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Viagogo are reportedly “refusing” to offer music fans refunds for gigs cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the consumer group Which?, Viagogo’s terms and conditions say that fans are entitled to either a voucher worth 125% of their ticket price or a refund for cancelled events, but no refund is available if gigs or festivals are postponed until a later date.
Despite festivals openly offering refunds to fans after their 2020 editions were cancelled due to the pandemic, Which? says Viagogo is considering this a postponement rather than cancellation, not offering fans a refund, but instead suggesting they try to sell the tickets on via Viagogo’s website, which would see the company gain a 25% commission.
The publication also spoke to a number of consumers who are finding it impossible to get a refund for festival tickets from Viagogo.
Gordon Scott, who bought Leeds Festival tickets to see headliners Rage Against The Machine, explained he was unable to obtain a refund despite the cancellations.
“The event was cancelled by the organisers, but Viagogo claims the festival is rescheduled,” Scott said. “The tickets would be useless to me if Rage Against The Machine weren’t playing next year.”
He added: “Eventually Viagogo offered me a refund but I don’t think many people have the tenacity to hound them like we did.”
Reading & Leeds and Wireless organisers Festival Republic told Which?: “We have informed Viagogo that the events are cancelled not rescheduled and that we are also emailing the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to let them know the situation.
“If someone has purchased a valid ticket from a secondary site, it would be accepted for entry, however as no 2020 or 2021 tickets have been sent out yet then it’s a case of buyer beware with regard to the validity of any tickets being sold on secondary sites. We always ask that people only buy from authorised sites in order to protect themselves.”
A spokesperson for Viagogo told Which?: “This is an unprecedented time for the live events industry, and we understand that customers might be left disappointed by the fact that thousands of events globally are being postponed, rescheduled or cancelled.
“If an event is rescheduled, the customer’s tickets remain valid, per our terms and conditions, and therefore they are not entitled to a refund. The customer always has the option of relisting their tickets on the platform if they can no longer attend the new date.
“If an event is completely cancelled the customer is entitled to a cash refund or 125% voucher. In the case of refunds, we appreciate our customers’ patience while we process their request.”
Last year, Google suspended Viagogo from advertising on its platform amid concerns that the resale site was allowing touts to use the site to sell tickets at an inflated prince.
Viagogo also recently faced further legal action from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). MPs and campaigners for fair ticket prices have also hit out at the site, with MPs warning music fans to avoid using Viagogo until it “fully complies with consumer law”.
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