Ticketmaster, a ticket sales and distribution company, has reworded its refund policy in light of the current Covid-19 crisis, and fans are outraged.
Thousands of live events have been canceled or postposed due to the novel coronavirus, causing many of those who purchased tickets to said events to seek refunds. But, it appears that Ticketmaster quietly changed their policy to only allow refunds for canceled events, not postponed or rescheduled events.
The New York Times captured images on Ticketmaster’s website that show the change that took place sometime after March 13. The original post read that refunds “are available if your event is postponed, rescheduled or canceled.” The page has been edited to say that refunds “are available if your event is canceled.”
Ticketmaster issued a statement to USA TODAY that claimed the company’s policy has stayed the same, but the wording was edited for clarity. The statement also said that the refund policy for postponed events has always been set by event organizers…not by Ticketmaster. The company said it is “focused on supporting event organizers in determining new dates and refund policies” in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, while rescheduling thousands of events.
As news of Ticketmaster’s policy change spread on social media, hundreds of angry fans voiced their frustration.
Count me as another victim of the evil @Ticketmaster https://t.co/qFS79UeWSr
— Chris Ward (@cwardnet) April 14, 2020
BOYCOTT @TICKETMASTER!!! #BoycottTicketMaster!! They think that they can use this tragedy to make a quick unearned dollar from US? Ain't happening any longer. LIVE MUSIC SHOULD NOT BE HELD CAPTIVE TO A #MEGACORPORATION EVER AGAIN!!!
Let's get it trending!! #BOYCOTTTICKETMASTER
— Rael, Imperial Aerosal Kid (@ezra_reis) April 14, 2020
@jaredtsmith I’m very disappointed with your decision on not allowing us to get refunds for shows. This will be the last time I use Ticketmaster.#EnjoyTheShow #QuaratineLife #firefighter #frontlineworker #ticketmasterrefund
— FishingForCardano (@Fishing4Cardano) April 14, 2020
If you are one of the thousands affected by event cancelations and purchased your tickets through Ticketmaster, the company states that you will automatically receive a refund to the card you purchased your ticket with (minus mailing fees) within to 10 business day.
If you purchased tickets for a postponed event, you will have to be patient. Ticketmaster will reach out to you when the event has been rescheduled. If the new date doesn’t fit your schedule, you may be due a refund if approved “by the artist, team, venue, or promoter.” Click here for more info.