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Original poster

To think that Ticketmaster should not be allowed to operate like this....

105 replies

itsgoodtobehome · 16/01/2017 10:22

DH and I decided that we would like to go and see the U2 Joshua Tree concert in July. Tickets went on sale at 9am this morning. I went on the site just before 9, and at 9am exactly I hit the 'buy tickets' button. I went into a 'virtual queue' for about 5 minutes, and then the page came up where you choose your tickets. I selected 2 'at any price' and it immediately came back with 'there are no tickets available'. However, it then offers you a link to a resale site where you can get tickets 'from £200 to £800'!!

So basically, within 5 minutes of the tickets going on sale, Ticketmaster have managed to sell them all to a bunch of touts who are now flogging them on-line for upto 8x the original price. This seems to happen whenever a big gig is announced that is likely to be sold out. It just seems really unfair on the average person who is basically priced out of going to see a gig they would really like to see. I don't know how Ticketmaster are allowed to get away with this. They are just making ticket touting legal.

Angry - needing to vent!!

OP posts:
MrsTrentReznor · 16/01/2017 22:47

That's not what is being discussed here. It's not a case of people bitching over not getting a ticket. It's the fact that once again, something that should be (mostly) affordable is made unaffordable by corporate greed.
I think it's quite a big issue and it doesn't stop with gig tickets. Gig tickets are a drop in the ocean, but it means so much to some of us, surely we can have a little corner of the Internet to whinge!
It's been deemed important enough that requirements were introduced in the Consumer rights act 2015 surrounding resale of tickets. The aim was to make resale more transparent to protect the consumer. As a lot of these tickets are offered for sale by the companies that own the resale sites I'd say that's not really on.

MrsTrentReznor · 16/01/2017 22:59

The bit that is blatantly ignored is the following:
)

Secondary ticketing operators must disclose clearly and prominently

where the seller of a ticket is—

(a)

the secondary ticketing platform or a subsidiary undertaking or

parent undertaking of the secondary ticketing platform;

(b)

a person or persons employed or engaged by the secondary

ticketing platform;

(c)

other persons connected to employees, directors or shareholders of

the secondary ticketing platform, or any of its subsidiary

undertakings or parent undertakings;

(d)

the event organiser or an agent acting on its behalf;

(e)

any other party connected to the organisation of the event.

BoomBoomsCousin · 16/01/2017 23:04

Many artists are outraged at ticket touts. Ticketmaster do next to nothing to stop them and end up profiting on the resales, so have little incentive. But Ticketmaster own a lot of venues and artists often aren't able to say who can sell all the tickets to their shows. There are other companies trying to fight touts and making good progress. Last year Adele used Songkick.com for sales of some of the tickets to her shows. There were teething problems from the buyer's perspective, but Songkick's anti-tout technology held up really well and there were very few tickets from the tranche they sold that went on the resale market.

MrsTrentReznor · 16/01/2017 23:06

I got my Iron Maiden tickets thanks to their sales methods.
I feel bad for the people that have ended up with tickets they don't want because of it, have a few beers, it should be fun even if it's not your thing. They put on an awesome show. Wink
Maybe the pp that bought for her daughter and husband can turn up with them to get them in? After all your ID matches your husband's?? Confused there's loads to do at the O2 if you have to hang around for them.
Nighty night.

mylittlephoney · 16/01/2017 23:14

Sites like these and the bands that allow them to sell their tickets have sucked the life out of live music. If the venues and the fan sites/music store just sold them like before acually had the physical tickets to sell instead of these virtual bollocks then the real fans would be able to get them. It's all about money am afraid. The real tickets are complemetary for the industry big wigs. True fans suffer. I hate the music industry for this. Thank Fuck I only see alternative bands who dont use these charlatans.

TKRedLemonade · 16/01/2017 23:28

INeedSomeHelp
I'm more annoyed at U2 for announcing a "world" tour and the only UK dates are London and Dublin.

Ehhhh Dublin is not in the UK so you should be more annoyed that there is only one UK location. At least you are getting two dates, us here in Dublin are only being graced with one that was a disaster for tickets

cathyandclare · 16/01/2017 23:29

How are 2 row E Hamilton tickets £400? I got 4 row D ones for £389, I'm panicking I've made a mistake!

NotThrowAwayMyShot · 16/01/2017 23:31

Row D are £89.50 each but the row behind have been designated Premium Seats and are £200 each.

Madness I know.

CotswoldStrife · 16/01/2017 23:46

I was on the Ticketmaster site this morning because I was trying to get tickets for a concert locally. Tickets on Ticketmaster would be on presale Tuesday, general sale Wednesday.

Then without warning they put them up for general sale this afternoon (Monday) and sold out Hmm

Sallystyle · 17/01/2017 00:17

I must have been mistaken about debit cards not being allowed to be used.

bruffin · 17/01/2017 07:29

Hamilton tickets have already appeared on getmein for thousands. The touts have bought the max 4 and then put 3 up on getmein and said pick on day at theatre. They havent put seat numbers so not sure what The theatre can do about it.

Dds friend got tickets on getmein and they were fake, but as they were standing she was let in anyway

NotThrowAwayMyShot · 17/01/2017 07:40

Well I guess nothing is 100% foolproof if the tout is willing to attend with ID.

But considering I don't know anyone who wasn't successful in getting tickets so far hopefully the impact will be limited.

user1484317265 · 17/01/2017 09:03

It's not a niche issue though. It affects thousands of people every day.
I personally choose to not buy roses, or smoke, or even go on holiday. I save up for gig tickets. Why shouldn't I expect my MP to stand up for something that is very important to me?

And I choose to save up for meals in nice restaurants, cos thats my thing, but I'd be appalled if my MP was wasting time campaigning for cheaper menus so everyone can come along as well! Not while there is so much life and death stuff going on, its dilettantism.

user1484317265 · 17/01/2017 09:12

I'm more annoyed at U2 for announcing a "world" tour and the only UK dates are London and Dublin

I don't think you know what "world tour" means. You definitely don't know what the UK means!

Andrewofgg · 17/01/2017 09:14

user1484317625 The ridiculous thing is that what the petitioners seem to want is to limit the price so that everyone can have something of which the supply is limited by the nature of the world, at least until someone invents an elastic-sided stadium.

It is a niche issue. It just does not matter who gets to hear this band or that band. It is ridiculous to try to interfere with supply and demand over such non-essential items as tickets like this.

Andrewofgg · 17/01/2017 09:16

INeedSomeHelp You certainly do. Calling Dublin part of the U.K. on MN is a good way to get flamed to a crisp Grin

ComputerUserNumptyTwit · 17/01/2017 09:22

Re Iron Maiden - has anyone contacted customer services to see if there's a way around the purchaser having to attend, if the tickets were bought as a gift for family? Perhaps taking the purchaser's card along (but not the cardholder)?

Iamtheresurrection · 17/01/2017 10:13

I have. There's nothing. Iron Maiden website says they might be able to help but not until a month before. You have to take photo ID with the payment card and confirmation email - there's no ticket.

I went to another concert where you had to have the payment card (But not photo ID) and they matched that to the Eticket.

Iamtheresurrection · 17/01/2017 10:14

It also says you have to enter the concert so can't even go to the door - I guess touts could easily do that.

INeedSomeHelp · 17/01/2017 10:19

My mistake about Dublin (no excuse, I just wasn't thinking) - apologies if I offended anyone. What I really meant was they are already making their tour unavailable to large groups of people because the inflated ticket prices are compounded by travel costs.

CheerfullyIndifferent · 17/01/2017 10:27

My sisters were coming from Brazil if we had managed to get tickets, since South America is not part of the world Grin

BreconBeBuggered · 17/01/2017 15:05

It's not about getting things for less than they're worth. It's preventing touts from buying up the supply in order to sell on at hugely inflated prices. I've been to many sold-out gigs but I would never, however much I wanted to see a band, buy from a tout. It's my tiny contribution to shutting these leeches down. I include ridiculous 'secondary' ticketing sites in this. Not face value? Won't buy it.

Andrewofgg · 17/01/2017 18:47

It's not about getting things for less than they're worth.

They are worth what the market will bear. They are not one of the essentials of life.

ForalltheSaints · 17/01/2017 18:53

If a government wanted to make a lot of new friends, a law ending all the various practices of resales and pseudo resales would get them.

The practice that Lords operate for test matches of a ballot with a closing date seems a better one.

Andrewofgg · 17/01/2017 19:07

It's no use passing laws which can't be enforced. That just brings the law into [further] disrepute. It's not the State'sconcern who goes to these occasions.

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