Michael Burgess and Bonnie Jansen take a look inside the Fifa Women's World Cup - and the training camp of the best team in the world. Video / Carson Bluck
It’s been nearly two months since the Women’s World Cup wrapped up across Australia and New Zealand. However, it seems the governing body cannot call fulltime just yet.
Some spectators who headed Downunder and purchased tickets to the event as early as 2022 are still waiting for up to $1000worth of ticket resale refunds. Some fans have received only parts of their refunds, while others have received nothing at all.
Disgruntled and empty-pocketed fans have begun calling out Fifa on social media, noting their lack of communication, which has kept them in the dark over the whereabouts of their money.
Among them is Louisa Wilson, waiting on $560 worth of refunds between her and her husband, and she confirmed how she knows her tickets have in fact been resold.
“My ticket account currently still lists all my tickets – the ones I used are marked, and the ones I resold are listed as resold,” Wilson said.
One Australian purchaser, who is waiting on $800 in refunds, told the Herald that after all her resale tickets sold, she received a confirmation email from Fifa with an attachment stating: “Your invoice/credit note will be available shortly.”
No information came after that.
An email confirmation from Fifa confirming re-sale tickets had be sold.
They aren’t alone. Several other fans have also taken to social media to voice similar concerns.
Those waiting for refunds have commented that the whole situation “feels like a bad scam” and that “everyone’s a bit tired of it all. None of this is rocket science ... about time it hit the media.”
After the tournament ended on August 20, punters tried emailing the Fifa ticketing contact, but said they kept getting a generic response.
On a Fifa Women’s World Cup customer support page, it states: “The Official Ticket Resale Platform provides an opportunity for an original purchaser of a ticket purchased ... to obtain a refund of a portion of the price they paid for any such ticket that they no longer wish to use for themselves or a guest.”
It says Fifa makes “no guarantee that any ticket submitted to the Resale Platform will be successfully resold – and are not responsible for any costs or expenses incurred by an original ticket purchaser resulting from their ticket not being successfully resold on the Resale Platform.”
Fans awaiting refunds from Fifa two months after the Women's World Cup ended say it feels like a bad scam. Photo / Photosport
Only some refund seekers received an email from Fifa outlining the original deadline for reimbursement of 30 business days post-tournament. It was then extended to October 2 and again pushed back to October 18.
It stated: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, the deadline of Resale Payment process might be changed. [Fifa] is trying the best [it can] to proceed, [and] the remaining refunds will be processed on our side not later than October 18.”
“We sincerely apologise for all the inconveniences caused.”
However, fans aren’t confident Fifa will come through on their latest promised date.
“I still think it’ll be past that date. They couldn’t refund by the date they originally said, so I have no faith they’ll have everyone paid by October 18,” one said on Facebook.
“Worst f***ing ticketing system in the world,” one fan said on Twitter at the time.
Fans are also experiencing lengthy delays in online merchandise orders and, when they ask for an estimated arrival date, don’t hear anything, while others are getting mixed deliveries.
Ann Chauvet purchased a scarf on August 5 and paid for express delivery, but it was yet to arrive. She said it was unacceptable and she had given up on Fifa.
“The order stated that I would receive an email when it shipped. I have not received any communication.”
Fifa has been approached for comment.
Bonnie Jansen is a multimedia journalist in the NZME sports team. She’s a keen footballer, has worked with the Alternative Commentary Collective and was part of the Te Rito cadetship scheme before becoming a fulltime journalist.
