Concertgoers want ticket refunds, shows were twice rescheduled
MILWAUKEE - They bought tickets to concerts that have been rescheduled twice, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, they’re looking for refunds that can be hard to come by.
Douglas White and Angela Mejia have four tickets to the Santana and Earth Wind and Fire Concert at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater, originally scheduled for July 12th, 2020. The concert was supposed to take place on the eve of the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee.
White bought the tickets in March of 2020. Then, came widespread cancelations and postponements as the pandemic forced nearly every band off the road.
The Santana and Earth Wind and Fire Concert has been rescheduled twice. The current concert date is July 10th, 2022. That date doesn’t work for White and Mejia, as they are leaving Wisconsin.
"We are moving next year, probably in the springtime," said Mejia.
Several artists will resume concerts this year, Others, like Elton John, Motley Crue, Kenny Chesney and Justin Bieber will return to Milwaukee in 2022.
The owner of TicketKing, a resale marketplace based in Wisconsin, says it can be difficult for major acts to prepare tours under current conditions.
"The issue with big tours if they have so much planning to do," said John Lamoreaux, owner of TicketKing. "Some have been postponed with a rescheduled date. Others, the date is still TBD."
John Lamoreaux
Lamoreaux says tours must also abide by local regulations for crowd sides, which are evolving.
Many third-party ticket sellers are refunding canceled events but not postponed events. Tickets for postponed events are good for the rescheduled date.
Contact 6 spoke with White and Mejia’s ticket seller, Online City Tickets, by phone, email and text, but couldn’t get past customer service.
Contact 6 was told in an email that, "You can certainly sell your tickets if you are unable to attend."
"In a way, we just feel like this company took advantage of us," said White.
President of Frank Productions (FPC Live), Charlie Gladstone, tells Contact 6:
Regarding tickets for Santana at American Family Insurance Amphitheatre, the only place to purchase authorized tickets is Ticketmaster.com. We make this clear in all of our advertising. We strongly discourage any patron from buying tickets via unauthorized resellers such as the company you have listed … as we have no relationship with them and therefore no control over the transaction.
Any patron who bought a ticket via Ticketmaster from this show and is unable to attend the rescheduled date should have received communication from Ticketmaster detailing their options and how to obtain a refund if necessary. Unfortunately, we are not familiar or affiliated with 3rd party ticket resellers so I cannot speak to the patrons situation in obtaining a refund from that company.
Since 2020, Contact 6 has helped FOX6 viewers secure refunds for concerts including Alabama, Kiss, Kenny Chesney and Motley Crue, to the tune of about $3,000.
Years ago, Contact 6 was successful in helping White get a refund for a hotel room in Florida, after he raised concerns about false advertising. This time, his refund from Online City Tickets may elude him.
"You’re starting to say, well, you've had my money for two years. That's not fair to me," said White.
Consumers are more likely to get a refund or credit when they buy from authorized ticket sellers. If you need to sell a ticket, a broker like TicketKing can give you cash, or you can list your tickets on an online marketplace.
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Contact 6 reached out to a number of ticket sellers to inquire about their policies regarding postponed events. StubHub was the only ticket seller who responded.
StubHub’s policy on postponed and rescheduled events has remained consistent since before the pandemic. Tickets for postponed and/or rescheduled events remain valid for the future dates and therefore are not eligible for a cash refund or credit. Once an event is rescheduled, customers will receive an email with details on the new date(s). If a customer is unable to attend the event on the new date, they can resell their tickets and StubHub will waive the sell fee. If a postponed event is ultimately cancelled, StubHub will provide customers with a credit of 120% of the total amount paid for tickets to the event. Cash refunds are available upon request in jurisdictions that require it. Credits are valid through December 31, 2022.