Worried pop fans have slammed Ticketmaster for making it appear impossible to get a refund for gigs that have been put back for a year.
The ticketing giant has promised to pay out on cancelled events.
But instead of making clear its refund policies for hundreds of rescheduled gigs, affecting hundreds of thousands of UK fans, the beleaguered agent advises fans to resell the ticket on their site, which would generate more fees.
Resold tickets would only pay out to sellers after rescheduled gigs take place - meaning cash could be withheld for a year.
The UK entertainment industry seen has been devastated by coronavirus, which has created a massive cashflow timebomb that could put smaller ticketing firms and venues out of business.
It is thought the UK industry has already taken a £60 million hit and Ticketmaster’s parent company Live Nation has been rocked, suffering a huge dip in its share price.
Many of the fans who have paid cash up front would be happy to keep tickets for the postponed events for hot tickets like Harry Styles at the Hydro.
But others have also been hit hard after losing their jobs or being furloughed as the crisis deepens.
One fan who contacted the Record was looking forward to David Gray at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow on March 21 but was pushed back to March 2021.
Ticketmaster wrote to tell her: “If you’ve already received your tickets, they’re still valid for the new date - you just need to show up on the night and they’ll be accepted.
“If you sold your tickets on our Ticket Exchange, you will now be paid 10-12 working days after the new date.”
The Ticketmaster FAQs on “cancelled or rescheduled” events states: “If your event has been cancelled, there’s nothing you need to do. We’ll get in touch with you directly with more information.
“If your event has been rescheduled, we are working with the event organiser to identify new dates and we will contact you as soon as we have confirmation and more information this.”
The fan said: “If you click on the link or check the site it clearly states no refunds for rescheduled concerts. It does of course mention you can resell them through their site, for which they add a fee to prospective buyer.”
On Twitter many customers were critical of Ticketmaster for refusing to directly respond to queries about refunds.
Nikki Atkinson has desperately tried to get a refund from a David Gray gig after losing her job.
She tweeted: “@TicketmasterUK are keeping your fans money who can’t attend rescheduled events. I am owed £200 back. I have no job and no government support. This money could be a lifeline. Its unbelievable they aren’t issuing refunds upon request.”
Becca Liddle bought tickets for Day To Remember on May 25th at the SSE Hydro. which was cancelled indefinitely.
When she asked for a refund she was told: “As soon as we’ve received instructions from the event organisers on this event we’ll be in touch to let you know.”
At the time of going to press we had received no statement from Ticketmaster.
On the website of ticket retailer group STAR, of which Ticketmaster is a member, fans are urged to be patient amid the chaos.
The landing page of the body states: “Wherever possible, please limit trying to call venues and ticket sellers for further information or to discuss your booking and wait for them to contact you if the event has been cancelled.
“Please be patient and kind as box offices, ticket agents and other ticket sellers will be working as hard as they are able to help you during this extremely difficult period.”
