Why you can't have a refund
Ever wondered why it's never straightforward to get a refund on tickets and sometimes alternatives are offered instead? Well, it's not just because event organisers don't want to part with your cash. Here are some reasons why refunds can be a headache for producers.
1. We don't have your money
It might sound like a lie, but it's true. Unlike simple product sales that take place online or at a till, tickets require a much more rigorous sales process. We'll do another blog post on why selling tickets is complicated but it all boils down to most websites' sales platforms not having the necessary functions. Therefore, third-party booking systems known as 'box offices' are often used.
When separate businesses handle and hold the cash you paid for your ticket, access to that money is limited until it's handed over to producers after an event. This can be further complicated when tickets are sold through multiple box offices at once which is done to reach a wider customer base.
Although you might not realise it, you sometimes buy your tickets to events from an entirely different business to the event organisers'. So when it comes to refunds, it's a bit like asking ASDA for a refund on something you bought at TESCO.
2. We don't know your card details
In a scenario where an event organiser wants to issue you with a refund, we sometimes don't have the mechanism to do so. Once the business who took your money (the box office) hands over the cash to us, usually after the event, our relationship with them ends and they transfer a lump sum into our bank. At no point do we have access to your card details unless we own the box office system, which often isn't the case because they're expensive. Once money has moved through multiple handlers, it's not as simple as clicking a button labelled 'refund'.
3. We know you're going to complain about your booking fees
For the pleasure of using a third-party box office, you have to pay for it just like anything else. And rightly so - we'll do another blog post on why booking fees are important. These fees belong to the ticketing operator, not us, which is why we have no power to refund them. Why
they
don't refund booking fees is because they've fulfilled their obligation to you by handling your booking transaction. Arguably, you get your refund for free, when there is cause to charge again for this additional service.
4. You already ate the burger
When event goers feel that their experience was subpar for whatever reason and then after the event has finished, go home and a few days later email the organiser to request a refund, it's too late. Staying until the end of an event and then asking for a refund is like eating a burger in a restaurant and when you've finished, protesting you didn't like it.
When all is said and done, event organisers know that none of these issues are your problem and where a refund is genuinely deserved, a way can be found to give one. In any case, organisers must always weigh up the circumstances and context surrounding refund requests and make a decision as to whether it should be granted, which is hardly ever black and white.
SUbscribe to find out what's on
press coverage
Collaborators & Supporters
