Ticket scalper demands $650 refund from movie theater after he bought tickets for 'The Interview' in bulk ... only for Sony to release it online

  • Jason Best bought $650 worth of movie tickets for a showing of 'The Interview,' with the intention of scalping them and making a profit, but his plan backfired and now, he wants his money back
  • Best argues that the theatre's refund policy allows him to get his money back for the 50 tickets he bought
  • The theatre refuses to refund Best calling him a 'business man' and saying what he did was illegal 

By Charlene Adams for MailOnline

Published: 15:08 EST, 28 December 2014 | Updated: 15:58 EST, 28 December 2014

An Ohio man bought $650 worth of movie tickets for a showing of 'The Interview,' with the intention of scalping them and making a profit, but his plan backfired and now, he wants his money back.

Jason Best, bought 50 tickets for a showing of 'The Interview' at Esquire Theatre in Clifton, Ohio.  

When Best learned that a local theater was among the 331 playing the controversial movie -- Esquire playing it as a 'special event' --  he devised a plan, according to WPTV. 

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Profit: Jason Best (photographed) bought $650 worth of movie tickets for a showing of 'The Interview,' with the intention of scalping them and making a profit, but his plan backfired and now, he wants his money back

Profit: Jason Best (photographed) bought $650 worth of movie tickets for a showing of 'The Interview,' with the intention of scalping them and making a profit, but his plan backfired and now, he wants his money back

Illegal: Officials of the Esquire Theatre in Clifton, OH (photographed) have refused to refund Best saying that what he tried to do with the tickets was illegal

Illegal: Officials of the Esquire Theatre in Clifton, OH (photographed) have refused to refund Best saying that what he tried to do with the tickets was illegal

'I saw all the hype about 'The Interview' on the 23rd and thought, 'hey, folks are selling these tickets in other cities and it seems like that's the thing to do right now, so why not give it a shot so see how it goes?' Best told WPTV.

Best spent more than $600 on the tickets, priced at $13 each, according to WCPO, expecting to get his money back when he sold them online for more than face value.

However, Best wasn't expecting what happened next: Sony released the film on streaming services like Google Play and YouTube on Christmas Eve.

The controversial movie sparked a buzz due to Sony, the film's distributor, canning its release after an alleged cyber threat from North Korea. 

Controversial: 'The Interview' sparked a buzz due to Sony, the film's distributor, canning its release after an alleged cyber threat from North Korea

Controversial: 'The Interview' sparked a buzz due to Sony, the film's distributor, canning its release after an alleged cyber threat from North Korea

The movie grossed more than $1 million nationwide at the box office Thursday. 

With the film now available on people's home televisions, laptops, and even phones, Best realized his plan wouldn't work.

So he did the next best thing: he tried to return the tickets, asking for a refund, WCPO reports.

'I thought I'd get my money back because the theater's website very clearly said the tickets were refundable,' Best said.

Allyson Duncan, the theatre's head manager, told WCPO that though  tickets are refundable, the theatre does not give refunds for 'special events.'

Duncan also said that Best would not be receiving a refund because he was trying to scalp the tickets at a higher price, 'which is illegal.' 

A company official told WCPO that because Best tried to scalp the tickets, he is not considered a customer.

The official described Best as a 'business man' who was trying to regain the money he lost at the theatre's expense. 

The official did, however, offer to donate the $650 to charity to show that the money is not the issue. 

But Best said he is not financially able to donate the entire amount to charity but would, instead, donate $100 of it in the theatre's name. 

The issue has not been resolved.  

Charity: Theatre officials refused to refund Best, but offered to donate the $650 to charity

Charity: Theatre officials refused to refund Best, but offered to donate the $650 to charity

  

 

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