Ticket protector is an insurance policy that allows you to get a refund on your concert, sporting event, or other ticket purchase if you cannot attend the event. It protects you against financial losses if you need to cancel your plans to attend an event you already purchased tickets for.
Why would I need ticket protector?
There are many reasons you may need to cancel your plans and not be able to attend an event you already bought tickets for. Some common reasons include:
- Illness or injury – If you or someone in your party gets sick or injured before the event, you likely won’t be able to attend.
- Work or family obligations – Your work schedule could change last minute and cause a conflict, or you may have a family emergency come up.
- Bad weather – Inclement weather either in your area or the event location could prevent you from being able to attend safely.
- Travel delays – Your flight, train, or other transportation to the event could be delayed or cancelled, making it impossible to attend.
In any of these situations, ticket protector allows you to get your money back for the tickets so you don’t lose hundreds or even thousands of dollars. It gives you peace of mind when buying tickets in advance that you won’t be out all of that money if your plans fall through.
How does ticket protector work?
Ticket protector is a type of insurance policy you can purchase when you buy event tickets through a ticket retailer. The cost is usually a percentage of the overall ticket price – often between 5-15%. When you purchase ticket protector, you will receive policy documentation outlining the coverage terms and conditions. This will include the refund process if you need to file a claim.
If an insured reason prevents you from attending the event, you simply file a claim with details and supporting documentation on why you couldn’t attend. For example, a doctor’s note if you got sick. The claims team will review your case and if approved, issue a refund for the cost of the tickets.
In some cases, you may get the refund in the original form of payment. Other policies may issue you a voucher or credit to use for future ticket purchases instead. Be sure to read the full policy so you understand how refunds are handled.
What reasons are covered by ticket protector?
There is some variability in what specific reasons different ticket protector policies cover. But in general, the following situations that prevent you from attending an event are included:
- Illness, injury, or death – This includes you or an immediate family member.
- Pregnancy complications – High risk pregnancies or complications requiring medical attention.
- Jury duty or court appearance – Being called for mandatory jury duty or subpoenaed for court.
- Military deployment – Finding out you are being deployed by the military before the event.
- Severe weather – Weather severe enough that authorities advise unsafe travel conditions.
- Natural disaster – Such as a hurricane, earthquake, tsunami, etc. impacting your geographic area.
- Job loss – Losing your job through no fault of your own before the event date.
- Residence issues – Being forced to relocate due to fire, flood, burglary, etc. at your home before the event.
Other common reasons include traffic accidents, flight cancellations, theft of tickets, and more. Check your specific policy for a complete list of covered scenarios.
What is not covered by ticket protector?
While ticket protector covers many situations, there are some instances that are typically excluded from coverage. These may include:
- Changing your mind about attending – Deciding you no longer want to go is not a covered reason for a refund.
- Pre-existing medical conditions – Illnesses you already had before purchasing the policy are usually excluded.
- Mental health issues – Stress, anxiety, depression, etc. are often not covered.
- Pregnancy – Normal pregnancies are not covered, only complications from pregnancy.
- Work or school schedule changes – Your work or school schedule changing is generally not covered.
- Arrests – Getting arrested and missing the event while in jail is not covered.
- Intoxication – Missing the event due to being intoxicated or hungover is not covered.
- Covid for certain policies – Some policies exclude cancellations due to Covid concerns.
Review the exclusions in your specific policy, as other reasons may be listed as not covered.
Are there limitations on ticket protector claims?
Ticket protector policies often place some limitations on claims:
- Timing of claim – There may be a cut-off, such as 48 hours before the event, for submitting claims.
- Supporting documentation – You will likely need to provide documentation like a doctor’s note to support illness claims.
- Maximum refund – Policies could cap the maximum refund at a percentage of the total ticket value.
- Maximum claims – You may only be allowed to file one or two claims per policy period.
- Resale tickets – Tickets purchased from a reseller may not be eligible for refunds.
Other limitations like requiring you to re-pay any ticket discounts or fees that were refunded back to the claim may also apply. Read through all policy details.
Who offers ticket protector?
There are a few major companies that offer ticket protector policies:
- TicketGuardian – One of the largest ticket insurance providers working with major ticket retailers.
- Allianz – Global insurance company offering event ticket insurance through Event Ticket Insurance.
- Travelers – Travelers insurance offers ticket protector plans as TicketRelief.
- American Express – Amex card members can get ticket protection through Amex Experiences.
- Ticketmaster – Ticketmaster has its own Ticketmaster Ticket Assurance policy.
- AXA – This insurer provides ticket coverage through Sports and Event Insurance.
Many other insurance companies and third-party travel sites like Expedia also offer ticket protection policies.
How much does ticket protector cost?
The cost of ticket protector varies based on the company, but is typically 5-15% of your total ticket purchase amount. For example:
- On a $100 concert ticket, it may cost $5-$15 for the insurance.
- For a $500 sporting event ticket, the cost could be $25-$75.
- Higher value tickets like a $1,500 music festival pass may have a cost of $75-$225 for protection.
The higher the ticket value, the higher cost to protect it. But it allows you to insure several thousand dollars worth of tickets for less than $100 in many cases.
How do I purchase ticket protector?
In most cases, you purchase ticket protector directly through the ticket retailer when buying event tickets online or over the phone. The option to add ticket insurance will be presented during the checkout process.
For example, on Ticketmaster there is a checkbox to “Add Ticket Assurance”. You simply check the box and pay the small additional percentage to protect the tickets.
If purchasing tickets at a physical box office, you may need to inquire if they offer ticket protection and purchase it separately at the ticket counter.
Some credit cards like American Express also offer ticket protection policies for tickets bought with the card, usually as a card member benefit.
Is ticket insurance worth it?
Whether ticket protector is worth it depends on a few factors:
- How much are you paying for tickets? – The higher the ticket value, the more worthwhile protection is.
- Are your tickets refundable? – If the tickets are already refundable, protection has less benefit.
- How firm are your plans? – If you may possibly need to cancel, protection brings peace of mind.
- What is excluded? – Review what is not covered to avoid gaps.
- What is the policy cost? – If the cost is minimal, protection is likely worthwhile.
In many cases, ticket insurance costs only a few percent of the total ticket price. This small premium is worthwhile to avoid losing hundreds or thousands of dollars if your plans fall through. But assess your specific situation.
What are the pros of ticket protector?
Some key advantages of ticket protector include:
- Peace of mind – Know you can get a refund if something prevents you from attending.
- Avoid large losses – Don’t lose hundreds or thousands of dollars on expensive tickets if plans change.
- Manageable cost – Protection costs just a small percentage (5-15%) of the total ticket price.
- Easy process – Add protection during online ticket checkout and file claims online if needed.
- Covers many scenarios – Illness, work conflicts, severe weather, and more are generally covered.
What are the cons of ticket protector?
Potential disadvantages to consider include:
- Extra cost – You do have to pay a little extra upfront for the protection policy.
- May not cover all reasons – Pre-existing conditions and other exclusions apply.
- Time sensitive – Claims often need to be submitted 24-48 hours before the event.
- Documentation required – Supporting documents like doctor notes must be provided.
- Voucher not cash – Refund is sometimes a voucher, not original payment method.
Are there alternatives to ticket protector?
A couple options exist as alternatives to ticket protector:
- Refundable tickets – Some tickets may be refundable anyway, making protection redundant.
- Resell tickets – Attempt to resell the tickets yourself if plans change.
- Credit card protections – Some credit card benefits provide compensation for event cancellations.
- Assume the loss – Take the risk yourself and absorb the cost if you can’t attend.
However, ticket protector still provides the most complete coverage against financial losses if your plans to attend an event fall through unexpectedly.
Conclusion
Ticket protector provides insurance against losing the money you spent on tickets if you cannot attend an event for covered reasons like illness, work conflicts, or bad weather. While not everyone needs ticket insurance, it brings peace of mind against larger financial losses and is relatively inexpensive. Be sure to understand policy coverage, exclusions, and claims processes when purchasing ticket protector.