Headliner of Foo fighters gig Cancelled they won’t refund -ticket master

walkaboutgeek

We had 2 single day tickets to see the Foo fighters in Portugal the only reason we got tickets was to see them.
unfortunate reasons mean they have had to cancel no problem.

But ticket master are saying as the event still exits we can’t have a refund ? What are my rights as a consumer ?
It’s a couple of months away so it’s not even last minute.
we have asked again but if the refuse can I get my credit card to return the cash as its longer what I wanted or as advertised ?

has anybody has similar issues with ticket master ? 

Any advice ?

walkaboutgeek

It’s the Rock in Lisboa festival if that makes any difference? 

walkaboutgeek

walkaboutgeek said:

It’s the Rock in Lisboa festival if that makes any difference? 

It’s a 4 day festival and we booked for the 1 day the Foo fights were headlining 

The_Fat_Controller

You didn't book a Foo Fighters concert, you booked a one day visit to a festival, the terms of which may well say "lineup subject to change", have you checked what they say ?

Therefore unless that whole day is cancelled I cannot see you have any right to a refund.

user1977

As above, I wouldn't expect a festival to be offering refunds because your favourite band has cancelled, whether they're headliner or not.

Which is also what Ticketmaster's terms say:

"11.5 For the purposes of this Purchase Policy, a “material alteration” is a change (other than a rescheduling) which, in our and the relevant Event Partner's reasonable opinion, makes the event materially different to the event that purchasers of Tickets, taken generally, could reasonably expect. In particular, please note that the following are not deemed to be “material alterations”: the use of understudies in theatre performances; adverse weather conditions; changes of any supporting act; changes to individual members of a band; changes to the line-up of any multi-performer event (such as a festival); curtailment of the event where the majority of an event is performed in full; and delays to the starting of the performance of an event."

walkaboutgeek

Yeah i understand the festival going ahead and if I’d got a 4 day ticket I would get it but headliners are booked as they are a big draw and sell tickets which they did in the thousands and a 1 day ticket shows that’s that the line up for that day is what you booked
( Iv seen the small print they seem to be covered )  
but was hoping another angle existed 

thanks for the help 

shiraz99

The reason why you booked the ticket is neither here nor there, the facts are you bought a ticket for a festival and the festival is still going ahead.

mattyprice4004

There’s no other angle - you have a ticket you can still use for a festival that’s still on. Sorry 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

user1977 said:

As above, I wouldn't expect a festival to be offering refunds because your favourite band has cancelled, whether they're headliner or not.

Which is also what Ticketmaster's terms say:

"11.5 For the purposes of this Purchase Policy, a “material alteration” is a change (other than a rescheduling) which, in our and the relevant Event Partner's reasonable opinion, makes the event materially different to the event that purchasers of Tickets, taken generally, could reasonably expect. In particular, please note that the following are not deemed to be “material alterations”: the use of understudies in theatre performances; adverse weather conditions; changes of any supporting act; changes to individual members of a band; changes to the line-up of any multi-performer event (such as a festival); curtailment of the event where the majority of an event is performed in full; and delays to the starting of the performance of an event."

That's a very convenient term for a company selling tickets or holding festivals.

It clearly means if there were to be a material change then the consumer could cancel so it's just a question of whether the headline changing is actually material or not. 

I do agree a festival isn't for one band but the whole experience.

It would be interesting to know if this has ever been challenged and whether the way the festival is advertised plays any part.

If for example a festival focused their advertising campaign around a band that then cancelled it would seem appropriate that they felt that bands attendance was material to begin with.

walkaboutgeek

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

user1977 said:

As above, I wouldn't expect a festival to be offering refunds because your favourite band has cancelled, whether they're headliner or not.

Which is also what Ticketmaster's terms say:

"11.5 For the purposes of this Purchase Policy, a “material alteration” is a change (other than a rescheduling) which, in our and the relevant Event Partner's reasonable opinion, makes the event materially different to the event that purchasers of Tickets, taken generally, could reasonably expect. In particular, please note that the following are not deemed to be “material alterations”: the use of understudies in theatre performances; adverse weather conditions; changes of any supporting act; changes to individual members of a band; changes to the line-up of any multi-performer event (such as a festival); curtailment of the event where the majority of an event is performed in full; and delays to the starting of the performance of an event."

That's a very convenient term for a company selling tickets or holding festivals.

It clearly means if there were to be a material change then the consumer could cancel so it's just a question of whether the headline changing is actually material or not. 

I do agree a festival isn't for one band but the whole experience.

It would be interesting to know if this has ever been challenged and whether the way the festival is advertised plays any part.

If for example a festival focused their advertising campaign around a band that then cancelled it would seem appropriate that they felt that bands attendance was material to begin with.

Kind of my thinking .
I know it’s a festival but they also sell one day tickets for the 4 days with a headline act.
I have appealed the no refund to see if they lean on the side of customer care instead of just tough luck stand..

then going to try charge back or section 75 just for fun on the credit card see what happens ?????

Olinda99

it is worth persuing - i mean if a festival sells tickets saying band xxx are playing and then they are replaced by the granny ukelele and washboard band I would have though you had grounds to complain.