Easy, easy premise here: I want two tickets for Blue Man Group next week. I figure I’ll get them online, and save some time. The only game in town is, of course, TicketMaster.
So I go to check on ticket availability and it’s just fine. I have the option of getting them via US Mail for no delivery charge, and the TicketMaster fee is $5.50. Acceptable. I’m not ready to order yet, though, so I hold off.
Two days later, I want to recheck availability. Now, US Mail isn’t an option – the cheapest method is UPS Ground, which’ll cost me $12.00. That’s on top of the $5.50 service charge per ticket, and each ticket is $49. This is okay, but not as great. I figure I’ll eat it and buy the tix the next day. So, I logged on to the site yesterday. Same tickets still available, which is great. But now, the cheapest shipping option is 2-Day UPS, which costs $18. Totally unacceptable.
I still wanted the tickets. What did I do? I stopped by a Dominick’s on the way home and got both tickets for $110. I would’ve paid another $17 for the luxury of having it delivered to my door. Is it worth it? I didn’t think so. Cutting down shipping options on the fly was probably done to cover their butts in case the delivery didn’t make it, but what TM should really do is adopt the same model Ryan talked about yesterday: I buy the tix online, I go to a local TM outlet to actually get them. -pm
Posted in Consumer Commentary
Let's Go Postal at Ticketmaster September 24, 2006, 10:08 pm
So, it’s 6 years since this ping was started and TM are still around screwing people? Guess they are a monopoly, just like Microsucks. It’s certainly a f***ing brilliant business model and people are rubbing their hands all the way to the bank.
I ordered Rolling Stones tickets for the first time via TM, and tried to get good seats. So, I do what you would think would be fine on the web – opened multiple browser windows (in fact, two in total)… bzzzzt, thanks for playing; it only keeps the last window’s opened values… so my tickets, while not shit, weren’t as good as an earlier window I’d opened…. worse – the SEATINGS WERE NOT SHOWN in the review screen before pressing “Purchase” (so even though I went back to my “good” seats window to click “purchase”, MY SEATS WERE FROM THE OTHER, SHITTIER WINDOW.
WHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD CAN YOU GET SCAMMED BY NOT RECEIVING WHAT YOU PURCHASED AND NOT HAVE A PLACE TO OBTAIN A $0 COST REFUND?
I wrote a letter of complaint to TM (yes, I actually found the cheese thru the maze). That was 4 weeks ago. I’ve not heard anything. I basically said that they should forewarn people that multi-windows is a no-no, without having to read the War and Peace help files. I also said that the review screen should contain the ticket seating assignments, which weren’t shown until the receipt came up.
Oh and I love the “Give us your email address” sh*t. First spam I got, I wrote to them to remove me from their list, as I’d told them I’d already said to remove me from their list (this was in the letter of complaint). The next one gets marked as SPAM. The one after that I’ll be complaining to the appropriate government department about nuisance emails. In fact, I might complain about the misleading screens anyway. Consumer affairs might help here. Doubt I’ll get anywhere (what’s worse, a monopoly or a Government department?)
Lastly, guess how much the service charge was. $17.50. PER TICKET (I bought 4.) Not bad f***ing money if you can get it.
These guys suck and they are f***ing us all. The only thing to do is to boycott the concerts. The only way these scumbags will listen is when their business dries up. Sure, it hurts the bands, but they too could do with a swift kick up the a** as well if they allow their fans to go thru this sh*t.
Anon November 27, 2007, 4:45 pm
Ticketmaster’s Customer service sucks too!
I Ordered a Voucher at the beginning of September and it has never been dispatched (here we are in Novemeber and I have jut got a resolution).
They closed two complait “threads” as they had delt with the situation (well, they had replied to the e-mail saying they would deal with it but nothing else happened)….
Here is a copy of the Third Thread:
Discussion Thread
—————————————————————
Response (Ben Mulvey) – 19/11/2007 12:23 PM Dear ######
Thank you for your email
I can confirm that all monies have now been refunded to your account
Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused
Customer (###### ######) – 07/11/2007 09:20 PM Hi,
Just letting you know that I still have not had a reply yet….
I am off on two weeks holiday from Sunday, but I don’t expect to hear from you by my return, so I will remind you again then….
Regards,
###### ######
Customer (###### ######) – 02/11/2007 09:07 PM Hello….
Obviously have to repeat things several times…
No-one has sorted this at all. Still no voucher….
As I said, I’ve had enough now. Please refund the money back onto my card and I’ll just give them cash.
Please tell me when this has been done.
Order placed 11th September. Not resolved 2nd November
Regards,
###### ######
Customer (###### ######) – 31/10/2007 02:14 PM Hi,
Further to the incident update…
Nope, no-one has resolved the matter at all. Have had no contact since 18th October.
I’ve had enough now. Please refund the money back onto my card and I’ll just give them cash.
Please tell me when this has been done.
Order placed 11th September. Not resolved 31st October.
Regards,
###### ######
Response (Kerry) – 30/10/2007 04:51 PM
Dear ######
Thank you for your email.
I have had a look at your booking and I can see that a member of our Customer Services department has resolved the matter.
If you require any more assistance then feel free to contact me and I will be happy to assist.
Customer (###### ######) – 23/10/2007 08:32 PM Hi,
Yes, please “re-issue” the card.
I am not sure that the card has ever been “issued”, as the status is “Your order is being prepared for dispatch” not “your order has been dispatched”…
That aside, it would be great to receive it. Please send ASAP.
Regards,
Customer (###### ######) – 18/10/2007 03:37 PM Hi,
That would be great.
Cheers,
######
Response (Kerry) – 18/10/2007 03:29 PM
Dear ######
Thank you for your email.
As the Gift Card has not arrived with you it leads me to believe that it has been lost in transit.
In that case we can cancel the gift card and refund you and then book the gift card again.
We do need to have authorisation from you to do this.
So therefore if you are quite happy for this to be done then please let us know and we can do this for you.
Customer (###### ######) – 18/10/2007 10:32 AM Hi, quick look at your site… only one transaction on this account… order date 6th SEPTEMBER 2007 order number ############
Order Date Order # Event Name Event Date TicketExchange
06/09/07 ############ Gift Card 05/10/07 Not Eligible
STATUS:
Your order is being prepared for dispatch.
If you have not received your tickets within 7-10 days of the event please contact us.
Response (Kerry) – 18/10/2007 10:17 AM
Dear ######
Thank you for your email.
I apologise that I cannot give you a correct reply to your question, as I cannot locate a booking under your name or any other details given.
To help me locate your booking please could you check who debited your card to make sure that you booked through Ticketmaster.
If you have your Ticketmaster Confirmation Number please send this. If you cannot locate this we can search for your booking under your credit card number.
Question Reference No071017-000378
—————————————————————
Escalation Level: 24 Hours Overdue
Topic Level 1: Ticket Dispatch
Topic Level 2: Ticket Dispatch Status
Date Created: 17/10/2007 06:30 PM
Last Updated: 19/11/2007 12:23 PM
Status: Answered
First Name: ######
Surname: ######
Billing Address 1: #############
Billing Address 2: #############
Billing Post Code: #############
Daytime Phone Number: #############
Mobile Number: #############
Last Four:
Event Name: £100 VOUCHER ! ! !
Event Venue: £100 VOUCHER ! ! !
Event Date: 01/09/2007
Ticket Type:
Change of Address?: No
Manager Notified: No
Smart Sense Alert: No
Booking Reference
—————————————————————
[—001:004349:14463—]
Kind Regards
Ben ########
Customer Services Advisor
bernard buherland June 26, 2008, 11:16 pm
u have a refund whats the problem?