American Ticket Holders Won’t Receive Full Refund for Tokyo Olympics Purchases
When it was recently announced that international spectators will not be allowed to attend this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo due to the COVID-19 pandemic, disappointment was the reaction of fans and families around the world. Now, there is word that American fans who have already purchased tickets to attend the Tokyo Games will not receive a full refund for the purchases they have made.
According to reports by the Associated Press and Inside the Games, CoSport, the Authorized Ticket Reseller (ATR) in the United States will only refund the face value of tickets purchased. What it won’t refund is the 20% handling fee that it charges, which is a sum that can add up quickly depending on the ticket package that was purchased. For ticket holders who purchased $2000 in tickets, CoSport’s policy means the buyer will be out $400.
CoSport, which also operates as the ATR in Australia and several other countries, is blaming the Japanese government and Tokyo Organizing Committee for its decision, claiming those entities have dictated the terms and conditions of ticket purchasing. Meanwhile, refunds for the face value of tickets are not expected to be delivered to customers until later this year.
When the Games are held in a few months, only Japanese spectators will fill the stands as a precaution against the further spread of COVID-19 by traveling international fans.
Surely they have insurance? The Japanese OC also should share in the pain. Short sighted decision, gives GoSport and ATR a lousy image. At bare minimum, they might have offered to split the “handling fee”. I avoid buying tickets that involve any significant fees or charges, but this is absurd. Furthermore, they are sitting on the money until later this year, during which they will be earning $$ on the $$ to be refunded. Unless there is a reasonable chance that foreigners may be able to attend as things develop, they should refund immediately.