COVID exposure ticket policies for Suffs

[round2]

Posted: 4/30/22 at 10:54am

I'm trying to figure out what to think about my situation with tickets for Suffs at the Public Theater that we can't use because of COVID exposure. We can't safely use the tickets tomorrow night, because it's within the window when we may be able to transmit it, even if we have no symptoms (or positive test results) yet from our recent exposure. You can't get a refund, just a credit to use by August 15 (with seats sold out for the rest of the run, anyway). The credit would then automatically turn into a donation to the Public Theater. They're mobile tickets, with a QR code that isn't accessible until the day of the performance, so you can't put them on Stubhub.

Seems likely to turn into a mandatory donation to the Public Theater. For me, it's a lot of money. Should this just be understood as a reasonable way for theaters and productions to survive through COVID? Makes me wary of buying tickets in advance for something else.

Updated On: 4/30/22 at 10:54 AM

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 4/30/22 at 11:11am

I haven't done it, but you should be able to do a ticket transfer to someone else's Public account. 

https://thepublictheater.typeform.com/to/fxUsBwxZ

 

 

[sorano916]

Posted: 4/30/22 at 11:19am

If I were in your shoes, I would give them a call and explain that you can't attend due to COVID. They might be more flexible/understanding in giving you a refund rather than a credit, knowing that the show is sold out.

[the.hard.part]

Posted: 4/30/22 at 11:34am

Not exactly the same but I reached out when I was unable to attend due to a death in my immediate family and they made a one time exception and refunded the tickets so may be worth asking.

[jpbran]

Posted: 4/30/22 at 1:01pm

 List em online (Tickpick, StubHub, SeatGeek, etc.) I listed ours when our plans changed (and Public wasn’t helpful), and they sold quickly. And for a LOT. Was shocked. (The buyer will need to have/get a Public account so you can transfer to them.)

Updated On: 4/30/22 at 01:01 PM

[HogansHero]

Posted: 4/30/22 at 2:15pm

This is not what you asked, but if I am understanding your situation correctly, you need not refrain from going pursuant to the extant protocol. (And yes I also understand that each of us should do what we feel comfortable doing.) Each of us is exposed daily but the notification is intended to prompt testing and heightened vigilance (for symptoms). If you are negative and have no symptoms, you can go see the show. (And you will, of course, be wearing a mask.) Whether you want to or not is your choice but bear in mind that under your protocol there is no possible way to make theatre (or much of anything else).

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/30/22 at 3:47pm

Just what I scrolled down to say. If you test negative and are symptom free, there is no protocol saying you cannot go.  I just enjoy the show.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 4/30/22 at 5:30pm

jpbran said: "List em online (Tickpick, StubHub, SeatGeek, etc.) I listed ours when our plans changed (and Public wasn’t helpful), and they sold quickly. And for a LOT. Was shocked. (The buyer will need to have/get a Public account so you can transfer to them.)"

So you scalped your tickets. Classy.  When I sell mine, I sell them for what I paid.  Because I think profiting off another’s work is pretty gross.

[jpbran]

Posted: 5/1/22 at 1:18am

Was irritated at Public’s refusal to assist with my travel change (esp knowing they could resell em in minutes) so I listed em on TickPick for less than half the insane prices others were listed for… thought there was no way they’d even go for what I listed em for as the show’s buzz was fading pretty quickly. Forgot about if for a while, and didn’t even know they’d sold til I went back to lower to around what I’d paid; TickPick alerts were going to my junk folder turned out. 
 

Glad to hear your unsolicited/condescending opinion though. And I’m still remorseful over the person whose head I held a gun to forcing them to buy the tix…

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/1/22 at 1:49am

iluvtheatertrash said: "So you scalped your tickets. Classy. When I sell mine, I sell them for what I paid. Because I think profiting off another’s work is pretty gross."

I don't think it's apt all that often but this just cries out for the response "you do you." 

By the way, in the theatre, we profit off the work of others. It's called collaboration. 

[orlikethecolorpurple]

Posted: 5/1/22 at 2:22am

Rolling my eyes out of my head. Buying tickets in order to flip them is not the same thing as selling your personal tickets for a price that meets demand. 

But anyway, I am looking to get rid of my Suffs ticket for next weekend and called Stubhub about how to do that with the digital ticket transfer (they currently only have a printed ticket selling option). They are looking to get the mobile ticket option added within 24-72 hours.

Updated On: 5/1/22 at 02:22 AM

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 5/1/22 at 10:24am

HogansHero said: "iluvtheatertrash said: "So you scalped your tickets. Classy. When I sell mine, I sell them for what I paid. Because I think profiting off another’s work is pretty gross."

I don't think it's apt all that often but this just cries out for the response "you do you."

By the way, in the theatre, we profit off the work of others. It's called collaboration."

1) Collaboration is not buying a ticket, then selling it for more than the venue, and pocketing the profit. That's not collaboration. 

2) Venues were closed for 18 months. They lost a ton of business. Scalping, now more than ever, is wrong. 

3) Roll your eyes out of your head all you want. Selling a ticket for "A LOT" more than you paid for it is scalping, no matter how you look at it. 

4) Don't ever, EVER complain about scalpers if you're doing this kind of stuff. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/1/22 at 10:43am

iluvtheatertrash said: "HogansHero said: "iluvtheatertrash said: "So you scalped your tickets. Classy. When I sell mine, I sell them for what I paid. Because I think profiting off another’s work is pretty gross."

I don't think it's apt all that often but this just cries out for the response "you do you."

By the way, in the theatre, we profit off the work of others. It's called collaboration."

1) Collaboration is not buying a ticket, then selling it for more than the venue, and pocketing the profit. That's not collaboration.

Don't change the subject, which was profiting off the work of others.

2) Venues were closed for 18 months. They lost a ton of business. Scalping, now more than ever, is wrong.

3) Roll your eyes out of your head all you want. Selling a ticket for "A LOT" more than you paid for it is scalping, no matter how you look at it.

4) Don't ever, EVER complain about scalpers if you're doing this kind of stuff."

As I said, you do you. If I can sell a ticket for a ridiculous price to some hedge fund idiot, I can also support the theatre community with my profit. I don't question your moral/ethical choices; don't question mine. (And for the record, I think I have sold tix above face on 2 occasions in my life.)

[round2]

Posted: 5/1/22 at 11:43am

(editing, since my bullets didn't show, and all of the text ran together)

This discussion was great to get to read, and I appreciate it.

Here's further details:

1) One of the four of us is the person with COVID, and they're my husband. Somehow, with masking and isolation as possible in a small one bedroom/one bathroom NYC apartment I continue to test negative as recently as yesterday (both antigen and PCR), though I'm coughing and congested, and generally feeling unwell (sympathy "pains" or some other seasonal malady?). Our two other potentially also exposed seatmates have both chosen to bow out of attending.

2) The very nice, but firm person on the phone at the Public Theater wasn't offering a refund, but offered to put a credit into my Public Theater account, or accept the tickets as a donation. The Public Theater allows credited amounts to be held until August 15 of each year, no matter when accumulated.

3) It seem quite possible that I couldn't use the $400 credit for the 4 tix by August 15, so it was seeming likely to become a donation.

4) I discovered that I would be allowed to use my credit to purchase a gift certificate, which would be good for 5 years - a period of time more than reasonable for me to expect to use the credit at the Public.

5) The only other options I tried were posting on the Buy and Sell board of BroadwayWorld.com, and trying to post them on StubHub.

6) Stubhub, as has been reported, isn't able to re-sell electronic tickets, which mine are, for events at the Public - only paper tickets allowing for the advance shipping time necessary.

7) My posting yesterday of the tickets at face value on the Buy and Sell board of BroadwayWorld.com was removed for some reason (not sure why). I'd hoped to sell them there at face value to an ardent theater-lover participating in this community.

8 I haven't tried TicketPick or SeatGeek, and it not only seems late to try that for tonight's performance, but I think I'm okay with the credit becoming a gift certificate good for 5 years (before the August 15 deadline).

 

Updated On: 5/2/22 at 11:43 AM

[JasonC3]

Posted: 5/1/22 at 12:32pm

if I am able to sell a ticket for more than what i paid because someone else places a higher value on it than i do, it enables me to see more theater and support more productions and frankly it is nobody else's business

[orlikethecolorpurple]

Posted: 5/1/22 at 3:16pm

iluvtheatertrash said:

"3) Roll your eyes out of your head all you want. Selling a ticket for "A LOT" more than you paid for it is scalping, no matter how you look at it.

4) Don't ever, EVER complain about scalpers if you're doing this kind of stuff."

 

I did and I will roll my eyes. Thanks for the permission though, babe! Again, there is a false equivalency between people whose livelihood is snatching hot tickets in order to resell them (and with or without your permission, we can complain about them).

If someone who has a ticket places a threshold in which the monetary value exceeds the experience value, it is wholly in their right, and not even morally ambiguously, to sell. This holds true with literally any asset one posses - homes, cars, collectibles. Capitalism sucks, but it's what we got. Unclench your jaw, breathe, relax. 

 

Updated On: 5/1/22 at 03:16 PM

[round2]

Posted: 5/1/22 at 4:05pm

Having been told I had until 2 hours prior to the performance to contact the Public to either change the name on the tickets, or request a credit be placed in my account - I just discovered that Audience Services is not even open on Sunday, and I never could call them today, the day of my performance (7:30pm tonight). I emailed [e-mail]. Hopefully that works.

[round2]

Posted: 5/1/22 at 5:59pm

To close the loop: I quickly received an email reply confirming the full amount including fees was placed in my Public Theater account. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 5/1/22 at 6:08pm

If someone who has a ticket places a threshold in which the monetary value exceeds the experience value, it is wholly in their right, and not even morally ambiguously, to sell. This holds true with literally any asset one posses - homes, cars, collectibles. Capitalism sucks, but it's what we got. Unclench your jaw, breathe, relax.

Yup. Welcome to real life (Spaceballs). I bought two $90 tickets to a little show called Hamilton at the Public in May 2015. A doctor wanted to take his wife to the "hot new thing" in New York and offered me 2 grand. I accepted it and went to like 10 Broadways shows and had the best dinner Ive ever had at Per Se.

Worth it. 

[jpbran]

Posted: 5/1/22 at 7:00pm

To wrap up my comment that sort of derailed this, just know the money is going to good theatrical use.  Not that it really matters, but I used the $800+ I cleared (and yes, my listing was far lower than others) to get tickets for my husband and I to go to a Strange Loop,  Bedwetter, and Broadway Bares the last weekend in June. Gonna add an additional show too, but not sure what. The sale is what finalized our decision to make a third NY trip this year (in addition to Apr and Oct) which will also include three days of a hotel stay, dining out, local bars, etc. 
 

I hope this meets theatertrash’s high moral standard. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 5/1/22 at 7:12pm

^Nice.

In other words, mind yo' own business. 

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 5/1/22 at 9:36pm

When y’all try to get a ticket to that show you wanna see and scalpers beat you and raise the prices, don’t complain. Because you’re doing the same thing. 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 5/1/22 at 9:55pm

I think the majority of people on this board don't have to worry about scalpers because most are well-informed about which shows are going to be hot tickets and when they go on sale. I keep up-to-date so I'll never have to buy a resale seat, and I often pass along info on this board so others don't have to either. I'm not going to get into whether scalping is right or wrong, but I think "you snooze, you lose" applies. In my opinion, people who wait until after a show is sold out and/or gets great reviews to look for tickets should expect to pay more. Someone else did the leg work for them, like a concierge, and it's only fair that they're compensated for whatever amount they want. If someone wants to pay it, that's on them.

Also, I think the idea that scalpers snatch up all the seats before anyone else can get them is somewhat blown out of proportion. I'm just an ordinary guy with a pretty slow laptop, and I've never not gotten a ticket for a show I've wanted to see, simply by staying in-the-know.

Updated On: 5/1/22 at 09:55 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 5/1/22 at 10:50pm

iluvtheatertrash said: "When y’all try to get a ticket to that show you wanna see and scalpers beat you and raise the prices, don’t complain. Because you’re doing the same thing."

I'm not slow or stupid so I'll be alright. Thanks so much though.

And Taffy, you are correct.

[Melissa25]

Posted: 5/1/22 at 11:31pm

It’s clear that some entities (like big barns with huge balconies that rarely sell out) are “scalping” their own tickets on Stubhub.  I think someone referred to it as showBIZ earlier this week.