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Brown Paper Tickets, an online ticketer specializing in smaller community events, owes ticket holders and event organizers millions of dollars in the US and in Canada after failing to pay for COVID cancellations.
That’s according to a lawsuit filed by Washington State against Brown Paper Tickets alleging that it owes more than $6.75 million to consumers across the US. The state’s Attorney General’s Office noted in an announcement that it had received 583 complaints from residents about the company not issuing refunds. The Office estimates that over 80,000 people in the US have been affected by Brown Paper’s conduct.
“Beginning in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent restrictions on public gatherings resulted in the cancellations of many live events. Brown Paper Tickets has failed to remit payment to event organizers for events that took place and has failed to provide refunds to ticket buyers who purchased tickets for canceled or rescheduled events,” alleges the Washington State lawsuit.
The company has been in business for more than two decades, but the more than 1,200 consumer complaints over the past year caught the agency’s attention, notes the BBB website.
Community event organizers have reported waiting over a year for events that were canceled last spring due to COVID-19. Organizers at a high school in Wisconsin told local reporters that they, as well as the schools and ticket holders, are owed thousands by Brown Paper after their play was canceled last spring.
“We were supposed to do the Sound of Music at the beginning of April last year,” explained one of the organizers to a local NBC affiliate, stating that family and friends who purchased tickets to the canceled event never saw their money back from Brown Paper. “Our poor ticket holders who were just trying to support our local high school theater production are out all of this money.”
Canadian event organizers and performers also say that Brown Paper failed to pay them and their audiences, according to CBC News. Several community event organizers told reporters that the company has been holding proceeds and refunds for more than a year now.
In September of 2020, the company issued a COVID-19 recovery statement promising better communication in the future.
“While we can’t offer an estimated timeline for your specific refund at this moment, our team has been and continues to initiate full refunds,” said Founder & President William Scott Jordan in the letter. “It’s a long process with thousands of events canceled, postponed, or abandoned. Like many businesses, we were unprepared for a crisis of this scale, but we are making headway.”
Community organizers owed refunds by Brown Paper told reporters that it was concerning that the company was still offering event services.
“The scary thing for me is that you can still go onto Brown Paper Tickets and people can still book an event,” stated one Wisconsin organizer.
Are you waiting for a refund or event proceeds from Brown Paper Tickets? Tell us about your experience in the comment section below.
The State of Washington is represented by Craig Rader and Marc Worthy, Assistant Attorneys General for the State of Washington.
The Brown Paper Tickets Lawsuit is State of Washington v. Brown Paper Tickets, LLC, Case No. 20-2-14549-1, State of Washington, King County Superior Court.
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44 thoughts onBrown Paper Tickets Owes Millions to Small Theaters, Schools, and Holders, Lawsuit Claims
I too never received a refund from Brown Paper Tickets. I had completely forgotten about it, but for some reason remembered today and looked to see if their website was active. I was shocked to see it was. Then further googled them and came across your website. Please let me know if I can assist in this lawsuit. Is love to get my money back!
Company d is a nonprofit organization for adults with intellectual disabilities. The Company provides training in the performing arts. Company d used Brownpaper tickets for a fundraiser November 7 2020. This event raised $8,000. Brownpaper Tickets owes our nonprofit $5000. This event was critical to our budget, to recoup money lost due to COVID shutdown. The Company d individuals with Down syndrome delivered boxed gourmet dinners for 2 for $150. It was a grand success. A local 5 star restaurant was the sponsor, and the community supported the event. At that time due to COVID shutdown people could not eat out. We have exhausted our budget and energy. Responses to request from Brown paper are intermittently generated by Zendesk bot. Due to Brownpaper our organization in the community for 21 years is daunted and the future for programming is dim. As other victims of BPT, we need help
I am a producer / actor in Los Angeles and had a sold out One-Woman-Show on Feb 28, 2020. I used BPT to sell tickets. They sent me a check in mid-March for $1,380, and when I deposited it, it bounced. The company said I’d be paid within 30 days. I have written multiple times, over the now 2 years! I am out of pocket and needed that money to pay for the theater rent, technicians and director. Very frustrating.
We, La Paloma Theatre, worked with Brown Paper Tickets for several years and did over $289,000.- in ticket sales I was happy with their service until we did a show in February2020, before the covid lockdown. Brown Paper Tickets issued payment, $1490.- but then the check bounced. what the heck, the show happened, money was deposited to BPT account but we are still waiting for payment.
I’ve been trying to get in contact with Brown Paper Ticket to payout my event that was scheduled for March 2020. They still have not paid the funds and I’ve been trying to contact them to no avail. When I email the address they provided I get the same generic email. I’ve not been able to personally speak with someone since last year about receiving the payout for my event.
I haven t received a refund aswell
How long before I finally receive refund?
We purchased 2 tickets to a fundraiser from Brown Paper Tickets called “Roar off the Shore” totaling $98.46 in January 2020 (confirmation #42334048). The event was cancelled due to COVID-19. I emailed the company that as the refund was taking so long the credit card used had been closed & to mail us a check instead. Still haven’t received anything.
I purchased tickets to Dozer Days in Vancouver, WA on February 24th, 2020 for $167.04
We have a small nonprofit community arts organization. We are owed a little over $800 from Brown Paper Tickets. Their excuses fall on deaf ears after over a year and a half waiting. One comment really catches my attention as it’s how we feel. How can this company STILL be in business and offering new events? It would be an interesting experiment if the rules governing the settlement included preventing them from operating until they demonstrated good faith repayment to their clients and customers! Incentivize them to expedite the process and stop dragging their feet. And who would take the chance to ever trust them again? We certainly won’t. The customer service and communication has been abysmal. There is zero phone or email communication support for any inquiry. We have all suffered financial hardship due to the pandemic. Nonprofits are particularly vulnerable and many businesses continue to suffer. I have no sympathy for the plight of Brown Paper Tickets. Your company’s business practices led to this situation, so stop blaming it on COVID and step it up, folks. Sending out good thoughts and hope to all of the organizations and individuals who are still waiting for their refunds – we share your pain!
Same here we had our play production in February 2020 and they sent us the checks for the tickets sold but the checks were returned and we had to pay a total of $70 for the returned checks. We have employees that have not been paid and we had hoped to make a donation to NAMI but it seems impossible. I really do not understand how the event has already occurred and the attendees have made their payment but we end up with checks that are returned. And now we’re in September 2021 and we still have not received our payment. With no communication as to when we should expect our payment. Also really shocked that they are still existing and people are still holding hosting their event on the site. I would never use BPT again.