Can you cancel a booking with Ticketmaster?

Ticketmaster is one of the largest ticket sales and distribution companies in the world. They sell tickets for a variety of events including concerts, sporting events, and theater shows. When purchasing tickets through Ticketmaster, there are a few key things to know about the company’s cancellation and refund policies.

Ticketmaster’s Cancellation Policy

Ticketmaster does allow customers to cancel ticket orders and receive a refund in most cases. However, their exact cancellation policy depends on a few factors:

• The event – Each event has its own set refund and cancellation policies that Ticketmaster must follow.
• The ticket type – Some specialty tickets may have different restrictions.
• How far in advance you cancel – There are usually different deadlines for canceling.

In general, for most events, these guidelines apply when canceling Ticketmaster orders:

• Up to 48 hours before event: Full refund
• 24-48 hours before event: Partial refund
• Within 24 hours of event: Typically no refunds

So in most cases, as long as you cancel your Ticketmaster order at least 48 hours in advance of the event, you can get a full refund. But again, exact policies can vary between different concerts, games, shows, etc.

How to Cancel a Ticketmaster Order

To cancel a Ticketmaster order, customers have a few different options:

• Online – Log into your Ticketmaster account online and navigate to the “My Tickets” section. Find your order and click “Cancel Order.” You’ll need to specify a reason for canceling.
• Phone – Call Ticketmaster Customer Service at 800-653-8000. Specify you want to cancel an order and they can process the refund.
• In-person – Take your paper ticket to an official Ticketmaster ticket center and request a cancellation there.

Keep in mind that for electronic tickets you purchased online, you’ll need to cancel the order online or over the phone since there’s no physical ticket to turn in. Phone support is available 7 days a week.

Refund Timeframes

How long does it take to get a Ticketmaster refund? Here are the typical timeframes:

• Credit card – Refunds to the original credit card tend to process within 15 business days.
• Gift cards – For refunds in the form of Ticketmaster gift cards, expect to receive the gift card within 5-10 business days.
• Checks – If you specifically request a refund by check, it will generally arrive within 4 weeks.

After canceling and processing a refund, you can log into your Ticketmaster account to track the status. The refund status will display as “In Progress” until completed.

Exchange Versus Refund

In some cases, Ticketmaster may allow you to exchange your ticket for another event rather than doing a full refund. This lets you reuse the same value of the ticket to book a different event in the future.

Exchanges are usually only allowed if:

• You request the exchange more than 48 hours before the original event.
• The new event you pick is scheduled at least 90 days after your exchange request.

Otherwise, if the new event is too soon or you’re past the 48-hour cutoff, you’ll need to formally cancel and refund the order instead of exchanging.

Canceling Specific Ticket Types

Most Ticketmaster tickets are fully refundable when canceled within the 48-hour window. However, there are certain ticket types that may have different restrictions or policies around cancellations:

Suite Rentals & Hospitality Packages

These premium ticket bundles often have the most stringent policies, including:

• No refunds allowed
• 50% cancellation fees
• Exchange only into a future event

So before booking one of these high-end packages, be sure to read the fine print on the cancellation rules.

Resale Tickets

If you purchase ticket resales through Ticketmaster’s fan-to-fan exchange, the cancellation policy depends on the specific seller you bought from. Some may not allow returns at all. You’ll need to read the listing carefully for the seller’s own refund rules.

International Events

For events outside the United States, you typically need to cancel at least 7 days out to get a refund. Last-minute cancellations often don’t qualify. The 7-day policy applies to most events in Canada, the United Kingdom, and other international venues.

Canceling Group Orders

For group ticket orders for 6 tickets or more, there is often a no-refund policy in place. However, you may be able to cancel some group orders with the following caveats:

• There may be a cancellation fee per ticket, often around $5 per ticket.
• You may only be able to swap out the registrants rather than fully refunding tickets.
• Deadlines to make changes are typically further in advance, around 2-3 weeks pre-event.

Check with the specific event venue and mention you have a group order when requesting cancellations or refunds.

Canceling Season or Multi-Event Ticket Packages

Sports teams, theater companies, symphonies, and other organizations often sell package deals for an entire season of events. For these multi-event tickets, refunds and cancellations generally follow these guidelines:

• Full refunds if canceled more than 48 hours before the first event.
• After first event starts, no refunds offered on remaining events.
• Exchanges only offered for equal or higher priced future events.

The 48-hour cutoff before the first event is the key thing to pay attention to if you have tickets for a season package.

Canceling VIP & Platinum Tickets

Ticketmaster Platinum Tickets that offer front-row seats or VIP access are sold as FINAL SALES in most cases. This means no refunds or cancellations are allowed under any circumstance.

You’ll want to be 100% sure before purchasing Platinum level tickets since you cannot get your money back if plans change.

Auto-Renewing Tickets

Some season ticket packages will “auto-renew” each season. This means you’ll be automatically charged each year unless you opt-out.

To avoid being charged again, be sure to cancel online or call in before the renewal deadline. Cancellation deadlines are generally in early Fall each year for season tickets that auto-renew.

Canceling Parking Passes

If you purchased parking passes along with your Ticketmaster tickets, the cancellation policy on the parking pass will match that of the ticket order as a whole. So if tickets are refundable, parking is too. If tickets are non-refundable closer to the event, parking passes follow the same rules.

Conclusion

Ticketmaster typically does allow customers to cancel most types of tickets for a full refund, as long as the order is canceled at least 48 hours in advance. Certain specialty tickets like suites and platinum seats may have different no-refund policies.

The best way to cancel a Ticketmaster order is through your online account or by calling their customer support line. Refunds generally take 2-4 weeks to process back to your original payment method.

With group orders, season tickets, international events, and resale marketplace tickets, be sure to read all policies closely before purchasing, as those situations may have special cancellation rules.

Overall, Ticketmaster provides reasonable cancellation windows on par with most other major ticket sellers. Just be sure to request the refund promptly once your plans change to avoid losing the ticket value after the event occurs.

Ticketmaster aims to make the cancellation process straightforward for most customers. However, sell-out events with high demand will typically have stricter no-refund rules in place. Overall, review the specific event policies closely and request cancellations as early as possible for the best chance at a full refund.

Here is a table summarizing some key Ticketmaster cancellation policies:

This summarizes some of the key cancellation policies to be aware of. Individual events may have additional restrictions, so check all details when ordering tickets.

A few final tips on getting refunds from Ticketmaster:

• Act quickly if plans change – don’t wait on requesting the refund
• Understand all restrictions upfront before buying tickets
• For high-demand events, refunds likely won’t be allowed
• Keep checking on your refund status until fully processed

As one of the largest ticket companies worldwide, Ticketmaster provides many options for events and flexible policies around cancellations – just make sure to fully review and understand the fine print for your specific tickets.