Whenever Weinberg junior Sara Renberg fears that a Hollywood blockbuster will sell out, she heads straight to her computer.

Like many Northwestern students, Renberg has relied on online ticket services such as Fandango (www.fandango.com) to beat the rush for seats.

But getting those seats is not a guarantee.

Even though Evanston’s Century 12 Theatre, 1715 Maple Ave., is notified each time a ticket is sold online, theater manager Winsome Bryan said that issues can still occur.

“You still face problems with people going to shows at different times than their ticket or different movies than they paid for,” Bryan said.

The funds from each ticket purchased online still go to the local movie theater, with Fandango collecting a $1 service fee. Bryan said the fee is non-refundable.

Century Theatres does not have official agreements with Fandango or other online ticket providers, making it difficult for both parties to reconcile ticketing disputes.

But even students who forego online ticketing, such as Marisa DiLemme, are affected by the service.

DiLemme, a Weinberg freshman, said she bought tickets for the opening night of “Friends with Money” but no seats were available. She received a re-entry ticket as compensation and went back to see the film the next night. The same thing happened.

For students like DiLemme, “store credit” to the movies can be a nuisance. DiLemme said it took a lot of effort to get her friends together for the movie.

When students visit Fandago’s Web site to purchase tickets, the phrase “You’re good to go” appears onscreen. But it’s a toss up whether students will be heading to their seats or back to their rooms.

Bryan said the theater can’t gauge how often online ticket buyers experience complications.

“If the theater is full, customers can go to another time for that show, see a different show, or we will refund (their ticket) if absolutely necessary,” she said. “We cannot refund the service charge.”

Reach Chris Gentilviso at [email protected].