With governments and health officials trying to limit the spread of the coronavirus by discouraging or banning large gatherings, the highly contagious virus has had a palpable impact on the plans of would-be vacationers, theatergoers, sports fans and others.

The Boston Marathon is postponed, Broadway shows are canceled, Coachella is on hold. And the abrupt cancellation of, well, just about everything has forced people to engage in an activity undesired even in the best of times: the scramble for refunds.

In light of the situation, many agencies and companies have updated refund practices or introduced new policies, such as eliminating change fees and offering coupons. But customer service departments around the nation are currently slammed as they handle the fallout of the epidemic. Some refund requesters have found it easy to get a refund or rebook their tickets, while others have waited for hours on the phone, receiving confusing and inconsistent information.

Concerts, sports and other ticket events: Expect coupons, new dates and more.

When it comes to ticket events like concerts and sports games, several organizations have indicated that customers will receive refunds, or have offered details on new dates for their events.