If this is how customers were treated in the time of the Renaissance, we should all be grateful those days have ended!
The Georgia Renaissance Festival (GRF) is ripping people off at their ticket counter. On the first day of the festival I traveled to the event with a group of friends, but being the odd man I purchased a ticket on my own. The cashier rang me up for the full price and handed me 2 tickets. When I explained I was on my own, she explained that the second ticket could be used on any other day of the event for the rest of the season, so I kept the ticket for myself.
But when I returned a few weeks later, I was denied entry with that ticket. It was explained to me that the ticket was only valid on the day that I purchased it, and I had to purchase another ticket at full price to get in. I even spoke with someone who was supposedly the ticket sales manager... She told me the same thing. Because I had driven for an hour with a group of people, I didn't want to cause a scene, so I bought the ticket and went in with plans of contacting the festival directly.
After a detailed explanation of the scenerio in my letter, I made the following statement/request:
"In my 12 years in the retail/service industries, when a dispute arises due to an error in an explanation of a discount or purchase, the error is always reconciled in favor of the paying customer. For an organization so well established, I would expect that the personnel would be better informed of the ticket sales and restrictions so customers would be provided with correct information.
Had I known the second ticket was only valid for that day, I would not have purchased it. And if the tickets were on a buy one get one free sale (and not on sale for half price as was explained to me) then I would have split the cost with someone else.in this incident the cashier's misinformation caused me to be overcharged by $7.98 (half price of a single ticket) for my entry to the festival and I would appreciate a refund of that overpayment."
The festival responded by denying my request, stating that the tickets were "buy 1, get 1 free" and that information was posted at the booth. Myself and two other members of my party, all going to seperate windows to make our ticket purchases, made the same "mistake" I did, so I guess the signs weren't as clearly posted as they stated. They also explained that "it is also illegal to solicit tickets on the festival grounds." Apparently, had I attempted to recuperate the monies they scammed me out of that day, I would have been arrested.
Although the GRF never acknowledged to myself that there was any error made, when my friend returned with her useless ticket, it was politely explained that there was an error in the beginning of the season and that she would have to purchase another ticket at full price.
What a great scam! Sell tickets buy one get one free, and then not accept the second ticket! Because all those families who just drove an hour to get there, really have a choice about buying a new ticket!!!
The festival will soon be over for the season, but it will be returning in the fall. I will not attend, and I hope all who hear about this scam will do the same.
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