Ticketmaster addresses refunds amid COVID-19 controversy

Company clarifies stance on refunds

Ticketmaster has received some backlash from ticketholders lately due to a change in their terms of its refund policy. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the company removed the wording “if your event is postponed, rescheduled or canceled” from its refund policy to reflect only cancelations as the way to get your money back. Since sparking confusion, the company has clarified its policy, stating it’s out of their control as to when refunds are given for postponed or rescheduled events.

“As we receive updates from artists, teams and show organizers on their postponed and rescheduled events, as well as their individual refund policies, we will be providing fans with the latest news on their event status via this comprehensive information portal,” they write.

The company is working with event organizers to identify new dates for all rescheduled events. Ticketmaster will notify fans once they have conformation. If an event organizer offers refunds for a rescheduled event, a refund link will be visible under the event in your Ticketmaster account. They also assure fans will be able to reach out with questions or concerns at that time.

“Please note that given the unprecedented circumstances, event organizers are constantly assessing the situation and making determinations regarding refunds. If your event is not currently enabled for refunds, check back later, as this status may change,” Ticketmaster confirms. “If your event was postponed or rescheduled and you are unable to attend (and resale is enabled for your event), you can sell your tickets to other fans on our safe and simple Ticketmaster resale marketplace. If refunds are not allowed for your event and you post through ticketmaster.com, we will waive seller fees for fans that create(d) resale postings from March 17 through May 31.”

The Live Nation owned company assures fans they will automatically be refunded for any canceled event. However, with more than 30k events canceled in such a short amount of time — and their staff working from home — it could take up to a month to receive a refund.

“If your event was canceled, there’s nothing you need to do,” they assure. “It’s Ticketmaster’s standing policy to automatically refund the full cost of the ticket and fees to the original purchaser’s method of payment used at time of purchase. For any canceled events, due to the unprecedented volume of cancelations, please note that you should expect to receive your refund in as soon as 30 days.”

The statement further clarifies that fans need to do nothing for future events that are still scheduled. Ticketmaster will notify ticketholders should anything change.

They close, “At Ticketmaster, our mission is to connect people through the power of live events. What makes these experiences so special is the pure joy we feel from being a part of the broader community of like-minded, dedicated fans, which is why we’d like to take a moment to offer our most heartfelt support to any of our fellow fans, friends and family who have been affected by this virus. We wish everyone the best health and safety during this difficult time, and we look forward to returning to our favorite live events as soon as possible.”

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn