INDIANAPOLIS — The COVID-19 outbreak has postponed or canceled thousands events across the country, and with games and concerts on hold comes the question of how to get a ticket refund.
Dianna Boyce, vice president of NBA All-Star Inc. with Pacers Sports & Entertainment, said if an event at Bankers Life Fieldhouse is canceled, a refund will be available from the place or website tickets were purchased, such as the arena box office or Ticketmaster.
"If an event is just postponed for now, refunds are not being issued unless or until it is canceled," Boyce said. "When a new date is announced for an event, then the patron can request a refund if they'd like, but again, it would be from the original point of purchase. Only those purchased from the box office and have a canceled event would go to the box office for their refund."
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, including the box office, is closed after Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett put limits on the size of events that can be held during the coronavirus pandemic. The box office is closed until at least March 30.
"Once we are able to reopen based on guidance from the state and city, every event eligible for a refund will be able to get their refund then. No one will miss their refund opportunity while we are not able to be open."
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According to the Pacers' website, tickets for NBA games will be honored if and when games are rescheduled. The NBA suspended its season March 11.
"Your ticket will be good for the rescheduled games as the NBA uses this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward," a message on the Pacers' website reads. "However, single game ticket refunds can be obtained through point of purchase."
Other Central Indiana venues announced similar policies. Ruoff Music Center, The Amphitheater at White River State Park and Old National Centre both released a statements on Twitter saying event organizers are working with musical artists to gather more information on rescheduled concerts and that people with questions about an event's status should check Live Nation's website.
Ticket resale websites, such as Stubhub, Vivid Seats and TickPick, posted statements regarding refunds after most events were put on hold in the middle of March.
If you buy tickets on StubHub to an event that is canceled, you are covered by our FanProtect Guarantee. When an event is canceled, you will have the option to receive a StubHub coupon, worth 120% of your original order. For your convenience, we will directly add it to your StubHub account within 48 hours of the event being canceled. You can also elect to receive a refund of the original order amount to the original payment method.
I purchased tickets to an event that has been canceled due to the coronavirus. What happens now?
- If your event has been canceled, your purchase is entitled to a full refund of the purchase price, including delivery charges, per our 100% Buyer Guarantee. There is no action you need to take, and our customer service team will email you with details on a full refund or option for Vivid Seats store credit.
When will I receive my full refund or store credit?
- If your event was canceled and you opted for a full refund, you should expect to receive your refund within approximately 2-4 weeks.
- If your event was canceled and you opted for 120% store credit, you should expect to see your credit appear in your Vivid Seats account within one week.
- Refund timing may vary due to the large number of events being canceled.
We are closely monitoring the impact the virus is having and if the event is outright canceled, TickPick will credit your account 110% of your order total. If an event is taking place without fans in attendance, it will also be treated as canceled.
If your event has been canceled, you will be notified via email with details on how the credit and refund process works. Please note that if you received hard stock tickets you must hold onto them, as they may need to be returned to your seller for your reimbursement to be completed. You will be notified via email if this is required. There is no need to reach out to TickPick to initiate the reimbursement process.
If the event is postponed, suspended or rescheduled for a later date, refunds will not be available as your tickets will still be valid for the new date.