General
Many events sell out quickly. The rule is: Don’t delay – book today! as places are issued on a “first come first served” basis.
Booking
Events are bookable by Members. Each booking must include the Member and, optionally, one Guest, unless the event information specifies otherwise.
We cannot process your booking until we have received your booking form. For online booking forms this occurs when you receive the message stating that your responses were successfully captured. For paper booking forms this is when they are received by the event organiser.
If you use the paper booking form please fill it in legibly in block capital letters!
Tickets
Tickets are not transferable, hence the person making the booking is required to attend the event. This condition may be waived in exceptional circumstances and at the sole discretion of the event organiser.
Some tickets may have special conditions attached, such as concessionary tickets offered to seniors at a discounted price. This will be specified in the event booking details. In this case it is the Member’s responsibility to ensure that they, and their guests, conform to the conditions. If they do not, and are refused entry because of this, the Club will not offer any refund.
Since the pandemic many venues only distribute e-tickets, which will be emailed to you. You may either download these to a smartphone, or print them, for display at the door.
The Club takes no responsibility for lost tickets. Where the booking information specifies that tickets will be supplied in advance you should expect to have received them at least two weeks before the start date of the event. If you have not received them by this date contact the event organiser and they will try to assist you.
Slow-Selling Tickets
The organiser may determine that ticket sales for an event are not likely to meet the planned target. In this case we are at risk of either having to cancel the event and disappoint Members, or of making a loss if we have made commitments or spent money in advance.
For such events we will offer additional tickets to those who have already booked enabling you to bring family and friends.
Payment
We can only confirm a booking when the event organiser has received both a completed booking form and payment. We accept payment by BACS transfer (we refer to this as “online payment”) or cheque.
If using online payment you will be emailed with details of when, how and how much to pay. If you do not pay within the specified time (usually three days) your request may be cancelled and the booking offered to another person.
If paying by cheque please make it payable to “IBM Retired Employees’ Club (London)”, or “IBM Ret Emp Club”. Write a separate cheque for each booking. Please write your LIRC Member number (your IBM personnel number or Club number) and the event name on the back of your cheque.
Envelope Requirement
If you post a booking form and/or a cheque to us and require written confirmation of your booking status (ie you do not provide an email address to receive this) then we would appreciate it if you could enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope (size DL or larger).
Confirmation
We will send booking confirmations at the latest two weeks prior to the start date of the event. Such confirmation will be sent to the email address on the booking form, if provided. Otherwise it will be posted to you.
Booking Cut-Off
Bookings will not be accepted after the cut-off date. This is the earliest of:
- The date when all places are taken or all tickets sold.
- The cut-off date in the event information, when specified.
- When it is impractical for us to accept the booking for administrative reasons.
Waitlist
If a booking is received after all places are taken or all tickets are sold you may be placed on a waitlist. In case of any cancellation we will offer the place(s) available to people on the waitlist in the order that they booked, having regard for the number of places requested and available. We may also use the waitlist as an indication of the likely demand for the same/similar events in future.
Seating
If you wish to sit together with friends at the theatre or similar events please make a note of this on the online or paper booking forms. We will try to accommodate your requests but may not be able to do so in all cases.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
If an event does not attract sufficient bookings to achieve a group discount it may, unfortunately, have to be cancelled. In this case those who have booked and paid will be refunded.
If you or any of your guests has to cancel a booking then notify the event organiser as soon as is practicable. The organiser will consult with the Treasurer and inform you whether a refund can be given. The Treasurer will send a refund to you if it is approved. Where possible a full refund will be given but sometimes a refund may only be partial, or there may be no refund at all. This is likely to be the case when non-refundable advance payments or financial commitments have been made by the Club.
Note: A refund will not be provided if a Member or Guest misses an event and has not cancelled their booking.
People with Disabilities
If you or your Guest is registered disabled and requires special assistance please specify this on your booking form. Special assistance can include such things as: Disabled parking; Wheelchair access; and Admission for guide or assistance dogs. We will pass these requests to the venue.
Animals
Animals other than guide or assistance dogs for the registered disabled are not permitted at Club events.
Contacts
If you have a query, cancellation, or request relating to a specific event please contact the event organiser. Their details are shown on the Contacts page of our website and included in the event information.
We are always pleased to receive feedback about any event. If you wish to do so please see the Event Feedback page of our website or contact our Club Secretary.
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