Ticket reseller website accused of changing refund policy during pandemic reaches settlement with Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG, Pa. (KDKA) -  One of Pennsylvania's largest ticket resale platforms has to refund consumers after the attorney general's office said the company changed its policy during the COVID-19 pandemic and refused to give money back for canceled shows. 

Secure Ticket Purchase, which sold tickets through the website boxofficeticketsales.com, reached a settlement with the state, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General announced on Tuesday. 

Secure changed its refund policy for canceled events during the COVID-19 pandemic when nearly all events and shows were canceled, the attorney general's office said. 

Secure previously guaranteed ticket buyers a full and immediate refund if an event was canceled, but the attorney general's office said it changed its refund policy, without notice and against state law, to a mandatory store credit and refused to give consumers their money back. 

The state also accused Secure of not complying with Pennsylvania's ticket resale statute, which is meant to combat scalping, and selling tickets online for years without following requirements. 

"Secure Ticket Purchase thought they could walk away with consumers' hard-earned money by surreptitiously changing their refund policy in the middle of a pandemic," said Attorney General Michelle Henry. "This settlement puts all ticket resellers on notice: if you deceive Pennsylvanians to maximize your bottom line, you will be held accountable."

As part of the settlement, Secure agreed to fully refund any Pennsylvania consumer who bought a ticket before Nov. 19, 2021 to a show that was canceled and hasn't received a monetary refund yet. The company also agreed to comply with the ticket resale statute and will pay restitution for the cost of the attorney general's office investigation.