If you tried to buy Jimmy Buffett tickets online when they went on sale Saturday morning, chances are good that you found it to be a frustrating experience. This was the first big local test of livenation.com's new ticketing system, and... well, it didn't exactly pass with flying colors. There were widespread reports of delays and glitches, with numerous fans shut out -- you had better luck going old-school, lining up at the venue box office.
"We had a tough weekend," sighs Nathan Hubbard, CEO of Live Nation ticketing. "We had 63 great shows go on sale, and the combination of Jimmy Buffett and Phish traffic just overwhelmed us. Friday and Saturday, we had more than 10 million requests, and it just overwhelmed us. We sold out a lot of shows, but during that huge blast of traffic, a lot of fans had trouble getting access to tickets. In Raleigh, a lot simply could not get into the system. We never want our customers to have that experience. By way of apology, the best news for Jimmy Buffett fans is that tickets are still available."
Another complaint ticket-buyers had was the service charges. When Live Nation announced it was leaving Ticketmaster to handle its own its ticketing, there was much talk about "creating more transparency so the fan can make the decision whether the total amount is worth it." But for Buffett, online buyers reportedly couldn't see either the face price or the extra fees until after the tickets went on sale. And the parking, service and handling fees added $19 to the cost, bumping a $29 lawn ticket up to $48.
Here again, Hubbard pledges improvement and transparency.
"For us, it's a first step in a longer process of bringing more transparency to the process," he says. "The Eagles with their single all-in fee, data tells us that's what the fan wants. So we're moving in that direction, listening to fan feedback. This weekend, it came through loud and clear that we did not do as good a job as we should have."
ADDENDUM (2/3/09): Live Nation and Ticketmaster may merge!
Comments
kinz
Fri, 03/06/2009 - 05:10 — kinz123I choose and don't need someone else making such decisions for me. Please get rid of any fees going to charity unless I can direct which charity it is going to.
Is it just for him?? Video
Tue, 07/28/2009 - 01:25 — makemineIs it just for him??
Video Comedy
Lack of Acknowledgement
Wed, 02/11/2009 - 11:29 — wenzelkwTheir "customer care" barely acknowledged they had a problem.
Dear Patron,
Thank you for contacting Live Nation Customer Care with your inquiry.
Due to the extreme popularity of the 2009 Jimmy Buffett tour, we experienced above average volume on both the phone and online. We apologize for any frustration that this may cause. There are limited allotments of tickets available for each venue, all tickets made available were offered through both the phone and online sales.
Thank you,
Shane
Live Nation Customer Care
Live Nation
Wed, 02/04/2009 - 20:30 — dlsenterAll Live Nation cares about is their national presence and the almighty dollar.Just look at Walnut Creek's website;It is only geared to sell tickets.It does not have any local feel-You can not find any information about the shows;You have to go to Yours Truly for concert information.Compare RBC Arena's website to Walnut Creek and it is not even close.Dave
U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. calling for investigation !
Wed, 02/04/2009 - 07:14 — pearcemoliU.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-08) today requested that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division investigate Ticketmaster's relationship with its subsidiary company, TicketsNow, following the company's handling of ticket sales for the Bruce Springsteen tour that became available on Monday February 2.
other fees?
Mon, 02/02/2009 - 23:18 — mrcrosbyDid anybody catch the "charity fee"? It is applied to the ticket without any explaination as to what charity it is going too. It is only a dollar, but what if it is intended for a charity that I do not agree with. In this diverse country, it is quite possible that I would not be in favor of donating to whatever charity it is going to. I make my donations to charities I choose and don't need someone else making such decisions for me. Please get rid of any fees going to charity unless I can direct which charity it is going to.
other fees?
Mon, 02/02/2009 - 23:25 — dmenconi (author)Did anybody catch the "charity fee"? It is applied to the ticket without any explaination as to what charity it is going too.
This is, quite honestly, a pet peeve of mine -- even if the cause is good (and it usually is). But if rock stars want to raise money for a noble cause, they can do it out of their own pockets rather than passing that along as another cost to their fans. Or at the very least, make it optional.
handling fee
Mon, 02/02/2009 - 23:29 — mrcrosbyThe $12.00 handling fee on a $29.00 ticket is scalping as defined by NC law. Plus the parking fee of $6.00 per ticket is excessive. Most tickets end up being sold to people who will not drive and park a car. There should not be a parking fee per ticket equivilent to what each car would be charged. Due to these fees, this will be the first Buffett show I will miss in 20 years. I'm sure Jimmy is thanking Live Nation for turning off his fans with their fees during a tough economy. Also, Thanks Raleigh for applying the parking fee to the ticket instead of the car. Raleigh is looking out for us too with thier high fees as well.
recession?
Mon, 02/02/2009 - 17:09 — schneidb51I don’t understand why it is such a mystery that customers would like to know the total cost of a ticket. What is the service and handling fee cover?
I also don’t understand how anyone has money to buy tickets to see concerts when there is such daily permanent news of layoffs and recession. The economy can’t be that bad if concert ticket web sites are getting flooded with ticket purchases … even when the purchaser is buying tickets without knowing the price!
Usury
Mon, 02/02/2009 - 16:59 — dwcatty$48 for a $29 ticket, after convenience fees? That's usury. I'd file a complaint with the attorney general.
Live Nation a dead end.
Mon, 02/02/2009 - 16:45 — cokeadLast year, I got through on the phone at 10:00 on the dot and bought 4 lawn tickets to JB. This year, my wife and I each had a phone and a computer and we didn't get through--anywhere--until 10:35. When we did, we did simultaneously, and ended up getting more tickets than we needed. But oh, what an unnecessary nightmare online. And don't get me started about paying nearly $50 for a $29 lawn ticket. Oh, that's right--it's a "convenience" charge.