TOT: Fleetwood Mac tickets sold out instantly

[Lobster]

On hearing this week that Fleetwood Mac has annouced a tour later this year, SWMBO and I hoped to fulfil a 30-year ambition to go and see them. Tickets went on general sale this morning at 9.00am so I was ready and logged into Ticketmaster, finger on the keyboard.

The 'buy' button went active on the dot of 9.00, and I clicked it; after a short wait, it came back with 'Sorry, sold out'; however you can still buy tickets at our affiliate site 'GetMeIn'

FFS! The venue I was hoping to go to has a capacity of 21,000 seats. Exactly how many of those were actually on sale at 9.00?

On GetMeIn - a third-party marketing site owned by Ticketmaster, which sells on behalf of touts - there were a stack of tickets available from £138-£1099, more than we are prepared to pay. Win-win for Ticketmaster of course, who take their commission on the original sale and the inflated resale. I just think the whole thing stinks. Why isn't it regulated?

[philipuk]

Ticketmaster are generally hopeless (see the Olympic ticketing).

Think of it this way, you've just saved a small fortune,

Philip

[philipuk]

Looks like there are tickets available for the tour in Birmingham.

Philip

[Tim+]

On the one hand, I hate the action of ticket touts, but, surely this happens because the tickets are underpriced? Basic market economics and all that...

Tim

[brass monkey]

Problem is, there ARE people prepared to pay these silly prices.

[Jethro_uk]

Funny, I posted on a similar topic in uk.legal ...

This happens, because it can. In 2007, when Led Zeppelin played, was there much (if any) talk about touts ? No. Why ? Because the promoter and venue worked together, and implemented a policy that only the credit card used to buy the ticket (because it was all online with no other way to buy) could be used to actually enter the venue. Absolutely no incentive to sell on tickets.

Now you can argue about whether you should have a right to sell on your own property. But that's what they did, and I don't recall reading any complaints at the time. I have no idea if it's a premium solution - personally I can't see it would cost anymore.

What irritates me is the hand-wringing of venues, promoters and artists. It's totally possible to eliminate ticket resales, if that's what you want.

The last thing I want is the clunking fist of government getting involved. Because you *know* it'll end badly.

[polygonum]

Which is why it always surprised me the organisers/venues do not sell in a Dutch auction type of market.

[Adam Aglionby]

Underpriced.....really?!

Think it was Despatches that looked into Via Gogo and Seatwave, "the fan to fan ticket exchange", and discovered them buying tickets with books of credit cards and rooms full of operators buying as individuals, to then sell the tickets on at a markup, at least with those touts you actually get the tickets `suppose.

The actual effect is to deprive the promoter and artist of ticket revenue , affecting how much is available to spend on production and skewing the economics of the wheres and whens of booking a tour.

The world needs more people like Peter Grant, Led Zeppelins manager who had a famously uncompromising attitude, to touts and rip off merchandise.

Cheers Adam

[Brian Gaff]

All these ticket agenciea are a con as far as i can see. they can do what they like charge a booking fee of what they like and presumably as you found out sell the same tickets as many times as they like. They should have a a max ticket limit per person as well, otherwise the crooks get them all and then sell them again.

Might be worth contacting the tour promoter about it, if enough folk did maybe something would get done.

brian Brian

[Graham]

Don't forget that Jimi Hendrix album 'People Hell & Angels' is being released on 3 March too.

[alan]

On 08/02/2013 11:44, Lobster wrote: Why isn't it

It is - by supply and demand.

[Tim+]

Yes. Why do you think touts can sell them at greatly inflated prices? It's because that's what other people are prepared to pay.

Tim

[Adam Aglionby]

Often after artificial manipulation of the market, it was Dispatches

ode-1

Strangely enough neither Seatwave nor Viagogo are short of Fleetwood Mac tickets in concidentallly every section of the 02 for instance....

Perhaps your right , acts that 20 years ago that would have been lucky to get middle billing on a weekender at Butlins Minehead are now 100 quid a head superstars of the past...

Not refering to the sainted Fleetwood Mac here of course, they`re more than 100 quid a head ;-)

Cheers Adam

[stuart noble]

Never understood the nostalgia market. It sure as hell hasn't got much to do with the music. Charlie Watts sums it up

Strange choice of music for an old rocker

[JoeJoe]

Saw a recent concert of theirs on TV recently - Stevie Nicks voice is all but a distant memory (and I used to be a huge fan and still listen to them regularity). Consider yourself lucky!

[Andy Champ]

Saw them in Brum a few years ago. We all sang Happy Birthday to Lindsay.

Stevie's _looks_ are all but a distant memory, and I always preferred Christine's voice.

Andy

[geoff]

Takes me back to the good old days when I used to do stewarding at Wembley

Can't remember when I last paid to see a band

Can't say I'm interested in doing so any more

[DrTeeth]

Go easy on the weed dude !

[Davey]

Just saw this on the web:

Who knows?

[Tim+]

?50455

Still redirects to Getmein. :-(

Tim