Scam re: buying tickets at Hollywood Bowl for November 11th

[Anonymous]

Without question - there was something more than fishy about attempting to purchase tickets for the Hollywood Bowl show on 11/11/17. No less than 50 times did I have tickets in my cart to purchase, hit purchase, and got a message from Ticketmaster. These 'error' messages ranged from: 'sorry some other fan beat you to the tickets' to 'it's not you, it is us, try again' to alphanumeric error codes. I attempted to purchase tickets on three different computers, the mobile app, using three different credit cards...to no avail.

However, when I went to purchase Charity tickets, there was no such issue. When my friend (who experienced the same problems as I) went to purchase Platinum tickets, there was no such issue. The issues only occurred for the general public pre-sale and the album bundle using code LowInHighSchool.

Evidence exists for this claim on social media including Twitter and Facebook. I don't know if Morrissey is cash-strapped or what but something was very amiss about this process. I have been to 30 shows and never experienced anything like this on Ticketmaster. While you may take some heat for posting this - it is all true. My concern going forward is that we have information that more concerts are on the way and I believe the fans need to be aware of this issue going forward.

If it is technical issue, it can be resolved. If there is something more unsavory at work...it needs to be made known to the public.

Thanks.

 

[Kenmare]

Without question - there was something more than fishy about attempting to purchase tickets for the Hollywood Bowl show on 11/11/17. No less than 50 times did I have tickets in my cart to purchase, hit purchase, and got a message from Ticketmaster. These 'error' messages ranged from: 'sorry some other fan beat you to the tickets' to 'it's not you, it is us, try again' to alphanumeric error codes. I attempted to purchase tickets on three different computers, the mobile app, using three different credit cards...to no avail.

However, when I went to purchase Charity tickets, there was no such issue. When my friend (who experienced the same problems as I) went to purchase Platinum tickets, there was no such issue. The issues only occurred for the general public pre-sale and the album bundle using code LowInHighSchool.

Evidence exists for this claim on social media including Twitter and Facebook. I don't know if Morrissey is cash-strapped or what but something was very amiss about this process. I have been to 30 shows and never experienced anything like this on Ticketmaster. While you may take some heat for posting this - it is all true. My concern going forward is that we have information that more concerts are on the way and I believe the fans need to be aware of this issue going forward.

If it is technical issue, it can be resolved. If there is something more unsavory at work...it needs to be made known to the public.

Thanks.

That is troubling. Have you contacted Ticketmaster customer service? What did they say? FWIW, I have run into the identical problem while trying to purchase tickets for an entirely different venue/ artist for my brother in law (the band Yes).

The issue is Ticketmaster, not the artist. Note a similar issues posted on the consumeraffairs.com website regarding an event (non-Moz) and a buyer from TX.

Brad of Dallas, TX on July 11, 2017
Satisfaction Rating

Let me preface my review by saying that the rep I spoke with on the phone was a total pro. She was nice, helpful, and really tolerant of the fact that I was extremely dissatisfied. So, Kudos to her for her patience and professionalism in the face of this despicable system. The product however - is a scam. Now, as to Ticketmaster and Platinum Tickets: Though they are not allowed to sell tickets for these venues above the face value - somehow they have a magical supply of these 'platinum tickets' from a 'third party' available just days after all the good seats were sold out. So, somehow Ticketmaster has exclusive access to tickets that have never been sold before - and they are able to charge 2-10 times the retail price because supposedly these tickets are recently made available by the artist or event promoter.

I spent 3 hours on the phone with TM today (1.5 of which was on hold), and no one was able to tell me who the promoter was, who made these 'platinum tickets' available for sale, or exactly where the tickets came from. And, to top it off, one hour after I paid WAY too much for some of these rare and fancy 'platinum tickets' 20 more of these tickets became available for sale at a lower price. All front row, all equal distance from the stage, and now all cheaper than the ones I just bought. What just happened? Though I was able to come to a reasonable resolution - bear in mind that the official Ticketmaster policy for Platinum Tickets is: No Refunds. No Exchanges. No Cancellation Protection. No Transparency. No Kidding.

Somehow, Ticketmaster has turned their website into a resale portal and they are offering 'deals' on brand new tickets available from anonymous entities at an exorbitant rate. They long ago decided to join the "it's just business" folks who try to excuse their total lack of morals, decency, or social responsibility. So, the next time your favorite artist tries to offer their fans tickets for a fair and negotiated price, and on hour one of the public sale you can't buy tickets because they are all gone, please feel comforted by the fact that Ticketmaster does not care about music, fans, or people because, "it's just business".

And should you ever try to contact one of these platinum representatives, and the phone line is not giving you the busy signal, be prepared to wait a lonnnnng time. Ticketmaster only has about 4-5 phone reps in the office at any given time - and these 4-5 reps have the responsibility of handling all of the Platinum Ticket phone calls for the entirety of USA, Canada, and also parts of Europe. 4-5 phone reps to handle millions of customers?!? It's just business.

 

[g23]

That is troubling. Have you contacted Ticketmaster customer service? What did they say? FWIW, I have run into the identical problem while trying to purchase tickets for an entirely different venue/ artist for my brother in law (the band Yes).

The issue is Ticketmaster, not the artist. Note a similar issues posted on the consumeraffairs.com website regarding an event (non-Moz) and a buyer from TX.

Brad of Dallas, TX on July 11, 2017
Satisfaction Rating

Let me preface my review by saying that the rep I spoke with on the phone was a total pro. She was nice, helpful, and really tolerant of the fact that I was extremely dissatisfied. So, Kudos to her for her patience and professionalism in the face of this despicable system. The product however - is a scam. Now, as to Ticketmaster and Platinum Tickets: Though they are not allowed to sell tickets for these venues above the face value - somehow they have a magical supply of these 'platinum tickets' from a 'third party' available just days after all the good seats were sold out. So, somehow Ticketmaster has exclusive access to tickets that have never been sold before - and they are able to charge 2-10 times the retail price because supposedly these tickets are recently made available by the artist or event promoter.

I spent 3 hours on the phone with TM today (1.5 of which was on hold), and no one was able to tell me who the promoter was, who made these 'platinum tickets' available for sale, or exactly where the tickets came from. And, to top it off, one hour after I paid WAY too much for some of these rare and fancy 'platinum tickets' 20 more of these tickets became available for sale at a lower price. All front row, all equal distance from the stage, and now all cheaper than the ones I just bought. What just happened? Though I was able to come to a reasonable resolution - bear in mind that the official Ticketmaster policy for Platinum Tickets is: No Refunds. No Exchanges. No Cancellation Protection. No Transparency. No Kidding.

Somehow, Ticketmaster has turned their website into a resale portal and they are offering 'deals' on brand new tickets available from anonymous entities at an exorbitant rate. They long ago decided to join the "it's just business" folks who try to excuse their total lack of morals, decency, or social responsibility. So, the next time your favorite artist tries to offer their fans tickets for a fair and negotiated price, and on hour one of the public sale you can't buy tickets because they are all gone, please feel comforted by the fact that Ticketmaster does not care about music, fans, or people because, "it's just business".

And should you ever try to contact one of these platinum representatives, and the phone line is not giving you the busy signal, be prepared to wait a lonnnnng time. Ticketmaster only has about 4-5 phone reps in the office at any given time - and these 4-5 reps have the responsibility of handling all of the Platinum Ticket phone calls for the entirety of USA, Canada, and also parts of Europe. 4-5 phone reps to handle millions of customers?!? It's just business.

Ticketmaster is, and always has been a scam. From overly high "service" or "convenience" charges back in the day, to this.
Sadly, when you have places like the f***ing STUBHUB ARENA- not to mention blatant f***ery like you've described above, it becomes more than obvious that the scalpers and Ticketmaster are no longer separate entities. They simply realized they could charge what they felt, completely regardless of the act, and sure, maybe they will have to lower prices in the days just prior to the event, but they will still make more than they would have to begin with.

There are easy solutions to the resale nonsense, but when there is so much shady profit involved, I don't expect the practice to change any time soon.

 

[bandrus1]

odds are scalpers had programs used to block people while they gobbled up regular priced tix and they didnt bother with the platinum charity tix

 

[Anonymous]

I guess he didn't want to look at the poor , next go around we'll have to type in our weight. We all know how he feels about weight.

 

[countthree]

It's not just a single scam. It's true piracy. It's the way these companies make businesses around the world. I had the same experience with a similar company which operates in my country when Morrissey came to Argentina in 2015 (ticketek.com.ar, curiously based in Australia, it's a virtual monopoly in my country). He gave two concerts here and I knew I couldn't assist to the second one for personal reasons.

Tickets for the first concert at Teatro Opera were sold during the presale very quickly. The original price of the ones I liked was near U$S 100, but some days after the sold out announcement they were resold at 200 or more. I didn't care because it's once in a while Morrissey comes here, so I made the purchase but never could pay for them. Error. More than three or four times. It seems there's an algorythm or something that blocks the unfinished purchases when there's high demand. In any other kind of website when the purchase is in your cart the deal is done. Not here, tickets in your cart only show your interest and that opens the door to more speculation. Conclusion: lot of tickets were sold a few days before the concert more than three times the face value in other websites possibly related to Ticketek with a curiously similar operability. I posted something about resellers speculation in this site at the time of these events.

People don't care about paying more money for assisting to a concert given by a band that travelled half of the globe to offer a show in your hometown, especially when you know you live in a place where royalties seldom reach the pockets of the musicians. They are scammed too. I had to travel to Uruguay, a neighbor country, to attend to a Morrissey concert, where I could secure the tickets in a quite normal way and enjoy the show in a nice venue.

Where I live presales help speculation. High demand tickets at lower-than-demand prices help speculation because true fans seldom can access to them. Lower prices don't help to avoid gaps in venues, on the contrary, when the price is lower speculators buy more tickets since they risk less money and they really don't care about retaining some unsold tickets when they can sell a good amount at higher prices. This is not good neither for the artists nor for the public and it's very likely producers have something to do with it, because resales don't pay taxes and they can refund unsold tickets. I know it's old news in business show and it happens around the globe. But it's totally unfair and a weird noise in the relationship between an artist and the public. Anyway, that is the way the world is made and you help this game when you play it in their own terms.

 

[Anonymous]

Depeche Mode and Tom Petty tickets both have platinum tickets at insane prices at HB. How is the average fan supposed to get a nice seat?

 

[bandrus1]

I attribute it to decrease in music sales due to the internet... this is how artists make money

 

[Kenmare]

Depeche Mode and Tom Petty tickets both have platinum tickets at insane prices at HB. How is the average fan supposed to get a nice seat?

Agreed.

And, presales are often given (depending on the venue and other factors) exclusively to holders of certain credit cards...American Express cards, for example.

I'm no kid (mid forties)...but I remember a time when there were a good number of ticket outlets everywhere, usually in record/music stores, where you could queue up and easily buy tickets with cash or plastic, no extra fees tacked on and you'd have the bloody things in hand. Typically these would be in downtown stores--we've all gotten these lovely plain tickets. I remember literally running to buy tickets to shows during my lunch break at college.

I think it was g23 who said, make 'em all pick them up at Will Call. (If Im wrong, apologies). This is a great idea. Eliminates the scalpers, eliminates the crap that comes with electronic ticketing. But will it happen? Nah. We're all too sophisticated for that, now...it's gone the way of bank clerks and paper routes.

 

[bandrus1]

can you imagine waiting in line at will call at MSG to get in another line to get in

 

[W.C.]

He could have a legitimate website pre-0rder.

If he is too big for a website pre-order they have things for that.

He chooses to decide to play a place and let capitalism take over.

I do not believe Moz cares what happens as long as he gets paid for performing.

If a fan gets ruffled or something else he can get publicity for he'll jump all over it.

But it seems the Moz of the last (is it) decade now is about getting paid and getting out of town.

Moz could do something where real fans get tickets. He Never Has.

Been following him since 1987. HE NEVER HAS.

 

[Uncleskinny]

He could have a legitimate website pre-0rder.

If he is too big for a website pre-order they have things for that.

He chooses to decide to play a place and let capitalism take over.

I do not believe Moz cares what happens as long as he gets paid for performing.

If a fan gets ruffled or something else he can get publicity for he'll jump all over it.

But it seems the Moz of the last (is it) decade now is about getting paid and getting out of town.

Moz could do something where real fans get tickets. He Never Has.

Been following him since 1987. HE NEVER HAS.

For the millionth time, it is and always has been about the money. NOTHING ELSE.

 

[Quando quando quando]

For the millionth time, it is and always has been about the money. NOTHING ELSE.

But if it was he could have easily reform The Smiths (including Mike Joyce) many years ago and accept the million dollars that supposedly were offered and cry about it all the the way to the bank. I wouldn't mind.
He is crying now too so what difference would it make?
So it can't be ALL about the money.
What am I missing?

 

[bandrus1]

Maybe the sales and prices are reaffirming to him... he is vindictive, maybe it's a fock you to labels for holding off

 

[countthree]

I can't see how Morrissey alone could avoid these problems. This happens everywhere with all kind of artists, sport matchs, theatre, etc. It's the way the business is made.

 

[sweetness522]

Unfortunately it can't be stopped even by artists trying to stop it: note the recent sale for Bruce Springsteen on Broadway.
Bruce tries to get tickets into the hands of fans but they still ended up on Stub Hub for thousands. I suppose Ticketmaster isn't the way to go for getting that done.
Although doing will call could work for Springsteen as the venue is only 928 capacity. Could make people pick up their tickets in groups on the hour. I dunno just thinking of things.

 

[Anonymous]

Ticketmaster is basically a monopoly after they bought ticktron and became even more unstoppable when merged with promoter live nation not long ago. Remember the whole Pearl Jam vs Ticketmaster fight. Unless your playing small clubs it's hard to book into places that don't have deals and association with Ticketmaster

 

[g23]

But if it was he could have easily reform The Smiths (including Mike Joyce) many years ago and accept the million dollars that supposedly were offered and cry about it all the the way to the bank. I wouldn't mind.
He is crying now too so what difference would it make?
So it can't be ALL about the money.
What am I missing?

I think he would rather shoot himself in the face than benefit anyone he's cut out of his life. Spite seems to figure big in the guy's business choices.

 

[g23]

Unfortunately it can't be stopped even by artists trying to stop it: note the recent sale for Bruce Springsteen on Broadway.
Bruce tries to get tickets into the hands of fans but they still ended up on Stub Hub for thousands. I suppose Ticketmaster isn't the way to go for getting that done.
Although doing will call could work for Springsteen as the venue is only 928 capacity. Could make people pick up their tickets in groups on the hour. I dunno just thinking of things.

Easy stuff. Will call only, or print at home only, with the name of the purchaser printed on the entire order. If they aren't there to provide identification, then the tickets are useless paper. Yes, it would suck for the few people who get sick, or can't make it for some reason, but if they took a couple of really simple steps, this could be stopped overnight.

BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO.

 

[Anonymous]

Easy stuff. Will call only, or print at home only, with the name of the purchaser printed on the entire order. If they aren't there to provide identification, then the tickets are useless paper. Yes, it would suck for the few people who get sick, or can't make it for some reason, but if they took a couple of really simple steps, this could be stopped overnight.

BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO.

Why would Ticketmaster wanna make less money though. It's not really up to morrissey. If he tried to make large demands of arenas/venues promoters and Ticketmaster where ticketmaster already has deals then they just book another artist. It's next to impossible to find venues not affiliated