Don’t Expect to Receive Refunds From Ticketmaster for a Delayed Show
Ticketmaster has clarified its refund policy for events that have been canceled or postponed due to COVID-19, which is potentially bad news for people who have purchased tickets for upcoming events.
Ticketmaster’s previous policy, captured in an image published by The New York Times , stated that you are eligible for a refund “if your event is postponed, rescheduled or canceled.” The page has now been revised to state that “Refunds are available if your event is canceled.” This means that if you can’t get your money back, if the event venue only pushed it into an uncertain future rather than canceling it entirely.
In an interview with CNBC, Joe Berchtold, president of Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, said: “Ticketmaster does not sell these tickets or hoard money. Ticketmaster sells tickets and transfers cash to event venues. “
Thus, Ticketmaster cannot refund your money simply because you no longer have the money – the venue has it. This means it is now up to you to decide if you receive a refund for the delayed show.
In order for Ticketmaster to offer you a refund, he must first receive this money back from the venue, which makes the task much more difficult both due to the fact that many establishments are closed right now, and due to the fact that there is a fairly significant the amount of canceled and postponed performances to work on.
If the event has been canceled, Ticketmaster will still send a refund, but as per its revised policy, if the show is delayed, you will simply receive a ticket for a new date whenever possible.
If you are unable to get a refund from Ticketmaster, it is best to contact the event venue and ask for it. Again, given that most of these locations are closed due to COVID-19, this is probably easier said than done.