So last Thursday, my cousin Dave surprised me with tickets for Dead Rabbit NYC this weekend. Awesome, right? Problem is, he booked it for 8pm Friday when I’m still stuck at work till 9. Total bummer. Here’s exactly how I fixed this mess yesterday morning.
Freaking Out at 7am
First thing I did was panic-scroll through my confirmation email looking for a “change” button. Nothing there except that big scary “All Sales Final” line. Nearly spilled coffee all over my keyboard. Then I noticed tiny grey text: “reservation adjustments call directly”. Okay – time to pick up the phone.
The Phone Call Circus
Dialed the number around 7:30am EST and got the recording about hours. Realized they open at noon. Waited three painful hours staring at the clock like an idiot. Called exactly at noon and… 15-minute hold music torture loop. Finally, this lady answers sounding rushed. Here’s what she needed from me:
- Original date/time: Friday July 12, 8pm
- Reservation name: My cousin’s dumb name “David Miller” (he used his work email)
- Confirmation number: That crazy code DR-88JM43-9X2B
Forgot to write down David’s confirmation number? Yeah, me too. Had to call Dave during his morning meeting for it. Awkward.
The Actual Change Part
Told the staffer I needed Saturday 9pm instead. She goes silent for what felt like eternity – turns out she was checking tickets inventory. Then came the kicker: “$25 rescheduling fee per person”. OUCH. But Dave had booked 4 seats, so $100 just to move it? Nope. Begged her to check other times. Found 7:30pm Saturday with no fee! Sold!
New confirmation hit my inbox while still on the phone. Triple-checked the time. Also learned:
- Changes only work if they have empty spots
- Dead Rabbit doesn’t do online changes AT ALL
- Lost your confirmation code? You’re screwed
Aftermath & Lessons
Total time wasted? About 40 minutes active effort over 5 hours. Dave still owes me for handling his mess. Moral of the story? Always book your own reservations, save the confirmation code in multiple places, and never assume you can change things online with fancy places like this.
