With the concert business basically shut down due to the coronavirus, there are a lot of folks out there who spent money on concerts that either haven’t happened or will never happen. So, can they get a refund? Well, the major two of the biggest live entertainment companies have finally revealed their ticket refund policy, and some fans may not be that happy about it.
Promoter AEG is automatically refunding fans for canceled concert, as is smaller company, AXS, but if you have tickets to a Live Nation show, that’s another story.
Even if a tour is canceled, Live Nation is requiring ticket holders to request a refund. They also have the option of getting a credit from the venue for a future concert, through the “Rock When You’re Ready” promotion, which will give them up to 150 percent of their ticket value in “concert cash.” They can also donate their tickets via Live Nation’s Hero Nation. Live Nation’s new policy starts May 1st, and at that point ticket holders will have 30 following a tour cancelation to make a decision about heir ticket.
- A show postponement is another story also. AEG is giving fans 30 days to request a full refund if a show has already been rescheduled to a new date. If a show hasn’t been rescheduled, but isn’t canceled yet, folks can’t request a refund until the new date is announced, and once a date is confirmed they will then have 30 days to request their money back. Those who want to attend the new date simply have to hold on to their original tickets.
- The postponement policy for Live Nation is similar, although fans will still have the option to get “concert cash” instead through the “Rock When You’re Ready" program. If a fan simply attends the rescheduled date, they will also get $15 or $20 (depending on the venue) in Live Nation Concert Cash for every ticket used.
- ONE MORE THING! It seems music fans are not at all happy with the refund policy. A man named Derek Hansen has filed a class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster, a division of Live Nation, arguing that their policy used to give refunds "if your event is postponed, rescheduled or canceled," but then retroactively changed it due to the coronavirus. Now they are only offering refunds for canceled shows, which is leaving a lot of people out money. Hansen is specifically looking for a refunds for his two Rage Against the Machine tickets that cost him $600.
Source:Rolling Stone
photo: Getty Images