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Shows canceled over HB2 cost music venues tens of thousands of dollars

By Joe Bruno, wsoctv.com
By Joe Bruno, wsoctv.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When the Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre opened seven years ago, it wasn't easy attracting shows. Now years later, headliners are scheduled to perform, but some are canceling because of House Bill 2.

It's more than a feeling of disappointment for the AvidXchange Music Factory after hearing the band Boston is pulling out of its May 4 show.

In a statement, the founder of the rock group said all North Carolina shows are canceled because “HB2 has the appearance of an oppressive discriminatory law" and "other aspects of the new law arguably encourage bigotry."

"Very disappointing; anytime you have any show cancel for any reason, it is disappointing," Noah Lazes, owner of AvidXchange Music Factory, said.

Adding up concession, merchandise and local restaurant and bar sales, Lazes said tens of thousands of dollars are going to be lost because of Boston's cancellation.

"To a certain degree it hurts momentum because you want to have as much shows as you can possibly get because it is good for the employees, good for the businesses, good for the sponsor," Lazes said.

The cancellations stretch throughout the state because of the law. Cirque du Soleil will not perform five shows at the Time Warner Cable Arena this summer.

In Greensboro, Coliseum officials estimate close to $100,000 was lost because Bruce Springsteen canceled.

Venue owners across the state are screaming for a solution.

"I don't think this is a reflection of Charlotte and I really don't think this is a reflection of North Carolina," Lazes said. "It is a reflection of politics frankly and it is really something they need to work out."

The BBB also issued tips for how consumers can get a refund to an event that has been canceled.

1) If you bought your tickets on Craigslist  you may have trouble getting a refund because refunds would be issued to the original purchaser whose credit card was used to purchase the tickets.

2) If you bought your tickets on Ticketmaster you should contact Ticketmaster or go to the Ticketmaster outlet where you originally purchased the tickets. You will get the tickets and ticketing fees refunded, but not the shipping fees.

3) If you purchased your tickets on StubHub consumers will get a refund for the tickets and they will refund the shipping fees, too.

4) If you purchased your tickets at a venue, such as Time Warner Cable Arena, you will need to contact that venue to find out what their refund policy is because different venues have different policies. Time Warner Cable Arena gives consumers two weeks to seek a refund after the event is canceled and you must present the original tickets to get a refund.

5) If you purchased your tickets through LiveNation, they will automatically issue refunds to the original purchaser's credit card when an event is canceled including shipping fees.

The BBB is warning about the potential for problems that may exist if you bought tickets from a third party because you would not be the original ticket purchaser.

"Refunds are usually issued to the original purchaser's credit card that the seller has on file," Bartholomy said.

"If the venue issues a refund to the original purchaser's credit card, you would have to try to get a refund from the person who sold you your tickets," he said.

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