Ticketmaster is one of the largest ticket sales and distribution companies in the world. They sell tickets for a wide variety of events including concerts, sporting events, theater shows and more. Many customers wonder about Ticketmaster’s refund and cancellation policies – do they guarantee your money back if an event is cancelled or you can’t attend for some reason? Here is an in-depth look at Ticketmaster’s money back guarantees and refund policies.
Ticketmaster Refund and Cancellation Overview
In most cases, Ticketmaster does not directly offer refunds or cancellations. Their policies vary based on the event and the specific ticket terms and conditions. Ticketmaster acts as the ticket sales and distribution agent for the event venues and organizers. So any refunds or cancellations are handled by those parties, not Ticketmaster directly.
However, Ticketmaster does facilitate refunds and cancellations when the venues, teams, artists etc. authorize them to do so. You have to submit a refund request within a certain window of time and meet eligibility requirements. Even then approval is not guaranteed.
Some key things to understand about Ticketmaster refunds:
- Each event has its own refund policy that you agree to when purchasing tickets.
- Refund eligibility can depend on when you request it.
- There are often restocking fees deducted from refunds.
- Refunds are not guaranteed even if an event is postponed or rescheduled.
- Ticketmaster can take weeks to process refund requests.
So in summary – Ticketmaster does not directly offer or guarantee refunds themselves. But in some cases they can facilitate refunds on behalf of event organizers when their policies allow it. You have to meet the eligibility requirements laid out in the ticket terms.
Ticketmaster Refund Policies and Eligibility
Let’s take a more detailed look at how Ticketmaster handles refund requests and what must happen for refunds to be approved.
Refund Request Window
For most events, there is a limited window of time in which you can request a refund after purchasing tickets. The window varies, but is often 48 hours to 1 week after the purchase date. Requests outside of that window are ineligible.
You can see the refund request window for each event on the Ticketmaster purchase page, under the “Refund Policy” link by the ticket section.
So if an event is cancelled 6 months after you bought tickets, a refund is not guaranteed because the request window may have closed long ago. This is one way Ticketmaster limits refunds – the short window to submit requests.
Event Cancelled vs. Can’t Attend
Ticketmaster makes a big distinction between an event being cancelled versus you simply being unable to attend for personal reasons.
If an event is outright cancelled with no postponement or rescheduling, you have a much higher likelihood of getting a refund approved.
But if you can no longer make it or choose not to attend, refund eligibility is low or nonexistent. Just not wanting to go anymore does not make you eligible for a refund in most cases.
You can see this policy on the Ticketmaster purchase pages:
“Refunds are available if the event is cancelled with no rescheduled date. If you can no longer attend, refunds are at the discretion of the event organizer.”
The event organizers ultimately decide on issuing refunds. If the event goes on as planned, they are under no obligation to issue refunds to those who can no longer attend.
Fees are Non-Refundable
Even if you meet the window and eligibility requirements, Ticketmaster’s service fees and shipping fees are never refunded under any circumstances.
Those fees cover their costs as the ticket agent. So those are forfeited fees regardless of your reason for refund.
For example, say you paid $100 total for a ticket – $80 ticket price + $20 in fees. If approved, your max refund would be the $80 ticket price only.
Refund Process and Timeline
If you meet the eligibility terms, how do you request a Ticketmaster refund and how long does it take?
How to Request Refund
There are two ways to request a Ticketmaster refund if permitted for your event:
- Online – Log into your Ticketmaster account, go to your Order History, select the order, click “Request Refund” and follow the prompts.
- Phone – Call Ticketmaster Fan Support at 1-800-653-8000 and explain your refund request. An agent will submit it for you if eligible.
In both cases you need your order number and ticket info handy. Explain why you are requesting a refund and cite any mitigating circumstances.
It also helps to explicitly state that you are requesting a refund under the terms agreed to during purchase. Reference the event refund policy and terms you accepted at time of purchase.
Processing Time
It can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months (!) for Ticketmaster to process refunds. It depends on:
- Volume of requests
- Event organizer approval
- Delivery method – digital vs. hard tickets
Digital tickets are fastest, while hard copy tickets have to be physically returned and verified before the refund can be issued.
For the fastest processing, submit your refund request as soon as possible. Near an event date, volume spikes and make take longer to handle.
You can check your refund status in your Ticketmaster account. It will show “requested, pending approval, approved, processed” status.
Refund Method
How you get your money back depends on the original payment method:
Original Payment | Refund Method |
---|---|
Credit card | Credited back to card |
Debit card | Credited back to card |
Gift card | Value added back to gift card |
Ticketmaster voucher | Voucher balance credited |
No matter what, your refund will go back to the original method of payment if approved. Never as cash or check.
Getting a Refund from Your Bank
If you are denied a refund from Ticketmaster or want to speed up the process, you can dispute the charges with your bank or credit card company.
Your bank may grant a “chargeback refund” in certain situations such as:
- The event was cancelled with no rescheduling.
- The tickets sold did not match the event description or details.
- You never received the tickets.
Reasons like changing your mind or inability to attend are not likely to be approved chargeback reasons by your bank.
To start the chargeback process you file a dispute claim with your bank or card issuer. Provide the transaction details, reason for dispute, and any supporting documentation.
The bank investigates and makes a ruling to either deny your dispute or issue a refund outside of Ticketmaster. This bypasses Ticketmaster if you are unable to get a refund directly through them. Allow 2-10 weeks for bank chargeback processing.
However, Ticketmaster can contest the charges with the bank if they believe the dispute is invalid. This may lead to your dispute being denied after investigation. So bank chargebacks are not guaranteed either.
Getting Ticketmaster Event Tickets Refunded – Summary
Here is a summary of key points on whether Ticketmaster guarantees refunds for tickets:
- Ticketmaster does NOT directly offer or guarantee refunds.
- Eligibility for refunds is set by the event organizers.
- Refund window is typically 1 week after ticket purchase.
- Fees paid to Ticketmaster are never refunded.
- Chargeback refunds via your bank are an alternate route if denied by Ticketmaster.
- Refund likelihood is highest for cancelled (not postponed) events.
- Not being able to attend is often ineligible for refunds.
While not guaranteed, refunds are sometimes possible if you meet the strict eligibility terms. Act quickly after purchase and provide documentation to improve your chances.
But otherwise, Ticketmaster tickets purchases are considered final sales. Carefully review the refund terms before completing your ticket purchase.
The Bottom Line
Ticketmaster does not directly issue or guarantee refunds. You must qualify under the specific refund terms for that event, which are very limited. Otherwise, all sales are final. Review your ticket details carefully before purchasing. If eligible, refunds can take up to 6 months to process. Your bank may be able to get you a faster refund via chargeback in some cases if your request is denied.