TicketMaster experiences

We recently purchased theater tickets for seven seats, some $1,000+ through Ticketmaster in December for a February show. For one to print your tickets or send to the other 5 people it was a nightmare. Ticketmaster would only allow some ticket activities not before 72 hours before the show. Often they said when attempting to print on line their “My account” was busy several times, try later. We sent 10 emails over the last few weeks with not one answer. Phone nos you find only through Google stated Tickermaster only work on line. We gave up on Ticketmaster and will never use them again. We finally contacted the theater directly, The Regent, and they were very helpful. They also realize how much trouble Ticketmaster is for many/most of their customers around tickets.

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That had to be seriously frustrating and glad the Regent was able to be helpful.

Ticketmaster is often a monopoly for ticketing for many entertainment venues or specific shows.

They will probably continue to use Ticketmaster rather than one of the competitors since they look at ticketing as a business issue not a customer service issue at the end of the day.

As the use of ticketing platforms becomes more common I always try to make a direct booking when possible to avoid the sometimes ridiculous service charges the platforms often add. In prior years I was never knocked back but this year I was directed to an event’s online booking service that added a $20 service fee. I suspect the contract was tightened up to disallow them taking direct bookings thus diluting the platform’s take.

There are ever more outstretched hands taking a cut in ever more parts of the payment world.

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Did you think about using e-tickets rather then trying to print them out. Information on e-tickets and how to get them is here…

It requires logging into your account, which you are having problems doing… but may be a an alternative to consider.

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I have never had an issue with accessing tickets from Ticketmaster.

Usually there are up to 3 delivery options:

  1. Hard ticket posted
  2. Printable tickets (which I’ve received via email on
    completion of purchase)
  3. Ticket delivery via SMS (again immediately after
    purchase)

Were you actually purchasing from Ticketmaster?

I tried to use my long dormant Ticketmaster account and only got technical errors, try later. Same with asking for a password reset. Sending a query to their support they concluded for some reason it had to be fraud. Needing the tickets and not wishing to mess or be messed round for days, I made a new account with a different email and got the tickets.

The only option was a ‘mobile ticket’. Never having used one before it was confronting to work through. It warned screen shots would not get one into the venue, nor would a copy of the emailed confirmation of the purchase. Curiously no SMS was involved for the ‘mobile ticket’ so the Ticketmaster App became necessary, although a web browser might have sufficed to ‘expose’ the tickets in a clumsy manner.

Accessing the Ticketmaster account via the app had a link to the mobile ticket that featured an animated bar code. I can imagine many not so tech savvy individuals and especially seniors could struggle working it out.

To Ticketmaster’s credit one could put the tickets into Wallet (assuming one has one, thanks Google?) via the app in case ‘technology failed or was slow’ on the day.

Good news bad news, or just good news? Technology has taken another step to marginalise and even exclude those not ‘with it’.

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Their Australian ‘support’ is online only and apparently just forwards forms to the US ‘desk’. I got an email ‘urgently’ asking me to ring their US toll free number despite clearly stating I am in Australia! How good is that?

Since I have a no-cost calling option I figured why not. After 10 minutes of being an ‘important call’ waiting for the next agent their VMS indicated I should leave a message and then unceremoniously hung up.

The online world Ticketmaster aspires to can only be described as BOHICA. They seem a clown show to be polite.

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A bit rude if one clicks through, but nonetheless seems right on.

He rejected claims that the company’s sole responsibility was to enable the sale of tickets. “No, that’s a common misconception. It’s collecting fees”.

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Ticketmaster is to be avoided but that is not always possible. The performers usually have no say over the ticketing arrangements. The venues do. it must be lucrative for them.

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