Hamilton Tix Horror Story -- Page 3

[Hellob]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 5:28pm

stlrod said: "Probably even buying them on resale market might not be smart right now.  Based on the article there are likely to be many resellers scrambling with cancelled tickets and unfortunately people who have bought from resellers showing up to find out their tickets are not valid.  Sad for the second group.

 

"

You bring up an interesting point. I wonder if TM would tell SH which tickets were canceled so they could cross check. I'm not sure how many sellers are going to admit it voluntarily since they have to pay a 20% penalty and buy similar tickets for the buyer and pay the difference in costs. However, if SH gets no notice, it gives the seller ample time to cancel their linked cc and PayPal information leaving SH a lot of difficulty in getting their money back. 

[Wick3]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 5:33pm

bwaybri2 said: "The frustrating thing for me is that my first call is always to group sales - Anthony is the best, by the way - and I was told, "listen, we haven't placed a group order in months to Hamilton and we probably won't be able to place one for the next 6 months to a year".     Obviously, all bets are off when talking about a show like Hamilton (which I saw in October), but it breaks my heart that my students can't see this show.    And by the way our 35 seats were spread out over 4 different shows - "

If your 35 seats were spread out over 4 different shows, then it's roughly 8-9 tickets per show, correct? In that case, I highly suggest the cancellation line route. I know it'll be a 'waste' of a day in NYC, but I actually think it's a good bonding experience; something that may seem stressful right now but in 10-20 years it'll be something your students will remember fondly.

If I were in your position, I'd talk to the students and parents. Give them a few possible options (with the cancellation line as one of them.) The diehard fans will definitely do the cancellation line, whereas others may opt to watch another show.

[_IrisTInkerbell]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 5:40pm

Well this is kinda ironic, since Hamilton is the show that was all about bringing school classed to see the show and use it for education ect... and now it's basically being made impossible to buy tickets for a school class because they don't do group sales and they don't allow you to buy 35 tickets without a group sale.

 

I agree with what some other people said. Try to fight it based on your situation. Ask the parents of your 35 students have connections to anybody who might be useful, like a lawyer or radio or I don't know what. Go to the local newspaper. Get some publicity for the story of how Ticketmaster (with poorly worded rules and extremely poor customer service (what is anybody paying these horrendous fees for??) is robbing the kids of seeing a show that wants to contribute to educate kids about American History.

A little publicity can sometimes go a long way for a big company trying to avoid press! And if any situation had a chance of getting somewhere it's a school trip!

[Broadway Forever2]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 5:48pm

I mean they do have the opportunities for low income schools in the area to go see it. I think about 2500 NYC students have already seen it for only 10.000  And apparently Eduham is something they are bringing to every area that it tours in.

 

But Scalping is a big issue and I don't even know how it can be prevented. People tell them to do something about scalping, they try to do something an then this happens.

I don't know maybe when touring starts and the hype dies down, it will be more possible to get group tickets.

Updated On: 5/13/16 at 05:48 PM

[_IrisTInkerbell]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 5:55pm

I know that they are doing that which is what makes this situation so ironic! Because of that I think locking out school classes is probably NOT the intention of the producers, and all the more reason they need to be made award of what is happening in this specific situation. It's great that they are helping low-income students to see it cheaply but not low-income students should still be allowed to see it for full price! At least I think so.

[Sunshine31]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 5:56pm

Anakela said: "For the OP - this thread is linked to in this NYT story. No comment from Ticketmaster yet.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/14/theater/hamilton-takes-steps-to-limit-the-resale-of-its-tickets.html"

At this point, TM needs to cap the resell price (at most twice the FV). 

OP, you can always try and tweet Lin/other actors in the show. Use the #EduHam hashtag (given the situation). 

Updated On: 5/13/16 at 05:56 PM

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 5:59pm

The funny thing is the MINIMUM resale value is actually above face. 

 

Sadly capping resale prices won't do anything because people will turn to stubhub 

[sarahb22]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 6:12pm

Wick3 said: "If your 35 seats were spread out over 4 different shows, then it's roughly 8-9 tickets per show, correct? In that case, I highly suggest the cancellation line route. I know it'll be a 'waste' of a day in NYC, but I actually think it's a good bonding experience; something that may seem stressful right now but in 10-20 years it'll be something your students will remember fondly.

If I were in your position, I'd talk to the students and parents. Give them a few possible options (with the cancellation line as one of them.) The diehard fans will definitely do the cancellation line, whereas others may opt to watch another show."

Good suggestion, except these are high school  kids we're talking about.  I really doubt their parents are going to be OK with them sleeping overnight on a New York City sidewalk, and spending an entire day just sitting on the same sidewalk, on the off chance that MAYBE SOME of them will get to see the show.  What if some of them get in and the others don't? Is it just 'tough luck'?  As I said, I don't see the parents being OK with it. I wouldn't be.

Has anyone tried to contact LMM about this?  He loves kids and wants them to see the show, he might be able to do something.

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 6:33pm

I'm very sympathetic to this story but I don't see how the OP can fight this or somehow get the producers or LMM to give her tickets. The seats are no longer available, they essentially don't exist. 

Assuming I am correct and there is no solution to getting more Hamilton tickets, why not do a raffle or make them some kind of reward incentive for the 10 tickets you have available? As others have said you could probably send the whole group to two more shows for amount you got refunded for the other Hamilton tickets. 

[Broadway Forever2]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 6:37pm

_IrisTInkerbell said: "I know that they are doing that which is what makes this situation so ironic! Because of that I think locking out school classes is probably NOT the intention of the producers, and all the more reason they need to be made award of what is happening in this specific situation. It's great that they are helping low-income students to see it cheaply but not low-income students should still be allowed to see it for full price! At least I think so.

 

"

 

Yeah I definitely agree but at the moment Idk what they can do. Because I doubt even banning group tickets is really preventing scalpers but it is at least an attempt. Hopefully when the show goes on tour the demand will be more spread out so more students can go see it. 

 

[Wick3]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 6:39pm

sarahb22 said: "Good suggestion, except these are high school  kids we're talking about.  I really doubt their parents are going to be OK with them sleeping overnight on a New York City sidewalk, and spending an entire day just sitting on the same sidewalk, on the off chance that MAYBE SOME of them will get to see the show.  What if some of them get in and the others don't? Is it just 'tough luck'?  As I said, I don't see the parents being OK with it. I wouldn't be."

Like I said also, it's just an option. I can see the Hamilton diehard fans doing it but those with other interests probably won't, which is fine. 

"Tough luck" is a part of life. Heck even Hamilton can attest to that.  

 

[jdra]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 6:45pm

Wick3 said: "sarahb22 said: "Good suggestion, except these are high school  kids we're talking about.  I really doubt their parents are going to be OK with them sleeping overnight on a New York City sidewalk, and spending an entire day just sitting on the same sidewalk, on the off chance that MAYBE SOME of them will get to see the show.  What if some of them get in and the others don't? Is it just 'tough luck'?  As I said, I don't see the parents being OK with it. I wouldn't be."

Like I said also, it's just an option. I can see the Hamilton diehard fans doing it but those with other interests probably won't, which is fine. 

"Tough luck" is a part of life. Heck even Hamilton can attest to that.  

 

While I might do the cancellation line with my kids, I would never allow it for a school trip nor would any school.

 

[Wick3]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 6:57pm

jdra said: "While I might do the cancellation line with my kids, I would never allow it for a school trip nor would any school."

Well, given how the OP originally got the tix, I doubt any school would support that method of obtaining tickets either (I believe most if not all schools go through the group sales route.)

All I'm saying is the cancellation line is an option for those who really really want to see the show (diehard fans.) It seems to me one of the main reasons they're travelling to NYC is to specifically see Hamilton and if they're going next month or during summer vacation, then time really isn't on their side. 

Perhaps another route they can take is to write a letter to the Rockefeller Foundation group? I believe that's the organization that subsidized EduHam so all the students only had to pay $10 each to see Hamilton. 

[nyskier]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 7:41pm

If it's a school trip, why are they going to 4 different shows?  Are the kids split up in classes or that's what you could get?

 

I think this is tough.  I think though that the scalping situation is out of hand.  If fans could get their tickets in the first place without this ridiculousness, it would be so much better.

 

 

[aaaaaa15]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 8:02pm

I just hope none of these people saying that the Hamilton producers HAVE TO do something about the scalpers and then complaining when they try are people that have paid the scalpers prices. Really the only way to get rid of them is refusing to pay above face value. 

[bwaybri2]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 10:22pm

Thanks to all who chimed in on this today.  I appreciate your ideas/suggestions and words of encouragement.     

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 11:24pm

While you're right, THAT willl never happen.  Making scalping illegal would help. A lot. Then, StubHub and TM couldn't exist the way it does now.

 

I SHOULD be able to re-sell a ticket I can no longer use, but not at a steep profit.

[MISH2]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 11:42pm

Jallenc32 said: "You tried to use the same workarounds that scalpers use to break the rules.  You got caught.  I feel bad for the kids, but not for you.  The very fact that you knew you weren't supposed to buy 35 tickets at a time to the show is evidenced by the fact that you had people help you make the purchases.  How is what you did any different than if a scalper had ten accounts under 10 names with separate credit cards and purchased tickets under each of them?

 

BIG difference!  They aren't scalping the tickets, they bought 35 tickets for 35 people who were going to see the show.  If they had purchased the tickets at their individual homes, there would have been no problem.  

 

"

 

[artscallion]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 6:28am

You're in the NY Times...

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/14/theater/hamilton-takes-steps-to-limit-the-resale-of-its-tickets.html

[Sunshine31]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 6:47am

Any updates OP? 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 6:47am

Yes, their intent was fine....just not their knowledge. I'm not sure I would have thought of it either, but I do KNOW that the same IP address counts as the same "person".

[bwaybri2]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 7:27am

Update - 

several lessons learned in all of this -

* don't use the same IP address when multiple people are ordering tickets to the same show 

* this theatre chat board is read by many people   

* our trip is still on   

 

thanks everyone one for your concern - 

 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 8:14am

Oh....that's wonderful!!!!  Same seats?

[MISH2]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 9:28am

bwaybri2 said: "Update - 

several lessons learned in all of this -

* don't use the same IP address when multiple people are ordering tickets to the same show 

* this theatre chat board is read by many people   

* our trip is still on   

 

thanks everyone one for your concern - 
 

Yay!  Thinking your 4 shows will be shows with no cancellation line tickets?
 

 

"

 

[macnyc]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 9:46am

It's a BroadwayWorld miracle!