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Ticketmaster Slammed Over Updated Language in Refund Policy

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  • Ticketmaster updated language in its refund policy to only promise returns for canceled events.
  • The previous language also included refunds for postponed and rescheduled events, so many assumed the change was suspicious given the number of shows effected by the coronavirus pandemic.
  • Ticketmaster claims that the language update was only intended to clarify that refunds for postponed/rescheduled shows were never up to them, but instead event organizers.
  • StubHub was also slammed for changing its refund policy. Rather than a full refund, StubHub users will get a credit worth 120% of the original cost of their ticket but only if an event is canceled.

Language Change in Refund Policy Causes Outrage

Ticketmaster updated the language in its refund policy amid the coronavirus pandemic, causing confusion and anger from ticketholders hoping to get their money back for canceled events. 

Ticketmaster’s refund policy previously stated that “refunds are available if your event is postponed, rescheduled or canceled.” Now, it’s been cut down to say that “refunds are available if your event is canceled,” leaving postponed and rescheduled shows in limbo. 

As the coronavirus spreads artists like Justin Bieber, BTS, and others have postponed shows left and right, meaning a lot of fans are wondering if a refund will be coming their way. Many have taken their frustrations to Twitter. Some hoped that artists would move to fully canceling tours to aid refunds, while others thought this should motivate artists to move their sales from Ticketmaster to other platforms. 

Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) also tweeted about the new policy language, saying the ticket selling giant was in a “competition to provide the worst customer service in any industry.

Ticketmaster Claims Policy is Consistent

Ticketmaster, however, is claiming that there has not actually been a change in their policy. The company gave statements to USA Today and the New York Times claiming their refund policy has remained consistent, and that this was simply a change in wording for clarity.

Ticketmaster put out a blog post in March titled “Information Regarding the Cancellation and Rescheduling of Live Events” to explain its policy moving forward as events were forced to cancel due to COVID-19 concerns.

“As we receive updates from artists, teams and show organizers on their postponed and rescheduled events, as well as their individual refund policies, we will be providing fans with the latest news on their event status via this comprehensive information portal,” the company wrote. 

In that portal, fans can view the status of upcoming events to see if their shows had been canceled. 

“As always, canceled events are automatically refunded,” the post continued. “If an event organizer is offering refunds for postponed or rescheduled events, a refund link will appear on your Ticketmaster account. Otherwise, you are encouraged to periodically check back online to see if the status of their event has changed.”

All of this was essentially to say that refunds could still be offered in the event of a postponed or rescheduled concert, but the responsibility lies with the event’s organizer, not Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster claims that this has always been the case, but fans were still irritated as the initial wording of their refund policy implied guaranteed refunds.

Some have also had trouble getting money refunded to their accounts. One concert goer told the New York Times that of the many shows she had lined up this year that are no longer happening, but she has not seen the money for any. 

“I have about $3,000 tied up in these tickets,” she said. “This is my money that they are holding hostage.”

Some artists have given fans varying information about what will happen to their tickets now that their concerts are put on hold. Former One Direction star Niall Horan, who canceled his 2020 tour, told his fans they will get full refunds, and to visit his website for more information. On the other hand, Justin Bieber, who postponed his tour, told fans to hang tight to their tickets while new dates are being settled. 

Others, like Camila Cabello, are simply telling fans that more information is coming down the pipeline. 

Anger at StubHub

Ticketmaster is not the only ticket vendor causing frustrations with their refund policy. The latest changes to StubHub’s refund policy have also raised eyebrows. If an event is postponed, tickets remain with the buyer until a new date has been selected. If it has been rescheduled, StubHub send the new details but if the buyer cannot make it, no refund will be given. SubHub users will be left to resell the ticket on the site. 

If the event has been cancelled, StubHub will give the buyer a coupon worth 120% of the original order that can be used through the end of 2021 as a credit on their account. In no case was a full cash refund offered.

As a result of this, StubHub is being sued, with some saying they should be legally obligated to give money back for canceled events. Some have also complained that refund credits have not made it to their accounts within the promised timeframes. 

Impact on Concert Industry

Fans are not the only ones who stand to lose from canceled events during this pandemic. According to Pollstar, the concert industry could lose close to $9 billion this year if events remain blacked out. That means that along with ticket sellers and venues, several jobs related to these massive events could be at risk.

“Each tour pays or helps pay the salaries of tens, if not hundreds of thousands who work in venues, production, marketing, concessions, security, box offices, sponsorships and more,” Pollstar notes. “Consider: each parked bus that would have been carrying crew not only includes other passengers who would be earning a living, but every night in every city on the route, hundreds of people would have been involved in making the magic happen at venues that now sit empty.”

See what others are saying: (New York Times) (USA Today) (LoudWire)

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Max to Agrees to “Properly” Credit Writers and Directors After Facing Backlash For Lumping Them in As “Creators”

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The company said the credits were laid out incorrectly due to “an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max.”


After film and television writers slammed Max for crediting all writers, producers, and directors as general “creators” on its platform, the company said it will be adjusting its credits display.

“We agree that the talent behind the content on Max deserve their work to be properly recognized,” the streaming service said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. 

Max — the new rebrand of HBO Max that incorporates Discovery content — launched on Tuesday to much criticism. Amid glitches and app-switching confusion, the biggest backlash it faced was over the choice to lump creative roles into one credit section called “creators.” As one viral tweet noted, if a user were to select the film “Raging Bull,” the service’s display would not specifically credit Martin Scorsese as the director, rather, his name would be included at random with half a dozen other people, including writers and producers. 

The decision was condemned by many in the industry who argued it minimizes writers and directors by not properly giving them credit where it is due. Especially amid the ongoing writers’ strike, and with directors and actors starting negotiations with studios, some took it as a slap in the face. 

“The studios don’t want anyone to know our names,” writer Christina Strain tweeted. “It’s easier to pay us nothing if we’re faceless.”

“Another move from studios to diminish the role of writers, directors, actors and other craftspeople. Miss me wit this nonsense,” Jorge Rivera, the Vice-Chair of the Writers Guild’s Latinx Writers Committee, added. 

In a statement, Directors Guild President Lesli Linka Glatter said that Warner Bros. Discovery’s choice to “collapse” these roles into one credit “while we are in negotiations with them is a grave insult to our members and our union.”

“The DGA will not stand for it,” Glatter continued.

WGA West President Meredith Stiehm claimed the move was “a credits violation,” as well as an insult “to the artists that make the films and TV shows that make their corporation billions.”

On Wednesday, Max said it would rework its crediting. 

“We will correct the credits, which were altered due to an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max and we apologize for this mistake,” the platform said.

See what others are saying: (Gizmodo) (The Hollywood Reporter) (The Los Angeles Times)

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A Quarter of Young British Men Support Andrew Tate’s Thoughts on Women

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U.K. residents at large, however, do not view him favorably.


Even under house arrest in Romania, misogynist influencer Andrew Tate still holds substantial sway over young men. 

According to data from YouGov that was obtained by The Independent, 26% of U.K. men between 18 and 29 years old who know of Tate agree with his views on women. That figure was largely the same for men between 30 and 39, as 28% agreed with Tate’s opinions on the subject. 

Men in their 30s were slightly more likely to agree with Tate on his thoughts about masculinity. Three out of ten supported those views, compared to just a quarter of men 18 to 29.

Those statistics only include the thoughts of men who have heard of Tate, but per YouGov, most have. In the 18 to 29 group, 93% were familiar with him, and 86% of men in their 30s knew of him. 

The U.K. at large was less aware of Tate, with just 63% of British adults having heard of him. Of that group, only 6% held a positive view of him. 

Tate has faced substantial backlash for his sexist rhetoric over the years. In the past, he said that men should have “authority” over their wives or girlfriends, and that women should “bear some responsibility” for being raped. He was previously banned from Twitter over his extremist views on women but has since been allowed back on the platform. 

He is currently being investigated in Romania for organized crime and human trafficking. He was arrested and held in custody in December but was released to house arrest earlier this year. No formal charges have been filed against him yet and he has maintained his innocence. 

Tate currently boasts a Twitter following of 6.7 million. It has grown significantly since he was enveloped in legal controversy, and many of his supporters have demanded his release. 

See what others are saying: (The Independent) (Glamour U.K.)

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Involved in “Near Catastrophic” Paparazzi Chase

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“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” a spokesperson for the couple said.


“Aggressive” Paparazzi Chase Couple in New York

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a “near catastrophic” paparazzi car chase Tuesday night in New York City, according to a spokesperson for the couple.

In a statement, the spokesperson described the photographers as “highly aggressive.”

“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” the statement added.

“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” it continued. 

Details of the incident are still emerging, but BBC News reported that there are claims the chase involved roughly six cars driving recklessly by running red lights, driving on the sidewalk, carrying out blocking moves, going backward on a one-way road, and taking pictures while driving. 

The chase happened after Harry and Meghan were leaving the Women of Vision Awards with Meghan’s mother, Doria. They did not want photographers to learn where they were staying and attempted to avoid them in what turned into a 75-minute chase on a main road in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. They eventually ducked into a New York Police Department Precinct to hide out before getting into a different vehicle.

The NYPD released a statement confirming that they assisted in protecting the couple as “numerous photographers” hindered their transport. Officials said they made it to their destination and there were no collisions, injuries, or arrests. 

The couple’s spokesperson is asking the public to not share or post footage of the incident. 

“Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved,” the spokesperson said. 

Memories of Princess Diana

The chase evokes the brutal press hounding Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was subjected to throughout her life. The paparazzi’s obsession with her ultimately resulted in her death in 1997, when she was killed in a car crash after being chased by photographers in Paris. 

Since marrying Meghan and later bowing out of the Royal Family, Harry has made it explicitly clear that he fears those events could happen again. Meghan has been the subject of endless tabloid scrutiny, enduring racism and harassment from the press. Part of the reason they left the Royal Family was to keep their family protected from such attacks.

Mayor Eric Adams brought up Diana’s tragic passing while speaking about Tuesday night’s chase. 

“I don’t think there’s many of us who don’t recall how [Harry’s] mom died,” Adams said while speaking to reporters. “And it would be horrific to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like this and something to have happened to them as well…I think that was a bit reckless and irresponsible.” 

Adams also questioned whether or not he believes a chase could go on for two hours in a city as congested as New York, but noted that even a 10-minute chase would be dangerous. He said he will be briefed on the exact timeline and details later. 

See what others are saying: (BBC News) (Associated Press) (Yahoo News)

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