Purchasing concert tickets can be an expensive endeavor, especially for popular artists that sell out quickly. Ticket prices for top performers often run into the hundreds of dollars per seat. With that kind of investment on the line, it’s understandable that concertgoers would want to protect their purchase against unforeseen circumstances leading up to the event. This brings up the question – is concert ticket protection worth it? Let’s take a closer look at what concert ticket protection entails and the potential benefits and drawbacks of adding this optional service.
What is Concert Ticket Protection?
Concert ticket protection, sometimes referred to as ticket insurance, is an additional service offered when purchasing event tickets online or over the phone. For an extra fee added to the base ticket price (usually 10-15% of the total ticket cost), the ticket purchase is insured against certain scenarios that would prevent you from attending the event.
Common examples include:
- Illness/injury/death of the ticket holder or a member of their immediate family
- Severe weather events preventing safe travel to the venue
- Unforeseen changes in military deployment orders
- Pregnancy and childbirth (if the due date overlaps with the event date)
- Jury duty or court-mandated appearance
- Involuntary termination of employment
- Home/personal property emergency
- Automotive breakdown or accident on the day of the event
If any of these covered scenarios occur leading up to the concert, you can request a full refund (minus the protection fee) by filing a claim. Protection plans also sometimes cover delays that cause you to miss part of the event.
How Does Concert Ticket Protection Work?
Here is a quick rundown of how concert ticket protection services work:
- When checking out online or over the phone, you’ll have the option to add protection to your ticket purchase for an additional fee.
- If approved, the terms of protection coverage will be provided and added to your overall ticket receipt.
- In the event you cannot attend due to a covered reason, you must file a claim with supporting documentation prior to the event start time.
- Once approved, you will receive a refund for the cost of the unused tickets only. The protection fee is non-refundable.
Protection plans vary between ticket sellers, so be sure to read the full terms and conditions carefully when making a purchase. Certain limitations, exclusions, and claim filing deadlines may apply.
Potential Benefits of Concert Ticket Protection
Here are some of the main advantages of purchasing protection with your concert tickets:
Peace of Mind
The number one benefit of concert ticket protection is the peace of mind it provides. You can purchase tickets in advance, even if the event is months or years away, with the assurance that your costs will be covered if an unexpected issue arises leading up to the concert date. Rather than worrying about wasted money and forfeited tickets, you can focus on resolving whatever situation caused you to miss the show.
Coverage for Common Issues
Reputable protection plans will cover many common scenarios that could derail your concert attendance. Illnesses, travel delays, employment changes, and more will all trigger refund approval. Even relatively minor hassles like your car breaking down on the trip to the venue can be covered. Without protection, you would simply forfeit your ticket costs entirely.
Refund of Purchase Price Only
Keep in mind you will only receive the face value of the tickets back. Any additional costs like overnight shipping fees or secondary market markups will not be refunded. However, recovering the base purchase price is still much better than eating the full cost with no protection.
Potential for Multiple Claims
Most protection plans allow for multiple successful claims over time. As long as you buy protection each time tickets are purchased, future issues will also be covered. So you can effectively insure yourself for the long haul if you attend a lot of concerts annually.
Potential Drawbacks of Concert Ticket Protection
While concert ticket protection has some clear benefits, there are also a few potential downsides to consider:
Added Cost
The protection fee bumps up the total checkout cost, usually by around 10-15% per ticket. This extra charge eats into your ticket budget, so you’ll have to balance the value of the peace of mind against the added cost. For very expensive tickets, protection fees can be a significant add-on cost.
Time Restrictions
There is often a time limit to file your claim after the concert date passes. Typically you’ll have between 3-12 months to submit your refund request depending on the seller. Miss the claims deadline and you’ll forfeit the right to your refund. Also, claims must be filed before showtime to qualify.
Exclusions
Not every potential issue is covered by protection plans. For example, voluntarily deciding not to attend or forgetting about the show are not valid reasons for a refund. Also, the range of covered scenarios can differ between sellers. Read the fine print carefully so you understand any exclusions.
Claim Approval Not Guaranteed
Even if the reason you missed the concert seems like it should be covered, there is still some risk the claim is denied after submitting documentation. Disputing a borderline or controversial claim denial can be difficult. Just because coverage exists does not guarantee approval.
No Reimbursement for Ancillary Costs
Protection only refunds the concert ticket purchase price. If you booked non-refundable flights, prepaid hotel rooms, scheduled time off work, or incurred other costs related to attending, those outlays will not be reimbursed. The scope of coverage is limited.
Factors to Consider When Buying Protection
When deciding whether to purchase concert ticket protection, some key factors to weigh include:
Ticket Cost
The higher the ticket price, the more sense protection makes to hedge your investment. If tickets were $500+ each, protection provides a lot of value. But for inexpensive tickets, paying an extra 15% of a $50 ticket may not be worth it.
Historic Attendance Habits
If you have regularly missed concerts over the years due to work obligations, health issues, or other reasons, protection is a smarter choice. Infrequent concertgoers may skip protection. But if your attendance history is spotty, insure your investment.
Refund Policy of Seller
Some ticket sellers have generous refund policies, even if protection wasn’t purchased. Others have ironclad no refund rules. If the seller/band offers easy refunds already, protection loses some appeal. But if refunds are normally prohibited, coverage brings more upside.
Covered Reason Importance
Review the list of covered scenarios carefully based on your lifestyle. If you travel extensively for work, trip cancellation coverage is key. Someone with young kids may value the inclusion of pregnancy as an eligible reason. Match the coverage to your circumstances.
Reputability of Seller
A track record of smooth claim processing and approvals makes protection more worthwhile. Investigate reviews online to confirm the seller handles claims fairly for maximum value. Disreputable sellers make buying protection sketchy.
Top Concert Ticket Protection Providers
Now that we’ve weighed the pros and cons of protection and key purchase considerations, here is a comparison of leading protection plan providers:
Vivid Seats
- Cost: 12% of ticket price
- Coverage Duration: 1 year after event
- Highlight: Covers pregnancy up to 7 months
StubHub
- Cost: 10% of ticket price
- Coverage Duration: 180 days after event
- Highlight: No limit on number of successful claims
Ticketmaster
- Cost: 15% of ticket price
- Coverage Duration: 30 days after event
- Highlight: Weather cancellation covered if venue cannot reschedule
AXS
- Cost: 10% of ticket price
- Coverage Duration: 14 days after claim filing
- Highlight: Covers military deployment changes
Shop around to find the protection plan that best aligns with your needs and priorities. Cost, claim duration, and refund policy can vary significantly.
Alternatives to Concert Ticket Protection
If you decide concert ticket protection isn’t the right choice, here are some other options to consider:
Review Refund Policy
Before paying extra for protection, check the standard refund policy of the seller. Many major resellers offer a short 1-2 week window for no-questions-asked refunds. This can provide free coverage for near-term issues.
Resell Tickets Yourself
Instead of recouping just the purchase price via a claim, reselling unwanted tickets allows you to potentially recover your full outlay. Sites like StubHub allow easy resale. You keep the upside rather than refunding to the protection provider.
Use a Credit Card with Built-In Protection
Many premium travel credit cards include trip cancellation/interruption coverage as a cardholder benefit. Paying for tickets on the card may get you coverage without purchasing a separate plan.
Self-Insure for Cheap Tickets
For inexpensive tickets, it can make sense to simply self-insure by accepting the occasional forfeited cost. If you attend enough shows annually, eating the cost once in awhile balances out.
The Verdict: Is Concert Ticket Protection Worth It?
So what’s the final verdict? Here are some closing recommendations on whether purchasing concert ticket protection makes sense for you:
- Expensive Tickets – Protection is likely worthwhile to avoid a painful total loss
- Infrequent Concertgoer – Probably not worth paying the extra fee each time
- Spotty Attendance History – Coverage brings value by safeguarding your investment
- Medical Issues – Added peace of mind if health problems are likely
- Vital Life Events Near Event – Protect around major milestones like due dates or weddings
- Reputable Seller – More value when claim process is proven fair and efficient
The decision depends heavily on your specific circumstances. Carefully weigh the tradeoff between the protection cost and risk tolerance for your situation. While not always essential, concert ticket protection can provide financial security and peace of mind for the right buyers.