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Original poster

Ripped off by Ticketmaster...

25 replies

Geordieterf · 26/06/2018 21:36

Hello all, I am looking for some advice on how to proceed with Ticketmaster.

Back in January, Britney Spears announced some UK tour dates. As soon as they went on sale, I was on Ticketmaster's website trying to get some for the SSE Hydro in Glasgow. The only ones offered to me were platinum tickets, priced at £280 each. In total, with shipping I paid £563.45. As a huge fan, I bought the tickets.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, the tickets were sent to me. The price on the tickets is £190, which is obviously less than I bought them for. I was confused, so I e-mailed TM. This is their response:

^Hello Geordie

Thank you for your email.

I'm very sorry for any confusion caused. You booked Platinum Tickets, which offer some of the most in-demand tickets in the venue, sold at market driven prices. Although there may have been a different face value printed on the tickets, the price for platinum tickets is adjusted according to supply and demand, similar to how airline tickets and hotel rooms are sold therefore the more in demand a seat or a show is, the higher the price. The goal is to give the most passionate fans fair and safe access to the most in-demand tickets, while allowing the artists and everyone involved in staging live events to price tickets closer to their true value.

We do everything we can to make sure the price that you paid for your seats are printed on your tickets. However, on this occasion your tickets were printed by a third party who don’t have access to our systems – this means that they can’t see the individual price paid for your seats. For them to be able to print the tickets for us to send out to you, they have to apply some kind of value – so, they went with the price of tickets elsewhere in the venue.

We’re sorry again for any confusion caused, and if you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Best wishes,

Steff
Customer Care Team^

And now I am a bit peeved... My entire transaction took place through the official Ticketmaster website. At no point was I informed that I was buying 3rd party tickets or that a 3rd party were involved.

Additionally, at no point during my transaction was the "RRP" of the tickets given to me. I did not know that I was paying more than the tickets are worth.

Anyway, so I now want a refund. Is this possible? I paid by debit card, so I can't go through that route.

Any help would be much appreciated!

OP posts:
JustHereForThePooStories · 26/06/2018 21:39

I don’t think you have a leg to stand on.

JustHereForThePooStories · 26/06/2018 21:40

Sorry, posted too soon. You were offered tickets at a price acceptable to you. The tickets were more expensive as they were in demand, and the price meant you got to purchase them because other couldn’t, due to price.

Supply and demand.

Original poster
geordieterf · 26/06/2018 21:44

My point is, I was never told of the RRP. I was never informed of any third party either.

Shouldn't they have to tell me these things when buying? Sad

OP posts:
AnchorDownDeepBreath · 26/06/2018 21:47

My point is, I was never told of the RRP. I was never informed of any third party either.

The third party haven't done anything but print the tickets - you didn't need to be informed about that.

Sadly for the RRP; I believe that it'd be down to you to check this - you picked the tickets and paid for them; so you accepted the offer to treat, in legal terms. You accepted their suggested price. It's not uncommon for Ticketmaster to only have platinum tickets available for popular events.

If you feel like you've been really mislead; you can complain to them - but I don't think you'd be likely to get anywhere taking it elsewhere.

Shiftymake · 26/06/2018 21:51

There is a basic price set, when the high demand kicks in the price goes up, same thing happens when the demand is low= the prices go down. They are not set in stone and the only price relevant is the one that they offered you and you accepted.

TrueBlue22 · 26/06/2018 21:52

I feel for you, I would be cross if I was in your position - it's like you paid £25 for something from a shop and when you peeled the price label off it said £10 underneath, which I think most people would be annoyed about. Unfortunately though it looks like they've covered themselves, it would be worth complaining because the worst they will say is no. I didn't realise ticketmaster did this though, I will avoid them in future and stick with seetickets I think.

Bombardier25966 · 26/06/2018 21:56

You were offered tickets, you deemed the price to be acceptable so you bought them. That's how contract law works, the RRP has no relevance in this scenario.

Why do you want a refund, buyer's remorse?

Original poster
geordieterf · 26/06/2018 21:56

My other issue is that the platinum tickets were the only ones offered to me, even though I queued for hours to get regular ones!

The same system offers both standard and platinum tickets. It doesn't differentiate between them, which it should in my opinion.

I will add that the seats are front row and the show is sold out, so they probably are worth what I paid really.

OP posts:
Original poster
geordieterf · 26/06/2018 21:58

@Bombardier25966

At first, I thought there had been an error, which was why I emailed them initially.

Now that I know this. I want a full refund. I can get other tickets 2nd hand which are half the price of what I've paid.

OP posts:
TrollTheRespawnJeremy · 26/06/2018 21:59

I hate ticketmaster with a passion. They're so crooked.

Original poster
geordieterf · 26/06/2018 22:03

@TrollTheRespawnJeremy

I certainly won't be buying from them again, and I buy a lot of tickets.

OP posts:
SouthWestmom · 26/06/2018 22:03

But haven't artists recently come out against this? And said only RRP should apply - was it stub hub that had tickets invalidated?

Bombardier25966 · 26/06/2018 22:03

Now that I know this. I want a full refund. I can get other tickets 2nd hand which are half the price of what I've paid.

Unfortunately you have no grounds for a refund. You could try to sell your tickets on but you'd need to do so through a recognised source such as Viagogo, but they charge hefty fees and are even more unethical than Ticketmaster.

We've all bought things and then realised we've paid over the odds. It's just one of those things we need to write off as a bad experience, and hope that the concert makes up for it.

Original poster
geordieterf · 26/06/2018 22:10

I may complain to Britney's official website about this too. Her fans are being ripped off, I feel. And Britney's team are not benefitting from this.

OP posts:
MadeForThis · 26/06/2018 22:12

I wasn't aware that ticketmaster did this. I just assumed that there was a price for each type of ticket.

When booking on ticketmaster it preselects Best Available as the option for tickets which probably generates the most expensive tickets for the best seats. You have to select Standing or a seat location ie upper stalls.

I would sell your tickets if it's allowed. Some tickets can't me resold. Then buy tickets for where you want. I'm sure front row seats will sell fast.

TheGreatestHo · 26/06/2018 22:17

This is common AF

you could complain but people have been moaning about it for years and they do it with many big artists and shows

There’s no leg to stand on here. You paid the price for that seat at the time. It feels like robbery I know.

Bombardier25966 · 26/06/2018 22:22

I may complain to Britney's official website about this too. Her fans are being ripped off, I feel. And Britney's team are not benefitting from this.

They choose who sells the tickets. They're well aware of this practice. You're profit to them, not a person.

Original poster
geordieterf · 26/06/2018 23:44

Thanks either way to everyone that responded. It looks like I've been (legally) had. Lesson learned though.

Anyone wanna buy some Britney tickets? (Joke! Before someone reports me!)

OP posts:
Original poster
Geordieterf · 27/06/2018 20:29

But wait...

Someone on another forum has pointed out that the ticket sellers DO need to tell the buyer of the RRP:

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/part/3/chapter/5/enacted

Do you think I can claim a refund on these grounds?

OP posts:
Bombardier25966 · 27/06/2018 21:13

The quoted section applies to ticket resales, such as Viagogo. Yours was not a resale. Sorry.

Bombardier25966 · 27/06/2018 21:16

From the statutory guidance:

"This Chapter concerns the online secondary ticketing market. That is, the market where tickets for sporting, recreational and cultural events are re-sold having been first bought or otherwise acquired on the primary market from an event organiser."

Original poster
geordieterf · 27/06/2018 21:19

I see. But if I was to then re-sell these tickets, I would have to list the RRP (i.e. £190) rather than the £280 I actually paid? Seems unfair and inconsistent. Sad

OP posts:
SouthWestmom · 27/06/2018 22:13

Doesn't your original email imply that they didn't know the RRP?

Bombardier25966 · 27/06/2018 22:20

Yes, you'd need to state the face value of the ticket, that being what is printed on the ticket.

(And it's not an RRP, that term has no relevance here.)

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