Trying to cancel or undo a ticket transfer on Ticketmaster can be frustrating, as their policy does not allow transfers to be canceled once completed. However, there are some steps you can take if you need to regain access to tickets you’ve transferred away by mistake or if plans have changed.
How Ticket Transfers Work on Ticketmaster
On Ticketmaster, if you purchase tickets you have the option to transfer them to someone else at no additional cost. This allows you to easily give or sell tickets to friends, family, or others if you can no longer attend the event.
However, it’s important to understand that ticket transfers on Ticketmaster are meant to be final and non-reversible. According to their policy: “Tickets can be transferred an unlimited number of times, but transfers are final – no take backs.”
Once you fully complete the ticket transfer process by entering the recipient’s info and clicking “Send”, the tickets are permanently associated with the new recipient’s Ticketmaster account. You no longer have ownership or access to the tickets yourself.
Why Ticketmaster Doesn’t Allow Canceling Transfers
There are a few reasons why Ticketmaster does not allow ticket buyers to cancel or undo a transfer:
- Prevents abuse – If transfers could easily be canceled and tickets reclaimed, this could be abused by scalpers/brokers using transfers temporarily before reselling tickets at a markup.
- Recipient’s access – The recipient needs to be able to securely access their tickets once transferred without concern of the tickets being taken back.
- Finality of transactions – Provides a clear record of ticket ownership and transfers for both parties.
Essentially, once a transfer is made, Ticketmaster considers the recipient to be the new lawful ticket holder and severs the original buyer’s ownership and rights to the tickets.
What To Do If You Need To Cancel a Transfer
Despite the no cancelation policy on transfers, there are a few options to consider if you need to regain access to tickets you’ve transferred away:
Contact Recipient
The most straightforward option is to simply contact the person you transferred the tickets to and request that they transfer the tickets back to you. Explain that your plans have changed and you still need the tickets.
If you know the recipient personally and the transfer was done as a favor, they will likely be willing to transfer back to you. However, if the tickets were sold, they may decline or request additional payment.
Offer to Repurchase Tickets
If the tickets were sold and the recipient is unwilling to transfer back to you free of charge, offer to repurchase the tickets back at the original price (or at a negotiated price).
Essentially, you would be treating the situation like a normal ticket resale and paying the current ticket holder to transfer the tickets back to your Ticketmaster account.
Request Ticketmaster Review the Transfer
In very exceptional cases where there appears to be fraudulent activity or you accidentally transferred tickets to the wrong person, you can contact Ticketmaster Fan Support and request a review of the transfer.
Explain the situation in detail and provide any documentation or evidence you may have. However, Ticketmaster is clear they do not normally reverse transfers, so this is not likely to succeed unless there are clear irregularities or mistakes in the transfer process.
Best Practices For Avoiding Transfer Issues
To avoid the headache of trying to cancel or reverse ticket transfers on Ticketmaster, follow these best practices:
- Double check recipient details before transferring.
- Transfer only to people you know and trust.
- Avoid selling tickets via transfer unless you cannot attend.
- Understand transfers are permanent when initiating them.
Following the steps above helps minimize the chances of needing to undo a transfer later on Ticketmaster. Only transfer tickets when you are absolutely certain, and always double check the recipient’s name, email or mobile number before clicking send.
Does Contacting Ticketmaster Resolve the Issue?
In most cases, contacting Ticketmaster directly does not lead to a canceled transfer or returned tickets. As outlined in their policies, ticket transfers are designed to be final and irreversible.
However, it is still worth contacting their Fan Support team if any of these cases apply to your transfer:
- You accidentally sent the transfer to the wrong recipient
- Your account was potentially hacked/compromised and tickets transferred without authorization
- You have evidence the recipient is reselling your tickets against Ticketmaster policy
In exceptional cases like those, Ticketmaster may review the specifics and determine if any action can be taken. But outside of situations involving mistakes or misconduct, Ticketmaster will likely uphold their transfer policy as binding.
What Ticketmaster Support May Require
If you do contact Ticketmaster Fan Support to request reversing a transfer, here are some things to expect:
- You will need to provide the ticket order number, transfer date, event details, section/row/seats, and the exact reason you need the transfer canceled.
- They will request you explain in detail why you believe the transfer should be reversed as an exception to policy.
- Any evidence or documentation related to the transfer and your reasoning will need to be submitted.
- You may need to provide identification to prove account ownership and that you initiated the original ticket purchase.
Ticketmaster does reserve the right to evaluate exceptional transfer cancellation requests on a case-by-case basis. But the burden of proof is high, so you need to set proper expectations when contacting them.
Can I Sell Transferred Tickets on an Exchange or Resale Market?
Once you complete a ticket transfer on Ticketmaster, you permanently forfeit all ownership rights and ability to resell or list those tickets.
The tickets are exclusively tied to the recipient’s Ticketmaster account after the transfer. This means you cannot sell or list the transferred tickets yourself on any ticket exchange or resale marketplace like StubHub, VividSeats, or Ticketmaster’s own resale platform.
Any tickets listed for resale must come directly from the current ticket holder in Ticketmaster’s system. Trying to resell transferred tickets you no longer own will likely result in listing removal and resale privilege suspension if detected.
Best Option is to Have New Holder Resell
If you wish to recoup any value from unwanted transferred tickets, the only option is to have the recipient resell them on the platform of their choice.
You would need to request they relist and resell the tickets, then provide you an agreed upon portion of the proceeds.
But understand that the tickets are now fully theirs to do with as they please. Mandating they resell is difficult once the non-reversible transfer is complete.
How to Prevent Transfer Issues in the Future
To avoid the frustrations that come with trying to reverse ticket transfers on Ticketmaster, employ these strategies:
Only Transfer to Trusted Contacts
Be selective who you transfer tickets to and only send transfers to trusted friends, family, or associates you know well. Avoid selling via transfer unless necessary.
Confirm Details Before Sending
Double and triple check the recipient’s name, email address, or phone number before ever clicking the “Send Transfer” button. This prevents sending to the wrong person.
Think Twice Before Transferring
Give careful consideration before transferring tickets as it cannot easily be undone. Be 100% sure your plans won’t change or you won’t need the tickets back before completing the transfer.
Use Official Resale if Selling
If your intent is to sell unwanted tickets, use Ticketmaster’s resale platform or another trusted resale provider. This gives you more control and visibility than transferring directly.
Summary and Conclusion
Ticketmaster’s transfer policy makes all ticket transfers final and non-reversible. This is done to prevent potential abuse and provide ticket access clarity to recipients.
Once transferred, tickets can only be reclaimed by having the recipient voluntarily transfer them back or repurchasing the tickets at current market value.
Contacting Ticketmaster directly seldom leads to canceled transfers unless there are clear cases of mistakes or misconduct involved.
The best way to avoid issues is only transferring to trusted contacts as needed and reselling via official resale platforms instead of direct transfers. With proper care taken, you can avoid the hassle of trying to undo Ticketmaster transfers.
