Viagogo: Did customers ever get refunds?

Pippa Hudson speaks to consumer journalist, Wendy Knowler for an update on customers who requested refunds from Viagogo.

Many CapeTalk listeners have paid a small fortune for concert tickets from Viagogo or arrived at a show only to be turned away at the turnstile because their tickets weren’t valid.

Over the past few months, Hudson and Knowler have shared so many sad cases and yet still people continue to buy from the site in a rush to snag tickets before they’re gone without realising that they’re buying from a third party re-seller, and not the original vendor.

That's why Knowler's giving us an update on Viagogo...

In the past, Viagogo has come under fire from ticket platforms like Ticketmaster, and have responded stating that their platform “gives consumers the freedom to buy and sell tickets on a regulated platform that is trusted by millions around the world”.

Viagogo has also accused bigger ticket selling platforms of anti-competitive behaviour and a desire to control ticket distribution, saying it’s perfectly legal to pass on, sell or give tickets to other people, and that genuine fans are being left disappointed when they can’t get their hands on tickets on the original platforms.

But what about the genuine fan who pays an inflated price on Viagogo, books an air ticket to the city where a concert is happening, pays for overnight accommodation and car hire or Ubers, only to get to the stadium and be turned away?

Viagogo and its recently acquired sister brand Stubhub claim that they will refund holders of their tickets if they are denied entry to a concert and event, but is that happening in practice?

Last month, the ticket reselling platform told Knowler that they only offer refunds for tickets - there’s no refund for your associated expenses like booking flights or accommodation.

“Every ticket on Viagogo is a legitimate ticket, bought and sold legally. The Viagogo guarantee, which ensures your money back if you do not get into the event, is in place to give ticket buyers the utmost confidence."

- Viagogo

But do Viagogo refunds work?

Here are some responses from previous Viagogo customers who have experienced such disappointment and requested a refund...

Case 1

Ernest Mogotsi shared his experience with Knowler saying...

His tickets were declined at the Jeffrey Osborne concert at Emperors’ Palace in Joburg in late March. He’d bought them on Stubhub which has been owned by Viagogo since mid-March. But the R3000 he paid went down the drain when he arrived at the venue – when he tried to use a screenshot of the tickets, he was handed a note stating that TicketPro was not affiliated to Viagogo or its associates, and that the tickets wouldn’t be accepted.

Ernest forked out an additional R1900 to buy new tickets so they could at least enjoy the show – but then his struggle to get a refund began.

His attempts to engage with Stubhub fell on deaf ears until the 11th of April, when he received an email advertising another concert. Ernest used the same email address to again request a refund, and this time was connected with an agent called Louis who apologised – but no refund materialised.

Knowler emailed the Viagogo press office asking why no refund was issued...

Knowler reports that Viagogo argued that their emails to Ernest had bounced, hence his having to rely on a screenshot rather than an actual ticket. They blamed it on him – “Buyer error” – saying the seller had uploaded the tickets correctly and Ernest should have had no issue downloading them.

But based on the note Ernest was handed at the venue the TYPE of ticket wasn’t the issue – even if he’d had a printed copy in hand, it wouldn’t have been accepted.

The good news is - they agreed to refund Ernest in full after we engaged with them – but they also sent through a long list of tips advising Stubhub buyers to download their tickets as soon as the purchase is completed, and to contact them well before the date of a concert in the event of any problems with ticket delivery.

As for Stubhub’s response, he said: “Stubhub refuses to accept their faults. And as for reporting issues timeously – he pointed out that Stubhub’s own confirmation of booking email state that some events tickets are made available on the day of the event".

Luckily, Ernest confirmed that he’d received his refund a few days ago.

Case 2

Thandi Majozi emailed Knowler "as her last hope" about her Viagogo experience in August 2023.

Majozi bought tickets for the Cape Town International Jazz Festival through Viagogo. The event was meant to happen in February, but was later postponed to the first weekend of May.

“Viagogo started advertising the same event again so I expected my order to be updated as such, however it still remained as a postponed event. I then contacted their customer support services and for over a month I have had no meaningful response. No one can confirm if I still have valid tickets or not. I stay in Joburg, I’m even afraid to book flights and accommodation because the tickets are not confirmed."

- Thandi Majozi

"First I was told I would get a response after seven days then they said they needed another three days. It’s now been over a month and still nothing - have tried again to contact them but still nothing, my call with one of their call centre agents called Olivier just basically told me I was covered they would refund me. But I cannot request a refund as their website states that they do not refund postponed events only cancelled events. My last follow up was on the 9th of April, each time I make an inquiry it’s like I’m starting afresh. Please help me this trip was supposed to be a gift to my husband who loves jazz.”

- Thandi Majozi

Knowler contacted Viagogo about Majozi's case...

“A lot is at stake here as she does not want to book tickets and accommodation for the event if the tickets are not valid. If she is unlikely to gain entry with her tickets, please say so and refund her, because if she makes those bookings and incurs extra cost, she may get her ticket spend refunded in terms of Viagogo’s warranty, but the flight and accommodation costs will not be refunded."

- Wendy Knowler

Viagogo then responded to Knowler saying...

“The team has confirmed that the event has been rescheduled, and the buyers have been notified via email. The new date is set for May 4th, 2024, at 5 PM. The seller is required to transfer the tickets to the buyer by May 3rd, 2024. The buyer is protected by the Viagogo guarantee, which ensures that they will receive their tickets on time. In the unlikely event that there are any issues with the order, Viagogo will provide alternative tickets or a refund.”

- Viagogo

Because of cases similar to the above, Viagogo is banned in some countries...

Viagogo has been banned in some countries who have warned consumers about their methods.

Knowler reports that three months ago, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) found that two of Viagogo’s adverts misled consumers by omitting material information regarding the entry restrictions on tickets purchased through them and other secondary ticketing sites.

Viagogo responded to this saying that they did not believe the ads were misleading - the ads simply stated that tickets for the events were legitimately available on their secondary ticketing marketplace and were not an offering to consumers to enter into a transaction for a specific ticket.

The company also said that there was no law which prohibited the resale of tickets for music events and they believed there was nothing in the ads implying that Viagogo is an official primary ticketing outlet.

Viagogo also believed it was extremely unlikely that a customer would not gain admission to an event after purchasing a ticket through Viagogo, even if the terms and conditions of the event itself purported that resale tickets were prohibited.

Less than 1% of customers were denied entry to events after having purchased a ticket on their platform, and they operated a guarantee so that if a customer was not admitted they would be entitled to a refund, Viagogo reportedly said.

The ASA noted that ads did not include any information to make consumers aware that some venues, including the ones listed, did not accept resale tickets and that consumers who purchased them might be refused entry on the door.

4 things to do if you fall victim to this type of purchase method...

Claire Turnham, the consumer rights activist who was awarded an MBE for her work to raise awareness of this issue and set up the Facebook group, Victim of Viagogo to support those who felt they had been ripped off by Viagogo shared some advice:

Apply to Viagogo for a refund.
Regularly log into your Viagogo account and check for notice of cancellation of tickets and notice of refund. You can also submit further questions. Be aware you may receive no response, or an unsatisfactory response. If your order is reviewed and Viagogo say they are unable to offer you a refund, you do not have to accept this situation. Instead, write to them again: restate your claim, and the reasons for your complaint.
Do not re-list your ticket! Do not accept any invitations to “resell” or “relist” your ticket. You will end up paying more fees, and repeat the cycle for someone else. It will also be harder to claim your refund.
Keep a record f all your correspondence, take screenshots and gather documentary evidence in support of your refund claim. The campaign’s email address: victimofviagogo@gmail.com

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