....in light of our discussions over the past few months of dodgy tour promotors, obscene ticket prices and fears of being ripped off, etc:~
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/m...master_boa.html
Full Version: Springsteen Ticket Fiasco
QUOTE (Cheryl L. @ Apr 2 2009, 09:53 AM) 
....in light of our discussions over the past few months of dodgy tour promotors, obscene ticket prices and fears of being ripped off, etc:~
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/m...master_boa.html
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/m...master_boa.html
Don't know if I posted this already in my ramblings about DB ... if I didn't I meant to!
http://www.blender.com/David-Byrne-Denounc...yndicated-Yahoo
David Byrne Denounces Ticketmaster, Predicts Huge Lawsuit
Posted 3/2/2009 11:15:00 AM by Rob Tannenbaum
Add David Byrne to the list of rock stars who’ve spoken out against Ticketmaster.
Blender was at Byrne’s Radio City Music Hall concert on Saturday night when he announced, “I want to apologize to those of you who bought your tickets through TicketsNow. That’s a company that’s owned by Ticketmaster.”
Many in the crowd expressed their disgust at Ticketmaster, booing and shouting when Byrne mentioned the company, which has been nicknamed “TicketBastard” because of the substantial surcharges it adds above the stated costs of tickets.
Byrne then told the crowd about a class-action lawsuit filed in Canada against TicketsNow, which recently incensed Canadian fans for their handling of Leonard Cohen tickets, and against its parent company Ticketmaster. The lawsuit, he said, would be moving “south of the 49th parallel,” and he advised fans to hold on to their tickets or receipts so they would be able to join the lawsuit when it expands to the U.S.
The Canadian class-action suit is a clever piece of litigation: It charges Ticketmaster with violating Canada’s Ticket Speculation Act, which prohibits the sale of tickets for a price higher than the issued price. The law is effectively designed to prevent scalping, but class-action lawyers want it applied to TicketsNow, a scalping site Ticketmaster bought in 2008 for $265 million.
A lawyer for the class-action suit said it prompted an “overwhelming response.” Three days after filing the suit, the same law firm filed a separate, second charge against Ticketmaster, alleging illegal ticket surcharges. The plaintiff, an Edmonton, Alberta resident bought a ticket to see David Byrne via a Ticketmaster Web site. The ticket price was listed as $55.50 (in Canadian dollars) – but, in a story familiar to anyone who has patronized Ticketmaster, the plaintiff was charged a building fee, a convenience charge, and an order processing fee, raising the final cost to $71.75.
Combined, the two Canadian lawsuits seek $750 million in damages. If similar litigation is filed in the U.S., it could potentially seek billions of dollars in damages. (The Web site for the lawsuit is www.ticketmasterclassaction.com.)
Ticketmaster’s proposed merger with concert promotion behemoth Live Nation has prompted concern from the Justice Department and a Congressional inquiry. Although Ticketmaster chief Irving Azoff recently said the merger “can, should and will result in lower ticket prices in the primary market,” skeptics include members of Congress. Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia warned that “ticket prices will increase and consumers will be harmed by this merger.” And Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey called the merger "quite simply a bad deal for the American people,” adding, “Pretty soon, you won't be able to wash your hands at a concert without this company making a profit."
TicketsNow is a resale site, akin to eBay, that takes a commission each time people buy and sell tickets. In early February, Bruce Springsteen and manager Jon Landau condemned Ticketmaster after fans who visited the company’s Web site to buy tickets were redirected to TicketsNow, even though Ticketmaster still had a stock of seats at face value. Springsteen and Landau, Billboard reported, “also voiced outrage at the proposed merger between Ticketmaster and Live Nation, which they say would return concert ticketing ‘to a near monopoly.’”
Last month, in another gaffe that inflamed music fans, TicketsNow was selling Leonard Cohen concert tickets, at substantially higher prices, before they even went on official sale. CBC News reported, “Tickets with a face value of $99 to $250 were being sold on TicketsNow.com for between $568 to $856, plus a service of charge ranging from $85 to $128 per ticket.” And Live Nation’s ticketing system was unable to handle the first-day demand for an upcoming Phish reunion. Fans who logged on to buy tickets were often timed out while entering credit card information, and the company’s customer service phone lines didn’t work properly. For more insight into the debacle from angry fans, Google “Phish” + “Ticketmaster sucks.”
QUOTE (stuff & nonsense @ Apr 2 2009, 12:39 PM)
Don't know if I posted this already in my ramblings about DB ... if I didn't I meant to!
http://www.blender.com/David-Byrne-Denounc...yndicated-Yahoo
David Byrne Denounces Ticketmaster, Predicts Huge Lawsuit
Posted 3/2/2009 11:15:00 AM by Rob Tannenbaum
Add David Byrne to the list of rock stars who've spoken out against Ticketmaster.
Blender was at Byrne's Radio City Music Hall concert on Saturday night when he announced, "I want to apologize to those of you who bought your tickets through TicketsNow. That's a company that's owned by Ticketmaster."
Many in the crowd expressed their disgust at Ticketmaster, booing and shouting when Byrne mentioned the company, which has been nicknamed "TicketBastard" because of the substantial surcharges it adds above the stated costs of tickets.
Byrne then told the crowd about a class-action lawsuit filed in Canada against TicketsNow, which recently incensed Canadian fans for their handling of Leonard Cohen tickets, and against its parent company Ticketmaster. The lawsuit, he said, would be moving "south of the 49th parallel," and he advised fans to hold on to their tickets or receipts so they would be able to join the lawsuit when it expands to the U.S.
The Canadian class-action suit is a clever piece of litigation: It charges Ticketmaster with violating Canada's Ticket Speculation Act, which prohibits the sale of tickets for a price higher than the issued price. The law is effectively designed to prevent scalping, but class-action lawyers want it applied to TicketsNow, a scalping site Ticketmaster bought in 2008 for $265 million.
A lawyer for the class-action suit said it prompted an "overwhelming response." Three days after filing the suit, the same law firm filed a separate, second charge against Ticketmaster, alleging illegal ticket surcharges. The plaintiff, an Edmonton, Alberta resident bought a ticket to see David Byrne via a Ticketmaster Web site. The ticket price was listed as $55.50 (in Canadian dollars) – but, in a story familiar to anyone who has patronized Ticketmaster, the plaintiff was charged a building fee, a convenience charge, and an order processing fee, raising the final cost to $71.75.
Combined, the two Canadian lawsuits seek $750 million in damages. If similar litigation is filed in the U.S., it could potentially seek billions of dollars in damages. (The Web site for the lawsuit is www.ticketmasterclassaction.com.)
Ticketmaster's proposed merger with concert promotion behemoth Live Nation has prompted concern from the Justice Department and a Congressional inquiry. Although Ticketmaster chief Irving Azoff recently said the merger "can, should and will result in lower ticket prices in the primary market," skeptics include members of Congress. Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia warned that "ticket prices will increase and consumers will be harmed by this merger." And Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey called the merger "quite simply a bad deal for the American people," adding, "Pretty soon, you won't be able to wash your hands at a concert without this company making a profit."
TicketsNow is a resale site, akin to eBay, that takes a commission each time people buy and sell tickets. In early February, Bruce Springsteen and manager Jon Landau condemned Ticketmaster after fans who visited the company's Web site to buy tickets were redirected to TicketsNow, even though Ticketmaster still had a stock of seats at face value. Springsteen and Landau, Billboard reported, "also voiced outrage at the proposed merger between Ticketmaster and Live Nation, which they say would return concert ticketing 'to a near monopoly.'"
Last month, in another gaffe that inflamed music fans, TicketsNow was selling Leonard Cohen concert tickets, at substantially higher prices, before they even went on official sale. CBC News reported, "Tickets with a face value of $99 to $250 were being sold on TicketsNow.com for between $568 to $856, plus a service of charge ranging from $85 to $128 per ticket." And Live Nation's ticketing system was unable to handle the first-day demand for an upcoming Phish reunion. Fans who logged on to buy tickets were often timed out while entering credit card information, and the company's customer service phone lines didn't work properly. For more insight into the debacle from angry fans, Google "Phish" + "Ticketmaster sucks."
http://www.blender.com/David-Byrne-Denounc...yndicated-Yahoo
David Byrne Denounces Ticketmaster, Predicts Huge Lawsuit
Posted 3/2/2009 11:15:00 AM by Rob Tannenbaum
Add David Byrne to the list of rock stars who've spoken out against Ticketmaster.
Blender was at Byrne's Radio City Music Hall concert on Saturday night when he announced, "I want to apologize to those of you who bought your tickets through TicketsNow. That's a company that's owned by Ticketmaster."
Many in the crowd expressed their disgust at Ticketmaster, booing and shouting when Byrne mentioned the company, which has been nicknamed "TicketBastard" because of the substantial surcharges it adds above the stated costs of tickets.
Byrne then told the crowd about a class-action lawsuit filed in Canada against TicketsNow, which recently incensed Canadian fans for their handling of Leonard Cohen tickets, and against its parent company Ticketmaster. The lawsuit, he said, would be moving "south of the 49th parallel," and he advised fans to hold on to their tickets or receipts so they would be able to join the lawsuit when it expands to the U.S.
The Canadian class-action suit is a clever piece of litigation: It charges Ticketmaster with violating Canada's Ticket Speculation Act, which prohibits the sale of tickets for a price higher than the issued price. The law is effectively designed to prevent scalping, but class-action lawyers want it applied to TicketsNow, a scalping site Ticketmaster bought in 2008 for $265 million.
A lawyer for the class-action suit said it prompted an "overwhelming response." Three days after filing the suit, the same law firm filed a separate, second charge against Ticketmaster, alleging illegal ticket surcharges. The plaintiff, an Edmonton, Alberta resident bought a ticket to see David Byrne via a Ticketmaster Web site. The ticket price was listed as $55.50 (in Canadian dollars) – but, in a story familiar to anyone who has patronized Ticketmaster, the plaintiff was charged a building fee, a convenience charge, and an order processing fee, raising the final cost to $71.75.
Combined, the two Canadian lawsuits seek $750 million in damages. If similar litigation is filed in the U.S., it could potentially seek billions of dollars in damages. (The Web site for the lawsuit is www.ticketmasterclassaction.com.)
Ticketmaster's proposed merger with concert promotion behemoth Live Nation has prompted concern from the Justice Department and a Congressional inquiry. Although Ticketmaster chief Irving Azoff recently said the merger "can, should and will result in lower ticket prices in the primary market," skeptics include members of Congress. Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia warned that "ticket prices will increase and consumers will be harmed by this merger." And Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey called the merger "quite simply a bad deal for the American people," adding, "Pretty soon, you won't be able to wash your hands at a concert without this company making a profit."
TicketsNow is a resale site, akin to eBay, that takes a commission each time people buy and sell tickets. In early February, Bruce Springsteen and manager Jon Landau condemned Ticketmaster after fans who visited the company's Web site to buy tickets were redirected to TicketsNow, even though Ticketmaster still had a stock of seats at face value. Springsteen and Landau, Billboard reported, "also voiced outrage at the proposed merger between Ticketmaster and Live Nation, which they say would return concert ticketing 'to a near monopoly.'"
Last month, in another gaffe that inflamed music fans, TicketsNow was selling Leonard Cohen concert tickets, at substantially higher prices, before they even went on official sale. CBC News reported, "Tickets with a face value of $99 to $250 were being sold on TicketsNow.com for between $568 to $856, plus a service of charge ranging from $85 to $128 per ticket." And Live Nation's ticketing system was unable to handle the first-day demand for an upcoming Phish reunion. Fans who logged on to buy tickets were often timed out while entering credit card information, and the company's customer service phone lines didn't work properly. For more insight into the debacle from angry fans, Google "Phish" + "Ticketmaster sucks."
Hmmmmm...............and as for this bit,
QUOTE (stuff & nonsense @ Apr 2 2009, 12:39 PM)
"Tickets with a face value of $99 to $250 were being sold on TicketsNow.com for between $568 to $856, plus a service of charge ranging from $85 to $128 per ticket."
all I can say is:
!!
The TicketsNow fiasco is big news in Canada. Let's hope the class-action lawsuit extends to other countries. What a rip-off.
Cheryl -- exactly -- “Tickets with a face value of $99 to $250 were being sold on TicketsNow.com for between $568 to $856, plus a service of charge ranging from $85 to $128 per ticket.”
And to add insult to injury, that's the price for Leonard Cohen. I appreciate his songwriting skills but an entire concert of Leonard would probably put me to sleep.
Cheryl -- exactly -- “Tickets with a face value of $99 to $250 were being sold on TicketsNow.com for between $568 to $856, plus a service of charge ranging from $85 to $128 per ticket.”
And to add insult to injury, that's the price for Leonard Cohen. I appreciate his songwriting skills but an entire concert of Leonard would probably put me to sleep.
People should be very concerned with the Ticketmaster / Live Nation merger -- it amounts to a monopoly. And as everyone knows, even if you get on line as soon as tickets for a concert go on sale, or if you have the pre-sale code, you still can't get a ticket in the first few rows -- if you do manage to get tickets up front, it is way off to the side. That is because TicketsNow, other agencies, the promoter, friends of the venue, members of the venue, special friends and the radio stations/newspapers have first dibs on those close tickets. If you want a front seat to almost anything, you have to go through a secondary dealer and pay....It is a shame and shouldn't be allowed.
To add insult to injury, now venues are setting up chairs in front of the first row, so there are A, AA, AAA, B, BB, BBB and so forth....everyone is taking advantage of the innocent concert-goer who just wants to have a nice experience. Too bad!
To add insult to injury, now venues are setting up chairs in front of the first row, so there are A, AA, AAA, B, BB, BBB and so forth....everyone is taking advantage of the innocent concert-goer who just wants to have a nice experience. Too bad!
QUOTE (FifiKitty @ Apr 4 2009, 02:13 PM)
The TicketsNow fiasco is big news in Canada. Let's hope the class-action lawsuit extends to other countries. What a rip-off.
Cheryl -- exactly -- “Tickets with a face value of $99 to $250 were being sold on TicketsNow.com for between $568 to $856, plus a service of charge ranging from $85 to $128 per ticket.”
And to add insult to injury, that's the price for Leonard Cohen. I appreciate his songwriting skills but an entire concert of Leonard would probably put me to sleep.
Cheryl -- exactly -- “Tickets with a face value of $99 to $250 were being sold on TicketsNow.com for between $568 to $856, plus a service of charge ranging from $85 to $128 per ticket.”
And to add insult to injury, that's the price for Leonard Cohen. I appreciate his songwriting skills but an entire concert of Leonard would probably put me to sleep.
QUOTE (FifiKitty @ Apr 5 2009, 12:13 AM)
The TicketsNow fiasco is big news in Canada. Let's hope the class-action lawsuit extends to other countries. What a rip-off.
Cheryl -- exactly -- "Tickets with a face value of $99 to $250 were being sold on TicketsNow.com for between $568 to $856, plus a service of charge ranging from $85 to $128 per ticket."
And to add insult to injury, that's the price for Leonard Cohen. I appreciate his songwriting skills but an entire concert of Leonard would probably put me to sleep.
Cheryl -- exactly -- "Tickets with a face value of $99 to $250 were being sold on TicketsNow.com for between $568 to $856, plus a service of charge ranging from $85 to $128 per ticket."
And to add insult to injury, that's the price for Leonard Cohen. I appreciate his songwriting skills but an entire concert of Leonard would probably put me to sleep.
I can't say I'm a big fan of Leonard's either Fifi. I wasn't even all that familiar with what he actually did until he came down here and got a lot of publicity. Still can't say that I know what it is he does exactly (singer...songwriter...poet or all three??
) but, he got rave reviews in the press.QUOTE (My Diamonds @ Apr 6 2009, 01:25 PM)
People should be very concerned with the Ticketmaster / Live Nation merger -- it amounts to a monopoly. And as everyone knows, even if you get on line as soon as tickets for a concert go on sale, or if you have the pre-sale code, you still can't get a ticket in the first few rows -- if you do manage to get tickets up front, it is way off to the side. That is because TicketsNow, other agencies, the promoter, friends of the venue, members of the venue, special friends and the radio stations/newspapers have first dibs on those close tickets. If you want a front seat to almost anything, you have to go through a secondary dealer and pay....It is a shame and shouldn't be allowed.
To add insult to injury, now venues are setting up chairs in front of the first row, so there are A, AA, AAA, B, BB, BBB and so forth....everyone is taking advantage of the innocent concert-goer who just wants to have a nice experience. Too bad!
To add insult to injury, now venues are setting up chairs in front of the first row, so there are A, AA, AAA, B, BB, BBB and so forth....everyone is taking advantage of the innocent concert-goer who just wants to have a nice experience. Too bad!
Jeeze, that sucks.
I'd be 'accidentally' swinging my handbag around in the air, clocking them over their heads with it and then saying, "OH, I AM sorry! I didn't realise you there! I thought *I* was supposed to be sitting in the front row!"
Here, in New Jersey, they are now trying to push a bill that ticket brokers can't buy any tickets till two days after they go on sale. I think that would be great, but I don't see how they are going to enforce it. I was one of the people who got shut out of that Springsteen show...very bummed!
I have to tell my one & only experience with a ticket broker. I ordered tickets for a Rolling Stones show that was sold out thru a ticket broker. I got two rather crappy seats for $150.00 way back in the early 90's (cheap by todays prices). They were doing 3 shows at a big stadium and there was no way I could miss The Stones(I've been a big fan since I was 13). I had to have them Fed Ex the tickets to my office in New York City because laws wouldn't let them deliver them to New Jersey...whatever. So the nights of the show me and my husband hand in our tickets to go in...and they were for the night before. It was really stupid of me not to look at the tickets but I had ordered for a specific night. After the show started I was able to buy even worse seats for about $40.00 from some guy walking around. I learned my lesson...never buy from ticket brokers and have never lived it down! As my husband puts it, another one of my blond moments. hee!
I have to tell my one & only experience with a ticket broker. I ordered tickets for a Rolling Stones show that was sold out thru a ticket broker. I got two rather crappy seats for $150.00 way back in the early 90's (cheap by todays prices). They were doing 3 shows at a big stadium and there was no way I could miss The Stones(I've been a big fan since I was 13). I had to have them Fed Ex the tickets to my office in New York City because laws wouldn't let them deliver them to New Jersey...whatever. So the nights of the show me and my husband hand in our tickets to go in...and they were for the night before. It was really stupid of me not to look at the tickets but I had ordered for a specific night. After the show started I was able to buy even worse seats for about $40.00 from some guy walking around. I learned my lesson...never buy from ticket brokers and have never lived it down! As my husband puts it, another one of my blond moments. hee!
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