Consumers seeking refunds for rescheduled or cancelled ticketed events are being urged by Fair Trading to check their fine print for eligibility details.
Reporting that complaints had halved since March of last year, Fair Trading said ticketing issues remained a concern for consumers and made up nearly one third of all complaints recorded on the complaints register for March 2022.
Minister for Fair Trading, Eleni Petinos said that with events rescheduled multiple times during the pandemic, consumers have experienced delays in receiving refunds, difficulties contacting ticket sellers, and refunds being provided to closed accounts.
“As live music, art and festivals return with a bang, consumers should remain vigilant and always read the fine print to avoid any unwanted surprises,” Ms Petinos said.
“In some cases, customers may not be aware that refunds are actually offered by a third party,” she said.
“For instance, Ticketek provides some refunds through Refund Protect.
“Make sure you are purchasing tickets from authorised sellers.”
“If you buy from an unauthorised reseller you could lose your right to a refund or exchange if the event is postponed or cancelled.”
Ms Petinos said she was warning consumers not to deal with the overseas based reseller Viagogo.
“This is a timely reminder as the company continues to advertise in Australia, selling tickets at inflated prices.”
The Minister said NSW Fair Trading was encouraging businesses struggling to manage cancellations to contact customers wherever possible and advise them of how their requests are being handled.
“Consumers experiencing problems with significant changes to a rescheduled event or unreasonable delays in receiving refunds should lodge a complaint with NSW Fair Trading,” she said.
Information on how to lodge a complaint can be accessed at this PS News link.
