If you want to cancel a ticket purchase for a show or a sports or cultural event, you may not be entitled to do so or get a refund, except in certain situations.

Policies set by merchants

If you cannot attend the show or event you bought tickets for, the ticket seller is not required to refund you. Refer to the seller’s cancellation, exchange and refund policy.

Ticket sellers are free to decide the terms of their policy. However, they are required to comply with its rules.

Purchase made online, by phone or by mail

A ticket purchase made online, by phone or by mail be cancelled in certain situations, if you abide by the deadlines provided for by law.

Examples of situations and cancellation time limits

Examples of situations	Cancellation time limit
The merchant did not provide you with all of the mandatory information before making your purchase. If you dealt with a reseller, that person was required to, among other things, inform you that the ticket in question was being resold and that its cost could be refunded in certain situations. Your ticket was not delivered on the date agreed upon in writing, at the latest.	7 days after you receive a copy of contract
Your ticket was not delivered on the date agreed upon in writing, at the latest.	Anytime, before you receive the ticket
You purchased a ticket from a reseller, but the show or event the ticket granted admission to is cancelled.	Anytime after the date of the cancellation of the event, but before it takes place, if it is postponed
You purchased a ticket from a reseller. The event, the place or seat, or the value of the ticket does not correspond to what was said, written, advertised or claimed when you made your purchase. For example: the ticket was supposed to grant you admission to a show by a popular singer, whereas the show is actually performed by an impersonator of that singer, your ticket was supposed to grant you admission to the floor section, but you are only granted admission to the balcony section, you paid $100 more for your ticket for a meet-and-greet session with an actor after the show. However, everyone in the audience has access to the actor, regardless of the ticket they purchased.	After the tickets are delivered, but before the event takes place

Other reasons for cancellation are possible. Refer to the page How to Cancel an Online Purchase or How to Cancel a Purchase Made by Phone ou by Mail, depending on the case.

Purchase cancellation procedure

To cancel a ticket purchase made online, by phone or by mail, you must:

• send a cancellation notice to the merchant within the prescribed time limit. The notice can be verbal or written. The Office de la protection du consommateur recommends that you keep proof of delivery of this notice. For example, you can send it by email, fax or registered mail. The cancellation will take effect on the notice’s delivery date;
• return the item in the condition in which you received it:
  • within 15 days after sending the cancellation notice, or
  • within 15 days after the delivery of the item if it was delivered after the purchase was cancelled.

The merchant must reimburse you within 15 days after the notice was sent. They must also cover reasonable shipping costs incurred to return the item.

Filing a chargeback request

If need be, you could file a chargeback request. To do so, you must have paid for the ticket purchase made online, by phone or by mail with a credit card and the merchant must have failed to reimburse you within 15 days after the cancellation of your purchase.

You have 60 days to file a chargeback request with the issuer of your credit card.

Your chargeback request must be submitted in writing. It must contain the following information:

• the credit cardholder’s name;
• the credit card number and expiry date;
• the merchant’s name;
• the contract conclusion date;
• the amount charged to the credit card account;
• the amount the merchant is required to refund;
• a description of the goods or services covered by the chargeback request;
• the reason for cancellation;
• the cancellation date of the purchase;
• the means by which the cancellation notice was delivered.

The credit card issuer must acknowledge receipt of your request within 30 days of receiving it.

The card issuer must credit the amount paid to your account and cancel any fees related to the purchase charged to your account, in the shorter of the 2 following time periods:

• no more than 90 days after receiving your request;
• within a timeframe corresponding to 2 complete account statement periods.

Other recourse options beyond the prescribed time limits

Is it too late to cancel within the prescribed time limits your ticket purchase made online, by phone or by mail? You may have other recourse options if the merchant has failed to respect any of their commitments. For more information, please contact the Office or consult a lawyer.

Resale between 2 consumers

You may resell your tickets to friends or through online classifieds, at any price that suits you.