Many people’s ticket money at risk due to bankruptcy of big promoter – “There will be no quick resolution”, says lawyer

The concert of the Heavy Christmas tour filmed from the direction of the audience.  Lots of pyrotechnics and lights in the picture.
For the Heavy Christmas tour, for example, both the band and its partners are trying to find a solution that would avoid the need to cancel concerts.

RH Entertainment had a number of events scheduled, for which the bankruptcy estate is considering various options. The safest way to get money back for cancelled events is to use a credit card.

RH Entertainment’s receivership team is feverishly examining the impact of the bankruptcy on the company’s various events. The company was forced to cancel concerts by Manhattan Transfer in Oulu and Kuopio over the weekend. Today, Monday, the band was due to perform in Tampere, but announced that it was cancelling the concert due to health reasons.

The survey work has already started on Friday.

– Since then we have been working with our heads wet, but we are not quite there yet. We’ll go through these on a case-by-case basis. As soon as we get information that something is or is not going to work out, we try to inform you as quickly as possible,” Vesa tells Yle.

RH Entertainment, one of Finland’s largest event organizers, was declared bankrupt on Friday in the District Court of Pirkanmaa.

Now the bankruptcy estate is trying to think about different alternatives for the realization of the events. According to Vesa, there are three options for each event: the bankruptcy estate can try to organize the event itself, find a way to have the event organized by someone else, or cancel the event entirely.

Vesa states that everything is still possible regarding different events.

– However, there are still many problems to be considered and resolved, which I can’t really comment on right now, because they are internal issues, he says.

Flag fees can be recovered directly from the bankruptcy estate

Trustee Heikki Vesa does not agree to say how many tickets have been sold for different events, but says that there are \”very many\”.

Blind Channel will play on Ruisrock's beach stage in the summer of 2022, the stage full of flares produced by pyrotechnics.
RH Entertainment’s events include, for example, the Blind Channel band’s shows in Helsinki, Kuopio, Tampere and Oulu. In the photo, the band on the Ruisrock beach stage in summer 2022.

If the consumer has purchased a ticket for an event that has been canceled or will be canceled, the damage caused by the cancellation is a debt to be supervised in bankruptcy. Those who bought a ticket are advised to contact the bankruptcy estate directly by email.

Heikki Vesa does not yet take a position on the RH Entertainment case, but states that with more than 15 years of experience as a lawyer, patience is the key. The matter will not be resolved quickly, he says.

– You should be prepared for the fact that you may not get all the ticket money back, that is, take as a preliminary assumption that the consumer may face some kind of credit loss. Everything above that is then positive.

The main goal of the bankruptcy estate is to get as many events organized as possible, so that there are as few ticket losses as possible.

– We do everything we can to get information as quickly as possible, Vesa states.

A view of the listing of RH Entertainment upcoming events.
Both Heikki Vesa, the receiver of the bankruptcy estate, and Nina Konu of the KKV are now urging people to wait patiently for information on the realisation of future gigs.

Credit card payers can pat themselves on the back

According to Konu, similar cases where the consumer has to collect his possible claims from the bankruptcy estate are rare.

If the tickets have been bought, but the gig is cancelled, it is of primary importance to make the necessary applications to the bankruptcy estate. However, like Vesa, Konu also urges to prepare for the worst.

– However, it is worth making the request, even though it may be pointless. You can’t know that for sure in advance.

You are most likely to get your money back if the tickets were paid for with a credit card. Then you can present the claims to the credit card company.

– I myself often use a credit card when shopping online just because there is additional security in case of problems.

*Claims arising from the cancellation of events can be reported to the bankruptcy estate of RH Entertainment by email to the address* *rh@krogerus.com*(mailto:rh@krogerus.com)*. In the claim notice, the creditor’s contact information, the amount and basis of the claim, and information on when the ticket was purchased are requested.*

*What thoughts did the story evoke? You can discuss the topic until Tuesday 15.11. until 11 p.m.*