Ticketmaster denying responsibility for a claim

sheramber

Stu666 said:

The problem is, they have ringfenced off a section of the floor directly in front of the stage in their seating plan. One could reasonably assume this was a section just for VIP GA ticketholders. Early access to my mind meant you could get into the venue earlier, and make your way to this "VIP" section. Getting into the venue early wasn't the main attraction for me, in fact, for work related reasons I couldn't make it to the venue early anyway. The main thing that attracted me to these tickets was the fact that, based off the seating plan, I would be able to get access to an area very close to the stage via a dedicated entrance/lane no matter what time I arrived. 

What difference would it have made if it had been spearated off in some way?

I assume you have never tried to make your way through a typical Slipknot crowd towards the front of the stage. In middle age.

But the early access was to  allow you to avoid that Slipknot crowd and reach the front. 

If you still entered the one way an area separated off by ?  The only way to  ensure access to the front would be to  enter early, which the ticket provided. 

I think you assumed more that what was  being offered. 

The only way to enter separately was to enter early. 

ThumbRemote

sheramber said:

Stu666 said:

The problem is, they have ringfenced off a section of the floor directly in front of the stage in their seating plan. One could reasonably assume this was a section just for VIP GA ticketholders. Early access to my mind meant you could get into the venue earlier, and make your way to this "VIP" section. Getting into the venue early wasn't the main attraction for me, in fact, for work related reasons I couldn't make it to the venue early anyway. The main thing that attracted me to these tickets was the fact that, based off the seating plan, I would be able to get access to an area very close to the stage via a dedicated entrance/lane no matter what time I arrived. 

What difference would it have made if it had been spearated off in some way?

I assume you have never tried to make your way through a typical Slipknot crowd towards the front of the stage. In middle age.

But the early access was to  allow you to avoid that Slipknot crowd and reach the front. 

If you still entered the one way an area separated off by ?  The only way to  ensure access to the front would be to  enter early, which the ticket provided. 

I think you assumed more that what was  being offered. 

The only way to enter separately was to enter early. 

There's clearly a separate area for GA VIP marked on the floorplan.

If someone had posted on here that they'd bought VIP tickets and were annoyed because there was a separate VIP area they were forced to stand in, and they couldn't stand with their friends in the normal area, you'd be arguing the exact opposite that you are now. 

Okell

@the_lunatic_is_in_my_head and @ThumbRemote:

I know that OP has stated that he bought (or perhaps it should be thinks he bought) a VIP GA ticket, and yes, there is a VIP GA area marked on the floorplan.

But the description he has given of the ticket he bought only refers to VIP access to merchandise and to a lanyard.  It doesn't say anything about access to a VIP GA area, or that one even exists for this concert.

For all we know there may have been two types of VIP tickets offering different privileges, or perhaps early entry to the venue was one of the privileges of the OP's ticket so he could access the VIP area on a first come first served basis.

We don't really know what he bought.

ThumbRemote

Okell said:

@the_lunatic_is_in_my_head and @ThumbRemote:

I know that OP has stated that he bought (or perhaps it should be thinks he bought) a VIP GA ticket, and yes, there is a VIP GA area marked on the floorplan.

But the description he has given of the ticket he bought only refers to VIP access to merchandise and to a lanyard.  It doesn't say anything about access to a VIP GA area, or that one even exists for this concert.

For all we know there may have been two types of VIP tickets offering different privileges, or perhaps early entry to the venue was one of the privileges of the OP's ticket so he could access the VIP area on a first come first served basis.

We don't really know what he bought.

As the OP has stated that no there was no VIP GA area, we know it didn't exist. It is therefore clearly misleading of the retailer to show it on the floorplan. 

Depends on how far the OP wants to push it. Given the significant price difference, I'd be trying for a partial refund. 

HopeAndDriftWood

sheramber said:

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

To be fair to the OP the seating plan clearly shows a squared off section labelled VIP GA.

You’d expect to be standing in that spot at the front of the stage if you purchased a VIP GA ticket.

I get the impression that the value of the VIP GA ticket is that  early access lets make your way to the  VIP GA area before the crowds were admitted. 

Yeah, it is. I've had this argument with Live Nation before. The ticket gives you early access to GA. It's not a fenced off area, and you don't get access to it whenever you arrive. They do not check tickets to make sure that the only people in there are VIP people. You just get early access to the GA area, so if you can get there early enough, you get a space.

It's been the same for years - I saw the Killers with the same type of floor description in 2019, I think? Definitely pre-Covid. They were brilliant, but as someone with a kidney transplant, I'd bought the VIP GA thinking it'd both keep me a bit sheltered from the crowd and give me access to a closer toilet and the ability to get back to my place. It did not. There's no fenced off area, and anyone can stand in the VIP GA bit if there's room - the benefit is solely to get early access to it, which it seems you were offered, and is now pretty clearly described in the list of benefits you've provided. 

"• One (1) standing GA ticket with early entry to the floor

• One (1) VIP-exclusive premium Slipknot merchandise item from the Slipknot Archives*

• One (1) commemorative VIP laminate & lanyard from the Slipknot Archives*

• Early entry to a designated merchandise stand before public doors

• On-site benefits such as priority check-in, black carpet entry, dedicated road crew, and a priority lane into the venue**"

If you'd been there on time, you'd have got priority access via a black carpet, and early access to get your standing GA ticket. 

The other VIP benefits are the merchandise, the laminate and lanyard, and early access to the merchandise stand. The ticket itself is not VIP - it's just early access to GA. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Okell said:

@the_lunatic_is_in_my_head and @ThumbRemote:

I know that OP has stated that he bought (or perhaps it should be thinks he bought) a VIP GA ticket, and yes, there is a VIP GA area marked on the floorplan.

But the description he has given of the ticket he bought only refers to VIP access to merchandise and to a lanyard.  It doesn't say anything about access to a VIP GA area, or that one even exists for this concert.

For all we know there may have been two types of VIP tickets offering different privileges, or perhaps early entry to the venue was one of the privileges of the OP's ticket so he could access the VIP area on a first come first served basis.

We don't really know what he bought.

OP says they purchased tickets for VIP GA section which I appreciate may be what they gleaned from the description, ultimately as far as consumer rights goes OP can argue a breach of the CPRs and under right to redress insist upon a 25% reduction in price.

I can't see customer services understanding any of that so would send the letter before action and see if they bite. 

Obviously the CPRs are non-specific so if someone decides to go all the way and file via the small claims process it's pretty much a case of articulate yourself as well as possible and hope the judge forms the same opinion. 

born_again

Last time we got VIP with early access. You went in via separate entrance, watched by the masses stood in the cold. Collected the goodies & could get drinks. Given we had seats it meant a longer time sat in bar area without mingling with the masses 

photome

I don’t think the tickets were missold.. if you click on the GA vip section to buy tickets for that section it clearly states unreserved general admission standing with early access, if you click on the GA section it clearly says unreserved general admission standing with no early acess.  Of course that is for upcoming gigs but I suspect it was the same when the OP bought

RefluentBeans

OP - I don’t think you have a case at all I’m afraid. General Admission (or standing) can’t really have separate areas because it’s crowded, especially at a slipknot gig (mosh pits etc.). 

The ticket description doesn’t guarantee you front of GA standing, but does have the perks. Presumably you read this before purchased and agreed to it when you ticked the ‘I have read the terms and conditions’. 

The ‘Misrepresentation’ of the seating I think is a weak argument. The closer you are to the stage, the more desirable the standing position is. The only way to get these positions is to go early. This was true as much in the 1970’s as it is now. You had access earlier than the rest of the general admission and so you had the opportunity to get these premium positions. 

You didn’t pay for a specific seat, and so there is no guarantee. If you arrive 5 minutes before the headline artist is going to come on you either have to push your way through the crowd (be prepared to be the enemy of everyone there and have people purposefully block you) or stand at the back. 

I assume you didn’t arrive early and didn’t take the option to get the premium positions. That’s annoying but to expect them to hold space for you is a logically nightmare and shows naivety on gigs (you would still have to push your way through crowds of people to get there). 

I hope you had a good gig; but I don’t think there’s much mileage in this I’m afraid. The earlier you get there the better position you will have, as has been the case forever. 

LightFlare

Whilst I somewhat sympathise with the OP as they didn’t receive what they assumed they would and the way the diagram is displayed is definitely deceiving - I do however think any form of refund will be very tricky to justify and receive since as far as I can tell, they got everything described on the ticket description