Tangent 21 - The issues with big gigs and struggling online agencies...

Posted by
Ethan

Posted on
09:32
Aug 12 2005

The issues with big gigs and struggling online agencies...

It's pretty much a regularity now that if there is a big gig and you don't have access or can't use a phone, the only way to get tickets to a gig is via t'internet.

Unfortunately, it appears that the big vendors are taking their time (and still don't seem to be bothered) about rectifying the situation of their website being flooded and inevitably ([KimJongill]Ineeeeevitable[/KimJongill]) falling over. I heard yesterday about a lot of instances where the gigsandtours website fell over, and has done again this morning due to Foo Fighters tickets going on sale.

2 other occassions that spring to mind, were when tickets for Green Day and AC/DC went on sale. The latter wasn't helped however due to being available from only one website.

So what's your take on it? Does it cheese you off that you're still on dial-up web access and have nigh on no chance of getting tickets? Or are you on broadband and have realised that you need more like a 2meg connection to get a speedy action on the websites...

It's sad that someone like me who is always at work for 9am, has to rely on a crappy net connection, seeing as the phones are constantly engaged.

Whilst we're at it, what's you biggest quest to get a ticket for a gig? I'll put the Green Day debacle up later, I need to do some work first lol

17 Replies and 6310 Views in Total.

CJL Don't be sad, don't be blue, Scotland can win in '82 (earliest childhood quote)

I buy almost all my tickets online now, and what cheeses me off the most is the extra Â£5 'processing fee'.

I mean c'mon. If I book everything over t'internet myself, why am I getting charged these ridiculous amounts.

There's loads of gigs coming up that I 'almost' bought tickets for, but have been put off buying now because of these ridiculous extra charges.

I'd rather chance my luck on ebay, where i've more chance of buying a ticket for face value - and nothing else.

Sorry Ethan, didn't really answer your question, I just fancied a wee rant.

Posted: 10:13 Aug 12 2005

Ethan You Rasclart!

Well within your rights to have a rant mate, it all boils down to the same thing.

And I fully agree with you on the stupid charges that companies put on. They add a 'booking fee' to each ticket of upto something like Â£3 (dependant on the act I think), then there are agencies (especially the WayAhead group who run Seetickets.com and Aloud.com) who will charge you Â£4 delivery per order, and not even have the courtesy send the tickets via recorded delivery!!

It's a joke at the end of the day. And the only way to get out of the postage charge is to buy it from a reseller direct like Stargreen Box Office in the city.. Typically a place I rarely go past lol.

(Edited by Ethan 12/08/2005 12:41)

Posted: 12:41 Aug 12 2005

Ferretgirl Make something idiot-proof and they will make a better idiot

I gotta agree with CJL on the booking fee rubbish. That really gets my goat

It can make a ticket much more expensive for me and i doooo don't understand why they need Â£7 for me Leeds fest ticket to be processed grrrr

I've not really had that much experience of booking tickets for big gigs online really, but i know my mum sturggles a lot because she's a really slow typer and if she's not careful by the time she's typed in all the details the tickets have gone! Also, i guess when you're in a rush to get tickets which are in high demand you're more likely to make mistakes on the forms and stuff which can cause more problems lol

Posted: 19:05 Aug 12 2005

Ethan You Rasclart!

7-fricking-quid!?

That just proves that they bump their 'fee' up depending on the act.

Upon thinking about it though, I guess that's the only way they make money on it...

Posted: 19:23 Aug 12 2005

Ferretgirl Make something idiot-proof and they will make a better idiot

But i don't see why it's needed, i mean that was from the place which produces the tickets so it wasn't like a ticket outlet. (did that make sense?!) I'd feel better about it if they just put it on the ticket price, i feel cheated when i got buy a ticket then they say "wait a min, we're gonna charge you a bit more!"

Posted: 19:51 Aug 12 2005

Ethan You Rasclart!

I imagine that the organisers (The actualy festival in itself in this case ie Carling) give each 'vendor' (ticketmaster, Aloud, Way ahead, Ticketweb etc) an allocation.

The festival name the price of each ticket, then the 'vendor' will make their markup on it.

Where abouts did you buy it from?

Posted: 20:41 Aug 12 2005

Ferretgirl Make something idiot-proof and they will make a better idiot

i'm not sure it was such a long time ago (april!), just followed the official link off leeds festival website

Posted: 20:59 Aug 12 2005

PictureOfFlowers "When things are at their darkest, it's a brave man that can kick back and party." - Lt. Tuck Pendleton, Innerspace

Yup, I completely agree with both of the points raised here. It's a pain in the ass!

Posted: 20:58 Aug 13 2005

Miss Corrupt That deaf, dumb and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball!

It's not so much the fact that if you have a crappy connection then you're less likely you get a ticket, which is very unfair, considering I am hardly ever at home at 9am, and to get Green Day tickets in January, we had 2 of us on the internet and one on the phone, but the fact that if you have these problems, and then it's sold out, you then go onto ebay and people are touting them for loads of money!

I think it's so unfair! And people who are supporting the touts by buying their tickets are just as bad! I'm not going to get into a rant about it, because I have too many times before

Posted: 09:28 Aug 14 2005

Teresa "So I can come inside of your kiss and just leave you on your knees"

by Miss Corrupt
I think it's so unfair! And people who are supporting the touts by buying their tickets are just as bad!

If I'm desperate to go see a band I will buy off a tout. I won't cut off my nose to spite my face and not get to see the band. That said it's been a VERY long time since I had to buy off a tout.

Posted: 11:28 Aug 14 2005

Miss Corrupt That deaf, dumb and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball!

That's a fair point, I guess I'm too much of a stubborn mule to pay more money for something I could have had for the proper price in the first place. Personally though, I would rather go without seeing a band than fuelling an industry I despise.

There's not really alot can be done though, as there are more people who are with your way of thinking, that is, unless we all went back to the days where you queued outside the box office and it was first come first served. Which I wouldn't want to happen at all!

Posted: 23:08 Aug 14 2005

Teresa "So I can come inside of your kiss and just leave you on your knees"

by Miss Corrupt
that is, unless we all went back to the days where you queued outside the box office and it was first come first served. Which I wouldn't want to happen at all!

I queued from 2pm one afternoon 'til 9am the following morning for Bros tickets once

I was thinking why would my mother let a 16yr old girl and her friend camp outside Hammersmith Odeon then I remembered she knew nothing about it, lol.

Posted: 23:23 Aug 14 2005

Ethan You Rasclart!

Something else i've noticed is that eventhough they are the same company essentially, See Tickets charge less of a booking fee and postage than Aloud. Aloud wanted Â£4.70 to post a couple of tickets for something i looked into recently!

Posted: 23:28 Aug 14 2005

Miss Corrupt That deaf, dumb and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball!