ticket touts / ticketmaster

[lizzytysh]

Hi Richardrj ~

In smaller areas, such as Europe, where there are many concerts to choose from, this would make better sense than in expansive areas like the U.S. and Canada. I'm flying from Florida to Canada to see Leonard. I couldn't possibly afford a round-trip flight just to secure the tickets, nor would I feel it was fair. A compromise of sorts might... a certain number for the box office, a certain number through the box office by phone... or a straight-up choice of those two methods from the beginning. That method used to work just fine.


~ Lizzy

[richardrj]

I'm flying from Florida to Canada to see Leonard. I couldn't possibly afford a round-trip flight just to secure the tickets

No, and nor would I expect you to. You would, indeed, lose out. But the hall would still be filled with true fans of Leonard from (say) Toronto and the surrounding area, all or most of whom would have had to make the effort to haul their asses down to the venue and get their tickets, and who had not had to line the pockets of touting scum to secure them. To me, that seems a price worth paying.

But then, that's easy for me to say - I live in Vienna, a short walk from the State Opera House where Leonard will be playing in August!

[David Blackman]

I would like just to add my voice to the fact once again the ticket touts and like always seem to win. I managed to get 2 tickets for the O2 right at the back 60 pounds plus the usual add on's at 09-02 the rest had gone and like wise they were on ticket exchance shortly at very high prices . I feel so strongly re this and I hope the Leonard managment team are made aware of this and look at other ways to ensure a fairer distribution of tickets to genuine fans in the future . I know there is not much you can do, fans want to see Leonard and are locked into a very cynical machine called how to maxamise and make more money out of peoples enjoyment. Until a alterative is found to ensure we all get a fair chance of tickets there is little we can do , but just post our feelings and hopefully someone who has got the will to deal with this comes on board. Any ideas !

[valglasfan]

Personally I think the £75 for an excellent ticket is too cheap...

I'm sorry? What sort of salary are you on? I had to think twice before deciding that maybe if I saved a bit I could afford a ticket at £50 (plus stupid service charge - for what service?). It is regrettable that tickets touts and eBay sellers should be making a profit on a certain number of tickets, but the majority of tickets should remain priced at a level that most of us can afford. And, no, I wouldn't be prepared to pay £650 for a ticket. I do not have that kind of money. Nor can I drop everything (or afford) to follow LC around the world and buy tickets for all his concerts. I have to work for my meagre living and I don't see why I shouldn't be able to go and listen to the man (whom I've loved since I was a teenager, back in the '60s) at least once.

Well said Bella, couldn't agree more with all of that.

[mcoristine]

Guys,

You are all naive - the TicketExchange is Ticketmaster's own scapling system (the proceeds are split between TM and the promoter/artist).

There has been a lot of news about this here in North America as Celine Dion, Bon Jovi, Kanye West, etc all have very few public tickets go onsale yet as soon 10:00am hits, there are these mysterious listings under the TicketExchange for all the best seats (you may notice the odd denominations ending in 0.03, 0.97, etc). It was confirmed by Ticketmaster that this was their own attempt to get into the secondary market.

It is also worth noting that the Toronto shows all have official Ticketmaster auctions for center orchestra PIT seats - those profits go to TM, the promoter and Leonard, himself.

Take a look at what's going on. The eBay brokers aren't really the problem.

[Ladybythetrack]

Thank you for the link archiebaby,

the article reports.....

Eric Baker, CEO of viagogo.com and a global ticketing expert, said: “Ticketmaster has clearly realised what was spelt out in the DCMS report - the secondary market offers real benefits for fans

but he doesn't expand on what these benefits are that the DCMS report purports exactly. Anyone know?

[lizzytysh]

Hi Richardrj ~

But then, that's easy for me to say - I live in Vienna, a short walk from the State Opera House where Leonard will be playing in August!

I was glad to see your disclaimer because, comparatively, you live 'close' to most every venue in Europe where Leonard will be performing. I'm not the only genuine fan who is willing to travel great distances to see him.

I was able to get my tickets to Montreal without lining the pockets of touts. They arrived today, in fact; stayed about 5 minutes in my hands and then straight into the military strongbox, which I believe was originally used for shells or something weaponry-related.


~ Lizzy

[Lorelei]

>>because, comparatively, you live 'close' to most every venue in Europe where Leonard will be performing.<<

Because a number of people on this forum are in Europe and there are lots of concerts in Europe, it doesn't make it any easier to get tickets. If I had decided to go to the venues and queue for tickets rather than getting them online, I could only have got tickets for 1 concert (I'm going to 2 - Manchester and O2, London). Even then I would have had to have taken 2 days off work, drive for several hours to ensure that I was at the venue for 9am/10am. As for getting them in another country well that would have required even more time, passport, hotel, Euros etc. I cannot afford that sort of money or time off work.

>>But the hall would still be filled with true fans of Leonard from (say) Toronto and the surrounding area, all or most of whom would have had to make the effort to haul their asses down to the venue and get their tickets, and who had not had to line the pockets of touting scum to secure them<<

Surely you should not disenfranchise those fans who do not happen to live near where one of the concerts is taking place.

It seems to me that something could be done if there was a will to do it.

1) You could register with a ticket agency, complete with a photo identity, before you buy any tickets. This is what you have to do to get tickets for Glastonbury.
2) You could be required to go to the venue on the day of the concert, present the card with which you paid for the tickets before you receive your tickets. I had to do this recently when I went to see the Terracotta Army exhibition at the British Museum, London...it worked perfectly well.
There could be mechanisms put in place to transfer or resell tickets for when people have a genuine reason not to be able to go to a concert.

[David Blackman]

I noticed today a new batch of tickets have gone on sale on Ticket Master Exchange funny how that just keeps getting topped up . It just a shame these tickets had not gone to fans who in most cases had applied for them and would really have enjoyed seeing Leonard, and not got into the hands of people whose only goal seemingly ,is to make money out of Leonard tickets,and stopping real fans getting good tickets at a fair price.

[David Blackman]

Ticketmaster I see today have just released some more tickets for level 1 Block 103 for the O2 on July the 17th , there were none for sale over the weekend. I wonder if at sometime in the future even better seats will come on general sale soon. I still feel a sense of grievance that these slightly better tickets could not have been made available on the day tickets went on sale, but I guess that is not the way things work . I feel tickets sales should and could have been managed fairer and not left to some lottery of fate.

[Bela]

I feel exactly the same as you. Somehow, people who didn't have a stressful time on Friday the 14th (when the first tickets were released) are being rewarded for not looking for information about the tour, for not doing anything about getting tickets. Definitely not fair.

That said, I myself took advantage of a later ticket release: I bought tickets in the gods on that Friday - in a terrible panic - not realizing they were so high up, then I spent several days worrying like mad when I became aware of it (with visions of being sick and not being to climb up to my seat, etc.). So when they released seats in 106, later, I had to get two of those.

About an hour ago, I could have got seats in 102 (they would be even better than 106, from what I gather from the seating plan), but I didn't because I haven't got my earlier tickets yet in my hands and I cannot spend another 130 something pounds without being absolutely certain I'll be able to sell my other tickets.

It's been a nightmare.

[David Blackman]

Thanks Bela you are so right, it has been a nightmare and it should never be like that . However I have my back row, back block, level 1 tickets I sweated blood almost for them. If by some chance of fate I do get better tickets at anytime I will put my original tickets on the forum at the cost price, so real fans get them at the correct price . I find the whole concept of ticket touts and there like, an anathema. No tout of any kind will knowingly have any tickets in my control

[Bela]

David, we are in complete agreement. I don't think we're the only ones feeling angry and frustrated either, are we? Down with Ticketmaster!

[David Blackman]

Bela your right down with Ticketmaster and their kind. I know a lot of people are angry at the way ticketsales have been managed by Ticketmaster . I hope we at least get our voice across to someone, somewhere, loud and clear who will have the will in the future to ensure real fans don't get ripped off by the agents of fortune. I hope, but I fear it is a forlorn one.

[MAGICWR]

Hi: I bought a bunch of extra tickets so that I could sell them at face value to the fans. I listed them all last night in the swap and sell thread or if anyone is interested email me at MagicWR@AOL.COM
Have a great night,
Kim