New laws in Finland allow gig-goers to get refunds for crappy shows
A new law passed over the weekend in Finland means that music fans who are disappointed by live shows are legally entitled to reimbursement.
The national broadcaster Yle said that the Scandinavian nation's Consumer Disputes Board passed a ruling that people who have purchased tickets can obtain refunds if the gig is "well below reasonably expected standards".
A 2013 incident has sparked the change after a Chuck Berry fan left a concert in Helsinki disappointed saying the legendary guitarist "seemed fatigued", and demanded a refund.
However, the new ruling is clear that fans can't get a refund just because they claim to have not liked the show - it has to fall some way short of meeting consumer expectations on a wider scale.
Consumer Disputes Board spokesman Pauli Ståhlberg said that: "Anyone seeking a ruling like this is always spurred by a subjective opinion, but that's not enough to get a refund. What is significant is a generally agreed view that the concert was a failure, as it was in the Chuck Berry case."
Festivals are set to adhere to different rules because of their varied nature. Ståhlberg went on to say: "There are numerous different performers at a festival and so it have to be evaluated as a whole. Even the marching order affects perception of the overall quality. A failed performance by a featured star is a bigger deal for consumers than one by a warm-up band".
[via NME]
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