When You Can Get a Refund
- Event cancelled — full refund guaranteed by law
- Event postponed — refund if you cannot attend the new date
- Significant change — different venue or materially different event
- Within the organiser refund window — check the event terms
How to Request a Refund
Contact the event organiser directly through the event page. On Tickts, refunds are processed through the same Stripe system that handled the original payment, so money returns to your card quickly.
If the organiser does not respond or refuses a refund you believe you are entitled to, contact your bank or credit card provider to dispute the charge.
Prevention
Consider ticket transfer as an alternative to refunds. If you cannot attend, transferring your ticket to a friend means you do not lose out and neither does the organiser. It is a win-win.
When Are You Entitled to a Refund?
Your right to a refund depends on the circumstances:
Event cancelled: You are always entitled to a full refund if the event is cancelled. This is a statutory right under UK consumer law that cannot be overridden by any terms and conditions. The organiser must refund the full ticket price including any booking fees.
Event postponed: If the event is moved to a new date, your ticket is usually valid for the rescheduled date. However, if you cannot attend the new date, most organisers will offer a refund. UK consumer guidance supports this, as the contract was for a specific date.
Changed your mind: This is where it gets complicated. Online purchases are covered by the Consumer Contracts Regulations, which give a 14-day cooling-off period for most online purchases. However, event tickets for a specific date are exempt from this cooling-off period. Whether you can get a refund for changing your mind depends entirely on the organiser refund policy.
How Refunds Work on Tickts
Each organiser on Tickts sets their own refund policy, which is displayed on the event page. When a refund is approved:
- The organiser processes the refund through their Tickts dashboard
- Tickts triggers a refund through Stripe back to your original payment method
- The refund typically appears on your statement within 5 to 10 business days, depending on your bank
- Your ticket QR code is immediately invalidated so it cannot be used at the event
Tips for Getting a Refund
- Act quickly: If the organiser has a refund deadline (e.g., "refunds available up to 7 days before the event"), do not leave it to the last minute.
- Contact the organiser directly: Reach out through the organiser profile on Tickts or their listed contact details. A polite, direct request explaining your situation is more effective than a complaint.
- Consider alternatives: If refunds are not available, ask about ticket transfers. Passing your ticket to someone else means you do not lose the money, and someone else gets to enjoy the event.
- Check your payment protection: If you paid by credit card and the event is cancelled without a refund, your card provider may be able to process a chargeback.
Partial Refunds
Some situations warrant a partial refund — for example, if you bought tickets for a multi-act event and one act was cancelled, or if the event was significantly shortened. Partial refunds are at the organiser discretion unless consumer law applies to the specific circumstance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a refund take to process?
Once the organiser approves the refund on Tickts, Stripe processes it immediately. However, it can take 5 to 10 business days for the refund to appear on your bank statement. Contact your bank if it has not appeared after 10 business days.
Can I get a refund if I bought the wrong tickets?
This depends on the organiser policy. Contact the organiser as soon as possible after realising the mistake. Many organisers will accommodate exchanges or refunds for genuine errors, especially if the event has not sold out.
What if the organiser refuses to refund a cancelled event?
You are legally entitled to a refund for cancelled events under UK consumer law. If the organiser does not process the refund, contact your bank to request a chargeback on the payment. You can also report the issue to Trading Standards.
