Hamilton tix cancelled - HELP!

[goanna40]

Posted: 11/12/16 at 7:22pm

I was waiting like a hawk when Hamilton tickets for the middle of 2017 went on sale. I managed to snatch 4 tickets in 2 different transactions for July 8 night show (I found closer seats the second time and bought a second pair, planning to give my first pair to friends).

 

I received an email today from Ticketmaster stating all 4 of my tickets have been cancelled because I exceeded the ticket limit (the ticket limit is 6). Has anyone ever gone through a similar experience? Is there anything I can do to have these tickets reinstated?

 

I'm flying from Australia for the show and I just booked my flights and I'm absolutely devastated. Please help!

Updated On: 11/12/16 at 07:22 PM

[Broadway_Boy]

Posted: 11/12/16 at 7:25pm

Call ticketmaster and ask.  

[goanna40]

Posted: 11/12/16 at 7:58pm

I'm currently in contact with them, but I'm afraid the 'blame the promoter' excuse will pop up, having gleaned the boards for similar predicaments.

 

UPDATE: Just ended a most unproductive phone call with Ticketmaster. They said that they're been given instructions from the ticket violation team and that I violated tickets sales but with no specific notation. Said that it came from a higher up group than their own ticket limit team- a group from the promoter/ticket owner that was working with their team. And for whatever reason, they've said I violated tickets limits. This is extremely frustrating as I did only buy 4 tickets. I double checked the billing address and credit card details and they are all in order. I just don't understand what happened.  

Updated On: 11/12/16 at 07:58 PM

[MinervaMoon]

Posted: 11/12/16 at 10:26pm

This sounds wrong. Call again, keep pushing, escalate it. 

[macnyc]

Posted: 11/12/16 at 10:54pm

Did you buy any additional tickets in that same four month period? Or did you buy them at work or college or some other place where others share the same IP address? If not, and you bought only those four tickets within that period, it must be a mistake. 

[goanna40]

Posted: 11/12/16 at 11:07pm

Only bought 4 tickets for that entire period of time and I bought my tickets at home, so the whole 'shared IP address' reason doesn't quite fit.

 

The fact that Ticketmaster were unable to provide me with an exact explanation does sound odd indeed. And I am going to keep trying, but I am not sure what my chances are- I checked my seats and they are no longer available.

Updated On: 11/12/16 at 11:07 PM

[10086sunset]

Posted: 11/12/16 at 11:26pm

Don't give up...If you did nothing wrong, they had no right to cancel your order...

[@z5]

Posted: 11/12/16 at 11:38pm

Wow- I'm so sorry, I feel awful. I know I'd be so pissed and raise high, holy hell if that had happened to me. Don't stop. I've had some issues with them before and was VERY persistent, and even made them go back and listen to a call they recorded for one situation. Just keep fighting!

[goanna40]

Posted: 11/12/16 at 11:50pm

Thank you for all the encouraging words everyone! It took me a while to get over the shock (have had an eye on travelling out from Australia to see the show for quite some time), but I definitely won't give up and shall keep fighting.

It is bizarre and hopefully Ticketmaster see that it was indeed a mistake.

 

[@z5]

Posted: 11/13/16 at 12:13am

Just keep reaching to the higher-ups and not take no as an answer...ask for every boss's boss and go up the chain.

 

I would also try to reach out the show via Facebook or something of the like. You never know who sees what and all.

[goanna40]

Posted: 11/13/16 at 2:05am

Will do!

And I have already posted to the Facebook page and Tweeted at the official account.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/13/16 at 10:17am

They are definitely in the wrong here, and they need to fix this. You did nothing wrong, and you certainly did not "violate" their rules! I would fight tooth and nail on this.

[goanna40]

Posted: 11/13/16 at 4:13pm

Ticketmaster are being VERY evasive. I asked them what exactly they think I did wrong and they replied with:

I am sorry that some of your tickets had to be canceled.  Unfortunately, I cannot go into specifics of the exact reason that led to your order being canceled because that is for internal use only.  During the review of the orders for the event, your orders were found to be in violation of our ticket limit policy.  That is why it was canceled and the cancellation cannot be undone.  

And they've also highlighted this clause of the ticket limit policy:

This includes orders associated with the same name, e-mail address, billing address, credit card number or other information.

But I know I haven't purchased any other tickets under any other accounts. The email address, billing address and credit card details are all unique to the 4 tickets I purchased. Unless there is someone out there with the same name as me buying tickets (quite possible as my name is somewhat common), I do not understand how I violated anything!!!

The only possible issue I see is the fact I used my friend's credit card to buy the tickets (but the tickets are Will Call and she was coming to see the show with me). But I have never encountered any issues with using a different credit card with my Ticketmaster account. And regardless, still only bought 4 tickets.

I'm currently on email contact with Ticketmaster, and shall call them again on Monday.

Thanks for all the support everyone!

 

Updated On: 11/13/16 at 04:13 PM

[macnyc]

Posted: 11/13/16 at 7:01pm

I bet it was the credit card thing. Plus, you're purchasing from Australia. Good luck, and please let us know how it turns out!

[bwayandstuff]

Posted: 11/13/16 at 7:12pm

I think something definitely got messed up. I purchased over the ticket limit (stupid mistake...) for that same block and have yet to get an email regarding the tickets. It could be coming (which, if it is, that's my fault) but nothing yet. 

Also, just a fair warning, Ticketmaster has the absolute worst customer service. When I realized I had made a mistake I called immediately to see what I could do and after being on the phone for 2 hrs (on hold for 45 mins) they told me they couldn't do anything. They kept saying it's the client's policy, it's the client's choice... meaning the higher ups over at Hamilton.


I hope you get everything sorted out and if you don't, and pending I get to keep my tickets, I would be more than happy to sell mine to you for what I paid. But hopefully you get it figured out!

* I just realized you're flying in from Australia and my tickets would be for July 16th if that would work? No guarantees mine don't get cancelled though.

Updated On: 11/13/16 at 07:12 PM

[goanna40]

Posted: 11/13/16 at 7:27pm

Thanks for the offer bwayandstuff, but I won't be in NYC for the 16th of July unfortunately. But fingers crossed your tickets are safe!

 

Re: credit card, I'm sure other people have purchased tickets with other people's credit cards. I feel like if it were a fraud concern, the credit card company would have called my friend (they didn't). But yes, it's looking more likely that that might be the reason why. Gah!

[Alexander Lamar]

Posted: 11/13/16 at 7:52pm

You seem to be missing a vital piece of information that a couple people here have stated - it's Hamilton's policy(ies), not Ticketmaster, nor the issuer of your friends credit card. 

TPTB at Hamilton are doing what they can to limit scalping. The obvious measure is enforcing ticket purchasing limits, however many scalpers do purchase tickets with multiple different credit cards, in various names. That likely is the reason your tickets were cancelled, and your friends credit card company wouldn't call her about it, because they had nothing to do with the decision. 

Updated On: 11/13/16 at 07:52 PM

[goanna40]

Posted: 11/13/16 at 8:09pm

Thanks for the insight Alexander Lamar. I do understand the people at the show are trying to cut down on scalping- LMM's fight against bots hasn't been lost on me.

I guess it's just that we've been caught up in this blunt instrument. We've been mistakenly labelled as scalpers and that's what saddens me the most.

[PepperedShepherd]

Posted: 11/13/16 at 8:33pm

goanna40 said: "The only possible issue I see is the fact I used my friend's credit card to buy the tickets (but the tickets are Will Call and she was coming to see the show with me). But I have never encountered any issues with using a different credit card with my Ticketmaster account. And regardless, still only bought 4 tickets."

Sounds to me like this could very well be the issue.

The ticket policies state that, for Will Call, the tickets can only be retrieved by the credit card holder with the original credit card and a valid photo ID. If you bought the tickets using your account but your friend's credit card, how is TM supposed to know your friend will be with you?  (As it is, they only have your say-so that this is the case. A scalper could make the exact same claim.)  Also, if your friend couldn't go for some reason, how were you expecting to pick up the tickets yourself?

 

 

 

[goanna40]

Posted: 11/13/16 at 9:06pm

Ticketmaster would have assumed that my friend would be with me (because, as you say, there would have been no way I could have picked them up myself). I have bought tickets to concerts on Ticketmaster with my friend's credit cards and as long as I was with them, I've never had any issues. We have been planning this trip for a while and I guess it never occurred to us that either of us would back out for any reason. It just was. (It's for Hamilton after all.)

 

I do understand how it looks- how the system could have seen us as scalpers. I'm just disappointed that I bought the tickets in good faith and one naive decision led to the cancellation of my tickets- but I still don't believe I did anything wrong per se. I never imagined that this would be the ramifications of an honest and genuine action.

 

Anyway, thanks for all your help everyone! It is very much appreciated. It appears we have found the root of the problem. I'm still trying to see if I can do anything, but I don't think my chances are great. I guess I'll have to try the lottery and the cancellation line while I'm over there.

[Hellob]

Posted: 11/13/16 at 11:15pm

That's ridiculous about the cc excuse. I've used my dad's, BF, uncle and grandma's cc to get tickets. TM doesn't know if that's her SO, sister, etc. I would still keep complaining bc as long as you're 100% sure you entered the #, expiration date, security code and billing address correctly it's not an issue. 

[Theatrefan2]

Posted: 11/13/16 at 11:28pm

Why not tweet LMM and say you are coming from Australia specifically for the show and the plane tickets are bought.  You have nothing to lose.

[Andy51]

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

goanna40 said: "Ticketmaster would have assumed that my friend would be with me (because, as you say, there would have been no way I could have picked them up myself). I have bought tickets to concerts on Ticketmaster with my friend's credit cards and as long as I was with them, I've never had any issues. We have been planning this trip for a while and I guess it never occurred to us that either of us would back out for any reason. It just was. (It's for Hamilton after all.)

 

I do understand how it looks- how the system could have seen us as scalpers. I'm just disappointed that I bought the tickets in good faith and one naive decision led to the cancellation of my tickets- but I still don't believe I did anything wrong per se. I never imagined that this would be the ramifications of an honest and genuine action.

 

Anyway, thanks for all your help everyone! It is very much appreciated. It appears we have found the root of the problem. I'm still trying to see if I can do anything, but I don't think my chances are great. I guess I'll have to try the lottery and the cancellation line while I'm over there.

 

Your original post says that Ticketmaster specifically said the reason for cancellation was that you "exceeded the ticket limit."  So, I don't see why you would think "it appears we have found the root of the problem" to be with using your friend's credit card when - as you yourself note - that does not establish that the ticket limit was exceeded, nor is it even probative on that front.  At best it may raise suspicions that you are trying to game the system, but the policy permits what you did regardless of whether it is at all suspicious.  If they have already sold your seats, there are plenty of premium seats from the theater still available for that evening.  If the facts are as you describe them, they have a legal and moral obligation to give you four of the available seats.

 

Updated On: 11/13/16 at 11:42 PM

Posted: 11/14/16 at 12:09am

I am also from Australia and have tickets to Hamilton for April. Because my partner is in a wheelchair we contacted the Richard Rodgers box office directly and purchased through them. They were really helpful - maybe you could call them and have a chat?

Also, we purchased tickets for Hello Dolly using my partner's Telecharge account and my credit card (I know, not Ticketmaster but also a ticket seller). A few days after purchase, Telecharge emailed to contact them because there were credit card concerns. I rang back and confirmed that we were both attending and they processed the credit card with no further issues and sent out the ticket, so it is annoying that you are having such problems. All the best with getting back the tickets - keep persevering!

Updated On: 11/14/16 at 12:09 AM

[goanna40]

Posted: 11/14/16 at 2:20am

Thanks for all your supportive words everyone! I had almost given hope and reading these comments really galvanised me.

Shall call the Richard Rodgers and see if they can do anything.

And I have tweeted at LMM a few times already. Don't want to push it too hard- he might block me!