Robert Smith Announces Ticketmaster Refunds Following Fans’ Complaints
The Cure frontman Robert Smith has announced that Ticketmaster will issue partial refunds to fans after complaints about excessive fees on the site.[0] Smith took to Twitter to address fans’ complaints about being hit with excessive fees while trying to buy tickets to The Cure's upcoming tour through Ticketmaster's Verified Fan program, lashing out at the fees in all caps.[1]
The legendary English rock band had hoped to ensure low ticket prices and minimize resale for their upcoming North American tour, dubbed “Shows of a Lost World,” by pricing tickets as low as $20 and making them non-transferable.[2] However, a fan’s screenshot of their purchase of four tickets at $20 each, which went viral, showed that after Ticketmaster’s fees, they ended up paying $172, well over double the base price.[2]
Smith subsequently announced that fans who bought the lowest-priced tickets through Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan system will receive a $10-per-ticket refund, and anyone who bought tickets at any other price level this week will receive a $5-per-ticket refund.[3] He noted that the artist has no way to limit the fees and is asking for a coherent answer, and he also urged people not to buy from scalpers and that tickets are still available, just a slow process.
The Cure’s frontman also expressed his opinion on Ticketmaster’s “Dynamic Pricing” / “Price Surging” / “Platinum Ticket” system, which he believes to be “a bit of a scam.” He concluded with “We know it’s a far from perfect system – but the reality is that if there aren’t enough tickets on sale, a number of fans are going to miss out whatever system we use; at least this one tries to get tickets into the hands of fans at a fair price.”[4] If fans have already purchased tickets, they will receive an automatic refund.[5]
0. “The Cure's Robert Smith Says Ticketmaster Will Give Some Refunds” Bloomberg, 17 Mar. 2023, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-17/the-cure-s-robert-smith-says-ticketmaster-will-give-some-refunds
1. “The Cure's Robert Smith Blasts Ticketmaster Over Fee Debacle” Papermag, 16 Mar. 2023, https://www.papermag.com/the-cure-ticketmaster-2659608651.html
2. “The Cure Tickets Went On Sale Today, and It Was A Ticketmaster Disaster” SFist, 16 Mar. 2023, https://sfist.com/2023/03/15/the-cure-tickets-west-on-sale-today-and-it-was-a-ticketmaster-disaster
3. “The Cure's Robert Smith actually got Ticketmaster to refund fans those extra fees” Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2023, https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-03-16/the-cures-robert-smith-ticketmasters-fees
4. “Robert Smith Discusses Ticketing Issues For The Cure's Summer Tour” Yahoo Entertainment, 15 Mar. 2023, https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/robert-smith-discusses-ticketing-issues-145124650.html
5. “Ticketmaster Will Give Partial Refunds On Tickets For The Cure Tour” Deadline, 17 Mar. 2023, https://deadline.com/2023/03/ticketmaster-partial-refunds-on-tickets-for-the-cure-tour-1235302698/
