Reader Shaun writes:

My wife wanted to go to an upcoming Kelly Clarkson concert and we bought tickets. Clarkson has now cancelled the concert and Ticketmaster is givinga refund; however, they won’t refund the processing fee. This seems ridiculous to me, they should be refunding the whole amount. Is there any grounds for them to keep my processing fee? Thanks!

Shaun

Sorry, Shaun. Ticketmaster’s processing fees are non-refundable, per their purchase policy. It seems you’ve stumbled upon one of policies that Ticketmaster is famously hated for. Sadly, you can’t take your business elsewhere, because Ticketmaster has licensing agreements with most of the large concert venues in the US.

Read Ticketmaster’s letter to Shaun inside.

Ticketmaster writes:
From: “Notification” Reply-To: “RightNowIncomingMail” Subject: Ticketmaster Alert for Kelly Clarkson at Honda Center Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 09:41:19 -0500

Hello, this is Ticketmaster Customer Service with an important notice regarding your order for Kelly Clarkson at Honda Center on Thursday, July 19, 2007. Kelly Clarkson has announced that she will not be touring this summer. Tickets for the tour can be refunded at the point of purchase.

If you purchased tickets via Ticketmaster.com or by phone, your credit card will automatically be credited the ticket price and convenience charges, and should post to your account within 7 to 10 business days. Please note, the $3.75 per order processing fee and any ticketFast or UPS delivery charges are non-refundable.

If you purchased additional tickets at a Ticketmaster retail location or the Box Office, please return your tickets to that location for your refund.

As future concert dates become available, current ticket holders will be invited via email, mail, or phone notification to purchase tickets through an exclusive presale, which will take place prior to the general on sale date for each concert.

If you have any questions, please contact us online at:

http://www.ticketmaster.com/h/asktm.html

Thank you for using Ticketmaster where we really appreciate the opportunity to do business with you!

—MEGHANN MARCO

Purchase Policy [Ticketmaster]
Ticketmaster [Wikipedia]
(Photo: CST)

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