Coronavirus: Fans Fuming After Ticketmaster Rewrites Refund Policy Exempting Postponed Events

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Ticketmaster's rewritten refund policy has some fans up in arms as the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt sports seasons, concerts and other live events.

The online ticket sales giant originally offered refunds for events that were canceled, postponed or rescheduled, but now the site is only offering refunds for canceled events, Digital Music News reported.

Customers seeking refunds will only get them for postponed or rescheduled events if the organizer offers them, Ticketmaster said on its website.

According to The New York Times, Ticketmaster said it had not changed its refund policy, but merely clarified it.

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But a number of entertainers and fans have now taken to social media to air their frustration with the service.

"Customers are already fed up with what appears to be a single monopoly with Ticketmaster," Kathy Griffin said on Twitter. "Customers are not going to be happy with this decision!"

"Comforting to know that even when the world is in the grips of a pandemic, Ticketmaster remains committed to being just a surprisingly large piece of [expletive]," another Twitter user said.

As of Monday, there have been more than 1.9 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 118,000 deaths worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 570,000 confirmed cases and more than 23,000 deaths.

StubHub, a ticket reseller, has also come under fire for a similar policy.

"The evolving COVID-19 situation has led to questions about what happens if an event is canceled or postponed," StubHub said on its website. "We're working directly with our many partners, event organizers, leagues and teams around the world to update you as quickly as possible."

The New York Times reported that a Chicago man has sued StubHub over another policy offering vouchers instead of cash refunds for canceled events.