Allianz insurance is running a pre-recorded message on one of its phone lines specifically for people who want to cancel cover bought in error via Ticketmaster.
The “missed event cover” can be easily bought by accident and is charged for separately, so that the final charge confirmed by customers using the Ticketmaster website does not include the insurance.
The cost of the insurance, however, is charged to the same card.
For tickets for tonight’s Republic of Ireland friendly against the Netherlands, the insurance costs €3 per ticket. Tickets for those aged under 16 cost just €10. Ticketmaster charges a “service charge” for each ticket it sells, and this does appear on the final deduction that has to be confirmed before the transaction is completed.
It is very easy to inadvertently buy the insurance when using the site and because the small print says that the insurance is charged for separately, once the initial error is made, there is nothing in the rest of the process to alert the customer.
Emails sent to customers who have bought cover include a Dublin contact number for Allianz Assistance.
Missed event
When called, a message advises those who have bought missed event cover from Ticketmaster.ie that they can cancel it by returning the email to the sender, accompanied by a short statement seeking cancellation.
An Allianz customer service agent told The Irish Times that it takes three to five days for the money to be returned.
Requests for comments from Ticketmaster and Allianz Global Assistance, the vendors of the insurance, met with no response.
This weekend thousands are expected at the soccer friendly, while more than 160,000 are attending Bruce Springsteen concerts in Croke Park tonight and Sunday nights.
Missed event cover provides for cover of up to €1,000 per ticket.
