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There was a comment earlier saying we should wait until 7/4. That's great but that is beyond the refund window, I know we're only talking $120. Maybe they need to follow BGG's lead. BGG posted that if the upcoming Spring Con or cruise is cancelled they will apply this year's ticket to 2021.

Just a thought

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You are acting like something can only be done right this second which is not true. There literally is no difference between cancelling Gencon now and cancelling it on July 5th. 

As of their update yesterday Planet Comicon is still on for next weekend in Kansas City. So we will still have a con testing the waters, but they could cancel it between now and then. 

Neither political party has cancelled their National Convention yet, The NFL hasn't cancelled next season yet, Origins Game Fair isn't cancelled yet (it takes place in June), and so forth. They may all be cancelled but they all have time before such a decision has to be made. 

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This discussion needs to remain civil. It has not. I have removed the recent offensive post and all comments on that post.

We will lock this if it continues.

Mike Boozer
Customer Service & Event Team Manager
Gen Con LLC

Sorry somehow i refreshed an old tab and it reposted a bad post.  

>>>

• All refund requests prior to the Convention must be made by the end of day on June 14, 2020 at 11:59 pm (Eastern). Absolutely no badge cancellation requests will be honored after June 14, 2020, 11:59 pm (Eastern). (Exchanges can be made on site starting July 29, 2020.)
  
• Cancellations and refunds requested before the June 14 deadline will be processed during Gen Con Customer Service hours.
  
• Refund requests received prior to the June 14 deadline will be issued a refund and credited back to the original credit card or system credit used for purchase, less any administrative fees.
  

That is Gencon's company policy to govern individuals needing the get refunds to the various personal issues specific to that individual. 

If they cancel Gencon this year, Gencon can (and likely will) throw that out due to the circumstances. That is perfectly legal and honestly would be expected in the event of a cancellation due to national emergencies. 

The Hotels and Airlines can do the same. 

So, it is March 12. There are roughly 120 days between today and the refund deadline. That is plenty of time to take a wait and see approach. 

Edit to add: It would suck to lose my non-refundable airfare, badge cost, and room deposit. That said,
if on July 30, if major events aren’t cancelled but things are bad, I’d probably decide that loss is cheaper than the medical bills and if I catch it.

Link

I have to say for me, the crazy panic is working out, as I like Corona Beer.

Seriously though, if Gen Con has to cancel after mid-June, they will have to change their refund policy for this year.  They're not that stupid as to simply say, "Ha, you're SOL, we're keeping your money and not even applying it to System Credit".  If they did, a class-action lawsuit would soon follow, and far more damaging is the people they'd permanently piss-off who would never attend GC again.

Most major airlines are waiving change/cancel fees, so you're fairly safe on airfare.  The only issue is what the hotel portal & hotels do, but at most they'd keep some or all of the $50; the hotels would not be able to charge the one-night cancel fee without, again, getting sued.

So, 

That's not really how litigation works. Just because people threaten to sue doesn't mean that GenCon will not do something.  Companies like GenCon get sued all the time and most of them are dismissed due to contract language.  This is a contract.  You know all of that language that you quickly click through when you want to get to the checkout page?  I'm sure that it covers a "force majeure" in there somewhere.  COVID-19 is a "force majeure" and i'm sure that GenCon and the hotel contractor is not volunteering to take it on the chin if something bad happens that is unforseen. 

That being said, they may change the terms of their own contract to their detriment if they wish to do so, but there is no requirement or assurance that they will.  While we think of it as not having received value for our services, our fees go to pay for the salaries of all of the people who make GenCon happen year round.  We are using this very forum which costs GenCon money.  We aren't getting "nothing" for our fees and we should not assume that is how this will shake out.  If I have to take a 10% loss, or more, on my fees then I'll be coming out ahead.  I do not expect to get 100% refunded and I don't think that will happen.

Just saying. Some panic may be warranted, but it won't do you any good so you may as well not panic.  Alternatively, you can get an attorney in Indiana to file suit for you, but I am betting there is also a mandatory arbitration clause in there somewhere as well.

This year's convention will definitely be one to remember no matter what happens, as I imagine if the epidemic has mostly passed by then, attendance could still well be back to a level not seen in a decade.  Or, well, if it is cancelled, that will definitely be a year to remember for its own sad reasons!

Now, to go back in time and stop myself from impulse-switching to a pre-pay room for this year