COVID Show Ticket Refunds

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/1/22 at 11:20am

I recently contracted COVID and had to cancel our trip to NY, and I thought I'd share my experiences with various ticket refund policies in case this information might be helpful to others. For most shows, the policies were appalling and only serve to incentivize people not to stay home when sick because the financial loss is too great. I shared this sentiment with various parties, and one representative (at Audience Rewards) replied, "I agree completely; we really need to go back to the refund and exchange policies from last year". 

Take Me Out - Tickets purchased directly from the 2nd Stage website. I called the number on the website and quickly and easily obtained a full refund. Exemplary customer service.

Phantom - Tickets purchased using points from the Audience Rewards website. I called the number on the website and was advised that the official policy is, "All sales final, no refunds or exchanges". However, the representative was very compassionate and she offered to call The Majestic while I waited on the line. Exemplary customer service.

Company, The Minutes, A Strange Loop - Tickets purchased from the Telecharge website. I called the number on the website and was advised that the official policy as of May 2022 is, "All sales final, no refunds or exchanges". The representative then went on to explain that, for COVID cancellations, you must provide an official, printed, positive diagnosis from a medical facility (at-home test results are not acceptable) in order for refund requests to be considered. I politely asked to speak with a manager, who came on the line shortly after and reiterated the same policy, but then offered to contact the respective box offices on my behalf ("...but I can't make any guarantees"). Overall, Telecharge exhibited more resistance than in the past and required more hoop-jumping, but ultimately they provided satisfactory customer service.

Beetlejuice, MJ - Tickets purchased from the Ticketmaster website, linked directly from the individual show sites. There were no phone numbers on the show sites or on the Broadway Direct website, which apparently operates both of these theatres and their respective services. I didn't even attempt to call Ticketmaster, because that has historically been an exercise in frustrating futility ("You can try to resell your ticket online"). After submitting requests for assistance via various website forms and social media accounts (I believe about five attempts were made, in total), I finally received an email response three days later from Broadway Direct, advising that they had contacted Ticketmaster on my behalf. While I appreciated the assistance eventually obtained from Broadway Direct, I feel that there is simply no excuse for providing no means of speaking with a live person in such situations. However, that sort of thing is par for the course with Ticketmaster shows and contributes to my great reluctance to do business with them.

[Kimbo]

Posted: 6/1/22 at 12:37pm

Thanks for taking the time to write this up, and agreed, overall frustrating in most cases and appalling at worst. In my experience (and opinion), if it gets to the point where they’re making anyone with Covid jump through hoops – saying you must provide a note from an in-person medical visit, making you submit written requests and/or suffer inordinately long hold times connecting with three or four different departments  – I’ve found that it helps to threaten or at least mention the possibility of your launching a credit card dispute for the charge(s) and an ensuing investigation from the CC company, falling under the umbrella of unfair business practices and inconsistent policies, which up until the last few months protected both the customer and all fellow theatergoers, but as you say now suddenly incentivizes people to show up against all government and medical advice and spread the virus.  
 
They know you’re certainly well within your rights to do that, and even if you’re stuck with the rare unhelpful representative who re-asserts the “all sales are final” policy by way of thinking you wouldn’t win such a dispute, the fact is that any chargeback costs the merchant money; so by putting it back on them, it’s not only perfectly legal, but it incentivizes the seller to resolve your issue expeditiously and issue the refund before it gets to that point. (Two years ago when all the shows shut down I got 19 or 20 refunds with no problem; but it took not only a credit card dispute, but also my contacting the New York State Consumer Affairs Bureau, to finally get my money back from the Hudson Theater for April 2020 tickets to Plaza Suite. That one was the exception and not the rule, thankfully.)

Most importantly, sorry you’re sick and that you had to cancel your trip – get well soon and I hope you make it back to New York again shortly!

Updated On: 6/1/22 at 12:37 PM

[JSquared2]

Posted: 6/1/22 at 12:43pm

It seems like each of the outlets went above and beyond to make special accommodations for you -- and yet you are still not satisfied?  Why couldn't you provide medical confirmation that you indeed had Covid?  It seems reasonable for the ticket sellers to ask for it -- otherwise anyone and everyone would use the same excuse.  Sorry, but your lengthy rant and whine fest just makes you come across as a great big entitled "Karen".

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/1/22 at 12:51pm

Does it suck?  Yes....but it sucks for the production companies that lost so much money, too.  Cancelling shows (and having to refund gads of money), refunding tickets for any reason for MONTHS, having sick actors (which costs them more $ putting in understudies, and sometimes flying people back from tour to fill in).   It had to end at some point.

My employment gave us (educators) sick time IF we contracted covid that would not come from our regular sick bank.  For whatever reason, the ability to access those "extra days" expired 4/1.  I have three other teachers in my hallway (there are only 4 of us) that all came down with covid after 4/1 - so they had to eat up 5 (MINIMUM, REQUIRED) days of their accrued time.   No ifs, ands or buts.

 

Policies changed, and there was no secret on that.   People have always gotten sick (with anything) and been unable to go see a show - it happens.  

[Kimbo]

Posted: 6/1/22 at 12:52pm

JSquared2 said: "It seems like each of the outlets went above and beyond to make special accommodations for you -- and yet you are still not satisfied? Why couldn't you provide medical confirmation that you indeed had Covid? It seems reasonable for the ticket sellers to ask for it -- otherwise anyone and everyone would use the same excuse. Sorry, but your lengthy rant and whine fest just makes you come across as a great big entitled "Karen"."

This is why people hate the Internet – this, right here. 

Lot666 made it clear he was posting this to help any others in the same boat, and went out of his way to praise the entities (Audience Rewards, Telecharge) who went out of their way to make it easy.  As to your assertion that it’s reasonable for sellers to ask for “proof” – even if the customer felt up to venturing out and getting such documentation (and at the risk of feeling sicker), it’s simply not reasonable that they wouldn’t require proof until, for example, April 30th but then suddenly decided they would as of May 1st – especially if, as I strongly suspect is the case, many of these tickets were purchased long before the rules changed, if not holdovers entirely from the first shutdown 2 years ago. 

Customer in question is clearly a dedicated theatergoer and shouldn’t need to provide ‘proof’ that he’s not running an elaborate scam to inconvenience ticket agencies, let alone justify that to you. And while rules change, it’s clear that he/she was not asking for special treatment but was acting in good faith, not just in the way they handled his situation, but by providing that information here. Far from them being a ‘Karen’, it’s posts like yours that make people want to give up on, if not exactly humanity, then at least the online community. Exhibit A. 

Updated On: 6/1/22 at 12:52 PM

[Kimbo]

Posted: 6/1/22 at 12:52pm

JSquared2 said: "It seems like each of the outlets went above and beyond to make special accommodations for you -- and yet you are still not satisfied? Why couldn't you provide medical confirmation that you indeed had Covid? It seems reasonable for the ticket sellers to ask for it -- otherwise anyone and everyone would use the same excuse. Sorry, but your lengthy rant and whine fest just makes you come across as a great big entitled "Karen"."

This is why people hate the Internet – this, right here. 

Lot666 made it clear he was posting this to help any tigers in the same boat, and went out of his way to praise the entire (Audience Rewards, Telecharge) who went out of their way to make it easy.  As to your assertion that it’s reasonable for sellers to ask for “proof” – even if the customer felt up to venturing out and getting such documentation (and at the risk of feeling sicker), it’s simply not reasonable that they wouldn’t require proof until, for example, April 30th but then suddenly decided they would as of May 1st – especially if, as I suspect is the case, many of these tickets were purchased long before the rules changed, if not holdovers entirely from the first shutdown 2 years ago. 

Customer in question is clearly a dedicated theatergoer and shouldn’t need to provide ‘proof’ that he’s not running an elaborate scam to inconvenience ticket agencies, let alone justify that to you. Far from him being a ‘Karen’, it’s posts like yours that make people want to give up on, if not exactly  humanity, then at least the online community. Exhibit A. 

[Hairspray0901]

Posted: 6/1/22 at 1:20pm

thanks for sharing your experience! I hate that shows aren’t allowing easy exchanges or refunds anymore. I wish they’d add the button back to telecharge!

My friend (while the policy was still in effect) had tickets to To Kill a Mockingbird in December. two people in her party of 4 caught Covid. She purchased the tickets at the box office to save money on fees. Telecharge wouldn’t do anything for her because they were bought in person. They kindly connected her to the box office who also couldn’t help - they said the system wasn’t connected to Telecharge. The only way they could get a refund or an exchange was to come to the box office in person before the date of the show. The only 2 people who would be able to exchange in person as they lived in the city were those with Covid. They never got a refund and were unable to post date as TKAM closed. They were then out $600. 
 

 

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/1/22 at 1:21pm

JSquared2 said: "It seems like each of the outlets went above and beyond to make special accommodations for you -- and yet you are still not satisfied? Why couldn't you provide medical confirmation that you indeed had Covid? It seems reasonable for the ticket sellers to ask for it -- otherwise anyone and everyone would use the same excuse. Sorry, but your lengthy rant and whine fest just makes you come across as a great big entitled "Karen"."

Consider a class in reading comprehension.

Updated On: 6/1/22 at 01:21 PM

[JasonC3]

Posted: 6/1/22 at 1:41pm

While I'm obviously not suggesting the OP did this, it is not unreasonable to infer that there are some people who try to game the system and use COVID as a way to get out of a purchase because they miss the previous easy refund option (particularly on Telecharge) or have experienced success at times using COVID as a way to back out of a commitment.  At some producers and box offices had to draw a line to try and achieve some degree of financial solvency.

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 6/1/22 at 4:32pm

Thank you for sharing your experiences with each of the ticket outlets. I hope you feel better and can reschedule your trip soon.

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 6/1/22 at 5:17pm

I had trouble with this just the other day. I had a ticket to The Skin of Our Teeth, the final show unfortunately, and tested positive that morning. I was also very symptomatic. I think, for me, it's that the theater explicitly says, "if you've tested positive or you feel sick, stay home." But then they want you to leave said home to go get a test, all before curtain (which was at 3pm). I was very sick and the last thing I wanted to do was leave the house and risk infection of others around me. It feels irresponsible. They refuse to accept a home test despite them being provided by the US Government for situations just like this. Again, the point is to not leave the house. And the home tests, statistically, are more likely to be wrong if they say you don't have it than if you do. I was really disheartened by what I perceived to be a very unsympathetic handling of the situation. 

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/2/22 at 7:39am

TheQuibbler said: "the theater explicitly says, "if you've tested positive or you feel sick, stay home." But then they want you to leave said home to go get a test, all before curtain (which was at 3pm). I was very sick and the last thing I wanted to do was leave the house and risk infection of others around me. It feels irresponsible. They refuse to accept a home test despite them being provided by the US Government for situations just like this."

EXACTLY.