Is it possible to legally return theater tickets?

The rights of the buyer of theater services include the opportunity to return theater tickets 3 working days before the start of the performance. The timing may be different, but no more than 14 days before the actual purchased service.

Expert opinion

Alice

Lawyer, Moscow

Ask a lawyer

Few ordinary citizens know about this. According to the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights (ZoPP) No. 2300-1 of 02/07/92 (as amended on 06/06/18), tickets purchased in advance at the Bolshoi Theater (or another) are returned within 2 weeks. The day of purchase does not count.

During the presentation or after its completion, the offer agreement coupons are not returned. The same applies to the situation when they want to return a ticket after the start of the session. It is generally accepted that once a service has already begun to be provided, it is no longer possible to refuse it at that time.

How to return an e-ticket?

A theater ticket is a coupon, a completed strict reporting form, confirming the viewer’s participation in a public offer agreement, which the theater administration has the right to conclude in this way. This document allows you to make a refund and buy a new ticket if necessary.

The electronic format of a ticket to an adult or children's (puppet) theater differs from a paper form only in the place and method of purchase - Internet sites. For example, one of the most popular portals in Moscow: www.ticketland.ru. The coupon is not provided on paper. It is issued in the form of an electronic copy. You can print this file yourself and present it at the checkpoint.

To change tickets of this type, you will need to study in detail the instructions for the procedure, which are always posted on the sites where they are sold. The package of documents is submitted exactly the same as in the case of a refund in real mode, no matter the Bolshoi Theater or any other theater will return the amount to you. The main thing to consider here is that you will have to pay an additional service fee. And such commissions on sites are usually quite large - minus 10% of the price.

Expert opinion

Alice

Lawyer, Moscow

Ask a lawyer

Important! Most often, a large number of ways to receive money are not provided. You can either receive it on your card account, or you will have to go to the theater box office to receive cash. The funds will be returned to the account of the exact card from which the payment was made. If you need the receipts to be made to another bank account, then this should be indicated in the application form.

How to return tickets purchased at the box office?

One spectator asks: “If I bought tickets at the theater box office for February 15, but I can’t go to the performance, where should I start to return the purchase and get my money back?”

Legal experts respond by proposing to follow the standard algorithm of actions:

1. First contact the cash desk of the same institution where the purchase was made.
2. Provide the necessary documents.
3. Write an application and attach the required documents you brought with you.
4. Give the cashier time to recalculate. If, for example, you had ordered a 2-tier balcony, then refusing it may cost more than renting another seat. A penalty for demurrage may be collected from the buyer on the basis of law.
5. Wait for 30 days. In practice, most often money is issued immediately at the cash desk, if it is available there.
6. Receive back the amount previously paid.

The entire package of documents to easily return your ticket before the start of the performance:

Note! If the same woman from the example wants to go to another performance, she can purchase a pass for December 23 or another suitable date. But to do this, you will probably have to pay extra if the opera or performance costs more. The additional payment may also include a seat reservation service.

Step-by-step return instructions

How to return a theater ticket purchased through the box office? This procedure is carried out in several stages. Let's look at each of them.

Preparation of documents

To return your ticket to the box office you need to have:

1. Passport or any other document proving the identity of a citizen of the Russian Federation.
2. Ticket (original).
3. A check or receipt for strict reporting.
4. Return Application. Written in free form in 2 copies: one is given to the theater representative, the second remains with the applicant. Contains the following information:
   Addressee details – full name and position of the theater director;
5. Applicant details – full name and passport details;
6. A request to return money for an unused ticket (it is not necessary to indicate the reason for the return);
7. Ticket details (series and number);
8. Payment amount;
9. Contact telephone number or address for contacting the applicant (for example, Mossovet Theater, Moscow, Bolshaya Sadovaya St., 16);
10. Personal signature with transcript;
11. Date of application.

Tickets must be original. If there is corrected, corrected or sealed information, they are considered invalid and cannot be accepted for return.

Submitting an application

Having collected all the necessary documents, the consumer must contact the box office of the theater where he bought the ticket (for example, the box office of the Sovremennik Theater).

In this case, you should definitely register the application, asking the receiving employee to sign it and indicate the date of receipt. This will help you prove the fact of timely contact in the event of a controversial situation.

If you are unable to apply for a ticket refund in person, send it by registered mail with notification.

This is also important to know:
What to do if you sell an expired product: step-by-step instructions

It is better to do this in advance - the letter must be delivered to the addressee no later than the date of the performance. And don’t forget to make photocopies of the ticket and receipt - they will be needed for safety net.

Waiting for a decision

The theater management has from 10 to 30 days to consider an application for a ticket refund. At the end of this period, the administration is obliged to inform the applicant about its decision.

If it is positive, the consumer can count on full or partial compensation of funds.

The retention percentage ranges from 5 to 50% and depends on the period of contact with the administrator:

Free legal consultation We will answer your question in 5 minutes!

Ask a Question

Free legal consultation

We will answer your question in 5 minutes!

Ask a Question

• 2 weeks before the performance - 100% refund;
• Within 8-13 days – 70% of the original cost;
• For 4-7 days – 50% of the total price.

Refunds can be made either in cash or by bank transfer. It all depends on how exactly the payment was made.

Each theater organization sets its own rules for returning tickets. To ensure that everything is in accordance with the law, check whether the return conditions are recorded in the Charter or any other legal document of the establishment.

Otherwise, the buyer may qualify for compensation of the full cost.

Why aren't the full amount refunded?

Not the entire amount will be returned just because such a law exists. In Art. 32 of the Law of the Russian Federation clearly states that the consumer is given the right to return the offer agreement form to the box office to the seller. But at the same time, he does not receive his money back in full. Exactly the amount that was used to cover expenses during registration will be deducted, whether via the Internet Ticketland in Moscow or in real time. This same issue is covered in the same way in another legal provision - Part 1 of Art. 782 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.

Such expenses include:

• drawing up and printing the form;
• reservation of the selected seat in the hall;
• part of the premises rental.

If it is possible to purchase a ticket for another date, then the amount will be refunded in the appropriate amount for previous tickets. And only after that they make a new purchase.

Two additional payment options:

1. In the case when the same tickets are purchased, only for a different date, you will need to pay an additional amount exactly the same amount that was withdrawn to pay off the organization’s expenses.
2. If a session of another performance is purchased, more expensive (where, for example, the Historical Stage will participate), then the additional payment will consist of two parts: 1) the amount of expenses incurred by the theater when issuing the returned ticket; 2) an amount that is not enough to fully cover the cost of a new coupon.

Note! The entire amount can be returned only when it turns out that the performance has been cancelled, and the blame for this lies with the organizers or the theater administration. Therefore, if the performance is cancelled, then tickets are refunded on the same day in 100% volume. Or within 14 days to which the consumer is entitled, starting from the second day of ticket purchase.

Legitimate reasons for refusal

There are situations in which the organizers of a theatrical performance have the right to refuse a client a refund of his ticket.

Such situations include:

• No ticket when filing a complaint;
• Ticket delivery 1-2 hours before the start of the performance;
• The ticket is fake;
• The consumer requested a refund at the end of the event.

Experts recommend checking information about the conditions for returning tickets in advance. This can be done both on the official website of the organization and at the theater box office.

Such forethought will avoid problems and litigation in the future.

This is also important to know:
How to return household appliances to the store

And remember, the sooner you contact the organizer of the event (for example, the management of the Musical Comedy Theater), the higher your chances of making a positive decision on the return of money.

How many days before the performance can I return a theater ticket?

The law on the protection of consumer rights states that returning an online or offline purchase is allowed only within the first 2 weeks, which expires from the second day after purchase.

For example, if a reservation was ordered and paid for through the website www.ebilet.ru, then the procedure can be started if there are 14 days or less between the purchase and the actual start of the session.

Another, more obvious example. A ticket was purchased on December 16 with the start date of the musical performance on December 29 or 30 for the Nutcracker ballet. Then the viewer found a cheaper option to go to the same event, only in a different theater. He has the right to return the ticket for a refund of the money spent on any day before the performance begins.

But on the websites of many theater departments you can see advertisements that say that you can only return your admission ticket; you can return theater tickets only 3 or 5 days before the start of the event. This is true for the organization, which during this time will be able to make up for losses, find another buyer, so that there is no downtime in the spectator seat.

Important! Return terms must be clarified in advance. You can read about this on the theater’s website, or by calling its administration.

Ticket return policy

RULES FOR REFUNDING TICKETS FOR PERFORMANCES CANCELED FROM MARCH 19 TO JULY 25, 2020 AVAILABLE BY LINK:
For individuals
1. In the event of cancellation of an event held by the theater, the visitor, on his initiative, is reimbursed in the manner established by the theater the full cost of the ticket.

2. In case of replacement/postponement of an event held by the theater, tickets remain valid. Tickets cannot be exchanged. If an event is replaced, tickets will be accepted for return no later than the date of the replaced event. In case of postponement of the event, tickets will be accepted for return in the manner specified in clause 13 of these Rules.

3. When returning a ticket purchased from a person authorized by the theater to distribute tickets (hereinafter referred to as the theater partner), the theater does not refund the money paid by the visitor to the theater partner as payment for related services in excess of the ticket price established by the theater. The list of official partners of the theater can be found on the theater’s website in the “Where to buy tickets” section

4. The theater does not provide refunds for tickets purchased from third parties not authorized by the theater to distribute tickets.

5. Tickets sold by the theater as part of special offers that provide special conditions for purchasing tickets (including discounts) are not accepted for return. A list of special offers can be found on the theater’s website in the “Special Offers” section.

6. Entrance tickets without a seat are non-refundable.

7. Tickets, the forms and details of which do not correspond to the forms and details approved by the authorized federal executive body, tickets, the design elements of which do not correspond to the design elements established by the theater, tickets containing corrections, counterfeit tickets are invalid and do not give the right to visit entertainment events held by the theater and are not accepted for return. Sample tickets can be found on the theater website in the “Ticket Forms” section.

8. In some cases, refunds for tickets purchased from the theater’s partners are made by the theater’s partners, which the theater informs the visitor about when receiving an application for a refund.

9. A special procedure for returning tickets may be adopted by the theater in an unusual situation, which the theater informs visitors about on the official website.

10. Refunds for tickets are made only after the visitor submits a complete set of documents (clauses 14-17, 19-20 of these Rules). A set of documents received by email from 19:00 to 23:59 of the current day is dated the next day. The visitor will be notified of the decision to return the funds no later than 3 days from the date of such decision by email or telephone. The method of communication is indicated by the visitor in the return application.

11. The theater has the right to refuse a refund for tickets if a complete set of documents was not submitted within the time limits established by these Rules or contains inaccurate information. The Theater informs the visitor about the decision to refuse a refund, indicating the conditions, non-compliance with which was the basis for such refusal, no later than 5 days from the date of the decision on such refusal in one of the following ways: sends a copy of the notice of refusal to the email address, specified in the application for a refund, or notifies by phone specified in the application for a refund, or gives the visitor a written notice of refusal to return money for an unused ticket, or sends a notice of refusal by registered mail with return receipt requested to the address specified in the application about return. The method of communication is indicated by the visitor in the return application.

12. The theater makes a decision on a refund for tickets within 10 days from the moment the theater receives a complete set of documents. If a positive decision is made, the theater returns the money within 10 days from the date of such decision.

13. If a visitor refuses to attend an event held by the theater for reasons not related to the visitor’s illness or death of a person who was a member of his family or his close relative in accordance with the Family Code of the Russian Federation, the visitor will return the ticket in accordance with paragraphs. 14-17 of these Rules.

In this case, the visitor has the right from the date of provision of the full set of documents (clauses 14-17):

- no later than ten days before the day of the event, receive a refund of 100 percent of the ticket price - less than ten days, but no later than five days before the day of the event, receive a refund of 50 percent of the ticket price - less than five days, but no later than three days before the day of the event, receive 30 percent of the ticket price for a refund - less than three days before the day of the event, tickets are not accepted for refund (the ticket price is not refunded to the visitor)

For example, if the event is held on September 10, submitting a complete set of documents:

- until August 31 inclusive, receives 100% of the ticket price - from September 01 to September 5 inclusive, receives 50% of the ticket price - from September 6 to September 7 inclusive, receives 30% of the ticket price - from September 08 to September 10 ticket price not refundable

14. To return tickets purchased at the theater box office

, the visitor must submit the following set of documents to the theater box office:

- a completed application for the return of tickets purchased at the theater box office (Appendix No. 1) - original tickets - visitor's bank account details: full name of the bank, INN, KPP, BIC of the bank, bank correspondent account number, full name, current account number (in case of return tickets less than 10 days before the event) - bank card that was used to pay for the tickets (if the tickets were paid for by card) - passport

If the theater makes a positive decision on a refund, the funds are transferred to the visitor in one of the following ways:

- no later than ten days before the day of the event, a refund for tickets purchased in cash at the box office is carried out in cash at the theater box office - no later than ten days before the day of the event, a refund for tickets purchased in at the theater box office through a bank terminal, made to the bank card on which the payment was made - less than ten days before the day of the event, refunds for tickets purchased in cash or through a bank terminal at the theater box office are made to the bank account details visitor specified in the application

15. To return tickets purchased on the official website of the theater www.mikhailovsky.ru (electronic tickets)

, the visitor must send the following set of documents by email:

- a completed application for the return of tickets purchased on the theater website in the form of a scanned copy or photograph (Appendix No. 2) - details of the applicant’s bank account: full name of the bank, INN, KPP, BIC of the bank, bank correspondent account number, full name, current account number (if tickets are returned less than 10 days before the event)

If the theater makes a positive decision on a refund, the funds are transferred to the visitor in one of the following ways:

- no later than ten days before the day of the event, a refund for tickets purchased using a bank card on the official website of the theater www.mikhailovsky.ru is made to the bank card on which the payment was made - less than ten days before on the day of the event, refunds for tickets purchased using a bank card on the official website of the theater www.mikhailovsky.ru are made to the bank account details of the visitor specified in the application

16. To return tickets purchased at the box office of theater partners

, the visitor must submit the following set of documents to the theater box office:

- completed application for the return of tickets purchased from the theater's partners (Appendix No. 3) - original tickets - bank account details of the applicant: full name of the bank, INN, KPP, BIC of the bank, bank correspondent account number, full name, current account number - passport

If the theater makes a positive decision on the return, the funds are transferred to the visitor’s bank account details specified in the application.

17. To return tickets purchased on the websites of theater partners (electronic tickets)

, the visitor must send the following set of documents by email:

- a completed application for the return of tickets purchased from theater partners in the form of a scanned copy or photograph (Appendix No. 3) - copies of electronic tickets - copies of electronic cash receipts for the purchase of tickets - bank account details of the applicant: full name of the bank, INN, KPP, BIC bank, bank correspondent account number, full name, current account number - scanned copy or photo of passport

If the theater makes a positive decision on the return, the funds are transferred to the visitor’s bank account details specified in the application.

18. If a visitor refuses to attend an event held by the theater due to documented circumstances related to the visitor’s illness or death of a person who was a member of his family or his close relative in accordance with the Family Code of the Russian Federation, the visitor has the right to receive a 100 percent refund ticket prices. A set of documents (clauses 19-20 of these Rules) can be submitted to the theater box office in person or through a representative (in this case, copies of documents confirming legal representation or a duly executed power of attorney are also attached to the set of documents) or sent to the theater by email to address [email protected] (in this case, the original ticket, if it is not an electronic ticket, is provided to the theater within 14 days from the date of the event).

19. To return a ticket due to illness

the visitor must

submit the following set of documents to the theater no later than the day of the event

- a completed application for a ticket refund due to the visitor’s illness (Appendix No. 4) - visitor’s bank account details: full name of the bank, INN, KPP, BIC of the bank, bank correspondent account number, full name, current account number - original unused ticket (provision is allowed original ticket within 14 days from the date of the event) or a copy of an unused electronic ticket (depending on the type of tickets) purchased before the visitor developed an illness that prevented him from attending the event - a copy of the electronic receipt for the purchase of the ticket (if it is an electronic ticket ) - a copy of a certificate of incapacity for work or a certificate (medical report) issued by a medical organization in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation and confirming the fact of the visitor’s illness, which prevents him from attending the event. It is allowed to provide this document within 14 days from the date of the event, provided that the remaining necessary documents are submitted on time - passport

One certificate of incapacity for work or a certificate (medical report) can serve as a basis for the return of one ticket.

20. To return a ticket due to the death of a person who was a family member of the visitor or his close relative

the visitor must submit the following set of documents to the theater no later than the day of the event:

- a completed application for a ticket refund due to the death of a person who was a member of the visitor’s family or his close relative (Appendix No. 5) - details of the visitor’s bank account: full name of the bank, INN, KPP, bank BIC, bank correspondent account number, full name, number current account - the original of an unused ticket (it is possible to provide the original ticket within 14 days from the date of the event) or a copy of an unused electronic ticket (depending on the type of tickets) purchased before the death of a person who was a family member of the visitor or his close relative - a copy of the electronic check for the purchase of a ticket (if it is an electronic ticket) - a copy of the death certificate of a person who was a member of the visitor’s family or his close relative, which occurred no earlier than 14 days before the event and no later than the day of the event. It is allowed to provide this document within 14 days from the date of the event - copies of documents confirming that the deceased person was a member of the visitor’s family (spouse, father, mother, son or daughter (adoptive parent) or a close relative of the visitor (grandfather, grandmother, grandson (granddaughter), full and half brother or sister. It is allowed to provide these documents within 14 days from the date of the event - passport

Applications for the return of electronic tickets must be sent to [email protected] Attachments to the rules for returning tickets:

Appendix No. 1: Application for the return of tickets purchased at the theater box office Appendix No. 2: Application for the return of tickets purchased on the official website of the theater mikhailovsky.ru Appendix No. 3: Application for the return of tickets purchased from the theater's partners Appendix No. 4: Application for return ticket due to the visitor's illness Appendix No. 5: Application for a ticket refund due to the death of a person who was a family member of the visitor or his close relative

Can I exchange a purchased ticket for a different date or performance?

You can change your electronic ticket or its paper version before the start of the performance or musical. The scheme is simple:

1. The old ticket is being returned.
2. A new one is being drawn up.

Expert opinion

Alice

Lawyer, Moscow

Ask a lawyer

There may be various nuances regarding payment and the amount of refunds. Often the opera and ballet theater (or another) imposes a kind of penalty. It is assigned depending on what time the document was submitted.

The table shows the gradation of the amount of refundable money as a percentage, taking into account time according to the tradition established by the Mariinsky Theater (St. Petersburg).