Gremlins have invaded the Edinburgh Fringe's box offices, with all the "Big Four" venue chains suffering problems this week.  Confused customers have been unable to purchase "cross-sold" tickets - as advertised in the respective programmes - and one major chain has even suspended online sales.

For the past few years, we've grown used to the Big Four chains - Assembly, Pleasance, Underbelly and Gilded Balloon - "cross-selling" tickets for each other.  After coming out of a show at Pleasance Courtyard, for example, you could check availability and buy tickets for your next show at the Gilded Balloon... an arrangement which saved time, effort and a potentially fruitless schlep across the city.

Problems for the mutual sales deal seem to have developed after the launch of a new computer system, designed specifically for the Fringe this year.  The Big Four venues' bold switch to the new software looks to have backfired - with the cross-sales arrangement breaking down and one chain, the Assembly, even suspending sales through its own website.

But it's not all bad news.  Despite the breakdown of the link between the venues, you can still buy tickets for each venue chain at any of that chain's box offices.  For example, you can still get tickets for the Pleasance Courtyard from the box office at the Pleasance Dome.

How FringeGuru can help

Here at FringeGuru, we've updated our unique venue ticket maps to reflect the current situation.  Our detailed maps show you, at a single glance, all the outlets in the city which can still sell each venue's tickets - helping you pick the option nearest to you.  For example, here's where you can buy tickets for Assembly @ Hill Street Theatre: there are options in the Old and New Towns, saving a half-hour journey depending on where you are.

As well as the ticket maps, our venue pages show box office numbers and website addresses, let you know whether you can book online - and tell you how to get to the theatre once you've booked your show.  And we're making daily additions to our repertoire of venue reviews... like this one for the Udderbelly and Cow Barn.

It's all part of FringeGuru's City Guide, our detailed guide to the Edinburgh Festival venues.  We hope you'll enjoy using our City Guide, and we're sure that, that with our help, the Big Four's ticketing problems won't stop you enjoying the Fringe this year.