Selling tickets to events is a commercial transaction that is subject to a range of consumer protection laws. As an event organiser selling tickets to the public, you need to understand your obligations under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, and other relevant legislation. Getting it wrong can result in enforcement action by Trading Standards, claims from attendees, and reputational damage.
Disclaimer: This article provides general guidance on consumer rights law as it applies to ticket sales in England and Wales. Consumer law is a broad area with detailed rules that depend on the specific circumstances of each transaction. Always seek professional legal advice for your specific situation and consult the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Citizens Advice guidance for authoritative information.
The Consumer Rights Act 2015
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA 2015) is the primary legislation governing consumer contracts in England, Wales, and Scotland. It applies when a trader (you, as the event organiser) supplies a service (the event) to a consumer (the ticket buyer). Key provisions include:
- Services must be performed with reasonable care and skill (section 49). Your event must be delivered to a reasonable standard. This does not mean every aspect must be perfect, but it must meet the reasonable expectations of a paying customer based on what was advertised and described.
- Information provided is binding (section 50). If you have said or written something about the event that the consumer takes into account when deciding to purchase (for example, that a specific artist will perform, or that the event will run until a certain time), that information is treated as a term of the contract. Failing to deliver on it may give the consumer a right to a price reduction or a remedy.
- Reasonable price (section 51). If no price has been agreed, the consumer must pay a reasonable price. In practice, the ticket price is agreed at the point of purchase, so this provision is rarely contentious.
- Reasonable time (section 52). If no time for performance has been agreed, the service must be provided within a reasonable time. For events, the date and time are usually specified when the ticket is sold.
What happens if the event is not as described?
If the event does not match what was described when the ticket was sold (for example, a headliner cancels, the venue changes, or the event is significantly different from what was advertised), the consumer may be entitled to:
- A repeat performance (which is usually not practical for events).
- A price reduction, including a full refund where the service falls far short of what was promised.
The key is what was reasonably promised. If your marketing materials name a specific artist as the headliner and that artist cancels, attendees who purchased tickets on that basis have a strong argument for a refund or partial refund. If your marketing uses phrases like "line-up subject to change," this provides some protection, but it does not eliminate your obligations entirely. A court would consider whether the change was so fundamental that the consumer would not have purchased the ticket if they had known.
Cancellation and refunds
If you cancel an event entirely, consumers are entitled to a full refund. This is straightforward. The complication arises with postponements, venue changes, and partial cancellations (such as the cancellation of one day of a multi-day event).
For postponements, consumers who cannot attend the rescheduled date should be offered a refund. Those who can attend the new date may not be entitled to a refund unless the postponement is unreasonably long or the circumstances of the event have changed materially.
Your refund policy should be clearly stated in your terms and conditions and communicated at the point of sale. However, your terms cannot override consumers' statutory rights. A "no refunds" policy is not valid where the consumer has a statutory right to a refund (for example, because you cancelled the event or the service was not as described).
The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013
The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 apply to distance contracts (tickets sold online, by phone, or by mail order) and off-premises contracts (tickets sold away from your usual business premises). Key requirements include:
Pre-contract information
Before the consumer is bound by the contract, you must provide certain information clearly and legibly, including: a description of the event, your identity and contact details, the total price (including all taxes and fees), the payment method, and information about the consumer's right to cancel (or, if no cancellation right applies, a statement to that effect).
Right to cancel
Distance contracts generally give the consumer a 14-day cooling-off period during which they can cancel without giving a reason. However, there is an important exemption: under Regulation 28(1)(h), the right to cancel does not apply to contracts for the supply of services related to leisure activities where the contract provides for a specific date or period of performance. Event tickets fall within this exemption, which means consumers do not have an automatic 14-day right to cancel an event ticket purchase.
This exemption only applies if you have clearly informed the consumer that the cancellation right does not apply. If you fail to provide this information, the cancellation right may persist.
Unfair contract terms
Part 2 of the CRA 2015 deals with unfair terms in consumer contracts. A term is unfair if it causes a significant imbalance in the parties' rights and obligations to the detriment of the consumer. Terms that may be considered unfair include:
- A blanket "no refunds under any circumstances" policy that purports to exclude statutory rights.
- Terms that allow you to change the event substantially (venue, date, line-up) without offering the consumer a refund.
- Excessive cancellation or administration fees.
- Terms that give you sole discretion to refuse entry without specifying the grounds.
Unfair terms are not binding on the consumer, even if the consumer has agreed to them. The CMA has previously taken action against event companies and ticketing platforms with unfair terms.
Pricing transparency and fees
The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 prohibit misleading pricing practices. This includes "drip pricing," where additional fees (booking fees, processing fees, facility fees) are added during the checkout process after an initial price has been displayed. The full price, including all mandatory fees, should be displayed as early as possible in the purchasing journey.
When setting up your online ticket sales, ensure that all fees are transparent from the outset. Ticket buyers should not encounter unexpected charges at checkout. This is both a legal requirement and good practice for customer satisfaction.
Secondary ticketing
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 (sections 90 to 95) also imposes requirements on secondary ticketing platforms (resale sites). While these obligations primarily fall on the platform rather than the event organiser, you should be aware that secondary sellers must disclose the face value of the ticket, any restrictions on its use, and certain information about their relationship with the event organiser or venue.
If you want to restrict ticket resale, you can include terms in your ticket conditions that prohibit resale above face value, though enforcement can be challenging.
Practical recommendations
- Write clear, fair terms and conditions for ticket sales and display them prominently before purchase.
- Be transparent about your refund policy and the circumstances in which refunds will and will not be given.
- Do not claim that consumers have no rights to refunds. They always have statutory rights that cannot be contracted out of.
- Include appropriate disclaimers about line-up changes, but do not rely on them as a blanket excuse for materially changing the event.
- Display full pricing (including all fees) from the start of the booking process.
- Keep records of all event descriptions, marketing materials, and communications with ticket buyers, as these form part of the contract.
Consumer rights law exists to protect the people who buy your tickets. Respecting their rights builds trust, reduces disputes, and strengthens your reputation as an organiser. Pair solid legal compliance with good event management practices and clear venue and event planning, and you will minimise the risk of consumer complaints escalating into legal problems.