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Springsteen Fans Face Another Ticket Snafu in Washington, DC

5/14/09, 10:41 am EST

Photo: Hill/FilmMagic

Ticketmaster continues to find new ways to anger Bruce Springsteen fans: Washington, DC radio station WTOP reports that TicketsNow, the secondary-ticket service of Ticketmaster, accidentally oversold its allotment of premium tickets for Springsteen’s show at the capital city’s Verizon Center next week. Representatives from the company have been calling 300 buyers to tell them that they won’t be receiving those tickets that they purchased for two to three times over regular price. (Note: WTOP’s initial report contained erroneous information, putting the number of affected purchasers in the thousands and misrepresenting TicketsNow’s efforts to make amends.) TicketsNow is offering to help affected Bruce fans, and issued a statement, which is available after the jump.

Springsteen devotees have experienced several ticket snafus in the past year. Ticketmaster first endeared themselves into the hearts of Bruce fans back in early February when a “credit card glitch” mistakenly routed fans from TicketMaster to the more expensive TicketsNow even though regular-priced tix were still available for the shows. Not only were fans outraged, Springsteen himself was “furious” with the service, demanding a full apology and telling fans to rally against the Live Nation/Ticketmaster merger.

The Springsteen ticket scandal also forced the New Jersey Attorney General to get involved. In addition, New York Senator Chuck Schumer proposed a two-day waiting period between when tickets go on sale to the public and when resellers can sell them through secondary-ticket sites so that the future confusion involving TicketsNow wouldn’t happen.

Full TicketsNow Statement:

TicketsNow is an online marketplace that brings live event ticket buyers and sellers together. And while there are thousands of individuals selling their tickets on our site, TicketsNow stands behind every transaction with a 100% guarantee. If for any reason the seller cannot provide the ticket, we actually step in and provide a comparable ticket or a full refund.

In rare cases where a customer encounters a problem — such as when sellers cannot deliver tickets sold to the upcoming Bruce Springsteen concert in Washington — TicketsNow honors our guarantee by intervening on behalf of the customer to make the situation right.

In the case of the May 18th Springsteen concert, only 5 open orders remain from the just over 300 orders that were affected. In all of these cases, we consulted directly with the customer and offered them several options including better seats to an earlier Bruce Springsteen concert of their choice plus reimbursement of up to $150 for a one-night hotel stay and a $75 gas credit; or a 100% refund plus a TicketsNow gift card of equal value.

These steps are how we make good on our guarantee, and our responsibility in matters such as these is the foundation of our commitment to consumers.

Related Stories:

New York Senator Introduces Ticket Legislation After Botched Springsteen Onsale
Ticketmaster Reaches Settlement With NJ Attorney General After Springsteen Ticketing Fiasco
Bruce Springsteen “Furious” At Ticketmaster, Rails Against Live Nation Merger


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Comments

MisterHate | 5/14/2009, 12:21 pm EST

Nothing has changed. I had the NJ snafu of “website error” when I tried to buy DMB tickets for Pittsburgh.

From Exit 8, NJ TPK | 5/14/2009, 12:39 pm EST

Dear Bruce,

Please retire.
Once you were a legend. Now you are just a mediocre songwriter and guitarist, and a sub-mediocre singer who does business with Wal-Mart and lies about it.

Swine Dude | 5/14/2009, 1:39 pm EST

Whoa, whoa, whoa!
I go down the Jersey Shore in my Chevy
My best girl by my side.
The wind blowing through my hair.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Aaahhhh shaat up!

Greywolf | 5/14/2009, 2:29 pm EST

Being a victim of both the glitch and the “we’re sorry to inform you”-call, I was surprised to read here and in the Washington Post that they were offering compensation. The only generous offer I received was that they would be happy to return my money.

SC | 5/14/2009, 2:30 pm EST

Wait – I couldn’t get nosebleed seats because it was sold out. How can they offer free tix to customers? Is the show not actually sold out? I’m confused.

plax17 | 5/14/2009, 10:07 pm EST

ticketmaster needs to go if they can’t handle their business right. ITs only a matter of time where bands only sell tix on their sites.

Shay1482 | 5/15/2009, 8:06 am EST

I have seen Springsteen at least 6 times spanning from the 80’s until last week at Penn State. He is still one of the best at composing and performing. I refused to purchase tickets from Ticketsnow when I was redirected there within minutes of the tickets going on sale at Verizon and Charlottesville. I called into Penn State and secured 4 tickets there, free from the ” ticketmaster ” drama. I remember Bruce doing 5 shows at the Cap center in DC to avoid scalpers.. and all 5 would sell out. He should be able to go on tour without all this drama, and the fans should be able to splurge without being REAMED…..this is still America…..

Shay1482 | 5/15/2009, 8:20 am EST

An addendum… my house is gone, Im in bankruptcy… but as I sat in the audience of Penn State listening to ” Jungle land ” and watching Clarence wail on his sax decked out with gold nail polish, tears came to my eyes.. and I knew then… it would all be ok… Im still a nurse, I still have a job, predatory lenders be yanno what…. Bruce is in the HOUSE…. my kids have both had a chance to experience the BOSS live…. as I did the first time at age 18 on his ” river ” tour… it’ll change their lives for the better. Thanks Bruce…. ticketmaster should be VERY ashamed.

Mike | 5/15/2009, 8:58 am EST

is WTOP reporting “really” wrong? Does anyone think that those 300 buyers each bought one ticket? reaaally? I usually buy 2-4 tickets. That’s just me.

Greedsucks | 5/15/2009, 9:26 am EST

I hope everyone knows, when you go to ticketsnow , its not fans or scalpers selling the tickets, its the band. They take % of the best seats in the house before its on sale, and put them on the auction site because they figure they are gonna end up there anyway so shouldn’t the band get the money instead of scalpers.

From Exit 8, NJ TPK | 5/15/2009, 9:53 am EST

What the heck is WTOP?

English please, people!

Fan | 5/16/2009, 11:57 am EST

A couple things really amaze me about this whole situation.Okay Ticketmaster may have been responsible for redirecting people to Ticketsnow but come on people you need to also take respopnsibility for your actions as well. I was also redirected but when I saw the ticket prices I knew something was wrong so I did not complete the purchase. I am trying to understand why people chose to buy and pay for the extra cost then complain about it. Ticketmaster nor Ticketsnow forced you to buy the seats. Another thing is people like to complain about scalpers but they continue to support them by purchasing their tickets. As long as consumers keep purchasing from these scapers they will stayin business!!

Aimee Stern | 5/17/2009, 12:29 am EST

We got an email from a company called Crown Jewel Productions offering a 10% discount on pretzels from the Verizon Center and telling us NOT TO USE OUR TICKETS. Was it spam – no one offered us a refund.

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