Refund details for Jackson concerts still sketchy

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-06-30 08:36

Michael Jackson is pictured in this undated handout from the "Thriller" 25th Anniversary Edition album, released to Reuters June 29, 2009. [Agencies]

That is a recipe for a series of lawsuits that could easily take years to resolve.

Nash said, for example, that some policies would pay out differently if the artist's death was due to a pre-existing medical condition or if any medical negligence were found. "There are so many variables in the policies and all these little things matter," he said.

It is also likely the coroner's determination on whether drugs played a role in Jackson's death could affect insurance payments.

Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc., the primary ticket seller, did not provide details of refund plans on Monday; its Web site quoted an AEG Live statement promising information this week.

While these issues are being worked on, Jackson fans who purchased tickets on eBay or through viagogo on the secondary ticket market may be in for an easier time.

Viagogo executives said Friday that all tickets would be refunded — "No forms, no fuss, just refunded." And eBay executives have extended a buyer protection program to cover anyone who bought a ticket through the company's Web site.

"You'll be covered for the full amount of the transaction, not just the face value of the ticket," eBay spokeswoman Jenny Thomas said Monday. That means people who paid three or four times the face value for a chance to see Jackson should get all their money back.

She said the company has not yet worked out details of the refund plan, including whether the company or the ticket sellers would ultimately be responsible for refunds.

Not everyone, it seems, wants a refund. Some want to hold onto the tickets as bittersweet reminders of what might have been — or to cash in later should they become collector's items.

Elliott Parkin, a 27-year-old construction worker, said his friends plan to keep their tickets to honor Jackson.

"He'll be remembered for his music above all else," said Parkin, who had planned to attend one of the London shows. "His funeral will be bigger than Diana's."

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