As a huge fan of Rage Against the Machine, Dave Brooks, the senior director of live music for Billboard, had his tickets in hand for the band’s “Public Service Announcement” tour, which was set to begin in March.
But with the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Rage tour, like others all around the country, had to be postponed and the band gave fans the opportunity to get a refund or keep their tickets for a later date.
“I actually kept my tickets, and that got pushed back a year. I’m a huge Rage fan and I’m going to wait,” he said.
Unlike Brooks, other music fans who are holding tickets for canceled, postponed or rescheduled shows want their money back, and for many of them it may not be as easy to get a refund.
“We’re in an unprecedented situation when it comes to concerts and other live events. The industry has basically ground to a halt. Any concert people had expected to go from March until today and probably throughout the rest of the summer will be canceled or postponed,” said John Breyault, vice president, public policy, telecommunications and fraud for the National Consumers League, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.
“We are certainly hearing from consumers, both directly and from fans on Twitter and elsewhere, frustration at their inability to get refunds for tickets they’ve purchased for events,” Breyault added.
Here’s some advice from Brooks and Breyault, as well as from Nick Cole of the Atlanta based Clark.com, a consumer advocacy and financial adviser group, on how to get a refund for your concert tickets.
What to do if a show is canceled
Consider yourself lucky. This is the easiest way to get your money back. You should typically get a refund for the ticket and any fees or service charges within 30 days.
“If it’s been canceled, chances are you’re going to get your refund automatically. If that hasn’t happened, contact the person you bought the ticket from, whether that’s Ticketmaster or another source, and ask for the refund. They should give it to you, no questions asked,” Breyault said.
“All charges, 100% percent of what you paid for the ticket, should be refunded,” Brooks said.
What to do if the show was postponed
Whether you’re stuck in limbo with a postponed show depends on the ticket seller.
“What we have seen is that events have been not canceled but postponed — and postponed indefinitely,” Breyault said.
If an event is moved to, say, a year down the line, customers are basically giving the event producers a one-year no interest loan, he noted.
“We think that’s really unconscionable, given the dire straits that people are finding themselves in,” Breyault said.
If you’re in this situation, pay close attention. Some ticket sellers are offering specific time windows to request a refund. If the ticket seller isn’t emailing you with updates or new information, reach out.
“That’s when you need to say, ‘Hey what’s going on here’ and make a call, send an email inquiry. It’s never going to hurt to be your own advocate in those scenarios,” Cole said. “Typically the person that’s persistent, polite, is probably going to get a better outcome.”
Those who purchased tickets from major sellers may have an easier time getting their money back. Live Nation (which merged with Ticketmaster) and AEG both have said customers will be offered a refund for postponed events, Brooks said.
What to do if a show is rescheduled
What if you can’t attend the rescheduled date or don’t want to go? That’s a bit murky right now, and what happens depends on who you got the tickets from and their policies. Be pro-active.
“If you’re in the situation where you definitely know that you don’t want to go anymore, whether for safety reasons or financial reasons, I would be proactive in reaching out and explaining your situation,” Cole said. “Our mantra for this kind of stuff is polite persistence pays. There are people behind the screens for these businesses. It’s always good to give them the benefit of the doubt. You’re going to find that people are much more helpful if you take that approach.”
Don’t take the credit
Some ticket sellers may offer credits, in lieu of refunds, for future shows. Those credits may even be higher than the face value of your ticket, which means you can upgrade seats for future shows. But California is one of 14 states, Brooks said, that outlaws the practice of offering credits instead of refunds.
“If you bought a ticket for an event in California you should be able to get a refund,” Brooks said.
And if you are offered a choice, Cole advises people to take the money and run.
“The best thing is to get your money while you can. You have to worry about your personal finances in the short term, but you also have to worry about the ticket providers and how they’re going to weather this in the long run,” Cole said. “A credit with a company that is going out of business isn’t much value.”
Go online, but be nice
Frustrated customers may be tempted to call out ticketing agencies online to shame them into refunding their tickets.
“Whether you call them out on social media or via a strongly worded old fashioned letter, my advice is the same: Be polite, explain what you want and be respectful in how you ask for it. If you’re abusive, you’re less likely to be successful,” Breyault said.
Last resorts
If you feel like an event producer or ticket provider is ignoring your request, then Breyault suggests calling your credit card company or bank to find out if it’s a charge you can dispute.
Or you can go a bit further than that.
“As a final resort, you can always file a complaint with your local consumer protection office and escalate it that way. But make sure you are holding on to any documentation you received, as well as any communications you had with the ticketing company and anyone else so you can build a record of how you tried to get a refund,” Breyault said.
