Canceled shows: your rights and how to get your money back

Service page: Class actions and consumer claims lawyer.

You bought a ticket, planned an evening, perhaps also booked a babysitter, and then the message came: “The event has been canceled.” What many people do not know: cancellation by the organizer entitles you at least to the return of the ticket price, and sometimes also to compensation. You have rights.

A show was canceled: what are you entitled to under the law?

Cancellation of a concert, festival, play or any other cultural event by the organizer is a breach of contract. You bought a ticket, you paid, and you are entitled to a full refund. This is not a favor; it is a legal right. And more than that: you can also claim expenses you incurred because of the cancellation.

The legal framework: what does the law say?

The Consumer Protection Law, 5741-1981 prohibits misleading a consumer (section 2) and sets a right to cancel a distance sale (a purchase made online or by phone) (section 14C). The Standard Contracts Law, 5743-1982 protects against unfair terms in a standard-form contract (sections 3 and 19). The Contracts (Remedies for Breach of Contract) Law, 5731-1970 allows a claim for compensation for damage caused, not only a refund of the ticket.

When an organizer cancels, it is the one that breached the agreement. You can demand compensation for the damage caused to you by the breach that the organizer foresaw, or should have foreseen, at the time the contract was made, as a probable result of the breach (section 10 of the Remedies Law). The damage may also include expenses such as a flight, a hotel and cancellation fees, depending on the circumstances.

The organizer refuses to give a refund: what do you do?

Ticket-selling sites may try to refer you to the artist’s “cancellation policy”. When the cancellation came from the organizer, this is usually not lawful.

• Send a formal cancellation letter in writing: an email with a delivery receipt, and give 14 days for the refund.
• A chargeback through the credit card company: under section 17 of the Payment Services Law, 5779-2019 (which replaced the Debit Cards Law), when the service was not provided although the agreed delivery date has passed and the customer notified the supplier of the cancellation of the transaction, the credit card company must stop charging the customer for the transaction from the date of the notice the customer gave it. Beyond that, a request to cancel a charge is examined under the credit card company’s rules and deadlines, so it is worth contacting it quickly. You do not need a lawyer.
• A complaint to the Consumer Protection and Fair Trade Authority: if you were refused, a complaint can put pressure on the organizer.
• A small claim: up to NIS 39,900, without a lawyer. If your expenses are higher, consider representation.

Cancellation by the consumer: what are the rules?

When you want to cancel, the rules are different. A ticket bought at a distance (online, by phone) can be canceled within 14 days of the transaction or of receiving the document with the transaction details, provided the cancellation is made more than seven days that are not rest days before the date of the event (sections 14C(c)(2) and 14C(d)(2) of the Consumer Protection Law). The business may deduct a cancellation fee of up to 5% or NIS 100, whichever is lower (section 14E(b)).

Unfair terms, such as “cancellation without a refund in any circumstances”, can be challenged in court if they go beyond what the law allows.

Force majeure: when the cancellation is caused by external circumstances

When an artist cancels because of illness, injury or a disaster, the cancellation is not technically a “breach”, but the consumer is still entitled to a refund. Under section 18 of the Remedies Law, force majeure may exempt the organizer from compensation, but the court may order it to return what it received.