Lost Universal Tickets -help please?

[lifes2complicated]

Hi,

I'm a long time browser but first time poster, but a regular over on theDibb forum recommended that I ask for help here.

We purchased two Universal 2-Park Bonus Tickets (14-day unlimited admission) from a travel company called Travel Republic here in the UK for our florida holiday in May, but have unfortunately managed to lose them!!!

I think we inadvertently threw them out with some other paperwork by mistake, absolutely no idea how as all the other stuff is together in a folder! Really annoyed at ourselves for getting in this position.

We got in touch with Travel Republic who were able to supply us with the ticket numbers (19 digits long) and advised us to take these to Universal who will be able to re-issue for us there.

I have since been in touch with Universal Guest Services who said they wouldn't normally be able to reissue based only on the ticket numbers but to bring all our paperwork and they would do their best and "may" be able to replace but couldn't guarantee. They were nice & friendly but I guess not exactly the reassurance I wanted to hear, plus gate prices will be much more than I can get online at the moment. So now I don't know what to do.

I guess I was wondering whether anyone else had done this at all? Anybody have any experience of getting lost tickets re-issued? Or anybody that can offer any insight to whether Universal will be able to re-issue?

I have the original booking confirmation in my name and everything, and I raised the issue via an online customer service request with Travel Republic so I have a print of the request and their reply with the ticket numbers and advice to take to Universal and this clearly details the same booking ref as the confirmation/invoice. Will this be enough do you think?

Any help would be really appreciated.

Thanks,
Steven

 

[damo]

Did you use your credit card to purchase them? They may reinburse you.

I have found Guest Services to be excellent, so hopefully they can help you.

 

[Purseval]

Where in the UK do you live? My stepdaughter lives in Ipswich and is coming over in March. She can't do anything about your lost tickets but she could bring you back Kroger 7-day passes if they are still available. Right now that would be about 58 pounds and if you got your other tickets replaced you could save them for your next visit. They don't expire until you use them.

 

[nodoubtrock]

this seems like it would be an issue that may happen. i dont see why guest services couldn't give you a clear response. its one thing to purchase w/ cash - but if you pay with a credit card then it would be easy to trace the transaction. couldn't they just confirm that it's your credit card, void out the tickets, and reissue tickets/give out comps. that way you wouldn't have to deal with asking for a refund, waiting for the refund, and having to purchase new tickets.

 

[phamton]

The reason they don't want to cancel and reissue the tickets is because, you may either have the wrong number on the tickets and they would then be canceling someone else's tickets or you could be trying to cheat by giving ticket numbers of some you saw on eBay or have a friend who works for the ticket agent, etc. (Ii know you aren't cheating but believe me, it does happen.)

Usually, if the back of the tickets are copied, then they will replace them with no problem. Since you don't have the back of the tickets copied, they will check the usage on the ticket numbers you gave. If they haven't been used, they most likely will reissue them. But it would be really bad if Guest Services canceled some tickets that weren't yours and so Guest services may not be willing to take that chance. I hope this makes sense. That is why they can't give you a definitive answer over the phone. That decision will have to be made by the supervisor (senior coordinator) when you get there.

If the tickets were purchased directly from Universal Studios website then it wouldn't be a problem at all but since you purchased them elsewhere, it makes it more difficult to track. The ticket agents buy thousands of tickets in bulk so when they pull up those ticket numbers, it will just show that they were purchased in bulk by the agent but it will not show who the agent sold them to. Guest services would just have to take your word and the agents word that those tickets were sold to you and not someone else.

 

[stevedean]

Hi Steven, I work for Travelrepublic/Onlineflorida. If you can send me your booking reference by private message, I will look up your booking and see if we have a scan of the tickets. We ususally would, but had a few scanner problems recently, so may not. I am very hopeful we do though. I will then arrange for a copy to be emailed to you. This should help with process at Guest Services.

Steve
Travelrepublic/Onlineflorida

 

[lifes2complicated]

Thanks Steve, that would be great! PM on its way....

 

[TnRobin]

Hi Steven, I work for Travelrepublic/Onlineflorida. If you can send me your booking reference by private message, I will look up your booking and see if we have a scan of the tickets. We ususally would, but had a few scanner problems recently, so may not. I am very hopeful we do though. I will then arrange for a copy to be emailed to you. This should help with process at Guest Services.

Steve
Travelrepublic/Onlineflorida

I am sure that the poster is probably a valid and genuine person, but I don't know if I would be sending any personal information to an unknown person. Especially since it is his first post on these boards. Please verify his claims before you hand over any personal information.

 

[stevedean]

I was a bit worried about offering as well TNRobin, but if Steven just sends me his surname, and I do work for who I say he does, then I can find his booking by searching in our admin system.

Then at least we can get it sorted!

I was too slow, Steven sent me booking ref! But I am who I say I am!

 

[phamton]

Thanks for helping, Steve.

 

[lifes2complicated]

I am sure that the poster is probably a valid and genuine person, but I don't know if I would be sending any personal information to an unknown person. Especially since it is his first post on these boards. Please verify his claims before you hand over any personal information.

Thanks for the concern Robin, I do understand what you are saying.

I did do a search online and found several references that proved to me that Steve Dean is indeed the commercial manager for Travel Republic, and that he has previously posted on a site like this to offer help for customers (namely travelrants when globespan happened).

I appreciate this doesn't necessarily mean that the person posting IS stevedean but I chose to take on good faith based on the info in his post and made sure that I only provided details that would help him to find my booking if he was who he says he is (think that makes sense). I don't think any information I provided would have been able to be used in any other way so was happy to do so.

I do appreciate your valid concerns though and you are quite right of course. Hoping Steve can do me a great favour by helping out!

I don't think I thanked phamton for previous post, but thank you for your reply and details given. The person who recommended these boards to me actually mentioned you personally as you had provided him with help in the past, so you have a great reputation

 

[lifes2complicated]

maybe I was a bit silly after all, never got any reply. have sent a query in to travel republic but I feel I was probably a bit naive, what you get for hoping I guess. live and learn.

still hoping I can get tickets reissued at Universal but not holding breath. still feel bit gutted about the whole thing! stupid for losing in the first place.

 

[donaldduck352]

maybe I was a bit silly after all, never got any reply. have sent a query in to travel republic but I feel I was probably a bit naive, what you get for hoping I guess. live and learn.

still hoping I can get tickets reissued at Universal but not holding breath. still feel bit gutted about the whole thing! stupid for losing in the first place.

Its been 11 days now.
Maybe you should report it to the Better Buiseness Beruea or BBB of the county that the company is working from!!

 

[stevedean]

Hi, sorry about delay. I thought my colleaugue in our dispatch team was replying, but obviously hadnt. Have sent you a PM, but we dont have any more info than we have already given, I'm afraid.

Steve
Travelrepublic/Onlineflorida

I cant send a pm, so here is pm, as it isnt that private!

Hi lifes2complicated, we do not have scans for this date, as we were so busy we had to abandion the scanning for a few days. We only have manual record of your ticket numbers, which I believe Rachel has already provided.

I am not sure what else we can do apart from advise that this procedure works fine as long as the tickets have not been stolen in the post and then used before the customer attempts to get in the park with just ticket numbers. In your case, as you think you have disposed of the tickets, you should be ok.

Apologies for the dealy in telling you mostly what you already knew!

Regards Steve

 

[lifes2complicated]

Apologies Steve, I was just getting a bit spooked as I hadn't heard anything. Thanks for trying to help, hoping I have some luck at Guest Services and it works out ok!

I am sure these have gone out with the rubbish (or are lying in a particularly well hidden spot courteousy of my wife!!!) so sounds like we should be alright as long as there is a nice supervisor on hand

Hope I didn't put you off helping others!

Kind regards,
Steven

 

[stevedean]

No probs Steven, it was me in the wrong for not making sure someone replied!

I will try and look in now and again case anyone else is stuck on something!

Steve

 

[sammielynn]

Once when my DS18 was just 15 he lost his Universal ticket. I had ordered them online and had the receipt for the purchase. We went to customer service and since we had the other two tickets that were purchased at the same time they gave him a new ticket. It can and does happen, good luck!