Single people can't get good If/Then seats?!

[oasisjeff]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 1:11am

This is a new one for me... I found an If/Then with a good aisle seat. There are two seats there, and I only need to buy one.

But when I try to purchase it, Ticketmaster says I can't since you're not allowed to leave single seats?!

If I then try to click "Buy Tickets" to continue, I get: "Uh-oh!
You’ve left one seat stranded at the end of a row or stuck between selected seats. Please leave at least two empty seats together."

So, I can buy both or none? And if I go best available, it refuses to give me that one.

And before anyone asks, I can't buy the non-aisle seat on its own either.

Anyone ever encounter this before? Jeez, I'm not happy I'm going alone either, Ticketmaster...

[Eris0303]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 1:18am

That's ridiculous. As someone who usually goes alone that would annoy me so much.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 1:51am

Seriously, you should complain to the Better Business Bureau and any other similar government agency. It is discrimination plain and simple.

[jbm2]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 1:57am

Never heard of this happening in a broadway house. I do know many local and regional theaters do this...

[loliveve]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 2:40am

Sometimes there is a "cheat" around this that works... if you have a smart phone or another computer, go to Ticketmaster on one and pick the seat you don't want. Then, on the other computer, select the one ticket you want and complete the purchase. After you have the purchase completed, just "release" the other seat from your phone or the computer you started on.

Sorry if that's clear as mud.

[bobs3]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 3:07am

If it is convenient for you, go to the box office at the theater. The staff will usually try to accommodate your seat request and you won't have to pay those ridiculous Ticketmaster/Telecharge fees.

Updated On: 3/1/14 at 03:07 AM

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 3:38am

Ticketmaster does this quite often for sporting events as well. The obvious reason is that it is much harder for them to sell and there is much less demand for the remaining single ticket than a pair of tickets. It's annoying but there is nothing illegal about it. They don't know your marital status and people who want to only purchase one ticket instead of 2 to a Broadway show legally speaking is not a "protected class". I would agree that the best advice is to visit the box office in person if possible.

[ModernMillie3]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 4:00am

How bizarre. A week ago, I bought a single ticket to the first preview of If/Then with no problems. There were several seats around it too. Maybe it was an error on their website? If not, that's f*cked up.

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 4:59am

^ If I'm not mistaken, you can buy single tickets with no problem as long as you are not leaving a single seat left in that row. So if there were several seats around the one you wanted to buy that would be left after your purchase, that wouldn't be a problem. It's only when there is a single pair left and you only want to buy one of them.

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 7:36am

Wow, I've never heard of that! I go to theatre alone all the time and the day I encounter that will not be a very good day for that theatre! It;s understandable, but I do not like it one bit!

[ArtMan]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 7:48am

This is nothing new. Happens with concert also. What Fisherman Bob has stated is correct. Another alternative Jeff, is to contact Ticketmaster and buy the seat with a live rep. It is their computer system that is not allowing you to purchase. Through a live rep, they probably will be able to allow you to purchase.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 8:03am

I work in a box office that sells tickets off of Ticketmaster's software system. Online, it will not allow you to purchase any amount of tickets that will leave a single seat. Whether you are buying one seat from a set of 2 or five from a set off six, the interactive seat map will not allow it. The reason is that it is much harder to sell single seats. However, like others have said, if you go to the box office, ticket sales reps have the ability to leave singles without any problems, and they should always do it if you specifically ask for those seats. They won't offer a seating assignment that would leave a single, but if you ask they should accommodate you.

[Keiichi2]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 8:33am

Long time lurker, first time poster.

The exact same thing happened to me when I tried to order a single ticket to this show for my upcoming June theater trip. I just called the Ticketmaster 1-800 number, and told the operator what seat I was trying to order on line, and he helped me out.

Updated On: 3/1/14 at 08:33 AM

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 11:32am

This is starting to happen all over the place, now. Not just with Ticketmaster. I recently experienced the same thing when trying to purchase a ticket to a touring production at PlayhouseSquare in Cleveland... they use their own computer ticketing system.

There were 2 seats left next to each other in the front row, and I couldn't leave a single seat when trying to purchase online. What irritated me even more was the box office employee who kept trying to convince me it couldn't be sold that way, period. "We have multiple seats available in row E... which one would you like?"

I had to keep insisting before they would get a supervisor to override the computer system and sell me the front row seat. I very firmly said "I shouldn't be limited on my seating choice simply because I'm attending the show alone. Does PlayhouseSquare want to make a $75 dollar sale, or not?"

Then they tried to give me some nonsense that it would be a "one-time only courtesy" to override the system and sell me the seat on its own. I informed them that if that was the case, perhaps I should only consider attending an event at PlayhouseSquare "one time" and choose to go elsewhere in the future.

I understand the marketing and sales side of it, but it's really not fair to limit patrons attending on their own. If a seat is available, it should be available to anyone who wants to purchase it. More people should be vocal about this.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 11:49am

The bottom line is - it is all about the Benjamins

If single people are inconvienced in the process they are considered collateral damage.

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 1:24pm

"The bottom line is - it is all about the Benjamins"

Yes, it's a business. That's why it's called show BUSINESS and despite your overly dramatic comments, there's nothing wrong with that.

Careful with your comments Roxy, your right wing friends may think you're advocating socialism and slap you with a RINO tag.

[JoseLee_]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 1:43pm

this has nothing to do with If/Then; ticketmaster never lets you buy one seat when there's two. I almost always go to the theatre by myself (no one likes theatre; friends/family)so I usually buy the ticket at the theatre's box office. You won't have to pay for the extra fees either.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 2:25pm

I encountered a similar issue with MCC last year trying to purchase a $30 Under 30 ticket to reasons to be happy. With that discount you are only allowed to purchase a single ticket and the performance I wanted to attend only had pairs available. Of course, the ticketing system didn't allow pairs to be broken up, so the end result was an amazing catch-22 of ticket buying.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 2:26pm

POTENTIAL business. Yes, there’s a chance those seats will sell as a pair- but there’s also a chance they won’t. However, if they all single seats to be purchased on the end of a row, then they double their chances of making money.

[oasisjeff]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 2:45pm

Well, the great seat I wanted was gone by the time I was able to purchase it, thanks to another Ticketmaster technology: I called right at 9 a.m. to try and buy the single seat, but since I kept my San Francisco mobile number, it wouldn't put me through until 9 a.m. California time, at which point the seats were long gone... oh well...

So, I have to buy three and scalp two to go to Ticketmaster shows alone now?

[TheatreKid3]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 2:48pm

MORMON also does this with Telecharge - has for a while. They may not anymore. It has been a while since I last checked.

[oasisjeff]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 2:59pm

FYI: They just opened up the front row orchestra CC for all If/Then shows (at least for the first week). Not premium, but the code doesn't work either. I just bit the bullet and got front row center aisle, before there were only two left and history repeated.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 3:22pm

This policy is not just for theater tickets. If you've ever tried to book a vacation tour, you'll notice that single people have to pay a "single supplement." Hotels do this all the time. Single people have to pay extra because hotels could "potentially" have two people sleeping in that room.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 3:32pm

Thread jacking, but what the hell. And when I pay that single supplement, I am really paying for two people. There have been times where my hotel room was the size of a closet and I tell the tour manager, I'm paying for two, I want the double room. They change it everytime.

[FireFingers]

Posted: 3/1/14 at 3:45pm

Not being able to leave a single (or sometimes 3) seats in a row has existed for a fair while in London.