General Motors Bowling Green Assembly Plant Manager Kai Spande, not only builds new Corvettes, he’s also a long-time classic Corvette enthusiast. He has owned a number of Corvettes over the years and is excited about sharing his latest classic ‘Vette with visitors to the National Corvette Museum, located near the Corvette assembly plant.

“I have owned a number of Corvettes and many other fun cars in my life,” said Kai. “My Corvettes have been: ‘78; ‘65; two ‘99s; ‘69 and ‘73 models. I performed lots of work on many of them, but for the first time, with my 1966, I bought an old Corvette that was ready to drive. Given the limited time I have to work on cars this made the most sense.”

Spande’s passion, beyond the current Corvette, is midyear big-block Corvettes. His ‘65 was a big-block convertible, although it was not an all-original car; the ‘69 was a real L71 optioned 435-hp coupe that he sold to Corvette restorer Kevin Mackay.

“Last year I decided to start looking for another C2 big-block Corvette,” he said. “I was able to locate this Corvette with only 39,000 miles on it. It was originally purchased in the Northeast United States, but was eventually purchased by a doctor in Franklin, Ken. He sold the car to a well-known collector and restorer who restored it to Bloomington Gold standards. It spent the next part of its life in California, until the owner passed away.”

Spande was attracted by the car’s low mileage, its originality and its level of options such as side pipes, a four-speed manual transmission, a 427-cid 425-hp V-8 and knock-off wheels. The power, noise and nostalgia are spectacular with this car.

“In a way, I believe that the C2 era of Corvette is reminiscent of what the new Stingray has done for the Corvette brand,” noted Spande. “At the time, this car was simply off the charts with technology and unparalleled performance–like the 2020 Stingray. The two cars are vastly different, but to me represent the same level of performance for their respective times. Although, the ‘66 is not the rarest Corvette in the world, it is a shining example of a fantastic time in Corvette history.”

Kai’s Corvette will be displayed in the lobby of the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ken., for several months. It will be on a turntable for 360-degree viewing. The museum is open daily from 8 am-5 pm Central Time.

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On Nov. 20, Moss Motors Ltd., a supplier of sports car parts and accessories headquartered in Goleta, Calif., announced that it was acquiring Victoria British Ltd., a former competitor from Lenexa, Kan.

Victoria British LTD. was founded in 1981 and is a manufacturer and retailer specializing in British sports car parts and accessories for MG, Triumph, Austin Healey and Sunbeam models. Victoria British was a division of Long Motor Corp., which will continue to operate its LMC Truck division.

Moss Motors Ltd. (mossmotors.com/victoria-british) was founded in 1948 by Al Moss, an avid sports car enthusiast who converted an MG into a truck to deliver parts to drivers at race tracks. Today Moss is a multi-national warehouse distributor, manufacturer and retailer of performance, restoration and replacement parts for vintage British and specialty market vehicles including Jaguar, MG, Triumph, Austin Healey, classic Mini and Miata and.

“After more than 30 years, Victoria British Ltd., a division of Long Motor Corp., has decided to pass the baton to Moss Motors Ltd. to carry on the tradition of supplying car parts and accessories for British car owners around the world,” said Kevin Kastner, Director of Marketing and Sales, Moss Motors, Ltd.
Victoria British President Becky Hanrahan said, “It was not a decision that we made lightly. We were Victoria British before we were LMC Truck, but we know we have not been giving the British market the attention it deserves. We feel our customers would be better served by a company whose primary focus is the British car market.”

Victoria British has for many years been a key resource for British sports car owners and their mission to “Keep’em On The Road®.” The Moss Motors acquisition of Victoria British is aimed at maintaining support of the British sports car industry and community.

“As a long-standing name in the British sports car community, we recognize the rich history of Victoria British and will do our best to carry on their legacy,” said Ed Moss, President, Moss Motors. “It’s an exciting chapter for Moss Motors and we look forward to bringing together the best traditions of both companies to continue serving the industry by supporting car owners, restoration businesses and British sports car enthusiasts alike.”

In the coming weeks, both companies will be posting news and reaching out to customers, suppliers, and other contacts regarding the details of the transition.

Dennis Plaunt, a member of the Fox Cities British Car Club (www.foxbrits.com), told The Shop Digital that he was a satisfied customer of both companies and he looks forward to seeing what changes, if any, Moss’ purchase of Victoria British will mean to the 11,000 British car shops across the United States, as well as to hundreds of thousand of British car enthusiasts. 

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As if COVID-19 hasn’t impacted classic-car enthusiasts around the world, on the last day of 2020, British car collectors face the threat of new taxes going into effect. The new Value Added Tax (VAT), as well as new importation fees, could make classic car purchase costs rise as much as 33 percent.

“At the moment, there is a lot of ‘will it or won’t it (talk),’” vintage Pontiac collector Graham Webber, of England, told Old Cars. “It is all down to if a Brexit deal can be found with the European Union (EU). Until we have a deal or no deal on Brexit, we will not know. It has more to do with newer cars over 30 years old. Nothing can be confirmed at the moment so it’s a bit of tit-for-tat tactics. I’m sure Europeans will want us to buy their cars.”

Brexit means British exit from the EU. David F. Darby, of the MG Magnette Internet Group (www.TheList.com) said, “I’d heard about this earlier and, if it does happen, it appears to be a direct result of Brexit. It’s not just the importation of classic cars, but Britons have set themselves up for economic fallout as the EU makes adjustments to the standardized economic system that was developed in the internal market. The Brits will no longer enjoy free movement of goods and services through the market if they go it alone. I really don’t have a full understanding of it. Brexit appears to be one of the most dramatic self-inflicted socio-economic wounds to a country in recent times.”

A Dec. 3, 2020 Steven Symes article in the Motorious newsletter (https://www.motorious.com/articles/news/uk-government-classic-car-buyers/) reported, “Buying a classic car in the U.K. is about to become much, much more expensive thanks to the government. Not only are they going to incur a big 20 percent VAT charge, there will be an additional 10 percent import duty if they’re coming from mainland Europe.”

Motorious said Colin Laidlaw, a Director of VAT, felt that people were overreacting to the news by trying to deal before the close of the year. He opined that the additional fees would just be making classic cars in the UK as expensive as elsewhere in the world.

“With regard to owning classic cars in the UK currently, one can claim vehicle tax exemption on vehicles forty years and older,” David F. Darby explained. “Also, there’s a new proposed mileage road tax that will probably exempt classic cars and motorbikes. I doubt that any of these measures would apply to conditions in North America.”

Darby feels collector cars consume such a small quantity of resources and emit such a small percentage of carbon, versus everyday cars, that they’d be grandfathered out of new taxes and emissions as everyday cars get lower emissions and electric power.

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Due to continuing uncertainty about when larger gatherings will be permitted in the Chicagoland area and other concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Motor State Distributing has made the decision to cancel the 2021 Race and Performance Expo. The Expo was scheduled for Feb. 19-21, 2021.

This appears to be the first cancellation of a major 2021 event due to the novel virus. Motor State Distributing predicted that the Race and Performance Expo will resume in 2022 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center, in Schaumburg, Ill., with the 2022 dates to be announced in the near future.

In past years, the Race and Performance Expo has featured more than 100,000 sq. ft. of automotive and truck products of interest to those involved with auto racing and high-performance cars.

Collector cars and trucks have played a big role in the trade show with cars such as a GTO hardtop restored by Camal Auto Rebuilders and a rare International pickup truck putting in appearances at past Expos.

Displays from hundreds of product sellers are set up at the show and company representatives are available to provide helpful information. The event also includes dozens of race and performance vehicles created by recognized builders, as well as industry personalities and special events.

Thousands of family members and relatives normally attend the Expo to watch student contestants compete in the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge. This features teams of young enthusiasts racing against each other to put an engine together. The Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge really increases the crowd count.

For additional information about the Race and Performance Expo Click visit http://www.raceperformanceexpo.com.

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If you’re restoring a beast of a Chevrolet muscle car such as a ’65 Chevelle Z-16 or a ’66 Impala SS 427, you might want to pay a visit to the “beauty parlor” of Jim Carlson’s Auto Center in Holmen, Wis. Carlson can fix you up with items such as a very rare instrument panel for a “factory tach” Chevelle or a new-old-stock Chevy AM/FM radio from the mid ’60s, which ain’t exactly a common item, either.

Let’s say your 1959 Impala, Bel Air or Biscayne needs a “facial.” You’ve come to the right place. Carlson’s “beauty parlor” probably has those chrome grille pieces you’ve been looking for. Not far away — in his multi-acre outdoor storage area — you’ll find racks full of good used front bumpers to replace the one you dented last summer when you tried to lift the car up with the factory bumper jack.

Carlson is a collector, car dealer, parts peddler and restorer who loves ’50s and ’60s cars, particularly Chevys, Mercurys and Buicks. Up until March 2007, his beauty parlor was a real one — a place that ladies went to get their hair done. The unique thing about this “hairport” was that it was built inside a trailer. That trailer was next to Carlson’s car lot. When the beauty parlor real estate became available, Carlson bought it since the trailer made a great place to store his best parts.

The trailer is long and wide with wood-paneled cabinetry and lots of curtained windows for natural lighting. The quality constructed trailer is also well insulated so it stays cool in the summer and dry year round. Carlson didn’t take a thing away. It is still set up with shelves, sinks and mirrors. He just added things designed to make “iron ladies” as beautiful as their human counterparts.

Since buying it, Carlson has been packing every nook and cranny in his “once upon salon” with his best parts, most of which reside in light brown boxes with turquoise-and-orange Chevrolet graphics on them. Sliding-door cabinets that once held styling gels and pomades are now filled with wheel covers and headlamp bezels. Waxy paper wrappers with dark blue bow-tie graphics protect unused trim moldings from dings, dents and dust.

“Barber chairs” upholstered in burgundy vinyl are stacked with chrome gravel shields, small display cases from Chevy dealerships and other treasures found in the attics of now-boarded-up car stores. Some of the boxes are marked with the prices that flea market vendors wrote on them with a Magic Marker 10 or 20 years ago. Carlson says, “In a lot of cases, I am charging those same prices today, because my goal is to get this stuff into the hands of other car collectors.”

Carlson has also been using a former International Harvester dealership building for 35 years, but local real estate prices have risen lately and he realizes that the time to sell is coming.

Carlson has also been spending a lot of time lately cleaning up the “backyard” of his business, which he describes as a “GM fan’s beat-the-crusher’ heaven.” He has sold off a lot of the parts cars he had since our last visit in 2008, although he still owns 75 or more such vehicles from a 1956 Caddy four-door hardtop to an IH tow truck. Today, his inventory is mainly 1955-1967 Chevy and he still has lots of these cars, such as eight 1958 Impala parts cars in a row. It won’t be long before the parts cars really do have to be crushed, so getting rid of them has inspired some aggressive selling and sales of the better parts. Sales of NOS parts has picked up, too.

Carlson also has two barns filled with rare items that came off these parts cars including fender skirts, continental kits, sheet metal and seats, plus a couple of used cars that are too nice to part out. At one time, Carlson thought he could get all of this really organized, but reality has set in and it’s time to clean the barns, too.

Carlson sells his parts or whole cars and deals with buyers in person, by phone or by mail order. He accepts both domestic and foreign orders. He has been shipping parts all over the globe for decades and can help buyers pick the best way to ship a specific item. He just sent a ’59 Chevy sedan off to Sweden.

“My beauty parlor and my parts cars have helped lots of classics get prettier,” Carlson reflected. “But my days of helping people build beautiful beasts are heading towards the end, because each part I sell today brings me closer to the last one.”

Jim Carlson’s Auto Center
Holmen, WI
608-526-3358
www.autocenterusa.com

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On Aug. 17, 2020, seventeen members of the Wisconsin State Assembly and Wisconsin State Senate wrote to Attorney General Josh Kaul and Transportation Department Secretary Craig Thompson to bring to their attention some concerns that state hot rod enthusiasts had expressed regarding the enforcement of Wisconsin’s Trans Code 305 (vehicle equipment) codes by the Wisconsin State Patrol (WSP).

“These constituents are members of a community that believe this code is being unfairly enforced by the State Patrol: replica hot rod enthusiasts,” read the letter. “The crux of the issue is the interpretation of certain sections of Trans Code 305 and Wisconsin State Statutes 341 by certain WSP troopers and inspectors. The concern stems from warnings and citations issued to hot rod enthusiasts over the last few years for a lack of fenders on their early model replica vehicles.”

The letter pointed out that Trans Code 305 states that “Every motor vehicle originally manufactured after Jan. 1, 1950, every homemade vehicle registered after Jan. 1, 1975 and every vehicle registered as a reconstructed vehicle after March 1, 1996 shall be equipped with adequate fenders.”

The letter said, “However, since these vehicles are replicas of cars built in the 1930s, they are exempt from this requirement under Trans 305.02(4)(b), citing ‘The vehicle equipment requirements for a replica vehicle shall be the same as the vehicle equipment requirements for a vehicle of the same type and model years as the vehicle used for purposes of the reproduction.’ Essentially, this should be interpreted to mean, for example, a replica of a 1931 Ford should follow the same vehicle equipment requirements that were in effect in 1931. As there were no state or federal requirements on fenders at that time, the owner of a replica 1931 Ford should not be held to the standards of today.”

The legislators’ letter also referred to an issue that arose with the vehicle inspections conducted by the WSP in regards to replica vehicles. “On several occasions, after being cited by the State Patrol and required to report for inspections, replica vehicle owners have failed their inspections as replica vehicles under the presumption that replica vehicles must be exactly identical to the original vehicle as (it was) manufactured,” they pointed out. “However, as defined by Wisconsin state statutes 341.268(1)(e), replica vehicle means a motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, that is a reproduction of a vehicle originally made by another manufacturer and that consists of a reproduction body that is combined with a new, used, or replica frame and drivetrain.”

According to the 17 legislators, state law clearly defines a replica vehicle differently than WSP inspectors have done. “Since these codes went into effect in 1996, there seemed to have been little issue between replica vehicle owners and the WSP for two decades, with problems arising only in the last several years,” the letter pointed out. “Since no changes were made to the codes in the last few years, it can only be a matter of interpretation by State Patrol. To that end, we would like to request a formal opinion on this matter from the office of the Attorney General, as to how these codes and statutes are to be interpreted.”

The legislators stressed that Wisconsin citizens who obtain proper registrations and pay their taxes and fees should not be punished for the arbitrary misinterpretation by a State Patrol officer or vehicle inspector.

The letter was signed by State Assembly Representatives Adam Neylon; Robert Wittke; Rick Gundrum; Ron Tusler; Mike Kuglitsch; Jim Steinke; Mary Felzkowski; Tyler August; Dave Murphy; Ken Skowronski; Joe Sanfelippo; Dan Knodl; Staush Grusynski and Rob Swearingen. Three State Senators – Stephen Nass; Duey Stroebel and Andre Jacque also put their signatures on the letter. The Wisconsin Specialty Vehicle Alliance urged car hobbyists to contact additional state legislators for their support. 

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When the collector-car hobby kicked into high gear in the ’70s, it was rare to see a Pontiac hot rod or custom, but things have changed. Take Lou Calisibetta’s Old Stillwater Garage in Stillwater, N.J., for instance. Calisibetta is famous for redoing the Alexander Brothers “Golden Indian,” a radically customized 1960 Pontiac that he owns. Calisibetta also created a pair of Pontiac “woodies” based on the rare 1957 Transcontinental station wagon and 1958 four-door Custom Safari wagon.

Still, it is rare to see a Pontiac hot rod. This might be because builders look for certain cars to modify and Pontiacs just aren’t on the list. In a lot of cases, at least for pre-muscle car models, enthusiasts stumble onto a Pontiac and then decide to modify it because it’s easier and cheaper than restoring it to stock condition.

There aren’t many parts in catalogs for early Pontiacs. To bring a Pontiac back to its original configuration, you either have to find good used parts (which is getting even harder) or purchase NOS factory parts (which is expensive and close to impossible).

The first Pontiac was manufactured in 1926. We have seen one Pontiac dragster with a sign saying it was a 1926 model, but it was really just an old frame with a fiberglass body and an all new power train. On the other hand, a Pontiac we’ve seen hot rodded a lot is the “waterfall grille” ’36 Pontiac with its art deco styling. We notice these because we have a stock ’36 in our collection. We had a bear of a time getting parts for our car, so we understand the reason that many ’36s Pontiacs are getting the hot rod treatment.

In our travels, we’ve seen a handful of late-’30s and late-’40s Pontiac rods. Early-’50s Pontiacs are hard to customize. Talented builders can do it, but it is easier to start with a car that has less trim, less weight and smaller tires that look better on a rod. Pontiac rods and customs often feature bolt-ons such as Lakes pipes, sun visors, hood scoops and Moon discs.

The 1957-1962 era of Pontiac better lends itself to customizing. This explains why quite a few of these cars—particularly 1958-1960 Catalinas — are being modified today. With the ’61-and-up models, hot rodding usually takes place under the hood. However, if you’re lucky enough to get hold of a Super-Duty Catalina or Tempest or something of that type, a Pontiac hot rod will look just fine if you do it up in “gasser” style.

Whatever you do and however you modify your Pontiac, you can expect it to get a little extra attention at a car show because you were thinking out of the box and personalizing a car that you don’t see at every hot rod show.

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Last summer the National Corvette Museum of Bowling Green, Ken. (www.corvettemuseum.org) acquired a building on Corvette Drive that will be used to showcase Corvette collectibles. The 8,000 sq. ft. facility, which opened in 2002, sits on 7.5 acres adjoining the museum’s property. The building was officially dedicated on June 24 as the Chuck, Sharon and Kimberlee Fast Collections Campus. Members of the NCM Board of Directors were on hand for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of the facility.

Chuck Fast is a member of the Museum Board and Motorsports Park Board and said he is happy to be part of the project. “Once we accomplished acquiring the building, I was asked if we would consider sponsoring the collections building itself,” he said during the dedication ceremony. “I ran the idea by Sharon and we decided this would be something our late daughter, Kim, would like to do or have named after her.”

A Corvette enthusiast herself, Kim started racing in the late ‘90s with her dad, becoming both competitive and accomplished at the sport. She became involved in coming to the museum with a caravan. Upon her passing, the Fasts started supporting projects in her name at the NCM Motorsports Park. The projects included purchasing a number of acres and re-naming both the pavilion and the entry road in her honor.

“Kim would be delighted with where the museum is today and she would definitely be one of the first to join the new driving club at the track, that I can guarantee,” said Chuck Fast. “We would definitely have a car here and be part of the action over there. With the collections building, we’ve already agreed that Kim’s Corvette (a 2004 that she got on her 30th birthday) will be coming here when something happens to either of us.”

“We are fortunate to have so many enthusiasts who donate memorabilia and artifacts to the museum; our current Library and Archives has been busting at the seams,” Dr. Sean Preston, museum President and CEO, said. “Thanks to the generosity of the Fast family, we now have a climate controlled, museum-quality facility to house not only pieces of Corvette history, but also several of our team members who are the caretakers of these historic stories.”

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“Over the past two months I’ve heard many people sigh, ‘I just wish life could go back to the way it used to be,” mused Darrel Burnett. He is the new Executive Director of The Automobile Gallery (www.TheAutomobileGallery.org), located in downtown Green Bay, Wis. The Gallery features classic cars like works of art.

 “Those words of lament reminded me how truly fortunate I am,” Burnett told Old Cars . “I work in the land of ‘Once Upon a Time’ at The Automobile Gallery & Event Center where I am surrounded, every day, by beautiful examples of the cars that used to be.”

 The Automobile Gallery re-opened on May 16 and one of its latest attractions is an already-collectible mid-engine Corvette. “We have the magical, mid-engine Corvette waiting to greet visitors,” said Burnett. “Chevrolet spokesman Kevin Kelly confirmed that just 2,700 total Corvettes were built before General Motors shut down production for 2020. What was rare is now ultra-rare.”

According to Burnett, the Automobile Gallery’s 2020 Corvette is dressed up in special order Sebring Orange Tintcoat paint and carries serial number 2646. It will be displayed in the gallery, along with about 50 other historic vehicles. 

“Life has changed for all of us and we are gladly changing with it,” Burnett added.” We are taking every precaution to protect the health and safety of visitors so they will have a truly wonderful experience. “And thanks to the 2020 Corvette, visitors will now be able to savor the future just as much as they can savor the past here at The Automobile Gallery & Event Center. Welcome back! We’ll have a smile waiting for visitors every day of the week from 9 to 3.” 

The Automobile Gallery

400 S Adams StreetGreen Bay, WI 54301
920.437.9024
inquire@TheAutomobileGallery.org
www.TheAutomobileGallery.org

Gallery hours: Monday-Sunday 9am – 3pm

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On Feb. 28 the promoters of the early March Geneva International Motor Show were forced to cancel the event due to coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns. More recently, RM Sotheby’s has postponed its Essen Auction at Techno-Classica, and the 2020 New York International Auto Show has been rescheduled due to the virus. The Swiss government had issued a decree banning public gatherings of more than 1,000 people. The Beijing Auto Show in China, which is scheduled for April, had already been cancelled.

According to industry sources, even before the Swiss decree, auto show participants were considering changing plans. Automakers exhibiting in the annual new-car show had been worried about having their executives contract the virus.

The Geneva cancellation took place at the last minute, as press days for the show were set for March 3 and March 4. The move also followed a decision in the United States to move Detroit’s North American International Auto Show from January to June. To date, the organizers of April’s New York Auto Show say that they plan to take precautionary measures inside the Javits Center venue to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Website, common human coronaviruses, including types 229E, NL63, OC43, and HKU1, usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, like the common cold. Most people get infected with one or more of these viruses at some point in their lives. This information applies to common human coronaviruses and should not be confused with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which was formerly referred to as 2019 Novel Coronavirus.

The CDC is monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by COVID-19, the novel coronavirus first seen in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. COVID-19 cases are being reported in many countries, including the United States. There have been some deaths in the U.S. You’ll find the latest on COVID-19 at https://www.cdc.gov/media/dpk/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus/coronavirus-2020.html.

How the virus will affect old-car events scheduled for 2020 is yet to be determined, but is certainly on the minds of both car club show chairmen and the promoters of for-profit car shows and auctions. It’s likely that classic car auction companies will see more online bidding, which could actually increase the workload for dealers, brokers, car inspectors and appraisers. Possibly parts suppliers and vendors will also find ways to use the Internet more—at least until a vaccine for COVID-19 is developed.

Developing new drugs, getting them approved and creating a delivery pipeline is typically a lengthy process. Steps are being taken to streamline the procedures, but the estimates we’ve heard to date say full approval could require more than a year. Some medical experts believe that the number of virus cases will drop as spring and summer weather arrive, but the problem is so new that no one knows many facts for certain.

Old Cars thinks that it is important for all of our readers to know about this virus and to understand some of the ways to hopefully help avoid getting it. At the same time, it’s important to know the sign and symptoms of the COVID-19 virus. The following information has been disseminated:

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT – CORONAVIRUS

• If you have a runny nose and sputum, you have a common cold
• Coronavirus pneumonia is a dry cough with no runny nose.
• his new virus is not heat-resistant and will be killed by a temperature of just 26/27 degrees. It hates the Sun.
• If someone sneezes with it, it takes about 10 feet before it drops to the ground and is no longer airborne.
• If it drops on a metal surface it will live for at least 12 hours – so if you come into contact with any metal surface – wash your hands as soon as you can with an antibacterial soap.
• On fabric it can survive for 6-12 hours; normal laundry detergent will kill it.
• Drinking warm water is effective for all viruses. Try not to drink liquids with ice.
• Wash your hands frequently as the virus can only live on your hands for 5-10 minutes, but a lot can happen during that time. You can rub your eyes, scratch your nose unwittingly and so on.
• You should also gargle as a prevention. A simple solution of salt in warm water will help.
• Drink plenty of water!

SYMPTOMS

• It will first infect the throat, so you’ll have a sore throat lasting 3-4 days.
• The virus then blends into a nasal fluid that enters the trachea and then the lungs, causing pneumonia. This takes about 5-6 more days
• With the pneumonia comes high fever and difficulty in breathing.
• The nasal congestion is not like the normal kind. You feel like you’re drowning. It’s imperative you then seek immediate attention.

WHAT ABOUT SHOWS?

The Wisconsin BBB has given us some useful suggestions –

BBB Tip: What to Do if an Event is Canceled by a Pandemic

Milwaukee, Wis. – Officials are announcing restrictions on mass public gatherings to limit the spread of the coronavirus. While the numbers of how many people may gather at one time vary from state to state, it is causing the immediate cancellation or delay of concerts, major sporting events, theater productions, marathons, fairs, and festivals. This may leave many people who purchased tickets or made reservations well in advanced feeling a little dismayed and wondering what they should do next.

BBB recommends the following tips if this should happen to you:

• Review the cancellation policy. Visit the venue’s website or contact the business. Given the uncertainty of this situation, each vendor or host is more than likely have their own policy in handling refunds, exchanges or may offer a rescheduling option.
• Check your credit card company. If you are denied a refund from the vendor and purchased tickets or made a reservation using a credit card, contact the credit card company to dispute the charges.
• Check with the distributor of the tickets. For tickets or reservations that are purchased online, many refunds, according to the venue’s policy, will be automatically processed to the same card that was used for purchase. Check with the distributor to learn more.
• Stay home if you are sick. If you become ill or are not comfortable attending an event that is not canceled, stay home. Contact the box office and explain the situation.
• Review any ticket insurance purchased. If you purchased ticket insurance, review the fine print to see what is and isn’t covered. Understand that the policy may not cover things such as a pandemic and it may be outlined within the policy. The same advice would apply for travel insurance.
• Contact the vendor. Items such as airline tickets should be dealt with the vendor where you purchased the original ticket from. For example, if the ticket was purchased through Expedia, review and follow the cancellation policy on the website.
• Have patience. As this pandemic unfolds, it is difficult to tell how long it will continue and what the impact is going to be on everyone from event planners to vendors to businesses and for consumers. If it is difficult to get through to customer service, understand there are probably other people in your same situation.

For more information, please visit BBB.org/coronavirus

For more information or further inquiries, contact the Wisconsin BBB at www.bbb.org/wisconsin, 414-847-6000 or 1-800-273-1002. 

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