Fleetwood Mac - Platinum Tickets!!

kg7 · #1 02-12-2013, 01:38 PM

Hi Everybody, this is my first time to post here and honestly I didn't come to cause upset. However, I just spent Friday morning (Friday 8th and Wednesday 6th in the 02 presale) trying to get Fleetwood Mac tickets for next September in Dublin. Tickets sold out more rapidly than any concert I've tried for before and no joy. Which is fair enough... or is it?
I then decided to take a look at these so called "Platinum" tickets. And it seems not all the tickets are sold out. Ticketmaster (in conjunction with the artists they claim) hold these seats for the "most passionate" fans who are willing to pay the "market price". Ticketmaster claim these tickets are sold similar to how airlines and hotels sell their products (ie market driven prices).
A couple of things come to mind - 1/ there's a slight difference between an airline selling a flight which probably departs a couple of times a day most days of the week and this rare chance to see a band that it's fans adore (in other words choice is available). 2/ "Passionate fans" in this case will also mean the most wealthy fans, which is fine if that's what Fleetwood Mac want and appear to support.
I would suggest that this is no more than ticket touting (despite Ticketmaster being at pains to tell us the tickets are not being resold on their website - http://platinum.ticketmaster.ie/about).
Finally I called by phone (no e-mail facility on Ticketmaster Platinum support) to ask if "market prices" mean that if the tickets were not to sell by next September (obviously unlikely), then would the tickets be sold at less than the general public sale price? The agent could not assist me with this question.
I'm a long time Ticketmaster customer and a real fan of Fleetwood Mac for a long time. Call me naive maybe but I'm really disappointed at Ticketmaster (and Fleetwood Mac if it's true that they authorise it) for allowing this practice.
Anyone any thoughts?

WildHearted · #2 02-12-2013, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kg7

Hi Everybody, this is my first time to post here and honestly I didn't come to cause upset. However, I just spent Friday morning (Friday 8th and Wednesday 6th in the 02 presale) trying to get Fleetwood Mac tickets for next September in Dublin. Tickets sold out more rapidly than any concert I've tried for before and no joy. Which is fair enough... or is it?
I then decided to take a look at these so called "Platinum" tickets. And it seems not all the tickets are sold out. Ticketmaster (in conjunction with the artists they claim) hold these seats for the "most passionate" fans who are willing to pay the "market price". Ticketmaster claim these tickets are sold similar to how airlines and hotels sell their products (ie market driven prices).
A couple of things come to mind - 1/ there's a slight difference between an airline selling a flight which probably departs a couple of times a day most days of the week and this rare chance to see a band that it's fans adore (in other words choice is available). 2/ "Passionate fans" in this case will also mean the most wealthy fans, which is fine if that's what Fleetwood Mac want and appear to support.
I would suggest that this is no more than ticket touting (despite Ticketmaster being at pains to tell us the tickets are not being resold on their website - http://platinum.ticketmaster.ie/about).
Finally I called by phone (no e-mail facility on Ticketmaster Platinum support) to ask if "market prices" mean that if the tickets were not to sell by next September (obviously unlikely), then would the tickets be sold at less than the general public sale price? The agent could not assist me with this question.
I'm a long time Ticketmaster customer and a real fan of Fleetwood Mac for a long time. Call me naive maybe but I'm really disappointed at Ticketmaster (and Fleetwood Mac if it's true that they authorise it) for allowing this practice.
Anyone any thoughts?

Yeah, the platinum seats are a joke. Ticketmaster is basically scalping their own tickets.

However, I have observed that the prices have gone down for seats that haven't sold already for some of the shows that went on sale back in December. The support agents probably aren't keen on talking about this because then more people will wait longer and they will get less money. But just for example, for the ATL show in June, what started out as tickets in the $700-800 range are now around $300 ea. And those are very good seats.

elle · #3 02-12-2013, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WildHearted

Yeah, the platinum seats are a joke. Ticketmaster is basically scalping their own tickets.

However, I have observed that the prices have gone down for seats that haven't sold already for some of the shows that went on sale back in December. The support agents probably aren't keen on talking about this because then more people will wait longer and they will get less money. But just for example, for the ATL show in June, what started out as tickets in the $700-800 range are now around $300 ea. And those are very good seats.

i agree with this and feel somewhat ambivalent on the whole topic. similarly to you, i also noticed US platinum prices for great seats fluctuating a lot for the same seats at the same venue. if you are willing to wait and check from time to time you could get some really great seats for a price barely above the regular face value.

however, when i check UK platinums there seems to be nothing good available, and seats that are available are listed for a very inflated price (maybe all good ones sold immediately for high prices? idk). so it seems to differ from country to country, and in the US it definitely differs from city to city with really inflated prices in LA and NYC area it seems.

some additional considerations: platinum tickets give you a pick of exact seat location (scalpers almost never provide that), and you pay no extra fee. scalpers fees for similar tickets are huge on the top of their advertised ticket price (i've seen $150+ add onto ticket price they are advertising for $400).

J.Miller · #4 02-12-2013, 04:57 PM

I scored a pair tickets for the Louisville KY show through Ticketmaster Platinmum They are floor seats 5 rows back. They cost $345 each. Most other sites are asking almost double that for what we got.

Nicks Fan · #5 02-14-2013, 11:18 PM

The Columbus premiums are still over 2000 dollars. I am looking at going to the show but I want a good seat. I am surprised they haven't lowered the price yet.

Regina · #6 02-14-2013, 11:44 PM

Yeah, they are scalping their own tickets. Ticketmaster is, and always has been, shady.
Like...they had a class action suit. I got an email ... maybe 2 years ago...saying that they had over-charged everyone on service charges and I would be getting an automatic refund the following April for up to 5 tickets purchased during that time (not the whole price--but just the service charge).
Good thing I didn't hold my breath, because...never saw a dime.
And, for all the self-congratulatory stuff going on...there is no way some of these venues have sold out. Or even sold out sections. They hold onto tickets hoping to get better prices through their own scalping or ... I'm pretty sure...through other brokers. Those tickets eventually find their way back to ticketmaster's regular sales.

elle · #7 02-15-2013, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicks Fan

The Columbus premiums are still over 2000 dollars. I am looking at going to the show but I want a good seat. I am surprised they haven't lowered the price yet.

did you talk to Amlyn? she's got 1 extra 5th row.

desertangel · #8 02-17-2013, 11:27 PM

This pisses me off... I always have to go alone so theres no way Im paying the price of 2 expensive tickets just for a halfway decent seat. They are the entire floor and the first section up from next to the stage to more than halfway back to the back!!! 2/3rds of the venue?! Crazy!! Count me out (sniff)!