Ticketmaster Mexico is under fire after it was announced that a new clause makes festival purchases non-refundable.
The ticketing giant revealed a new clause that exempts the company from refunding customers if an artist decides not to perform. The clause, translated from Spanish, reads:
“By continuing with your purchase, we inform you that there may be the possibility of non-attendance from one or some of the participants (artist) of the Festival, for which in such an event there would be no refund of the tickets purchased.”
🚨 Ticketmaster ha añadido una cláusula, al comprar boleto de algún festival, en la que señala que no habrá reembolso parcial ni total del boleto en caso de inasistencia por algún o alguno de los participantes (artista) pic.twitter.com/xqZ6QSNsDE
— Conciertos México (@conciertosmxico) June 11, 2024
Following the news, the country’s Federal Consumer Protection Agency — Procuraduía Federal del Consumidor (PROFECO) — issued a “precautionary measure” to get rid of the policy within 48 hours. In an official statement, the agency claimed that the clause “could be in violations” of multiple articles of the Federal Consumer Protection Law. The agency went on to note that the providers are obliged to respect the services offered and agreed upon with the customer unless there are major unforeseen circumstances.
The clause says that the consumer has the right to request a refund of the price paid, which includes the cost of the ticket and service charges, as well as a bonus or compensation of no less than 20 percent.
Festivalgoers were made aware of the new measure when trying to purchase tickets to upcoming festivals in Mexico like Arre and the Coca-Cola Flow Fest. While this poses a problem for all ticket buyers, it particularly raises questions for travelers, as they wouldn’t have the right to a refund even though they are not from the area.
Consumers took to social media to share their frustration, with many claiming they should be able to request a refund if their favorite artist cancelled last-minute. In one example, Kendrick Lamar called-off his appearance at Pa’l Norte just an hour before he was set to hit the stage.
This adds more fuel to consumers’ negative attitude towards Ticketmaster; currently, the company is being targeted in an antitrust lawsuit alongside its parent company Live Nation over its alleged monopolistic business practices. Additionally, Ticketmaster made headlines across the globe earlier this month after the personal data of more than half a billion consumers were up for sale on the dark web after a confirmed data breach — leading to a class action lawsuit.
