‘Still waiting for my money’: Robbie Williams fans fume amid postponed Gauteng show refund chaos

Fans of Robbie Williams in South Africa are expressing their frustration after the rescheduling of the singer’s concerts in Gauteng, which has led to ongoing issues with ticket refunds. Originally scheduled for January 18, 2025, in Johannesburg as part of the Calabash music festival, the concerts will now take place on January 25 and 26, 2025, at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria. The Cape Town show on January 22 remains unchanged.

The change in schedule was necessitated by Williams’ promotional commitments for his film, Better Man, in the United States. A press release from organizers indicated that while the date change was unavoidable, a solution was found to ensure fans could still enjoy a live performance from the star. They reassured ticket holders that refunds for the original Johannesburg date would be processed automatically, with pre-sale tickets available for the new shows starting October 24.

However, many fans have reported significant delays in receiving their refunds. In a Facebook post on October 25, numerous concertgoers shared their frustrations, prompting Big Concerts to apologize for the inconvenience. They assured fans that the refunds were in process, but it could take up to ten days for the funds to appear in their accounts.

Despite these assurances, fans continue to report problems. One user inquired on October 29 about the timeline for refunds once they had submitted their forms to Ticketmaster. Big Concerts clarified that refunds could take up to two working days to process after the form submission, excluding weekends. They also noted that Ticketmaster had just received confirmation about which refunds had failed that same morning.

Danielle Walker, a fan who purchased seven tickets, expressed her disappointment to News24. Despite being informed that her refund had been processed, she had yet to see any money returned as of October 30. Walker described her experience as frustrating, citing inadequate communication from Ticketmaster, which provided contradictory information regarding her refund status.

Another fan, Jarryd Sunkel, echoed Walker’s sentiments, revealing that he struggled to get responses from Ticketmaster when the shows were rescheduled. Although he eventually received communication, the process was tedious, leading to frustrations among fans. Some reported being blocked by Ticketmaster on social media after raising refund inquiries.

In a response to inquiries about the refund issues, Ticketmaster stated that they are providing support through multiple channels and that all ticket holders were notified via email on October 29. They encouraged customers who didn’t receive this email to check their spam folders or to reach out to fan support directly.

As Walker continued to wait for her refund, she received an email from Ticketmaster indicating that her payment details had expired in their system. They requested her banking information again to facilitate the refund and offered her the chance to rebook tickets in the same price category for one of the new shows. Additionally, she was given a R150 gift card as a gesture of goodwill for her patience during the refund process.

Fans are left in a state of uncertainty as they navigate the refund system while also looking to secure tickets for the rescheduled shows. The initial excitement over Williams’ upcoming performances has been overshadowed by refund complications, highlighting the challenges that can arise when events are rescheduled. As the new concert dates approach, fans are hopeful that the situation will be resolved swiftly and that they can enjoy a night with Robbie Williams as planned.