Showtime issues refunds to furious Logan Paul vs Floyd Mayweather viewers after “technical difficulties”

Showtime’s pay-per-view service was down for countless users for up to an hour in the lead up to boxing match between Logan Paul and Floyd Mayweather.

UPDATE 6/10/2021: SHOWTIME is now sending out refunds en masse following widespread technical difficulties during the Logan Paul vs Floyd Mayweather fight card on June 6.

A released screenshot of an email sent from SHOWTIME to a customer claimed that the streaming “experience was not up to our standards, and accordingly, we will be issuing a full refund for your Pay-Per-View purchase.” The email also states it may take ten business days for the refund to appear in buyers’ bank accounts.

https://twitter.com/defnoodles/status/1403098632186777601

Original story is as follows:

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Showtime billed US customers $49.99 in order to stream the highly-anticipated exhibition match between the YouTube star and five-time boxing champion, but many viewers tuning in via the website and app were met with error messages.

While some viewers were unable to access the fight at all, others reported problems around 8pm EST, shortly before the start of the penultimate Logan vs Floyd undercard bout between Badou Jack and Devin Colina.

https://twitter.com/sho_help/status/1401691967470325764

When one customer reached out to Showtime’s support Twitter at around 8pm EST, they advised them to clear their internet browser cache and cookies.

When another tweeted half an hour later, the support account said they were “working to resolve the issue” and they should try again in ten minutes.

https://twitter.com/sho_help/status/1401697888711938051

Showtime then appeared to acknowledge the issue at around 9pm EST, where they tweeted they were “aware of an issue impacting tonight’s PPV event” and encouraged viewers to refresh their browser for updates.

However, they later appeared to delete the tweet.

Following the end of the fight, the account said in a tweet that whoever had purchased PPV but was not able to stream the event should get in touch for a refund.

How to get Showtime refund for Paul vs. Mayweather fight

If you were unable to stream the PPV event via Showtime, here is how to request a refund for a chance to get your $49.99 back. The route you need to go down to get your refund depends on what organisation you ordered the PPV through.

If you ordered the PPV event via the Showtime App, you will need to contact the customer services for the organisation you paid through the app – such as Amazon, Apple, or Roku –  rather than contacting Showtime directly.

• Read More: Paul vs. Mayweather fight goes the distance

However, if you purchased the event through Google Play billing or the Showtime website, you will need to submit a digital ticket here. The Showtime site states they “aim to respond to all tickets via email” within 72 hours.

https://twitter.com/sho_help/status/1401746721634406401

Angry fans react to Showtime’s technical difficulties

Naturally, with many viewers nearly $50 out of pocket, Showtime got its fair share of backlash online.

One Twitter user described it as their “worst streaming experience ever”, while another asked: “Why delete tweets over and over where people were asking for help and then force everyone to beg for their money back?”

Several Twitter users also pointed out that Roku, one of the third-party services, people could purchase the PPV through, was non-refundable, leaving them at a loss of what to do.

“You guys ruined a bunch of friend and family gatherings tonight. We are definitely owed more than a refund,” one disappointed customer Tweeted.

@sho_help it’s not allowing me to get a refund because I went thru the Roku and Roku is a non refundable so what am I supposed to do now this is bull..

— Ashley thornton (@Ashleyt8989) June 7, 2021

With many viewers unable to watch the show, some paid extra for alternative services like Fanmio while others accessed the stream in ways that were… a little less above board.

• Read More: Dr Disrespect bets $10K on Logan Paul in “rigged” fight

While the fight between Logan Paul and Floyd Mayweather might be over, it looks like the match between their fans and Showtime has only just begun.