Q: I purchased two tickets online to watch a show with my daughter. Unfortunately, after concluding the purchase I realised that my daughter and I had another commitment on that day. I therefore asked the online seller to refund me the price paid for the tickets, as I could not use them. The seller informed me that as per the terms and conditions of the booking website the tickets I purchased are non-refundable. The seller suggested I try and sell the tickets to someone else or opt to pay an additional fee of €3 per ticket and change the tickets to a different date.

Since I bought the tickets online, isn’t my purchase covered by a cooling-off period?

A: It is true that when consumers purchase goods and services through a distant means of communication, as per the Consumer Rights Regulations, they have 14 days to change their mind and cancel the sale. However, within the same regulations, there is a list of situations that are exempt from the right of withdrawal. One of these is the provision of services related to leisure activities if the contract provides for a specific date or period of performance.

Hence, since the purchase of online tickets to watch a show on a specific date falls under this exception, legally you are not entitled to cancel the purchase of the tickets and ask for a refund. Thus it is advisable that you accept the trader’s offer to pay an additional fee and change the dates or try sell the tickets yourself.