Columbia, Md. - May 11

[MaryB]

Quite a number of years ago, I worked in a record store that exclusively sold Ticketmaster tickets in the area we were located, so I have a pretty good grasp on how Ticketmaster works (or so I thought). Best available used to be just that - starting from front row center and working back, center section seats being the most desirable. If the floor went too far back, loge or balconey front seats would then pop up, and so on. It truly was 'best available'.

What happenned today At 10AM, 'best available' was LC Row O, then Center X, LC Row J, - it just went back and forth with no rhyme or reason. I finally purchased Right Floor, Row D -at 10:40AM! Immediately after that, no more than 3 minutes later, I checked what was available and missed out on Left Floor Row AAA. Am I wrong in thinking these are better seats than Center
Row X that was offered at least 30 minutes prior? What is going on?

Best regards,
Mary

(P.S. Thanks for letting me vent)

[brightnow]

I had exactly the same observation: it was jumping around all over the place.
The only explanation I can think of: a lot (and it would have to be hundreds if not thousands) of people were hitting the site at the same time and "holding" tickets for the initial 2:15min period. Those were getting released as quickly as they were getting booked.
I could not get any floor tickets at all, but I am determined to love the tickets I did get (Center row R).
(BTW Mary: are those concerts you attended in your signature line? If they are... wow!)

[runwhiteyrun06]

I did a search at literally 10am. The first thing that came up was CTR row V. I settled for that. I just spent 120 on a single concert ticket. That is twice as much as I've ever spent on a concert ticket. I'm sure it will be worth it though!

[olsenrd82]

i was online at exactly 10am to buy tix for the grand prairie, tx show, selected the $99 seats and it gave me sec 204 (center) row LL. I'm pretty quick when it comes to ticketmaster, but it is now 12:41pm, nearly 3 hours later, and i can get better seats now than i did when they went on sale. same price tier. i just looked and there was sec 204 row GG available. i didn't want to give up the row LL seats at 10am for fear that it might be sold out or i would get really bad seats if i tried again. after all, i am pretty quick and those were the "best seats" at the time.

just frustrating... at least i will get to see Mr. Cohen live and in person

[MaryB]

Brightnow,
What can I say, I'm addicted and have been for a long time. Every show is special.
Best regards,
Mary

[MaryB]

I did a search at literally 10am. The first thing that came up was CTR row V. I settled for that. I just spent 120 on a single concert ticket. That is twice as much as I've ever spent on a concert ticket. I'm sure it will be worth it though!

Oh, yes it will be. Especially if you've never seen him perform live!
Best regards,
Mary

[MaryB]

just frustrating... at least i will get to see Mr. Cohen live and in person

Ohhh, yes. It will truly be a fantastic experience for you!
Best regards,
Mary

[brightnow]

Brightnow,
What can I say, I'm addicted and have been for a long time. Every show is special.
Best regards,
Mary

I wish my circumstances would have allowed me to see as many concerts... hats off to you.
I have been waiting for this miracle for 22 years (and that is, still, more than half my life). Floor seats or not, I KNOW it is going to be amazing. And I find myself doing something I haven't done since I was about 21: wishing for time to go faster, May 11 seems too far off.

[Kurt W]

Mary, I saw those LF D seats!!! but I had already commited to a pair in GG and didn't have another identity handy. I'll just have to consider mine to be the best seats in the house. I was fortunate enough to see one of the Montreal shows last June and, as I recall, I had the best seats in the house there too. So, till then.......

[MaryB]

Kurt, mine are RF Row D seats. Do you remember about what time those LF Row D seats came up?
I was tempted so many times to get the tickets being offered. This is the first time buying tickets that having patience really paid off. Be interesting to see what seats will become available further on . Glad you got your tickets!
Best regards,
Mary

[brightnow]

Be interesting to see what seats will become available further on .

It gets worse... right now Center Floor AAA seats (yes, that's front row reserved) are available at the VIP package price ($549 each). I would have seriously considered these had they been available this am.
Still choosing to love what I've committed to (getting harder though)

[MaryB]

brightnow,
Just tried, out of curiosity, through the VIP package, and I got nothing - you must be special

[brightnow]

brightnow,
Just tried, out of curiosity, through the VIP package, and I got nothing - you must be special

Oh no, they are still out there! you have to choose the VIP package AND "reserved floor seating"

[a.ephroni]

I don't know if this will work for anyone else, but here's what I did this morning:

Bought tix for Columbia via the "Best Available" selection (L:C row BB), and then, like all of you, saw later that better seats had "become" (?) available. I CALLED TICKETMASTER, and, despite their own policy that seats are nonrefundable, nonexchangeable, etc. etc., they WILL allow you to pay to upgrade them!! I called the 800 number on the website and they gave me the number to the Maryland office (apparently not available on the website). Their staff asked for my confirmation number and allowed me to upgrade my tickets to L:C row J (from $99 to $175 level). My husband had the same luck. I hope this works for others, if others, like me, can't stop obsessing about their compromises

Good luck!

[a.ephroni]

apologies: I should have included the actual phone number that Ticketmaster gave me for the MD Ticketmaster office. I left it at work. I will post it tomorrow so that people can go through one fewer step, if anyone tries what I suggested in the above post.