Is there any chance the decision to cancel all five Garth Brooks concerts could be reversed? No. Both concerts organiser Aiken Promotions and Ticketmaster, the company tasked with the distribution of tickets, have released statements stating unequivocally that "no concerts will take place".
Aiken said it had “exhausted all avenues regarding the staging of this event”.
The move follows last-ditch talks between Peter Aiken and Garth Brooks in the US yesterday. Aiken Promotions said it was "very disappointed" for the 400,000 fans who had purchased tickets.
I've shelled out the €65.45 for a ticket. Can I get a refund? Yes, you are entitled to a full refund. If you booked by credit card, you should ring your credit card company to ensure you will be refunded. It is less clear what will happen with the booking fee, but more details should be available today.
What do I have to do to get my refund? Ticketmaster and Aiken Promotions have said they are finalising plans to refund fans.
Ticketmaster said the scale of the operation was “unprecedented” in the Irish entertainment industry and appealed to customers to be patient. It said full details of the plan would be published today.
Is it likely I will be dealing with my local Ticketmaster outlet, where I purchased my ticket, or will an operation of this size be conducted through the head office? There has been no official word on this from Ticketmaster yet, but The Irish Times understands it will happen through the head office.
A statement sent to Ticketmaster outlets yesterday said the company was working on a plan to make the cancellation process “as simple and convenient as possible for customers and outlets alike”, and that the plan was to “take the refund process away from outlets and deal with it in head office”.
Outlets would get full details “in due course”, the statement added.
I missed out on tickets when they were on general sale and ended up paying way over the odds for a ticket from a third party. Have I any recourse to recoup this money? You're more than likely in a bit of trouble here. If you purchased tickets from a third party you have fewer rights and may have problems getting a refund.
If the original buyer of the ticket bought it by credit card, the refund may be made to their card. If you paid more than face value to a tout, you’ll just have to hope they take pity on you.
I booked a hotel to stay in for the concert. Will I still have to pay for it? You're not automatically entitled to cancel your hotel booking, unless it was booked as part of a package with tickets. However, many hotel websites allow consumers to cancel their booking up to a week or 24 hours before arrival.
There is a high likelihood you will have to pay a percentage of the room price on cancellation, though. It will depend on the hotel, as well as the terms and conditions of your booking.
I booked rail tickets to the concert. Am I entitled to a refund? Iarnród Éireann has indicated that if you booked rail travel to attend any of the cancelled Garth Brooks concerts, you will be refunded for your train bookings in full.
Where can I go if I have concerns or questions about my rights as a consumer? The Consumers' Association of Ireland is an independent organisation that works as a lobby group for consumers and provides advice to people about their rights and how to ensure their rights are upheld.
You can contact the association at 01-6373961 if you have any concerns or questions.
