(01-26-2005) Fans Rage as U2 Ticket Sale Site Falls Over -- The Register*

[dsmith2904]

Fans Rage as U2 Ticket Sale Site Falls Over

By Tim Richardson
Published Wednesday 26th January 2005 16:00 GMT

Thousands of U2 fans are up in arms after the website handling the advanced ticket sale of the band's 2005 Vertigo tour fell over

U2 fans - who had forked out $40 (£21) for the privilege of joining U2.com enabling them to snap up tickets to gigs before they went on general sale - had received a six-digit code which they could use to buy tickets.

But organisers misjudged the demand for tickets and the site flogging the tickets ground to a halt rendering the codes - which can only be used once - useless.

Sources say that as many as 15,000 fans were hit by the glitch, but Ticketmaster, the outfit handling the ticket sales, declined to comment on numbers.

Apologising to punters, it explained: "Ticketmaster experienced an incredibly high level of demand. This resulted in the website, ticketmaster.co.uk, offering a slower than normal service.

"Unfortunately some customers were timed out of the website and found that when they attempted to continue with their transaction, the six-digit code was no longer valid."

The company has emailed all those U2 fan club members who received a code explaining that "there is still ticket availability at all UK venues".

"We are confident that all those affected by the problem today will still be able to purchase tickets," it said.

The band begins its eagerly awaited Vertigo 2005 world tour in San Diego on March 28.

--The Register

 

[tackleberry]

I don't understand. How could they have "misjudged" the demand for tickets. They obviously knew how many passwords were given out, so they should have adapted their system for that SPECIFIC amount of people who had passwords. They should have released the amount of tickets for the exact amount of people who had access to them. It's not rocket science. Something else is going on here....

 

[agentmissa]

lame.... they are so lame.

 

[trish0860]

And do they realize this wasn't just in the UK? The good old USA got majorly screwed also.

 

[U2girl91289]

Was it really that bad? My brother got our tickets no problem

 

[sallycinnamon78]

"SOME" customers? I saw more people without tickets than with!

 

[Teta040]

We in the USA got even more majorly screwed. Not only are we just finding out that Ticketmaster secretly put ALL the GA tickets on sale to consortiums of ticket brokers 2 weeks ago (with absolutely no knowledge of this by the public or the media, not even the tabloids; word is that the brokers are planning to hawk them online during the general public ticket sales starting at $500--about 12 times the orgional amount), thus ensuring that NONE of the North American fans got GA tickets..

But also, some fans who managed to get through before 10:01 A M and thought they had gotten the few GAs that seemed to be available, found out they were in the very top rafters of the arena instead.This is becuase during the afternoon,about 2 hours after the presale ended yesterday, Ticketmaster changed the seating plan chart on its website. The arena was flipped around; so those who thought htey had great seats instead are finding out they're at the back of the arena.

I had heard stories of Ticketmaster shenanigans but those I've talked to, are shocked even by this, and even veterans of presales say this is new low.

I was even more right than I thought I would be.I predicted a major debacle (due to the fact that the who runs U2.com never took it into his T-Rex sized brain that you needed a LIMIT ON THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO COULD SIGN UP FOR THE SALE. Demand was sure to outstrip supply by10 to 1, even if the old Propaganda ticket company and not TM was involved. It worked for Propaganda all those years because the number of members grew VERY slowly, since the fan club was probably the world's biggest open secret.) but nothing like THIS.

I am glad I decided long in advance to skip the presale and had made other arrangements for the general public sale instead. I'm prepared for Monday.I hope.

 

[usamilo]

Originally posted by Teta040 [/i]
"We in the USA got even more majorly screwed. Not only are we just finding out that Ticketmaster secretly put ALL the GA tickets on sale to consortiums of ticket brokers 2 weeks ago "

what is the source of this information?

 

[one4u2]

We in the USA got even more majorly screwed. Not only are we just finding out that Ticketmaster secretly put ALL the GA tickets on sale to consortiums of ticket brokers 2 weeks ago (with absolutely no knowledge of this by the public or the media, not even the tabloids

What?? This is news to me! As much as I can't stand ticketbastard, I don't know about that....

 

[ultrraviolette]

Ticketmaster is so dumb for claiming to "not know the demand" That makes them look ridiculously lame

 

[Renrut]

Quick question: did ANYONE get GA tickets on the floor anywhere?

I am ditching the presale in hopes of going direct through ticketbastard, but it sounds like this is pretty hopeless. Guess I'll wait for the DVD to come out and NOT buy it.