MLB’s change up: Ticket refunds will be offered for postponed games

A week after a lawsuit was filed against MLB, baseball will offer refunds on tickets to postponed games.

In a reversal of policy, Major League Baseball fans will soon be able to get refunds for tickets already purchased but went unused because of the coronavirus pandemic.

MLB, which wasn’t providing refunds for games since they were postponed and not canceled, told teams on a conference call Tuesday morning they can begin the refund process, multiple news outlets reported. Ticket refunds typically required games to be canceled before repayment options are available.

Teams can announce their individual policies beginning on Wednesday, which is what the A’s said they intend to do.
In addition to repaying fans’ ticket purchases in some fashion, it’s also expected many teams will offer credit for the 2021 season as an option.

Baseball’s decision comes a week after MLB and each of its 30 teams were named in a lawsuit over the failure to give refunds for the 446 scheduled games already called off as of Tuesday. The class-action lawsuit, which also named StubHub, baseball’s official ticket partner as a defendant, was filed in Los Angeles by two fans. ESPN reported several state attorney general offices across the U.S. heard complaints about baseball’s no-refund policy.

There have been multiple reports that MLB expects to play at least part of the 2020 season, perhaps starting by July 1. However, this year’s revised baseball schedule is expected to include games without fans, at least at the start of the season. Also, games are likely to be played in neutral locations, such as spring training sites in Arizaon and Florida.

Check back for more on this breaking story.