Ticketmaster’s refund policy no longer covers postponed or moved concerts, a move that has left countless customers without answers on purchases as all live music and sporting events are cancelled for the foreseeable future.
The ticketing giant quietly changed its policies in recent days to only allow refunds for events that have been cancelled outright. Previously, events that had been postponed, rescheduled or cancelled were all automatically eligible for ticket refunds.
The move, predictably, has been massively unpopular on social media, with thousands of tweets decrying the decision. (One particularly choice remark, from U.S. congresswoman Katie Porter: “I applaud Ticketmaster for continuing to shine in what is apparently a competition to provide the worst customer service in any industry.”)
On the company’s official coronavirus response page, Ticketmaster says the only way to get refunds for moved show dates is if the event organizer chooses to make them available. “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,” the site offers.
However, not all events have been officially cancelled or moved. Some fans point out that events set for late June – when the city’s ban on large gatherings will still be in effect – are still on Ticketmaster’s calendar, and therefore not eligible for refunds.
And while other events might have been moved, the indeterminate length of the isolation measures mean that even postponed dates are left in limbo. Fans are now directly canvassing artists on Twitter to officially cancel the shows so that showgoers can recoup their lost funds.
@nataliamanzocco
