Ticketmaster/Live Nation is Actually Refunding Olivia Dean Fans

Photo Credit: Olivia Dean (Instagram)

After singer Olivia Dean calls out “vile” reselling practices, Ticketmaster will partially refund fans affected by the so-called “typo.” Meanwhile, CEO Michael Rapino addresses the matter.

UK singer Olivia Dean called out Live Nation and Ticketmaster over a week ago for allowing the high-priced resale of tickets to her upcoming shows. Now, the companies’ CEO has personally responded and will be imposing a “Face Value Exchange” on tickets for the remainder of Dean’s The Art of Loving Live tour. Fans who already bought tickets at higher resale prices from Ticketmaster will also be receiving partial refunds.

On Wednesday, Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation said they would be imposing Face Value Exchange (FVE) on tickets for Dean’s upcoming The Art of Loving Live tour. That means ticketholders will not be able to sell tickets for more than the amount they paid for them originally.

Fans who already bought resale tickets on Ticketmaster will be able to receive a partial refund for the difference between the higher price they paid and the face value of the ticket.

“Ticketmaster does not receive the markup on those tickets but is stepping in to absorb this refund cost for fans,” the company explained.

Last weekend, Dean took to Instagram to voice her frustration with the “vile” prices of resale tickets to her tour. She told fans her team was looking into a possible issue with “ticket reselling and pricing” before she called out Ticketmaster, Live Nation, and AEG Presents.

“You are providing a disgusting service,” wrote Dean in a since-expired message. “The prices at which you’re allowing tickets to be resold [are] vile and completely against our wishes. Live music should be affordable and accessible, and we need to find a new way of making that possible. BE BETTER,” she concluded.

On Wednesday, November 26, Live Nation announced the resale price cap and the refunds in a statement from CEO Michael Rapino, who stressed that the company supports Dean’s philosophy.

“We share Olivia’s desire to keep live music accessible and ensure fans have the best access to affordable tickets,” wrote Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino. “While we can’t require other marketplaces to honor artists’ resale preferences, we echo Olivia’s call to ‘Do Better’ and have taken steps to lead by example.”

Live Nation also added that demand from real fans (not resellers) was high for Olivia Dean’s shows. The company reported that fewer than 20% of tickets were later listed for resale—indicating that the majority of tickets went to genuine fans who wanted to attend the concerts.

The change from Live Nation also followed a pricing issue with some of the presale tickets for Dean’s shows, where tickets were listed for more than $700, as opposed to the $53.45 at which they were supposed to be sold. Live Nation/Ticketmaster chalked this up to a “typo,” assuring consumers that those who bought tickets for incorrect prices would be automatically refunded.