Concert fans blast ticket refund policies

Consumer complaints about problems related to concerts have surged in the first half of this year, with refund issues taking center stage, according to an analysis released on Wednesday by the China Consumers Association.

As the offline concert market continues to heat up, complaints have increased significantly, with refund-related issues accounting for more than 90 percent of the total complaints received, the analysis said.

Consumers reported that refund policies were often unreasonable. Some ticketing platforms enforced strict rules: some prohibited refunds even a month ahead of a concert, while others had strict "no refund" policies. In cases where refunds were approved, platforms sometimes charged excessively high processing fees.

Organizers were also criticized for unilaterally canceling concerts without taking responsibility for breaching contracts.

In one case cited in the analysis, a consumer surnamed Bi complained that a cultural media company in Beijing charged a 30 percent processing fee — 948 yuan ($132) — for a ticket refund.

Bi said she and a friend had both tried to purchase tickets at the same time and accidentally ended up with duplicates. She applied for a refund within minutes of the purchase and before the tickets were assigned, but was still charged the hefty fee.

She argued the charge was unreasonably high and did not follow the platform's tiered refund policy, especially considering the event was still 27 days away. Tiered refund policies generally reduce the fee when cancellations are made well in advance.

Bi also said the platform failed to identify the duplicate purchase and lacked clear prompts during the buying process, pointing to a lack of transparency and an apparent shifting of responsibility onto the consumer. She demanded a full refund and called for improvements in refund policy and system functions to better protect consumer rights.

In another case, a consumer surnamed Wang was denied a refund for presale electronic tickets. Although the concert was more than a month away and the tickets had not yet generated QR codes, both the platform and the organizer refused to issue a refund, citing a "no refund" policy. Wang called the practice an unfair contract term and requested a full refund.

The China Consumers Association urged regulators to establish clear rules for refund management, require ticket platforms to display refund policies prominently at the point of purchase and set standards for tiered processing fees. It also called for a ban on unreasonable terms such as blanket "no refund" policies.

The association said consumer satisfaction should be a priority. It advised concertgoers to read refund terms carefully and understand potential risks before buying tickets.

In the first half of this year, consumer affairs departments nationwide accepted more than 995,000 complaints — a 27.23 percent increase compared with the same period in 2024. Over half the cases were resolved, resulting in the recovery of 452 million yuan in economic losses, the analysis said.

After-sales service issues accounted for the largest share of complaints at 26.47 percent. Other common concerns included contract disputes, product quality, safety issues and false advertising.