# If the Celtics win game five **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 13, 2008, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-celtics-win-game-five/452796 "2008-06-13T12:58:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-celtics-win-game-five/452796/1 "2008-06-13T12:58:41Z")
All the seats for games 6 and 7 of the NBA finals in Boston have been sold. Suppose the Celtics win game 5 on Sunday thereby making games 6 and 7 unnecessary. Are the people who bought those tickets stuck with tickets they can not use or do they get a refund? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-celtics-win-game-five/452796/2 "2008-06-13T13:51:20Z")
They get a refund for those tickets. It’s the same in all sports. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-celtics-win-game-five/452796/3 "2008-06-13T13:53:03Z")
[QUOTE=Ronald C. Semone] All the seats for games 6 and 7 of the NBA finals in Boston have been sold. Suppose the Celtics win game 5 on Sunday thereby making games 6 and 7 unnecessary. Are the people who bought those tickets stuck with tickets they can not use or do they get a refund? [/QUOTE] In that situation, they are typically given a refund. Sometimes, the tickets aren’t sold until it is known whether or not the game will be played. ---
**Author:** ![Outpits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4bbf92/32.png) [@Outpits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Outpits)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-celtics-win-game-five/452796/4 "2008-06-13T14:01:12Z")
[QUOTE=Labrador Deceiver] In that situation, they are typically given a refund. Sometimes, the tickets aren’t sold until it is known whether or not the game will be played. [/QUOTE] If the person who purchased the tickets is a season ticket holder, the usual procedure is that the value of the unused tickets can be applied to next years season ticket bill. You do have the option of getting a refund, however. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-celtics-win-game-five/452796/5 "2008-06-13T15:52:12Z")
Be aware if you buy scalped tickets. If the ticket was originally part of a season ticket package the money will be credited back to the season ticket holder. You cannot take the unused ticket back to the ticket office and get a refund for the face value. If the game doesn’t get played you will have spent your money and be left with a ticket that has no value. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-celtics-win-game-five/452796/6 "2008-06-13T16:48:52Z")
Plus, you only get back the face value of the ticket. If there are any nebulous “service charges” or “convenience fees” tacked on, those are up-front costs gone forever once you fork over the cashola for the tickets. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-celtics-win-game-five/452796/7 "2008-06-13T21:08:46Z")
[QUOTE=robardin] Plus, you only get back the face value of the ticket. If there are any nebulous “service charges” or “convenience fees” tacked on, those are up-front costs gone forever once you fork over the cashola for the tickets. [/QUOTE] Ticketmaster has always refunded the service charges when a concert I had tickets for was canceled. Why would it be different for sporting events? Actually, checking on [Ticketmaster’s website](http://www.ticketmaster.com/h/cancelled.html) it is clear that “convenience” and service charges are refunded. However, **shipping** charges are non-refundable.