Ticket Holders May Not Be Getting Refunds

Customers furious over Ticketmaster, StubHub policies
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 14, 2020 10:04 AM CDT
Ticket Holders May Not Be Getting Refunds
Ticketmaster tickets and gift cards are shown at a box office in San Jose, Calif., on May 11, 2009.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

You might not be getting a refund for tickets purchased for a live show this year. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Digital Music News reports Ticketmaster has changed its policy so as to not offer refunds for events that are postponed or rescheduled—and there are thousands, from sporting events to concerts. The company's website previously stated refunds were available for "postponed, rescheduled, or canceled" events. It now acknowledges refunds for canceled events but says those for postponed or rescheduled events are only provided if offered by the organizer, reports CBS Los Angeles. Ticketmaster tells the New York Times that it was only clarifying its existing policy. Either way, ticket holders aren't pleased to be out money for events with no date provided.

One woman tells the Times that Ticketmaster—which sells some $30 billion in tickets each year, directing most of that money to clients, including venues and promoters—is "holding hostage" the $3,000 she spent on tickets. Ticket reseller StubHub is facing the same criticism after altering its refund policy. Instead of a refund, it now offers coupons worth 120% of the amount paid. StubHub President Sukhinder Singh Cassidy cited a "magnitude" of challenges in an interview with the Times. The company is facing at least one lawsuit over the change, as described by Billboard. Legal experts expect more lawsuits to follow. However, there are ongoing negotiations about allowing a 30-day window in which customers could seek refunds for postponed events, the Times reports. (More Ticketmaster stories.)

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