The key facts

  • Anastasia got back the full 41,800 rubles for her ticket, including the service fee, by disputing the transaction with her bank
  • Kanye West's concerts at Gazprom Arena on October 10 and 11 were canceled; Say Agency confirmed this on September 30
  • Refunds through the Intickets service became available to buyers on October 12

How the ticket buyer got her money back

A Russian fan of rapper Kanye West told the Fontanka publicationhow she managed to get her money back for a ticket to the artist's canceled concert in Saint Petersburg. According to her, on October 1 she sent the organizer a pre-trial claim demanding a refund. The claim went unanswered, and on October 12 Anastasia turned to her bank to dispute the transaction, attaching a copy of the claim sent to the organizer.

The bank's refusal and a second claim

At first the bank refused and sent instructions on how to request a refund through the ticket operator Intickets' website. The woman then called the bank to appeal the refusal and filed a new claim. Ten days after that, she was refunded the full 41,800 rubles, including the service fee. Earlier, as Gazeta.Runotes, a lawyer had explained to the artist's fans how to get their money back for tickets.

Background to the concert cancellations

In early August, the company Say Agency announced two Kanye West concerts at Gazprom Arena on October 10 and 11. The stadium administration — the first to announce the concert on social media — then stated that it had no lease agreement with the agency and that ticket sales had begun without the necessary documents. The organizers, for their part, claimed that the announcement had been coordinated with the venue, the contract with the artist had been signed, and an advance payment had been made. On September 30, Say Agency officially confirmed the cancellation of the shows — a few days after the artist's team reached out. Refunds through the Intickets service became available to buyers on October 12; some attendees managed to submit a request.

What buyers should know

The experience described shows a confirmed difference between the two refund routes: the standard request through Intickets only became available on October 12, whereas turning to the bank with a pre-trial claim allowed the money to be received earlier — just ten days after the second claim, and in full, including the service fee. That said, the publications do not indicate that the bank is guaranteed to refund money to every buyer following this scheme: in the case described, the bank's initial refusal had to be appealed.