Viagogo is one of the most complained-about ticketing platforms in the UK, and getting a refund from them can feel like an uphill battle. You do have options, and this guide walks you through them step by step.
This article provides general guidance based on UK consumer law. For advice on your specific situation, contact Citizens Advice. Viagogo's policies can change over time, so always check their current terms.
So, is Viagogo legit?
Yes and no. Viagogo is a real, legally operating ticket resale company, not a fake website that simply takes your money, so in that narrow sense it is not a scam. But it has one of the worst reputations in UK ticketing. It is one of the most complained-about platforms in the country, has been investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), and was placed under a court order over the way it presented tickets and prices.
The honest summary is that Viagogo is legitimate but high-risk. Tickets are usually resold well above face value, the platform has repeatedly been criticised for pressure selling and unclear fees, and buyers have limited protection because you are buying from a third-party reseller, not from Viagogo itself. Many events also refuse entry to tickets resold through secondary sites, which can leave you out of pocket at the door.
If you have already bought and want your money back, the rest of this guide walks you through your rights and the exact steps to get a refund. If you have not bought yet, buying face-value tickets directly from the event or a primary platform that does not allow inflated resale is far safer.
Why Viagogo refunds are difficult
Viagogo operates as a secondary ticket marketplace. When you buy on Viagogo, you are not buying from Viagogo itself, you are buying from another individual or business that listed the ticket for resale. Viagogo acts as the intermediary and takes a commission from both the buyer and the seller.
This structure means Viagogo often argues that refund responsibility lies with the seller, not with them. They also charge significant service fees and may try to retain these even when a refund is issued for the ticket price.
What is Viagogo's refund policy?
Viagogo's refund policy is built around its guarantee rather than goodwill. It does not refund change-of-mind purchases, but it must refund you when an event is cancelled outright, when your tickets never arrive, or when you are refused entry because the tickets were not valid. Since the 2018 CMA court order, the policy also has to spell out every exception up front, so a refusal that contradicts the published policy can be escalated with confidence.
When you are entitled to a refund
Two things decide whether you get your money back: UK consumer law, and the conditions Viagogo is legally bound to honour under the court order set out below. You have a strong claim if any of these apply:
- The event was cancelled: you are entitled to a full refund of everything you paid, including fees.
- Your tickets never arrived: the tickets did not reach you, or the download link did not work in time for the event.
- You were refused entry: the tickets were invalid, fake, duplicated or would not scan at the door.
- You were not warned about a resale restriction: for example a name-locked or photo-ID ticket that was never going to get you in, where Viagogo failed to disclose this when you bought.
- The event was significantly different from how it was described: wrong seats, wrong section, or a misleading listing.
Viagogo operates a guarantee that is meant to cover several of these situations, but many buyers report a fight to get it honoured. The court order below is the lever that strengthens your hand.
Viagogo is under a court order to honour refunds
This is the part Viagogo would rather you did not know. In November 2018 the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) secured a court order against Viagogo, requiring it to overhaul how it treats UK customers and to comply with consumer protection law by January 2019.
As part of that order, Viagogo had to submit to an independently supervised review of refund claims it had previously rejected, covering purchases between January 2016 and November 2018. Where a buyer could show they had been refused entry, or had not been told about a resale restriction they should have been warned about, Viagogo was required to refund them. Following that review, Viagogo paid out more than £400,000 to people whose claims it had wrongly turned down.
The order also forces Viagogo to clearly disclose every exception and qualification to its guarantee, and bars it from rejecting a claim unless that reason was clearly shown to you at the time of purchase. In plain terms: if Viagogo did not spell out a restriction when you paid, it cannot now use that restriction to deny your refund. Citing the CMA court order in your written complaint signals that you know your rights.
What does the Viagogo guarantee cover?
The Viagogo guarantee promises valid tickets delivered in time for your event. If a seller fails to deliver, Viagogo must provide comparable replacement tickets or a full refund. It covers non-delivery, invalid tickets and cancelled events, but not postponements where your original tickets remain valid, and not a change of heart. Keep evidence of everything, including the listing, your confirmation email and any refusal at the door, because claims under the guarantee succeed on paperwork.
Step-by-step refund process
- Contact Viagogo customer service: start with their Help Centre at viagogo.co.uk. Navigate to your order and use the "Contact Us" option. Be specific about your issue and what you are requesting.
- Put it in writing: follow up with an email. Include your order number, the event details, the total amount paid, and a clear request for a full refund. Reference the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the CMA court order.
- Set a deadline: give them 14 days to respond, and state that you will escalate if you do not hear back.
- Use social media: Viagogo's social accounts sometimes respond faster than customer service. Post publicly, and politely, on Twitter/X.
- If they refuse or ignore you, escalate (see below).
Escalation options
Chargeback: contact your bank and request a chargeback. Explain that the service was not provided as described, or that the event was cancelled and no refund was given. You have 120 days from the event date, not the purchase date.
Section 75: if you paid by credit card and the total transaction was over £100, make a Section 75 claim with your credit card provider. This makes them jointly liable for the breach of contract.
Trading Standards: report Viagogo to Trading Standards via Citizens Advice. While this will not recover your individual refund, it adds to the regulatory pressure on the company.
Competition and Markets Authority: Viagogo is bound by the CMA court order described above. If it refuses a valid claim or breaches the order's terms, report this to the CMA.
Small Claims Court: for amounts up to £10,000 you can file a claim through the small claims track. Viagogo trades in the UK, so UK courts have jurisdiction.
Common Viagogo tactics to watch for
- Offering credit instead of a refund: you are not obligated to accept credit. Insist on a cash refund to your original payment method.
- Withholding fees: if the event is cancelled, you are owed the full amount including all fees.
- Delays and non-responses: if they do not respond within your deadline, proceed straight to chargeback.
- Blaming the seller: as the platform that took your payment, Viagogo has obligations to you regardless of its arrangement with the seller.
Avoiding Viagogo in future
The simplest way to avoid these issues is to buy from primary ticketing platforms where possible. On Tickts, tickets are sold at face value by the event organiser, with no inflated resale prices and no hidden booking fees. If an event is on Tickts, you know exactly what you are paying and who you are buying from. It is also worth knowing your wider consumer rights when buying event tickets in the UK.
Viagogo refund FAQs
Does Viagogo do refunds?
Yes, in defined circumstances. Viagogo refunds buyers when an event is cancelled, when tickets are not delivered, and when tickets are invalid and you are refused entry. Both its guarantee and the 2018 CMA court order oblige it to refund valid claims, though buyers often have to push.
Can you get a refund on Viagogo if you change your mind?
No. Like most secondary marketplaces, Viagogo does not refund simply because you no longer want to go. Your right to a refund depends on something going wrong with the ticket or the event, as set out above.
What is the Viagogo money-back guarantee?
Viagogo's guarantee promises that you will receive valid tickets in time for the event, and that if the seller fails to deliver, Viagogo will provide comparable replacement tickets or a refund. The CMA court order requires Viagogo to disclose every exception to this guarantee up front.
How long do you have to claim a Viagogo refund?
Act quickly and in writing. If you use the chargeback route, you generally have up to 120 days from the event date to ask your bank. For a Section 75 claim there is no fixed short deadline, but the sooner you raise it the better.
Summary
Getting a refund from Viagogo requires persistence. Start with their customer service, set firm deadlines, and do not hesitate to escalate through your bank, Trading Standards, the CMA or the courts. UK consumer law and a standing CMA court order are on your side, so use them.
If you are frustrated with Viagogo's policies and looking for a fairer way to buy or sell tickets, see our comparison of UK ticketing platforms, or learn about selling tickets with zero booking fees on tickts.
Buying or selling tickets next time? Avoid surprise charges with our comparison of UK ticketing fees, and if you run events see the best ticketing platforms for small events in the UK.
Next time, skip the resale mark-ups. Events sold on tickts have £0 booking fees, so the price on the ticket is the price you pay. Browse upcoming UK events.
