks that they hold back pairs of tickets.

[THDavis]

Posted: 2/18/10 at 12:13pm

Yes I've seen it done that way before. From a business perspective, it does make more sense to not sell one of two seats left in a row, but I know that it sucks when you're the one wanting that one ticket.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/18/10 at 1:42pm

The biggest problem with this is when websites show you available seats from which to choose. If you are requesting one ticket and pairs come up as available on the website, there should be no reason why you should not be allowed to purchase what is blatantly offered to you. Either they need to restrict isolated pairs from showing up when a single ticket is requested or they should sell to you what is displayed as available.

I know from my ten years working in box office and ticketing in Houston on the Ticketmaster system, we would try to avoid splitting up pairs, but when directly asked if something better was available, legally we had to disclose ANY seat that was available for purchase (not on hold by the production company). The software would automatically search for any odd number of open seats when a command was given to search for a single ticket, but you could bypass that by pulling up a map of open seats and hard-coding a specific seat to purchase. Otherwise, it could be constituted as fraud and both the ticketing company and the production company could be faced with a class-action suit if the general public got wind of the practice.

I don't know what the laws are in NY, but by displaying all open seats and then not allowing someone to purchase one seat that is part of a pair is just opening the door for massive customer complaints. All of which will probably be ignored.

Updated On: 2/18/10 at 01:42 PM

[THDavis]

Posted: 2/18/10 at 4:40pm

Calling that fraudulent really surprises me actually. A policy to not sell a single ticket of a pair seems like it should be decided by the producers, not the state.

[Baylink]

Posted: 2/20/10 at 10:21am

In retail sales, in general, you can have any sales policy you like, as long as a) you disclose it and b) it doesn't discriminate against people in a federally protected minority. (Note: that was *not* an invitation to fork the thread into a political rant