The promoters are the ones who are making this decision, because they're the ones who have the money.
TM only sells the tickets and takes a nice fee for their trouble, all the ticket money is sitting in the promoters bank accounts (and the many artists who have already taken their huge guarantees up front).
IMO it's important to direct the blame (and hatred) where it belongs. Ticketmaster is owned by Live Nation and they and the other promoters have the money, so it's really LN and the other promoters who are the dirty players here.
I still do not believe this will be the final outcome though, especially because it sure seems like there won't be any shows happening for a VERY long time. The promoters will eventually have to give that money back, they just want to hang on to it as long as they can.
It's slimy for sure, but we are talking about probably close to a billion dollars here, all theoretically available to be given back immediately, so it's likely just a bit complicated.
And are we just as pissed at the small venues & promoters who are doing the same thing? I am holding tickets to a number of shows at small places like Moe's Alley and Kuumbwa Jazz in Santa Cruz, Freight & Salvage in Berkeley and other smaller operations, and they're stalling on the same issue.
I get why they're doing it, and I get why the big boys like Live Nation, AEG and others are doing it as well; giving out massive refunds on dozens or in the the big players situation THOUSANDS of shows all at once would likely kill the smaller places and seriously screw if not completely destroy the larger companies.
But one way or another they're going to have to offer refunds, so I hope they all figure out ways to do the right thing and also stay afloat, because I'd rather wait for my shows or my money back than have empty venues with "FOR LEASE" signs on them when we eventually do get back to our new normal.
And are we just as pissed at the small venues & promoters who are doing the same thing?
No. I have no problem with a venue that's a literal "house" holding $50 of mine. In fact, I told them to.
But a big-ass conglom like LN should cough it up as soon as I say so. Along with any fees. They have the bank and the infrastructure to do what's right, right away.
I've got $200 'invested' in a LiveNation Lawn Pass for Camden, and several acts have cancelled / postponed... Zac Brown and James Taylor among them. They both cancelled their entire Tours. Might see the money back, or an offer to let it ride for next Summer.
Actually when I bought the Lawn Pass way back when, I was hoping for a few Phish and/or DeadCo dates. Really not a great lineup this year.
Then I also purchased EarlyBird for Peach Fest, but they have not moved to cancel yet (it's July 4 Weekend).
Suppose that one will be "full refund", but surprised they have held out this long.
Promoters have insurance for just this scenario. TM is refusing to refund money because of greed.
As Tom correctly stated, TM doesn't have the money, the promoters and bands do. In order to offer refunds at any level money has has to be clawed back. The Promoters probably have it in a bank account, the bands.....who knows? And, if an insurance claim can be made, the promoter has to do it, not TM, so why blame them? I bet it's questionable whether insurance covers Pandemics too, and I suspect insurers will balk and that will drive further lawsuits. There are a lof of good reason to dislike TM, but this one isn't on them. This is a liquidity crunch like never seen before in the concert industry. This is a microcosm of just how fucked the entire US economy really is.
Anyway, once shows have reschedule dates (which most don't) I suspect refunds will be offered for those and tickets resold. Most bands don't wi;; not want to alienate paying fans after this.
The pre-sale and dynamic pricing machinations were enough for me. I'll still go to a TM show but with cash in hand and see if I can grab a decently priced ticket. If not, I'll spend it on sushi and Sapporo and go home. Fuck that noise.
Yes request a refund. Said up to 30 days. Not great but better than it was. Not that I'm looking for it but refund isn't an option on my Cap Phil tickets. Still a lot of shows like that.
And yes, if TM tries to change its refund policy after the fact, it is setting itself up for another class action.
As has been stated a few times in this thread, the issue isn't TM, it's the band that you bought tickets and their promoter standing in the way of refunds.
Regardless of whether its the promoters and bands holding things up, the consumer isn't in privity with those parties. Instead, the consumer paid TM under TM's terms and conditions in effect at the time of the transaction. TM can't change those terms of the deal after the fact without subjecting itself to liability for breach of contract. Of course, if the consumers sue TM, TM can then turn around and file third-party complaints against the promoters and bands for indemnity and contribution.
I am dealing with some force majeure issues right now involving commercial transactions and the Covid-19 pandemic. It will be interesting to see how it all pans out.
They will fuck us like before and we will get our money and the penalty will be our choice of lawn seats to a handful of shitty shows in the July and August heat and humidity as someone referred to above.
No, it won't play out that way as ultimately the band you bought tickets for will reschedule or not. If they don't reschedule, you will get your money back. If they do you'll have a show. Then the question is whether or not refunds will be allowed, but until that time it's kind of moot. I'm not a fan of TM and they don't have our money. Bands and promoters are slowly coughing up money and refunding. Waters just started, the Stones are doing it, Wilco is doing it. This isn't just an issue with just TM either. I hold tickets at a veritable plethora of venues that sell tickets through other channels and the story is the same there. You can't return what you don't have and it will take time to claw back cash, file insurance claims and lawsuits. This is process, a huge liquidity trap created by an unprecedented situation and it will take time.
I was just talking with someone who knows a bit about what's going on, and he made a good point; Ticketmaster has literally thousands of events they have sold tickets for that are ALL canceled or postponed, which is millions of tickets.
Like all the rest of us their organization/staff are also under "house arrest" and simply don't have the ability to deal with millions of refund requests all at the same time. Working from home just doesn't cut it at that level, so I do believe (and so does my friend who works for the evil Live Nation) that ultimately refunds will be offered, but some patience is required, understanding the reality of the situation we're ALL dealing with.
I think mainly most of the promoters & TM are stalling for time so they can see more clearly how this all will shake out. At the moment we all want to believe that shows will begin again this summer, and if that happens then many shows will be rescheduled for that time and many people will keep their tix, and for those who won't TM will be back in business and will be better able to process the massive amount of refund requests.
But if/when the harsh possibility comes true that there will be NO EVENTS for at least a year or longer (and remember that TM deals with all of major league baseball, the NFL, NBA and many other events as well as so many concerts) most people, including Ticketmaster employees will at some point be able to go back to work, and I believe that's when refunds will begin to be offered.
I don't know of anyone except share-holders & executives who "like" Ticketmaster (I know a number of people who work for TM who hate TM) but this situation is beyond anyone's preparation. I really don't think pure greed is at the root of these delays, I think it's more of the same thing that's happening for almost everyone... "How the fuck do we deal with THIS?"
At least that's my glass-half-full attitude.
And speaking of that,at the moment my glass is not not full at all, so excuse me while I re-fill.
Has anyone actually received their refund money yet? It's probably been over 20 days since requesting a Weir refund and at least two weeks for two Waters shows, which was a pretty big chunk of cash.
I've still got the confirmation emails from every Ticketmaster purchase I've made for this year. Once the 30 days hits I'm contacting my bank. I've heard of people doing this with success. Then, apparently Ticketmaster blocks your card or account in retaliation.
Lance they have a computer system that manages to take my money Instantly when I hit buy. It should be pretty simple to set up a system that refunds my money when I hit refund. Its really not that complicated. I canceled an Airbnb Tuesday and had the refund within 3 hours.
Yeah Keith, but that system that instantly takes your money also takes of time & effort to set up for each event before the instant part begins. It also requires time & effort to set up a refund system for one show, let alone thousands.
It really is a bit complicated.
That being said, I do think there are TM shows being refunded. Fortunately I don't have any TM tix hanging out there so I don't know for sure, but I did notice that the Another Planet website says if you want a refund on postponed shows go to place of purchase, which for them is TM, so I'm assuming one can get a refund for their shows, but that might be taking some time to execute as well.
Either way, I'm not trying to say that Ticketmaster or the promoters are perfect innocent angels, I'm just saying that things are fucked up all over these days, and everyone will likely get their money back.
ALBANY – New York lawmakers have opened an investigation into Ticketmaster just days after the online ticketing agency apparently altered its refund policy to exclude postponed events even as some states extend bans on large gatherings during the coronavirus outbreak.
State Sen. James Skoufis, D-Woodbury, Orange County, on Thursday announced the Senate Investigation and Government Operations Committee has been investigating the ticketing giant.
Following reports Ticketmaster will no longer provide refunds for postponed or rescheduled events, Skoufis wrote to state Attorney General Letitia James asking her to open a formal inquiry.
A spokesman for the state Attorney General’s Office said the matter is being looked into after the office received numerous complaints, but no formal investigation has been launched at this time.
In a statement, Skoufis — who chairs the committee leading the investigation — called the change in policy to only included canceled events a form of “corporate robbery” and sent a letter to the state’s Attorney General’s Office requesting a formal inquiry into the matter.
“Deceptively changing the language of refund policies and excluding postponed or rescheduled events are forms of corporate robbery; withholding billions of dollars that many now need to survive this pandemic is the antithesis of corporate social responsibility,” he said.
Ticketmaster, in its own statement, said event organizers are responsible for offering refunds for postponed events but many are waiting to do so until events are rescheduled — a process complicated by restrictions put in place because of COVID-19.
The company’s Purchasing Policy allows promoters to set refund limitations when an event is postponed or rescheduled.
“While we cannot guarantee all event organizers will offer refunds on their rescheduled events, we anticipate the vast majority will make a refund window available once new dates have been determined,” the company said in a statement.
It acknowledges that Ticketmaster is stuck between a rock and a hard place because it is contractually required to give consumers refunds, but the money is the hands of the promoters.
And here is the latest on the class actions that have been filed against Ticketmaster for attempting to change its refund policies retroactively:
My Wilco refunds posted yesterday and I requested Roger Waters refunds a few weeks ago. The only events I have not been able to request a refund from TM for are Phish and Sturgill Simpson. I'm sure Phish will announce soon...... not so sure about Sturgill.
The ticket retailer Ticketmaster is finalizing plans to issue refunds for up to 18,000 postponed events in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Parent company Live Nation announced that refunds for those concerts will be open to fans requesting them starting May 1, for a 30-day period.
The postponements, which affect shows scheduled through July, represent a big swath of the 55,000 events currently listed on Ticketmaster for 2020. Future cancellations and postponements will be dealt with at a later date.
Fans can also choose an option to exchange tickets for up to 150% of the face value through Ticketmaster’s credit system for future shows, or donate tickets to health care workers. The same terms will apply to Live Nation events and those from its rival firm AEG, after weeks of negotiations with talent agencies and sports leagues.
Ticketmaster has, so far, already canceled or postponed 30,000 events for 2020, totaling $2 billion in ticket revenue, and could see up to 25,000 more events affected this year.
Ticketmaster and Live Nation faced widespread criticism for not acting faster to get a plan for refunds in place, and attracted attention from Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., and their frequent foe Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J.
Porter told Billboard, in a statement, “People across the country are having to make adjustments in their lives to keep everyone safe. Ticketmaster can do its part by giving people their money back. Let’s be clear: they can do this without government action, and they can do it today. Ticketmaster should do the right thing and stop trying to profit off a pandemic.”
Live Nation, for its part, has also raised a $10 million support fund for crews affected by the cancellation, and top staff have taken deep salary cuts. The re-seller StubHub as also been hit with a class-action lawsuit over its handling of refunds during the pandemic.
IMO the mistake the promoters made was not getting together and quickly putting out a clear singular statement about how it all actually works and that time was going to be needed to make a plan that would work, instead of not saying anything and then suddenly having TM change the wording on return policies. That's what made everyone's head explode.
Maybe even that Representative from California would have read the statement. But being a politician she probably wouldn't have understood it or cared.
>>> Let’s be clear: they can do this without government action, and they can do it today<<<
You'd think someone would have told her that TM can't just give the money back, because it's not their money and they don't have it, and it's not that simple either way.
And Stubhub has it even harder, since the money from the tix they sell goes to individual sellers, not the promoters. Good luck with that one SH, and good luck to those who buy from "secondary sellers" and then expect refunds.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Woz
That wasn't the existing
That wasn't the existing policy when people bought tickets for shows prior to COVID so I would imagine there is an opening for a lawsuit there.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: long live the dead
Always been complete crooks
Always been complete crooks
and artists complicit
(dead and co complete rip-off)
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: skyjunk
My Tool concert is in a
My Tool concert is in a couple days and no refund, even called am ex and they cannot do anything.
Money plus interest
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Barry
Wow, just wow. The promoters
Wow, just wow. The promoters have to stop using this service. It's the only way it's gonna stop.
Sad.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: An organ grinder’s tune
about those free shows....
about those free shows....
you know, the last lawsuit thing...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mice elf
Anybody dumb enough to let tm
Anybody dumb enough to let tm hold their money through a global pandemic just paid for a lesson.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance minimum goad Newberry
The promoters are the ones
The promoters are the ones who are making this decision, because they're the ones who have the money.
TM only sells the tickets and takes a nice fee for their trouble, all the ticket money is sitting in the promoters bank accounts (and the many artists who have already taken their huge guarantees up front).
IMO it's important to direct the blame (and hatred) where it belongs. Ticketmaster is owned by Live Nation and they and the other promoters have the money, so it's really LN and the other promoters who are the dirty players here.
I still do not believe this will be the final outcome though, especially because it sure seems like there won't be any shows happening for a VERY long time. The promoters will eventually have to give that money back, they just want to hang on to it as long as they can.
It's slimy for sure, but we are talking about probably close to a billion dollars here, all theoretically available to be given back immediately, so it's likely just a bit complicated.
And are we just as pissed at the small venues & promoters who are doing the same thing? I am holding tickets to a number of shows at small places like Moe's Alley and Kuumbwa Jazz in Santa Cruz, Freight & Salvage in Berkeley and other smaller operations, and they're stalling on the same issue.
I get why they're doing it, and I get why the big boys like Live Nation, AEG and others are doing it as well; giving out massive refunds on dozens or in the the big players situation THOUSANDS of shows all at once would likely kill the smaller places and seriously screw if not completely destroy the larger companies.
But one way or another they're going to have to offer refunds, so I hope they all figure out ways to do the right thing and also stay afloat, because I'd rather wait for my shows or my money back than have empty venues with "FOR LEASE" signs on them when we eventually do get back to our new normal.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Thumbkinetic
And are we just as pissed at
And are we just as pissed at the small venues & promoters who are doing the same thing?
No. I have no problem with a venue that's a literal "house" holding $50 of mine. In fact, I told them to.
But a big-ass conglom like LN should cough it up as soon as I say so. Along with any fees. They have the bank and the infrastructure to do what's right, right away.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Sycamore Slough
I've got $200 'invested' in
I've got $200 'invested' in a LiveNation Lawn Pass for Camden, and several acts have cancelled / postponed... Zac Brown and James Taylor among them. They both cancelled their entire Tours. Might see the money back, or an offer to let it ride for next Summer.
Actually when I bought the Lawn Pass way back when, I was hoping for a few Phish and/or DeadCo dates. Really not a great lineup this year.
Then I also purchased EarlyBird for Peach Fest, but they have not moved to cancel yet (it's July 4 Weekend).
Suppose that one will be "full refund", but surprised they have held out this long.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Barry
Promoters have insurance for
Promoters have insurance for just this scenario. TM is refusing to refund money because of greed.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Woz
Promoters have insurance for
Promoters have insurance for just this scenario. TM is refusing to refund money because of greed.
As Tom correctly stated, TM doesn't have the money, the promoters and bands do. In order to offer refunds at any level money has has to be clawed back. The Promoters probably have it in a bank account, the bands.....who knows? And, if an insurance claim can be made, the promoter has to do it, not TM, so why blame them? I bet it's questionable whether insurance covers Pandemics too, and I suspect insurers will balk and that will drive further lawsuits. There are a lof of good reason to dislike TM, but this one isn't on them. This is a liquidity crunch like never seen before in the concert industry. This is a microcosm of just how fucked the entire US economy really is.
Anyway, once shows have reschedule dates (which most don't) I suspect refunds will be offered for those and tickets resold. Most bands don't wi;; not want to alienate paying fans after this.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: skyjunk
Real scalpers outside the
Real scalpers outside the arena out perform these idiots
Hell I see Uncle Bob at every show outside, stop say hi, see what he has, work a trade if he has better and bingo, he ain't holding my money
TM, Live Nation, The Artist they are all scalpers
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Keithk1
Was able to get a refund on
Was able to get a refund on my Waters tickets today. Wasn't able to last week.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: JP (J Bomb)
The pre-sale and dynamic
The pre-sale and dynamic pricing machinations were enough for me. I'll still go to a TM show but with cash in hand and see if I can grab a decently priced ticket. If not, I'll spend it on sushi and Sapporo and go home. Fuck that noise.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Thumbkinetic
My buddy calls it a "vulture
My buddy calls it a "vulture ticket".
Crossed Stevie Wonder off his bucket list that way.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Woz
Was able to get a refund on
Was able to get a refund on my Waters tickets today. Wasn't able to last week.
I take it that you were able to request a refund. I did that last week and Wilco three weeks ago and so far have gotten nothing back....
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Keithk1
Yes request a refund. Said
Yes request a refund. Said up to 30 days. Not great but better than it was. Not that I'm looking for it but refund isn't an option on my Cap Phil tickets. Still a lot of shows like that.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Woz
Snappy is going to have that
Snappy is going to have that up sooner or later. Lock'n won't happen and those Phil Cap shows have been already been postponed twice LOL!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: El Nino
I'm looking forward to my
I'm looking forward to my free Styx tickets for the July matinee performance at Surface of the Sun Amphitheater once the class action lawsuit settles.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Ken D.
Wonder if Live Nation is
Wonder if Live Nation is going to get a big government bailout?
Personally, I am holding on to all my tix and waiting for the rescheduled shows.
And yes, if TM tries to change its refund policy after the fact, it is setting itself up for another class action.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Woz
And yes, if TM tries to
And yes, if TM tries to change its refund policy after the fact, it is setting itself up for another class action.
As has been stated a few times in this thread, the issue isn't TM, it's the band that you bought tickets and their promoter standing in the way of refunds.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Ken D.
It may be the promoters and
Regardless of whether its the promoters and bands holding things up, the consumer isn't in privity with those parties. Instead, the consumer paid TM under TM's terms and conditions in effect at the time of the transaction. TM can't change those terms of the deal after the fact without subjecting itself to liability for breach of contract. Of course, if the consumers sue TM, TM can then turn around and file third-party complaints against the promoters and bands for indemnity and contribution.
I am dealing with some force majeure issues right now involving commercial transactions and the Covid-19 pandemic. It will be interesting to see how it all pans out.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: skyjunk
They will fuck us like before
They will fuck us like before and we will get our money and the penalty will be our choice of lawn seats to a handful of shitty shows in the July and August heat and humidity as someone referred to above.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Woz
No, it won't play out that
No, it won't play out that way as ultimately the band you bought tickets for will reschedule or not. If they don't reschedule, you will get your money back. If they do you'll have a show. Then the question is whether or not refunds will be allowed, but until that time it's kind of moot. I'm not a fan of TM and they don't have our money. Bands and promoters are slowly coughing up money and refunding. Waters just started, the Stones are doing it, Wilco is doing it. This isn't just an issue with just TM either. I hold tickets at a veritable plethora of venues that sell tickets through other channels and the story is the same there. You can't return what you don't have and it will take time to claw back cash, file insurance claims and lawsuits. This is process, a huge liquidity trap created by an unprecedented situation and it will take time.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance minimum goad Newberry
I was just talking with
I was just talking with someone who knows a bit about what's going on, and he made a good point; Ticketmaster has literally thousands of events they have sold tickets for that are ALL canceled or postponed, which is millions of tickets.
Like all the rest of us their organization/staff are also under "house arrest" and simply don't have the ability to deal with millions of refund requests all at the same time. Working from home just doesn't cut it at that level, so I do believe (and so does my friend who works for the evil Live Nation) that ultimately refunds will be offered, but some patience is required, understanding the reality of the situation we're ALL dealing with.
I think mainly most of the promoters & TM are stalling for time so they can see more clearly how this all will shake out. At the moment we all want to believe that shows will begin again this summer, and if that happens then many shows will be rescheduled for that time and many people will keep their tix, and for those who won't TM will be back in business and will be better able to process the massive amount of refund requests.
But if/when the harsh possibility comes true that there will be NO EVENTS for at least a year or longer (and remember that TM deals with all of major league baseball, the NFL, NBA and many other events as well as so many concerts) most people, including Ticketmaster employees will at some point be able to go back to work, and I believe that's when refunds will begin to be offered.
I don't know of anyone except share-holders & executives who "like" Ticketmaster (I know a number of people who work for TM who hate TM) but this situation is beyond anyone's preparation. I really don't think pure greed is at the root of these delays, I think it's more of the same thing that's happening for almost everyone... "How the fuck do we deal with THIS?"
At least that's my glass-half-full attitude.
And speaking of that,at the moment my glass is not not full at all, so excuse me while I re-fill.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Philnweird
Has anyone actually received
Has anyone actually received their refund money yet? It's probably been over 20 days since requesting a Weir refund and at least two weeks for two Waters shows, which was a pretty big chunk of cash.
I've still got the confirmation emails from every Ticketmaster purchase I've made for this year. Once the 30 days hits I'm contacting my bank. I've heard of people doing this with success. Then, apparently Ticketmaster blocks your card or account in retaliation.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Keithk1
Lance they have a computer
Lance they have a computer system that manages to take my money Instantly when I hit buy. It should be pretty simple to set up a system that refunds my money when I hit refund. Its really not that complicated. I canceled an Airbnb Tuesday and had the refund within 3 hours.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Blue Rose Task Force
Thanks for the Heads up, last
Thanks for the Heads up, last I checked there were no refund options..
I wonder when Dead & Company will be making an announcement....
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance minimum goad Newberry
Yeah Keith, but that system
Yeah Keith, but that system that instantly takes your money also takes of time & effort to set up for each event before the instant part begins. It also requires time & effort to set up a refund system for one show, let alone thousands.
It really is a bit complicated.
That being said, I do think there are TM shows being refunded. Fortunately I don't have any TM tix hanging out there so I don't know for sure, but I did notice that the Another Planet website says if you want a refund on postponed shows go to place of purchase, which for them is TM, so I'm assuming one can get a refund for their shows, but that might be taking some time to execute as well.
Either way, I'm not trying to say that Ticketmaster or the promoters are perfect innocent angels, I'm just saying that things are fucked up all over these days, and everyone will likely get their money back.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: donster
ALBANY – New York lawmakers
ALBANY – New York lawmakers have opened an investigation into Ticketmaster just days after the online ticketing agency apparently altered its refund policy to exclude postponed events even as some states extend bans on large gatherings during the coronavirus outbreak.
State Sen. James Skoufis, D-Woodbury, Orange County, on Thursday announced the Senate Investigation and Government Operations Committee has been investigating the ticketing giant.
Following reports Ticketmaster will no longer provide refunds for postponed or rescheduled events, Skoufis wrote to state Attorney General Letitia James asking her to open a formal inquiry.
A spokesman for the state Attorney General’s Office said the matter is being looked into after the office received numerous complaints, but no formal investigation has been launched at this time.
In a statement, Skoufis — who chairs the committee leading the investigation — called the change in policy to only included canceled events a form of “corporate robbery” and sent a letter to the state’s Attorney General’s Office requesting a formal inquiry into the matter.
“Deceptively changing the language of refund policies and excluding postponed or rescheduled events are forms of corporate robbery; withholding billions of dollars that many now need to survive this pandemic is the antithesis of corporate social responsibility,” he said.
Ticketmaster, in its own statement, said event organizers are responsible for offering refunds for postponed events but many are waiting to do so until events are rescheduled — a process complicated by restrictions put in place because of COVID-19.
The company’s Purchasing Policy allows promoters to set refund limitations when an event is postponed or rescheduled.
“While we cannot guarantee all event organizers will offer refunds on their rescheduled events, we anticipate the vast majority will make a refund window available once new dates have been determined,” the company said in a statement.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Ken D.
Here is an NPR story that ran
Here is an NPR story that ran two days ago on the Ticketmaster refund fiasco:
https://www.npr.org/2020/04/24/844301434/why-ticket-holders-are-struggli...
It acknowledges that Ticketmaster is stuck between a rock and a hard place because it is contractually required to give consumers refunds, but the money is the hands of the promoters.
And here is the latest on the class actions that have been filed against Ticketmaster for attempting to change its refund policies retroactively:
https://www.classaction.org/blog/class-action-against-ticketmaster-live-...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Woz
My Wilco refunds posted
My Wilco refunds posted yesterday and I requested Roger Waters refunds a few weeks ago. The only events I have not been able to request a refund from TM for are Phish and Sturgill Simpson. I'm sure Phish will announce soon...... not so sure about Sturgill.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Thumbkinetic
refund window<<
refund window<<
You may need to pour yourself through it like a cartoon character, but there'll be a window.
Don't blink.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: El Nino
The ticket retailer
The ticket retailer Ticketmaster is finalizing plans to issue refunds for up to 18,000 postponed events in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Parent company Live Nation announced that refunds for those concerts will be open to fans requesting them starting May 1, for a 30-day period.
The postponements, which affect shows scheduled through July, represent a big swath of the 55,000 events currently listed on Ticketmaster for 2020. Future cancellations and postponements will be dealt with at a later date.
Fans can also choose an option to exchange tickets for up to 150% of the face value through Ticketmaster’s credit system for future shows, or donate tickets to health care workers. The same terms will apply to Live Nation events and those from its rival firm AEG, after weeks of negotiations with talent agencies and sports leagues.
Ticketmaster has, so far, already canceled or postponed 30,000 events for 2020, totaling $2 billion in ticket revenue, and could see up to 25,000 more events affected this year.
Ticketmaster and Live Nation faced widespread criticism for not acting faster to get a plan for refunds in place, and attracted attention from Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., and their frequent foe Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J.
Porter told Billboard, in a statement, “People across the country are having to make adjustments in their lives to keep everyone safe. Ticketmaster can do its part by giving people their money back. Let’s be clear: they can do this without government action, and they can do it today. Ticketmaster should do the right thing and stop trying to profit off a pandemic.”
Live Nation, for its part, has also raised a $10 million support fund for crews affected by the cancellation, and top staff have taken deep salary cuts. The re-seller StubHub as also been hit with a class-action lawsuit over its handling of refunds during the pandemic.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance minimum goad Newberry
The mistake the promoters
What we have here is a failure to communicate.
IMO the mistake the promoters made was not getting together and quickly putting out a clear singular statement about how it all actually works and that time was going to be needed to make a plan that would work, instead of not saying anything and then suddenly having TM change the wording on return policies. That's what made everyone's head explode.
Maybe even that Representative from California would have read the statement. But being a politician she probably wouldn't have understood it or cared.
>>> Let’s be clear: they can do this without government action, and they can do it today<<<
You'd think someone would have told her that TM can't just give the money back, because it's not their money and they don't have it, and it's not that simple either way.
And Stubhub has it even harder, since the money from the tix they sell goes to individual sellers, not the promoters. Good luck with that one SH, and good luck to those who buy from "secondary sellers" and then expect refunds.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: JP (J Bomb)
Saudi Arabia increases their
Saudi Arabia increases their Live Nation investment. Talk about a perfect fit.
https://variety.com/2020/music/news/live-nation-saudi-arabia-investment-...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance minimum goad Newberry
I'd say they made a deal with
I'd say they made a deal with the devil, but in their case it's more like keeping it a family affair.
At least now you'll get your refunds.