In a lawsuit filed recently in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, a pair of fans allege that MLB, its teams, and a host of ticket re-sellers have wrongly refused to refund ticket costs and associated fees relating to the postponed 2020 season. Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com and Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times are among those to cover the filing.
The would-be class representatives cover the two groups seeking relief: one is a partial season ticketholder and the other bought single-game tickets. In both cases, it seems, full or partial refunds have not been available because MLB continues to treat games as being postponed rather than cancelled.
Reflecting its attempt to achieve class certification, the suit doesn’t just go after the specific teams and ticket agencies involved in those cases. The complaint lists all thirty teams and four ticket companies: official MLB partner StubHub along with Ticketmaster, Live Nation, and Last Minute Transactions.
We are now several weeks into the scheduled 2020 MLB season with no end in sight to the shutdown. Most of the current chatter has surrounded the possibility of returning to play without fans in attendance — an outcome that would obviously warrant a refund.
But the league has yet to formally abandon hope of a full 2020 season, providing at least partial or temporary public relations and legal cover for the fact that individual fans’ funds are still sitting in the bank accounts of these large companies. Per Rogers, the eventual plan is likely “to offer credit toward tickets for 2021 if no games are played this summer.”
While these businesses are trying to work through surprising, difficult, and wholly unprecedented issues, many individuals are dealing with yet tougher times. And there’s little doubt that the money will ultimately have to be returned if the tickets can’t be honored for the 2020 season. The ESPN report does seem to indicate that the 2021 credit scenario would be presented as an alternative to a refund in the (exceedingly likely) event that games are indeed cancelled. The named defendants have yet to respond in court to the initial filing.
The lawsuit, then, is likely to spur battles over timing and other specifics — if, at least, its plaintiffs are successful at achieving class certification. There’ll surely also be a big fight over where the suit should be heard and what law will apply. As Shaikin notes, the initial pleading asserts claims arising under several uniquely consumer-protective California statutes.
I agree. Pay us back. We need the money more than million/billionaires.
If you already need the money, why did you spend it on tickets instead of an emergency fund?
I agree renbutler! It’s similar to leasing a car. If you can’t afford a depreciating asset then you shouldn’t be putting money down on it anyway.
I don’t NEED the money but I don’t trust the Wilpons to do the right thing.
But…I do need the money more than any owner, even with a rainy day fund. I’m not worth billions.
Ren and jaw. I think what they’re saying is the people who bought tickets in advance before the pandemic, and who were put out of work because of the pandemic, need the money now
@AndyMeyer you’re exactly right. Some of the replies make it seem like people are buying tickets instead of buying food and paying bills. They also bought the tickets before the shutdown and couldn’t have reasonably expected it to happen.
The reality is that fans paid money for a product that they aren’t getting, and if there’s no sign of them getting that product, they should get their money back since every dollar counts at this point in time.
This is a great point. What kind of real sports fan would spend money on tickets to a sporting even before a pandemic rather than save that money for a time machine to go back in time to stop the sport fan from spending money on tickets to a sporting event that is obviously going to be canceled because of a pandemic?
Sounds like this country is filled with Amiericants and not Americans.
I planned a roadtrip through PIT for early June to take in a Pirates/Reds game from NYC and purchased the tickets the first of the year. Thankfully, the Pirates refunded the ticket cost, but checking to see if the fees were also refunded.
I’ll allow the Pirates to keep my fees if it can go to a nest egg for a free agent with a contract greater than a $12 million AAV.
Was really hoping to see a brouhaha & go on a SHE’S OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE tour.
Because they probably had a job, had a stable income, had a 401k or some type of savings, and didn’t see a global shutdown coming that would cost them their job, cut their hours and income, etc.
Also, this seems to be more of a matter of principle than it does money.
Most of these tickets were purchased before people lost their source of income.
The Dodgers demanded full payment for 2020 season tickets last August. Here’s what the Dodgers have said to their season ticket holders so far: ____.
If your argument is that you “need the money more”, then you’re in trouble, buddy, because:
a. need has nothing to do with contract law
b. if the courts really did start making rulings based on who needs the money most, you’d have even less of a case…because there are billions of people who need money more than you….so your money would just go to them
So I suggest a different tactic…like waiting, patiently, for the games to be officially cancelled. Then they’ll either give the money back or give you tickets for whenever there age games open to the public again. Hopefully, for the second half of the season.
With the most recent talk of having games in FL, AZ, and TX, it doesn’t matter if and when the games are rendered “postponed” or “cancelled.” Fans are not going to their home parks this season. That’s not going to happen.
Fans should at least be given the option of a refund now instead of having to “wait patiently” while they make a decision.
M’erica
VERY original and well thought out. Did you come up with that all by yourself?
I hope that Stubhub and other resale agencies take a huge hit on this lawsuit. Scalping tickets is illegal outside parks, yet a company like Ticketmaster can charge one service fee and then another through Stub Hub? How does the common fan even know if someone inside Ticketmaster isn’t taking those tickets and putting them on Stub hub and essentially scalping? i am always weary of “Sold Out” events!
Thank you! My thoughts exactly.
I think you mean “wary,” not “weary.” But these companies operate on supply and demand just like anything else. I guarantee they’re taking a hit, but that affects their thousands of employees, not just a bunch of “evil” rich people.
It’s easy to increase prices on demand when you monopolize supply. In fact, it’s par for the course.
“Scalping tickets is illegal outside parks”
Depends on the state. Tickets are legally resold outside of NY sports venues.
The refund policies of the resellers are actually a lot more generous than what the teams are offering. The teams are offering nothing. They are communicating with their customers not at all.
It’s a basic contract. You agree to pay money in exchange for a product. When the product isn’t provided, they have breached the contract and need to refund the money.
I had the same discussion with MLB about my MLBTV package refund. They were balking at refunding my money because I was outside the 5 day refund period. The eventually gave me a refund.
But the “product” hasn’t been canceled yet, so you’re not entitled to a refund.
If the game gets canceled, you’ll get your money.
That’s wrong Butler. If you order a pair of pants and the delivery date becomes unspecified because they are out of stock, you’re entitled to a refund. Whether the product is pants or baseball, if the product you paid for becomes unavailable for an unspecified time, a refund is warranted. They have breached the contract. When a game is delayed under normal circumstances, there is a definite rescheduled date. Not the case here.
Not necessarily – it depends on each teams contract with its fans. No contract has been breached as there is no guarantee that we will not be able to see games. You did not buy a June night game, you bought the option to see a game on an unspecified date at an unspecified time (games move times or dates regularly).
Buying a tangible product is not comparable to buying an experience. You cannot return experiences, you can return retail items.
I say this as a full season ticket holder who wants his money back.
The product type doesn’t matter, whether it’s a tangible item or a service. Your obligation is to pay for the product. The company’s obligation is to provide the product you paid for.
Animal – when you buy a ticket to a ball game, there is a specified date and time that ticket is good for. For example, if you buy a ticket for a game on June 1st at 7pm, you can’t use that ticket for any other game but the one specified on the ticket. If that specific game is postponed, there is a defined rescheduled date the same ticket is good for. You can’t just go to any other game due to the postponement.
I’ll gladly get in in this to take the $553.79 back that I paid to NOT see a game on April 5th.
While I did not buy any MLB tickets this year, I did buy a couple pairs of concert tickets and got the Ticketmaster stonewall when trying to get a refund. Something along the lines of the event may be postponed, cancelled, or otherwise and I assume the risks of that. If society collapses, I will not shed a tear for these awful companies. The people are struggling but the corporations find a way to stay rich.
Are those concerts officially canceled? If not, you’re entitled to nothing, and that’s the way it should be.
Nothing like bogus ticket sales law and so-called contracts to help guide us through these unprecedented times.
Pearl Jam had it right way back when, and Congress laughed at them. Well, this is why that was unjust.
So, if the league never officially cancels the games, I can never get a refund? If the league decides that the 2021 season will merely consist of “rescheduled” 2020 games, they get to keep my money? It is also clear that unless major league baseball plans on playing games in snowstorms in November, that even if there is a season this year, it will be a shortened season and some of the games I purchased tickets for will not be played. Can baseball just “reschedule” those games to the 2021 season and keep my money for those games?
if you paid via credit card call your credit card company as ask them to do a charge back for the tickets. should get your money back. this renbut fella is just being a troll while people are legit having a tough time
they have made billions of dollars over the years , now they feel wronged because they might lose money. all this should be considered when starting any venture in business. they must have some type of insurance that protects them if not whos fault is that.?
It’s really quite simple:
They keep the money until the games are officially canceled.
I have been an NFL season ticket holder in the past, but I never would have paid for tickets unless I was in a position to weather a temporary loss of income.
It’s actually more simple than that. We have a country of people who are starving due to an unprecedented global event, and rich folks and their mindless online personas don’t give a poopsquat about that.
After reading through the comments, I’m confident that renbutler is actually Ticketmaster’s throw away account
You guys are missing the point. I will get my
$2500 back for a partial season ticket sometime, whenever the games are officially canceled. Class action attorneys take a hefty cut of the settlement for representing “my interests”. So instead of getting $2500 in November, am ongoing to receive $1600 in November?
I’ve had the same issue with getting a refund from my sportsbook on bets I made on team win totals and the World Series. They won’t give back any of the money because “Manfred hasn’t told us what’s going on”. It’s just a bs excuse to keep as much cash as possible right now. The normal season construct, a basic underlying assumption when I made those bets, is obviously out the window. I don’t need the money back but it’s still a somewhat scummy business practice
Sue your bookie
You don’t really have grounds to sue when you’re engaging in a technically illegal activity
I had tickets to the home opener in Arlington, which has obviously been postponed. I’m deploying at the end of the month, called the ticket office to ask for a refund stating I was deploying at the end of the month and they refused to give me a refund saying “they’re waiting to see if games will be played this season before offering refunds.”
I JUST TOLD YOU, I’M DEPLOYING AT THE END OF THE MONTH. I’ve paid for a service you obviously can’t provide, now you’re telling me I can’t have my money back?
For weeks now I’ve been body slammed for predicting that if the teams don’t start communicating with fans who hold tickets for unplayed games that they will face class action suits. But no, the teams continued their talk to the hand policy, and here come the lawsuits. Nobody wins them except the lawyers. You’d think that MLB would be conscious enough of the damage that has already been done to the game by their poor handling of the cheating scandals that they’d bend over backwards to make things right with their most loyal customers. Instead they’re letting this turn into yet another FUBAR. What a crying shame.
In 1994 I had season tickets, I got my refund when it was officially announced the season was cancelled.
People will get their money back when things become official. It’s hard to believe this is what people are going nuts about. cc
If you were suppose to see a game on April 12,2020 there is no way the MLB is going to be able to play 162 games and make up days missed this year. Not even close.
With the proposed new rules to expedite game play if the tickets were to see the Yankees red Sox or Astros so you can bang on trash cans out in left field there’s a strong chance you’re not going to get what you paid for.
If there is games played this year, which there most likely be, the people who bought tickets prior will be screwed.
The right thing to do is refund the money for games.
The right thing to do would be to communicate with the fans even if it’s only about the possible scenarios. At this point they are saying absolutely nothing, even to ticket holders who ask. That made the lawsuits inevitable. Yet another PR disaster for the game.
Refund the money or offer a deal for single ticket holders to double the number games in 2021.
Be a lot cheaper than fighting a lawsuit.
From the perspective of a full season ticket holder, I would like to continue to think that I will get a refund for un-played games this season. For those games, I do not want a credit for next season because my team, the Astros (go ahead with the jokes), will not look the same next year. I paid to watch a full season of 2020 games, not a mixture of 2020-2021 games.
As for concert ticket refunds from Ticketmaster, any concerts that I had tickets to that have officially been cancelled have already been refunded to my account.
It is a stressful time for all but have patience, the right thing will occur. I also say this as an oil and gas employee that has been impacted.
As long as there is any hope that games might resume with fans, MLB gets to hold everyone’s ticket money. But realistically, I live in California where the governor and the mayor of Los Angeles have already pretty much ruled out sporting events with fans for the remainder of the year. Even if somehow games played in AZ or TX allowed fans, how can my tickets I purchased for Dodger Stadium games be transferable? MLB execs holding our money is a complete travesty. I need to feed my family right now.
In the end I doubt many if any will get cash refunds. Vouchers or credits for future games seem the most likely. For as long as MLB can hide behind calling the games “postponed” they believe they can avoid having this discussion with ticket holders entirely. The price to MLB is yet another avoidable PR disaster.
Did MLB.TV refund people? Luckily I hadn’t paid the yearly fee yet.
toy – I got my MLB.TV refund but I had to argue for it because I was past the 5 day refund policy. I got the full amount refunded.
Absolutely appropriate, and the franchises should have already refunded the money. What’s more, I had to call MLB.TV for my refund and they pro-rated it, even though there wasn’t a single regular season game.
I emailed the team’s ticket office requesting full refund on my 12 tix. After a week, they finally replied asking me for ticket information and now they have provided me a full refund. Thank you Halos….