Ticket refund woes continue for disappointed MotoGP race fans
Fans out of pocket as promised 2020 MotoGP ticket refunds still not delivered
Frustrated MotoGP fans are still chasing refunds of hundreds of pounds for tickets booked through the official series website for the Covid-19 hit 2020 season. “The emails that you get in reply are of no help at all,” says Gordon Brown, who last January purchased two weekend tickets for the Czech Republic race at Brno for more than £315.
“MotoGP Tickets have been responsive enough and polite enough, but they haven’t given me my money back – that’s the problem here.”
The Brno race ran on August 9 without a crowd present. On July 24, 2020, Gordon was offered the option to either defer his purchase to 2021 or receive a 95% refund.
Having opted for the latter, he is yet to see any money returned. Like many others, Gordon booked through motogp.com, who use a company called Platinium Group to handle sales. In their most recent correspondence with Gordon on February 1, the firm said they are still waiting for a refund from the event promoter and couldn’t confirm a date for the payment. A closer look at the terms and conditions on the MotoGP website then revealed that: ‘The amount of any potential refund provided is dependent on the organiser of the event...’
MCN have heard from other readers in a similar position, including Duncan Tragheim from Sheffield, who was due to attend the MotoGP at Jerez.
“It’s left me thinking they clearly don’t give a s*** about us customers,” says Duncan. “I’ve no doubt that they’re trying to sort it out, but they should just pay it and then scrap it out with the individual promoter concerned.” MCN spoke to Which? consumer rights expert Adam French who advised that customers waiting for a refund should first go to their bank and try a chargeback or claim under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act if they paid for the tickets using a credit card. With Platinium operating under Spanish law, Adam says: “Depending on how the tickets were marketed and sold, Spanish consumer law could apply. It is very similar to UK consumer law because the EU harmonised rules across member states - enforcing your rights against the company will be tougher following Brexit because we’ve lost the ability to take an EU-based company to court in a UK court.
“It’s worth making flexible bookings where possible and understanding what your rights to cancel are. Use your credit card if you’re spending more than £100 as you’ll get Section 75 protection.” Despite several requests, neither Dorna nor Platinium Group were prepared to comment.