Ticketmaster quietly changes cancellation policy

Coronavirus has brought many shows, festivals, and other events to a grinding halt, and a huge majority of music shows are run through Ticketmaster, the controversial ticketing agency run by parent company, Live Nation. Many of these events have postponed until fall, in hopes that the pandemic will be over by then, and have been offering both refunds and the chance to keep tickets for the new dates. However, that may be changing under the new Ticketmaster refund policy.

Under the old policy, refunds were available for postponement and cancellation of events. Now, though, patrons are only getting refunds for canceled events, leaving fans who can’t attend rescheduled dates out of luck. For those who find themselves with tickets they can no longer use, Ticketmaster said in their policy update,

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.”

Unfortunately for many, resale is not a guaranteed method of receiving money back. During a pandemic in which many have lost their jobs, some event organizers are still moving forward and offering fans refunds for postponed shows. There’s no guarantee yet which ones will offer refunds and which won’t, but ticket holders are invited to “check back later” on the website to see if the refund status has changed. As more concerts get postponed and canceled, many fans could be left stranded.

According to a statement from Live Nation, acquired by Billboard, another option “for rescheduled shows, they will receive Concert Cash once they attend the new date. Those looking for ways to give back can opt to donate their tickets to health care workers through Live Nation’s expanded Hero Nation program.”

The move for Ticketmaster comes as unsurprising from a company who’s been embroiled in scandal after scandal. The company underwent federal investigations for running a ticketing scalping ring and an anti-trust lawsuit dating back to 2018 for monopolizing and strongarming venues.