Pinch me, I must be dreaming

[KaimiK]

Think I've lost my mind. Visited TM one more time (this borders on obsession!) and was able to get another Seattle front row ticket, but this one is dead center! So, now I've bought a total of 4 tickets! Sold the presale one at cost, but now have a 6th row and a 1st row to sell. I sure hope those of us who have over-bought are able to find buyers!

[mirka]

Does anybody have a clue as to what the deal on this is?

IMHO this is the result of ticket manipulation practiced by TM. Now that they run out of market segments to manipulate they are selling rest of the tickets at the face price.
This is a textbook example of monopoly in action.
It's also possible that regulators started to look into their practices.

They scalped worst tickets first at speculative prices using their own brokerage outlets, at the same time practically blocking regular sale at their TM website. Now as unsold "Platinum', 'VIP' or brokerage outlet tickets are being returned the the general TM pool, naive fans are left with over-bought tickets.
(see ad on the Craigslist, TicketsNow /disguised as Funneasytravel/ is controlled by TM):
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/tix/1084710280.html

Timing of the events can also be followed in the threads:
"Comment on the ticket issue from the tour management"
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=14031
and "Leonard Cohen and Ticketmaster "
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=13831


mirka
--

[Walsh75]

Well I just got an answer from the local office of AEG.

I first wrote The Fox about all this ticket nonsense to see if they had any idea. Got an e-mail back. Not really crazy about The Fox forwarding on my exact e-mail and address to AEG, but what can I do now.

He was cordial but gave me a legal "mumbo jumbo" answer. He said seats get "held back" for different programs and entities involved with a tour, and once those issues are settled, any remaining tickets get released back into Ticketmaster and box office systems for sale.

This was the exact same type of answer I had from Ticketmaster.com months ago with questions regarding a James Hunter show at The Ark in Ann Arbor. (For that, right at 10am the $27 seats weren't shown. Only $20 G/A. Then a few hours later there were plenty top seats to spare.)

These $250 seats were the "golden tickets" for fans and others involved. Odd how those seemed to be held back for a time, for whatever reason, yet there were plenty of $130 and balcony seats to go around.

And yes. In this economy I worry about our extra tickets getting sold. I think it's worse for me here in Michigan and with it being only 1 ticket that I have to sell.

Just checking Ticketmaster.com, I pulled up Or3, Row 1, Seat 305 for The Fox Detroit. So now plenty of seats to go around. Sadly it seems they caught us in the mass frenzy during opening sale days.

[mirka]

Well I just got an answer from the local office of AEG.
[...]
He said seats get "held back" for different programs and entities involved with a tour, and once those issues are settled, any remaining tickets get released back into Ticketmaster and box office systems for sale.

I don't believe a word of their explanation, they just exploit their exclusivity at selling tickets.

Who exactly are "different programs and entities involved with a tour" ? Certainly fans didn't get to buy quality tickets at the fans presale, those tickets however showed up within minutes on the TicketsNow site.
I bet if not for this Forum AEG would put fans as well in the category of 'different programs and entities involved with a tour'.

I logged into TM site precisely at 10AM on the presale day, best 2 tickets I could get for Apr 13 were ORCH, row OO ($232).
Since I thought at that time this was a unique opportunity, me and my SO decided same day to splurge on the VIP package for Apr 13 ($ 1101.20), with the hope of selling OO seats.
At the next presale for Apr 14 I got better seats: ORCH, row D side ($ 401.20). Same day I tried to cancel the VIP package, of course I got e-mail saying it wasn't possible.
Then at the April 15 presale, the only presale not gouged, I got 1 ticket for row A ($ 202.20).

Luckily I found somebody for my Apr 13 tickets (how easy it'll be to use the tickets is another story), but I'm still left with at least half of the VIP package. Plus I feel like the last fool paying $550 for a ticket that I could buy later for $200.
ah, and I sponsored a ticket for hesperides, I bet he could find a better use for the money then paying more then the ticket market value.

mirka
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[Walsh75]

And here it is a few hours after my last post. I just checked TM.com again for "Any Price". That ticket as of now still remains:

OR3
1
305
Price Level 1 $253
Orchestra Pit

[Walsh75]

And here at 12:45 am Detroit time, looking at TM.com again, that ticket still is up for sale! LOL.

OR 3
Row 1
Price Level 1
Ticket Price $253.00
Convience Charge $24.65

Now I feel like a fool as this proves my pattern since 2006 that no show is an easy sell out here in this area. Maybe by the week or the day of a show, but not ahead of time. Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers did at Joe Louis Arena but those were kids and teens. I mean adult shows.

If something like Roger Waters performing the entire "Dark Side of the Moon" wasn't a sell out for The Palace of Auburn Hills then not much else will sell out there.

Van Morrison did both time at the much smaller venues of The Masonic Temple (Nov. 06) and The Fox (July 08). It wasn't over night though in either case. But by show day it was.

[MaryB]

Apparently someone (TicketGouger probably) got something out of all the shenanigans and complaints that were/are going on for the sales of the US Tour. Fans in Europe ARE getting great seats in the presales. How absolutely wonderful for them - but at our expense !

Kindest regards,
Mary

[mirka]

.
As far as I can see all the tickets in Europe so far were offered by the local European ticket outlets, not by the TicketGouger.
I'm definitely calling TM tomorrow, and filing a complaint with the California Attorney General

[Walsh75]

I am obsessed a bit now in trying to get some money back.

I thought of something. Doubt it would work and I don't know if it's a big enough deal to try and prove it in court.

But the PR answer I got from AEG Live and Ticketmaster said things to the effect of "unused and remaining tickets go back into the system for sale".

Okay then. If that's the case, let us exchange the tickets we have no use for like any product from a store. We get our money back. Then they can just try and re-sell the tickets back into the system through normal Ticketmaster and box office channels.

But I know they will see the problem in this. LOL. They don't care that we are probably going to lose out on hundreds. They don't care as long as it's not THEIR money at steak. If we gave them double for not being aware of this ticket situation than that's our problem in their eyes.

[Mabeanie1]

Okay then. If that's the case, let us exchange the tickets we have no use for like any product from a store. We get our money back. Then they can just try and re-sell the tickets back into the system through normal Ticketmaster and box office channels.

I tried this approach with the Ottawa box office. The answer I received was that even though the shows were sold out, they were unable to take tickets back in this case because it was not one of "their" shows. They very helpfully suggested that I stood in the lobby on the night of the show and offered my ticket for sale, at cost, of course. It doesn't make any sense at all to me as Ticketmaster handle all their online and telephone sales and they have an integrated box office system but there you are.

This situation particularly sticks in my craw because I sold the ticket once but my "purchaser" backed out of the deal. It's quite clear that, having committed to buy my ticket, she then found something much better when Ticketmaster started selling off the tickets that had previously been syphoned off into other outlets. It's good that Leonard's management took a stand, but I am a victim of their decision to have all LC tickets removed from TicketExchange & Ticketsnow etc and it's cost me $271. My own fault I know - I refused to take a deposit because I have never had a problem dealing with Leonard Cohen fans before and so I trusted her completely. I guess you find out the hard way who the true fans are ....

Good luck with your ticket(s).

Wendy

[Walsh75]

You make a great point there.

How many times have we seen TV and print ads for concerts and events that say "tickets on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, and arena box office".

So the arena box office will gladly sell a ticket and get your money. But they won't take tickets back and give refunds.

I'm tired of this policy over the years. It's a one sided deal where the choice is pay the way it is or don't go at all.

[IrishMar]

If anybody is interested I have just been on the Telecharge site and there are some pit seats available for the Wang Theatre Boston for May 30th.
Good Luck

[Walsh75]

Just an update from my area..

Checked Tickemaster.com today. The have 3rd Row for sale in Orc Pit 3. These seats are going slow but sure for whatever reasons. People outside of this site not knowing it's an option anymore? The economy? Buzz for the show cooled?

Sadly I also checked my ticket for sale status on another site. It has gone down in selling value. LOL. So has all the other tickets on there.

I should always hope for the best, but if I'm a betting man, that ticket isn't going to get sold. Looks like I'll be trying to drag my friend to fill the void May 9.

[famousblue]

i'm going to Phoenix too and my world turned upside down when i discovered that LOU REED is playing Sunday afternoon in the Phoenix area - we are seeing Lou and Leonard both on the same day!!!!

[MaryB]

i'm going to Phoenix too and my world turned upside down when i discovered that LOU REED is playing Sunday afternoon in the Phoenix area - we are seeing Lou and Leonard both on the same day!!!!

Wonder if LC and Lou Reed got together somewhere in Phoenix?