ArcaMax

Steve Stine's college basketball game was canceled a long time ago. But Vivid Seats still has his money. Does he have to jump through hoops to get a refund from Vivid Seats?

Q: I need your help getting a refund from Vivid Seats. I paid $221 for two tickets for March Madness. It was a lot of money for me. COVID-19 put an end to that event. I sent Vivid Seats an email requesting a refund on March 11. Two days later, I received an email from them advising that our full refund would take two to four weeks.

I gave Vivid Seats a little extra time. On April 22 I asked about the refund again. That's when the madness started!

Vivid Seats sent me an email saying that because I had not responded to an earlier email within 7 days, I can't get a refund

Despite many emails back and forth, Vivid Seats can't provide this supposed email that was sent to me. And it refuses to credit my account. I have copies of all the emails for my records.

Can you help me get my $221 back? Refund as promised of $221 - not a credit to buy something else -- Steve Stine, Elmhurst, Ill.

A: You're right. This is real March Madness. I'm not talking about the tournament, either.

Vivid Seats is a ticket reseller that makes lofty promises to its customers.

"We are committed to earning your satisfaction with every order," it says on its site. "We have the most responsive customer service team in the industry with decades of professional experience satisfying our thousands of loyal customers and corporate clients. We are here to help you from start to finish…any time…all the time."

OK, stop right there. If your account is correct -- and I have no reason to believe it isn't -- then the company is doing the exact opposite of what it promises. Responsive customer service? No. Help any time … all the time? Nope. And did it earn your satisfaction? Absolutely not.

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