The coronavirus pandemic has put an end to touring musicians for the time being, resulting in thousands of canceled and postponed shows. Fans who bought tickets through Ticketmaster have expressed their outrage after the company reportedly rewrote their refund policy amid the pandemic, but now Billboard reports that Ticketmaster is working on an extensive refund policy.
On May 1, fans who bought tickets for shows that have been impacted by COVID-19 will receive emails from Ticketmaster. The new dates for any postponed shows will be listed, and anyone who isn't happy with the new dates can initiate a refund. There is a 30-day window to request the refund, and if one is not requested the tickets will automatically be valid for the new dates. Additionally, Live Nation is planning to offer fans credit for future shows 150 percent of the value of their original tickets. Live Nation will also offer fans the option to donate proceeds of their refund to a charity that provides tickets to health care workers, and the company will match the donations raised.
Live Nation released the following statement Friday:
Live Nation will soon be rolling out Rock When You’re Ready, a full program of options for fans with tickets to shows that have been cancelled or rescheduled. Our venues across North America will be offering loyal fans a variety of Concert Cash credits to put towards future ticket purchases. For cancelled shows, fans can choose to receive up to 150% of their ticket value as Concert Cash, and 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.
Since the coronavirus pandemic put a pause on the world at large, Ticketmaster has canceled or postponed upwards of 30,000 events. The total value of those events is somewhere around $2 billion in ticket sales. It is expected that more events scheduled for the latter half of 2020 could be canceled, too.
While Ticketmaster has come under heavy scrutiny for the situation, the company told Billboard that it does not hold profits from ticket sales money. The revenue is given to clients, which includes promoters such as Live Nation and AEG. The refund plan will cover the majority of concerts and festivals through to July, while refunds for NBA and NHL games will be handled by the leagues and teams.
"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," said congress member Katie Porter. "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."
