Every week, the Money blog team answers a reader’s financial problem or consumer dispute – you can email yours to [email protected]. Today’s is…
I purchased three tickets via Viagogo for a Falling in Reverse concert as part of their UK tour. Unfortunately, the entire tour was postponed because the lead singer didn’t meet visa criteria. He had spent more than a year in prison in the US. Since the tour has been postponed for a year, and the lead singer still wouldn’t meet visa requirements, I believe the tour should be cancelled, and I should receive a refund for my £300. Thousands of us are out of pocket after repeatedly contacting Viagogo, but we’ve been told the same thing: “POSTPONED!” Please help us resolve this issue.
Steve
Money live reporter Jess Sharp answers this one…
Hi Steve – thank you for getting in touch and I’m sorry to hear about your frustrating situation.
When first reading your problem, I thought you would be entitled to a refund under the rules set out by the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers, which regulates the industry.
Members of the body are required to follow certain rules that state if an event is rescheduled to another date or has moved location, and you can no longer make it, then you’re entitled to a refund.
But this only applies to primary ticket sellers such as Ticketmaster.
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Since Viagogo is a secondary ticket sale site, it’s not a member of the body, which means you have less protection when a concert is postponed or cancelled and you have to adhere to its own terms and conditions.
I combed through them, and they clearly state that refunds can only be issued if the tour is cancelled.
I thought you might be able to get your money back by relisting the tickets on the Viagogo marketplace for free.
However, since the concert hadn’t been rescheduled to a specific date, this wasn’t an option.
Since the reason your concert had been postponed was because the lead singer had been denied entry to the country, you felt it was unlikely a new date would be confirmed.
Falling in Reverse previously said in a statement: “The UK is currently refusing entry to visa applicants who served more than 12 months’ prison time, as Ronnie did in 2008.
“We will be postponing the shows to next year while we continue to work through this issue legally to obtain the necessary visa. We will keep you posted as we know more. For anyone who cannot attend the new dates, refunds are available at point of purchase.”
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I got in touch with Viagogo and said the concert was unlikely to go ahead next year because of the lead singer’s criminal history.
They agreed to give you a refund as a goodwill gesture, which landed in your account on your birthday.
You told me: “They did not mention yourselves, but I’m sure that you had a big hand in this so a huge thank you for all your efforts. This was great news and a surprise birthday present! Thanks again.”
A Viagogo spokesperson said: “On Viagogo, fans are protected by our guarantee. We ensure fans receive their tickets in time for the event and in the unusual event of an issue, we offer them replacement tickets or their money back.
“Tickets purchased on Viagogo for events which are cancelled are eligible for a full refund including all fees.
“If an event is postponed, we provide an option for users to relist their tickets if the new date does not suit them.
“In this instance, there has not been a cancellation or new date scheduled by the primary who are due to share an update on the event. If fans have any questions regarding the event, they are able to reach out to our customer service team for assistance.”
This feature is not intended as financial advice – the aim is to give an overview of the things you should think about. Submit your dilemma or consumer dispute by emailing [email protected] with the subject line “Money Problem”.
