How to refund tickets

Refunds are where events convert bad luck into either loyalty or chargebacks. The law sets a floor, your policy sets expectations, and speed decides which of the two stories gets told about you.

The legal floor

• You cancel or materially change the event → refund at least face value. Not optional.
• Fan changes their mind → no legal right; your policy governs.
• Distance-selling cooling-off doesn't apply to date-specific leisure events — a common fan misconception worth answering kindly.

Fan-side detail that lands on you anyway: platforms that keep booking fees on refunds leave fans out of pocket on your cancellation — they'll blame the event. Prefer platforms that refund fees, or make up the gap.

Design the policy before you need it

1. Pick a stance: no-refunds-but-free-transfer (protects revenue, solves most cases), refundable to T-7 (maximum trust), or tier-varied (premium refundable, early bird transfer-only).
2. Publish it on the event page — a policy nobody saw is a complaint generator, not a policy.
3. Always allow name transfers: they cost you nothing and eliminate the resale-to-strangers problem.

Speed beats generosity

A slower yes is worth less than a fast one: a refund granted in an hour produces the 'they were brilliant about it' post; the same refund after nine days produces a chargeback (~£15–20 in fees, plus the refund, plus your dispute time). Batch refund requests daily, empower one person to approve within policy, and let the platform's one-click refund handle the mechanics — another reason sale-time-settled money beats held money: you can actually refund it instantly.