Ticket 'abuse' angers Springsteen
Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:15 am
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7872905.stm
Text copied below. Who said artists couldn't have an influence over how their tickets are sold?
Text copied below. Who said artists couldn't have an influence over how their tickets are sold?
Rock singer Bruce Springsteen has hit out at a company which encouraged US fans to buy tickets online for one of his concerts at inflated prices.
The musician condemned Ticketmaster for redirecting fans to another website selling more expensive tickets.
Writing on this website, Springsteen said he had asked the company to "immediately" stop the practice.
Ticketmaster said it has removed all links and has pledged to refund fans their additional costs for tickets.
'Confused and angry'
Ticketmaster boss Irving Azoff admitted the company had "clearly missed the mark" in an effort to provide fans with more choices.
He "sincerely apologised" to Springsteen and his fans, who he conceded were left "confused and angry".
Fans who were trying to buy tickets to the singer's New Jersey show via Ticketmaster were sent to TicketsNow - a site owned by Ticketmaster - which allows fans to sell tickets on at a higher mark-up.
Some reported they received a message prompting them to proceed to the TicketsNow site.
Springsteen accused Ticketmaster of a "conflict of interest", and said the site existed "to ensure that we have a good, fair sale of our tickets at their face value".
He added that it was "an abuse of our fans and our trust".
Ticketmaster added that in future they would consult the artist in question before allowing the option to click through to TicketsNow.
Consumer affairs authorities in New Jersey said they had received at least 250 complaints about the matter, and other concert-goers are being asked to complete a form on their website.