The standard contract terms regulating the mandatory and prohibitory provisions on performance art tickets, including limiting transaction fees for refunds to 10 percent of the tickets’ sale price, took effect yesterday.
The standard contract terms were announced by the Consumer Protection Commission in April after it received many consumer complaints such as people not being able to get concert tickets refunded 20 days before the event began, or consumers who lost their tickets being blocked from entering a concert although they provided proof of purchase.
In addition to limiting the refund transaction fee, the mandatory provisions also stipulate that when a consumer loses or damages a named ticket, they should be allowed to enter a venue if they bring their identification card and proof of purchase for the lost ticket. Entry for those who lose an unnamed ticket will be granted with proof of purchase when no other person has entered with the ticket, the Ministry of Culture said.
The event organizer should also guarantee the performance contents accord with the descriptions in its advertisements and consumers should be notified in advance and be allowed to return their tickets with no additional transaction fee if changes are made to the performance, it said.
Moreover, the mandatory provisions also require the performance providers to clearly write the rules of admission, contact information and solutions for ticket purchasing issues at the ticket office, the venue entrance or Web site, where consumers can view them.
The regulations apply to live performances of music, drama, dance and other types of performance art that publicly sell unnamed or named tickets. However, movie tickets are excluded.
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