A frustrated music fan has finally received a refund for £300 worth of concert tickets after a year-long dispute with secondary ticketing site Viagogo. The issue stemmed from the postponement of the US band Falling in Reverse's UK tour, after its lead singer was denied entry into the country due to his criminal record.
A Year-Long Wait for a Resolution
The reader, named Steve, purchased three tickets for the band's UK tour via Viagogo. The entire tour was subsequently postponed after lead singer Ronnie Radke was refused a visa. UK authorities typically deny entry to visa applicants who have served more than 12 months in prison; Radke served a sentence in the US back in 2008.
The band announced the postponement in a statement, saying they would try to reschedule the shows for the following year while working to "obtain the necessary visa". They advised that refunds would be available at the point of purchase for anyone unable to attend the new dates.
However, with the singer's criminal history unchanged, Steve believed the 2026 tour was also unlikely to happen and felt he was entitled to a cancellation refund. Despite repeated contact with Viagogo, he and thousands of other fans were simply told the event was "POSTPONED!" and their money remained tied up.
The Complicated World of Secondary Ticketing
Money live reporter Jess Sharp investigated the case. Initially, it seemed Steve would be protected by rules set by the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR), which state that customers are entitled to a refund if an event is rescheduled and they can no longer attend.
However, this protection only applies to primary ticket sellers like Ticketmaster. As a secondary marketplace, Viagogo is not a member of STAR, leaving customers subject to its own terms and conditions.
Upon examining these terms, the reporter found that Viagogo's policy clearly states refunds are only issued for cancelled events, not postponements. The usual recourse for customers is to relist their tickets for free on Viagogo's marketplace, but as no new date had been set for the concert, this option was unavailable.
Intervention Leads to a "Goodwill" Refund
Given the unique circumstances—where the postponement was caused by a visa denial unlikely to be resolved—the Money blog team contacted Viagogo directly. They argued that the concert was improbable to go ahead the following year due to the lead singer's criminal record.
Following this intervention, Viagogo agreed to issue a refund to Steve as a goodwill gesture. The £300 landed in his account on his birthday, which he described as a "surprise birthday present".
Steve told the Money blog: "They did not mention yourselves, but I'm sure that you had a big hand in this so a huge thank you for all your efforts."
A Viagogo spokesperson reiterated their policy, stating: "Tickets purchased on Viagogo for events which are cancelled are eligible for a full refund including all fees. If an event is postponed, we provide an option for users to relist their tickets if the new date does not suit them." They confirmed that in this instance, no cancellation or new date had been scheduled by the event organiser.
This case highlights the reduced consumer protections when buying from secondary ticket platforms and underscores the importance of understanding a seller's specific terms before purchase.
