HOUSTON – Over the past several weeks, concerns have been raised with regards to how the NFL plans to reimburse fans who purchase tickets for games that could be canceled due to a coronavirus outbreak.
Three teams have given their answer.
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This afternoon, the Houston Texans joined the Chicago Bears and New York Jets in offering their season ticket holders full refunds if they would like to either choose not to attend a single game or skip the 2020 season entirely due to health and safety concerns. A notice distributed to season ticket holders details that fans have the option to either cancel the payments entirely or apply them to purchasing 2021 season tickets. The latter would come with a 10% credit for additional purchases of food, common drink and merchandise in the stadium. Refunds will take up to 15 days to process.
More general information has posted publicly on the Texans’ website on their Frequently Asked Questions page specifically related to COVID-19 and reads as follows:
What will happen if games are impacted or not played due to COVID-19?
We currently expect and are planning for a full Texans game schedule in 2020. However, if a game is canceled and cannot be replayed, or is played under conditions that prohibit fans from attending, Season Ticket Members will have the option of receiving a full refund or an account credit.
If a fan buys tickets for a game that is cancelled from Ticketmaster or through another source, will the Houston Texans refund those tickets?
The buyer will need to go back to the entity that sold buyer the tickets. For example, if a ticket is purchased through Ticketmaster, the fan would go back to Ticketmaster and it would be handled through Ticketmaster’s cancellation policy. Here are the cancellation policies for single game tickets purchased through NFL Licensed Channels (i.e., Ticketmaster, SeatGeek and StubHub):- Ticketmaster: Automatic refunds provided for all primary and secondary sales within 30 days of cancellation.- SeatGeek: Refunds provided upon request for all primary and secondary sales within 30 days of cancellation (for secondary sales, vouchers initially offered unless consumer requests a refund).- StubHub: No cash refunds. Credit issued worth 120% of original order. Credit expires in 2022 and can be used on any future StubHub purchase. Ticket buyer must call StubHub directly to request refund.
The NFL has stated that they would allow fans at games, but only by following strict social distancing requirements. As part of the current safety precautions, the first six to eight rows of stadium seating will be covered in order to create a barrier that protects players, coaches and staff from uncontrolled interaction.
In their announcement to season ticket holders, the Texans did acknowledge that current seating plans are still to be determined. Their FAQ page also said that current concepts and precautions could look very different once the season actually resumes, and that they would “make decisions based on the latest advice of medical and public health officials, as well as in full compliance with current and future government regulations.”
Houston is currently scheduled to play their first preseason game in NRG Stadium on Aug. 22 against the Seattle Seahawks. Their regular-season home opener against the Baltimore Ravens will be on Sept. 20.