FAQs

The amount you pay when you purchase a ticket is broken down as follows:

Face Value
We sell tickets on behalf of our clients (event organisers / promoters / venues). The price of a ticket is decided by our clients. The Ticket Factory sends this amount to its clients.

service fee
This is the per-ticket fee agreed with our clients (venues, artists and event organisers). This fee contributes to our ticketing and distribution processing costs, such as the costs of running the ticketing software and computer network, operating our call centre and marketing the event.

The amount of the service fee is agreed with our clients and is often based on a percentage of the ticket price.

admin fee
The admin fee is charged per order regardless of the number of tickets purchased. This fee contributes to the cost of delivering the tickets, whether it is through the post, electronically or collecting at the venue.

The admin fee also contributes to other operational costs and overheads associated with ticket fulfilment e.g. ticket stock administration and inventory control, ticket stock/stationery, collection facilities and postage and/or packaging costs if it applies to the event.

The admin fee will not be payable if a ticket is purchased and collected at the box office at the same time.
 

You will have to pay the service fee on each ticket purchased and the admin fee on the entire order (regardless of the number of tickets purchased). 

If you are buying a ticket for Barclaycard Arena, formerly the NIA or Genting Arena, formerly LG Arena you will also pay a 70p facilities fee per ticket.

In order to facilitate the processing of bookings, ticket agents charge a per ticket fee for the services they provide to contribute towards the costs of selling and distributing tickets such as the costs of running the ticketing software and computer network, operating call centre and marketing the event. The amount charged is agreed with the Promoter / Event Organiser / Venue. This per ticket fee is often based on a percentage of the ticket price. At The Ticket Factory we refer to this as an service fee.

We charge a admin fee to contribute towards the cost of delivering our tickets to you, whether it is through the post, electronically or collecting at the venue. This fee is a one-off charge that covers the processing and delivery of the entire order, not each ticket.

The admin fee is charged to help contribute towards other operational costs and overheads associated with ticket fulfilment e.g. ticket stock administration and inventory control, ticket stock/stationery, collection facilities and postage and/or packaging costs if it applies to the event.

The admin fee will not be payable if a ticket is purchased and collected at the box office at the same time.
 

The facilities fee is a permanent feature of the ticket prices for Genting Arena, formerly LG Arena and Barclaycard Arena, formerly the NIA events to ensure that both venues offer superb facilities, attract world class artists and provide customers with fantastic experiences.

The introduction of a levy is commonplace across the ‘live’ industry; for example, the renovation charge applied by many theatres or the charge applied by the 02 Arena, London, which is known as a ‘facilities fee’.
 

As the official box office of The NEC, Genting Arena, formerly LG Arena and Barclaycard Arena, formerly the NIA, The Ticket Factory sells tickets at the following venues:

Genting Arena Box Office
Genting Arena
The NEC
Birmingham
B40 1NT

Barclaycard Arena, formerly the NIA Box Office
King Edwards Road
Birmingham
B1 2AA


Barclaycard Arena, formerly the NIA Box Office is open on event days only.
The Genting Arena, formerly LG Arena Box Office at The NEC is open Friday and Saturday from 12noon – 5pm and occasionally on Genting Arena, formerly LG Arena concert releases.

Opening hours are subject to change at short notice. To confirm our opening times before travelling to Genting Arena, formerly LG Arena or Barclaycard Arena, formerly the NIA to purchase tickets please call 0844 581 1311 for up to date information.

If you purchase your tickets at the box office and are able to collect your tickets at the same time you will not have to pay the admin fee. The service fees and facilities fee are applicable on all transactions and all payment methods including cash for tickets purchased at the box office.  

As a ticket agent we incur costs to run our business no matter how we sell or deliver our tickets to customers. In the past we have not charged a fee to customers who have paid in cash from our box office. Unfortunately we can no longer sustain this practise so in the course of amending our charging mechanisms we have made the difficult decision to charge the relevant service fee and admin fee to customers who pay cash at a box office.

We currently accept American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Visa Delta and Solo for online bookings. Sorry, we are unable to accept Maestro online - please use an alternative card or call 0844 581 0742. We are also unable to accept Barclaycard Commercial credit cards.
 

The Ticket Factory is a secure web site and all patron details are submitted over the internet using the highest level of commercial encryption currently available (128-bit SSL).

To view details of our security certificate please click here or on the VeriSign Secured logo.

All our secure pages are clearly labelled, have a URL (address or location) that begins https:// and a padlock symbol appears in the status bar at the bottom of your browser window.

Occasionally The Ticket Factory pages are used by other web sites (as requested by our show promoters) - our pages are sometimes placed within another web page belonging to another web site using a HTML frame - a web page placed inside another web page, that makes it seem as if you are booking via one web site. If The Ticket Factory secure pages are placed inside a page that does not use SSL our secure pages may not appear to be secure - your browser window will only show the properties of the outer non-SSL page and not the inner secure page from The Ticket Factory.
However, this kind of web page set up is not uncommon and will not affect pages that use SSL encryption - the two pages do not interfere with each other and no data is transfered via the insecure page, all data is transfered via The Ticket Factory secure page.
The Ticket Factory pages begin www.ticketfactory.com - if your browser shows any other URL (address or location) you are probably accessing our pages via another web site.

If you have any queries please contact Technical Support .

The Ticket Factory uses the card security code (also known as CSC) for Visa, MasterCard, Solo and American Express in order to improve transaction security. This is sent to the bank at the time of card authorisation together with your card number, expiry date and issue number (for Solo cards). Your CSC is known only to your bank and appears only on your card. It is not printed anywhere else e.g. does not appear on bank statements.

CSC for Visa, MasterCard and Solo

Your Card Security Code (CSC) appears on the reverse of your card and is the last 3 digits of the printed number at the top of the signature strip. The number at the top of the signature strip is usually the full credit card number followed by the CSC but is sometimes the last 4 digits of the card number followed by the CSC. CSC for American Express

The American Express security code is a four-digit number printed on the front of your card. It appears after and to the right of your card number.

Ticket Protection allows you to make a worry free ticket purchase, by giving you peace of mind that you can re-coup 100% of the paid ticket price (including fullfilment fees) if you are unable to make it to your event.

From traffic delays, illness, adverse weather conditions, strikes, accidents and more we will make it easy for you to file your claim and get your money back. Any refund will be managed by Hyperion Claims Specialists, on behalf of The Ticket Factory.

A full list of situations that Ticket Protection covers you for, can be found in the terms and conditions www.securemybooking.com/ttf
 

Ticket Protection will cost £2.25 per ticket, whatever the original ticket price.

If food or drink is included within your ticket purchase, ie Freestyle package or other hospitality packages, this will also be covered by your Ticket Protection.

Any additional items you may purchase along with your ticket, such as merchandise, M6 Toll, car parking etc. will not be covered.
 

A full list of situations that Ticket Protection covers you for, can be found in the terms and conditions www.securemybooking.com/ttf

If an event is cancelled, the promoter or the organiser will refund the total value of your order. You do not need to make a claim via Ticket Protection in this case.

If an event is rescheduled, original tickets will usually remain valid for the new date and Ticket Protection will continue. If you are unable to attend the new date, the promoter or organiser of the event will usually allow a full refund to be given.
 

Ticket Protection will only be available to buy online at the time of your original purchase, however for disabled access and group bookers it will be available to buy over the phone.

Ticket Protection is sold per ticket, therefore you must select the correct number of tickets that you wish to be covered in your order.

PLEASE NOTE: If you choose to buy Ticket Protection for fewer tickets than your total order, then the value of any claim will be reduced proportionally.

For example - if you buy 4 tickets but only select Ticket Protection for 3 tickets, you will only be eligible to claim for 75% of the total order value.
 

Unfortunately not, you can only buy Ticket Protection when you first place your original order. 

If you accidently choose to select Ticket Protection for fewer tickets than you wanted to buy, unfortunately we are unable to add extra to your order.

If you accidently choose to buy Ticket Protection for more tickets than you purchase, we can refund the difference if you contact our Customer Services team via [email protected] or call 0844 581 0777, lines are open 7 days a week from 9am to 9pm.
 

You have to make a claim within 14 days of the situation occurring that leads to you being unable to attend the event.

To make a claim visit: www.securemybooking.com/ttf follow the link to apply for a refund, you will be asked to complete a form outlining the reasons you are unable to attend the event. You will be required to send your unused tickets or proof of purchase / original receipt within 7 days of making your claim.
 

Unfortunately not, Ticket Protection only covers the value of the tickets, including any food and drink package purchased at the same time and fulfilments fees for the event that you chose to cover. 

Although tickets are usually posted out within 7-14 days of purchase, there are occasionally delays due to exceptional circumstances such as special "souvenir" ticket stock, show-specific ticket wallets or on the direct instructions from the promoter/organiser of the event.

If you have not received your tickets within 5 days of the event, please call our Customer Services team on 0844 581 0777.

Tickets booked using a Credit or Debit card must be posted to the Card Holder's registered address. We are obliged to implement this rule under the terms of our contract with the Card Issuers (VISA, MasterCard, American Express etc.) and are unable to make any exceptions.

Tickets booked using cards that are registered to addresses outside the UK, cannot be posted abroad and instead will automatically be held for collection at the venue Box Office regardless of the delivery method chosen at the time of booking.

Yes, when purchasing tickets over the telephone, please inform our sales advisor before booking if you wish to collect your tickets. Usually for bookings made 3 or less days in advance of a concert/event, tickets will automatically be held for collection at the venue box office.

If tickets are being held for collection the only delivery method available at the time of booking will be 'To Collect from Venue Box Office'.
If you wish to collect your tickets before the day of the concert/event, or if you have already booked and now want to collect your tickets instead of having them posted please contact Customer Services .

PLEASE NOTE: Customer Services usually require 48 hours notice to arrange collection of tickets and that Standing Tickets can ONLY be collected from the show Venue Box Office, after 4pm on the day of the show.
Unless advised, tickets can be collected from the relevant venue Box Office on the day of the concert/event. Please present the card you made the payment with at the Box Office window marked "Prepaid Collections".

PLEASE NOTE: Tickets for evening concerts and events will be available for collection from 1 hour 30 minutes prior to the show start time.

If you are unable to bring the card (with which the booking was made) to the Box Office, we can accept a signed letter from the Card Holder authorising you to collect the tickets on their behalf. The letter will need to quote the Card Holder's full name, address and card number and should be presented at the Box Office window marked "Prepaid Collections" together with a recent Utility bill (Gas, Electric, Water or Telephone) confirming the Card Holder's details.

PLEASE NOTE: Photocopies will NOT be accepted.

• No more waiting for tickets by post!
• Have your tickets right away!
• No waiting in box office collection queues!

An Print at Home means your tickets will be sent to you by email directly after you have completed your booking. You simply print the tickets yourself at your convenience before the event, in black and white or colour, then bring them with you to the event. You can even forward them on to other people attending the event so that they can print their own tickets and meet you at the venue. The advantage is that you get your tickets right away, safely and conveniently, without waiting for them to be delivered by post.

Follow this link for an example of a Print at Home ticket.

Once you have booked tickets with "Email - Print at Home" as your delivery method, an email will be sent to your email account. This email will confirm your booking and a PDF will be attached that contains your Print at Home tickets. You should then save the Print at Home tickets on your computer and print it at a convenient time. When you arrive at the event, the barcode on your Print at Home ticket will be scanned and you will be admitted.
The ticket that comes out of your printer is a valid, legitimate ticket. Make sure you keep it in a safe place like you would cash and protect it just like you would any other ticket!

Only the first scan of the barcode on your Print at Home ticket will be allowed entry. Make sure you keep it in a safe place like any other ticket! If more than one copy were to arrive, the barcode scanner will alert the steward that the eticket has already been scanned. If there is a dispute, the purchaser's name appears on each Print at Home ticket.

You will receive one confirmation email with a PDF attachment containing all etickets purchased for that order. The PDF file will have multiple pages with one Print at Home ticket per page. Please note that if you place an additional order for more etickets to the same event, you will receive another email.

If you use Microsoft Outlook Express you may have security set to block the viewing of attachments. If this is the case you will see a message similar to the one below when you read the Print at Home ticket email.

To turn off this security setting, do the following:

• In Outlook Express, select Tools, Options, then select the Security tab.

• Untick the box marked Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus.

(Note: the layout of security settings may vary based on your PC's operating system and version of Outlook Express)

• Click Apply.
• Click OK.

When you now read your email, you should have access to the pdf Print at Home ticket.

• When you receive your Print at Home ticket email, open the attachment and save the PDF document to your PC's hard drive.
• To view and print your Print at Home ticket you must have Adobe Reader (at least version 4.0) installed on your PC and a laserjet or inkjet printer. If you don't have Adobe Reader installed on your PC, you can download it for free from www.adobe.com.
  
  
• Before you print your Print at Home ticket, make sure that your printer is switched on and is loaded with enough A4 paper.
• Please print one Print at Home ticket per A4 sheet (not double sided). Your Print at Home ticket can be printed in colour OR black and white as either of these options are acceptable.
• Please make sure that you print all pages from the PDF document and that all pages are printed only once.
• Then simply bring the printed copies with you to the event.
• If you have any problems printing your Print at Home ticket, double check that your printer is turned on and the cables are connected to your computer. Also ensure that your computer has enough memory available. If necessary, try closing any unnecessary programs before attempting to print again.

Always check to ensure the printed etickets look the same as displayed in Adobe Reader. If you find that some information is missing from the printed Print at Home ticket try the following:

• Open the Print at Home ticket in Adobe Reader.
• Select File then Print...
• In the print window, tick the box marked Print as image. (Note: this option may be found in the advanced section of the print window)
• Click OK to print the Print at Home ticket.

If you've not received your Print at Home ticket email within a few hours of booking, please check the junk mail and spam guard settings on your email account and any web security software your use.

Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) e.g. AOL may also be blocking your Print at Home ticket email by mistaking it for spam. You can add The Ticket Factory email address ([email protected]) to your email contacts so it becomes a trusted address. If you continue to have any problems, please contact us.

In the event of a concert/event being postponed or cancelled, refunds can be obtained by returning your tickets to the original point of purchase.

If your purchase was made through The Ticket Factory, tickets should be returned to the following address:

The Ticket Factory
PO Box 3348
Birmingham
B40 1NS

We recommend that you return your tickets by Registered Post to ensure delivery.

For postponed concerts/events your tickets will remain valid and you will be notified of the new dates. If you are unable to attend the new date follow the above procedure to obtain a refund.

Please contact our Customer Services team.
Customer Services will only accept enquiries from the Card Holder and will require full name, address and card details.
PLEASE NOTE : Standing Tickets can NOT be replaced or duplicated under any circumstances.

The Ticket Factory does not send out seating plans as seating varies for each individual concert and the seating layout can be subject to change before the concert takes place. If you would like to view the seating plan for the show you wish to book tickets for, there is a plan displayed on The Ticket Factory website for each Individual show.

Car parking is available depending on the venue. Please check with the venue direct for details.

• For the Genting Arena, formerly LG Arena visit www.gentingarena.co.uk/getting-here
• For Barclaycard Arena, formerly the NIA visit www.barclaycardarena.co.uk/getting-here

PLEASE NOTE :The promoters of the concert or event will inform the venue of their policy regarding the admission of cameras to their shows.
It should not be assumed that any camera will be admitted, as their policy may change at short notice, and without prior notification, at the artists request.

Usually, professional type cameras (with interchangeable lenses) are not allowed in, with the exception of officially accredited photographers covering the event. Video cameras and audio recording equipment are very rarely let in, but often the Promoter will allow in small instamatic cameras. It has been known however, for all cameras to be banned at the request of the artiste.
In these cases customers will be required to leave their cameras at the confiscation area, for collection after the show.

All disabled visitors are advised to call our dedicated ticket line number 0844 581 0700 (+44 121 782 3555 from outside the UK) when booking tickets. Please inform us at the time of booking if you need a wheelchair space or have specific requirements, so that we can arrange for everything to be ready on your arrival. We will also help you find the most convenient seating for visually impaired people. Owing to sound levels involved, we strongly recommend that you do not bring Assistance Dogs to concerts or other loud events. Please note that all ticket sales are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.


Opening times If you have specific requirements it is recommended that you call a member of the Disabled Customer Bookings team on

0844 581 0700 (+44 121 782 3555 from outside the UK)

Open 8am to 10pm, 7 days a week.

Help us to improve
The Ticket Factory is a member of the "Employers Forum on Disability", and has signed up to the Disability Access Charter. An in-house committee meets regularly to address services for disabled visitors, and regular audits of our building are undertaken in respect of access.

If you have any suggestions or comments you wish to make, please advise a member of staff. Alternatively, write to:

The Ticket Factory,
Customer Services team,
PO Box 3348,
Birmingham,
B40 1NS

Venue information To find accessibility information for disabled visitors please contact the venue direct.

• For The NEC visit www.thenec.co.uk/visiting-us/disabled-visitors
• For Genting Arena, formerly LG Arena visit www.gentingarena.co.uk/venue-info/disabled-visitors
• For Barclaycard Arena, formerly the NIA Arena visit www.barclaycardarena.co.uk/venue-info/disabled-visitors

If you wish to be added to our free e-mailing list, to receive updates about our forthcoming events on a regular basis, please go to our Newsletter Sign Up page.
Availability of tickets can be checked on The Ticket Factory at www.theticketfactory.com. We do not keep waiting lists for sold out concerts/events. If there are any tickets returned or extra tickets made available they will be for sale on a first come first served basis by the above methods. You can also check the local/national radio and press for announcements of new ticket releases.

Call Customer Services on 0844 581 0777 and one of our team will be happy to help.

Although most events have no minimum age limit (please check event details for specific restrictions), due to noise levels we do not recommend bringing very small children to shows. All attendees - including children - must have paid, valid tickets for an event unless otherwise stipulated.

For Genting Arena, formerly LG Arena & Barclaycard Arena, formerly the NIA Concerts : Children aged 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult of 18 or older. For standing shows, our recommendation is that children under the age of 14 should not purchase standing tickets and enter the standing floor area, and any children aged 15 or 16 can enter the standing floor area but should be accompanied by an adult over the age of 18.

Due to the sound levels experienced during an event and the long-term hearing damage this could cause, it is strongly recommended by most venues that children under 5 should not attend concerts or events other than those specifically aimed at younger visitors, ie children's shows. Any interruption caused by young children/babies that directly affects other members of the audience may result in you being asked to leave the venue immediately.