Hamilton tix cancelled - HELP!- Page 3

[Fan123]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 3:21pm

If no other reasonable options yield results, you or your friend could try filing a complaint with the relevant ombudsman, consumer protection agency or similar. In my limited experience this can sometimes galvanize a company when nothing else will. I'm not certain which agency (if any) would be best given that the issue crosses borders and involves theatre tickets specifically, but your local agency could at least provide you with some initial advice. Some organisation called ICPEN also seems to specialise in cross-border complaints - refer link below. The fact that your friend is US-based while you're Australia-based might give you some more options as well. Even finding out the name of the relevant US agency and mentioning it in your next interaction with Ticketmaster/whoever, might help to move things along.

https://www.accc.gov.au/contact-us/other-helpful-agencies/consumer-protection-agencies

[goanna40]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 7:35pm

Fan123 said: "If no other reasonable options yield results, you or your friend could try filing a complaint with the relevant ombudsman, consumer protection agency or similar. In my limited experience this can sometimes galvanize a company when nothing else will. I'm not certain which agency (if any) would be best given that the issue crosses borders and involves theatre tickets specifically, but your local agency could at least provide you with some initial advice. Some organisation called ICPEN also seems to specialise in cross-border complaints - refer link below. The fact that your friend is US-based while you're Australia-based might give you some more options as well. Even finding out the name of the relevant US agency and mentioning it in your next interaction with Ticketmaster/whoever, might help to move things along.

https://www.accc.gov.au/contact-us/other-helpful-agencies/consumer-protection-agencies"


Thanks for the link! It's definitely on the cards, my friends has already mentioned filing a complaint with the Bureau of Consumer Protection. But first, we're going to try Baseline Theatrical.

 

In any case, I wrote about this whole ordeal here and I would greatly appreciate it if you could repost it or tweet it at LMM and the Hamilton account. I guess it's just a matter of getting it visible and having the right people to see it. Thanks for all your help everyone.

[Fan123]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 2:27am

[Random post because I wanted to read goanna40's latest post, and that BWW bug was causing it to remain hidden until the page turn]

Good luck with it. Let us know what ends up working, in case any of us need to know someday!

[goanna40]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 10:38pm

Thanks! I sent a very eloquent email to Baseline and am yet to get a reply.

I guess my last resort is spamming LMM on Twitter.

Let me be a cautionary tale: Don't buy Hamilton tickets with a credit card that is linked to an overseas account because you look like a bot.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 10:42pm

goanna40 said: "Thanks! I sent a very eloquent email to Baseline and am yet to get a reply.

I guess my last resort is spamming LMM on Twitter."

Don't; he's busy in London and this will be annoying at worst and ineffectual at best.

[goanna40]

Posted: 11/16/16 at 10:55pm

LizzieCurry said: "goanna40 said: "Thanks! I sent a very eloquent email to Baseline and am yet to get a reply.

I guess my last resort is spamming LMM on Twitter."

Don't; he's busy in London and this will be annoying at worst and ineffectual at best."

Sorry, that was a joke. Don't think Twitter spamming is the best way to get through to anyone.

[JayElle]

Posted: 11/17/16 at 12:19pm

Earlier this year a group of students and instructors planned a group outing.  They used the same computer to buy tickets for every so many of them.  They booked their trip and later learned all the tickets were canceled for the same reason.  The instructor said that the ticketmaster system picked up the same IP address to buy all those tickets and presumed it was a scalper or ticket bot, i.e., the software that snatches up tons of tickets before any of us can.

The story hit the papers.  I presumed they worked it out somehow.  I'm surprised that they just didn't let you keep the initial 4.  Escalate it to an executive level, but you would have to probably find that contact data online as I'm sure the call center folks are probably limited in what they can do and who they can contact.  The producers instituted those limits after the ticket broker bots snatched all the tickets in the first year.  Hasn't done much to stop the scalpers and bots because all of the cheaper seats in the mezzanine always go in seconds and the scalpers are always in front of the theater, despite police presence.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/17/16 at 12:33pm

goanna40 said: "Sorry, that was a joke. Don't think Twitter spamming is the best way to get through to anyone."

I'm glad; judging by LMM's mentions in the past year or two you never can tell.

[goanna40]

Posted: 11/17/16 at 5:27pm

JayElle said: "Earlier this year a group of students and instructors planned a group outing.  They used the same computer to buy tickets for every so many of them.  They booked their trip and later learned all the tickets were canceled for the same reason.  The instructor said that the ticketmaster system picked up the same IP address to buy all those tickets and presumed it was a scalper or ticket bot, i.e., the software that snatches up tons of tickets before any of us can.

The story hit the papers.  I presumed they worked it out somehow.  I'm surprised that they just didn't let you keep the initial 4.  Escalate it to an executive level, but you would have to probably find that contact data online as I'm sure the call center folks are probably limited in what they can do and who they can contact.  The producers instituted those limits after the ticket broker bots snatched all the tickets in the first year.  Hasn't done much to stop the scalpers and bots because all of the cheaper seats in the mezzanine always go in seconds and the scalpers are always in front of the theater, despite police presence."

Yeah, I read that teacher's story. I'm glad they got it sorted. Can't say I'm banking on a similar miracle.

The only person I can see worth contacting in terms of executive level in the Hamilton circle is Jeffrey Seller, the lead producer who was quoted in that NYT piece on scalping and Hamilton. Besides an unverified Twitter account, there really isn't an 'official' way to reach him and I'm not sure this sort of unsolicited emailing helps.

It's great that the producers are taking a pro-active step to limit bots and scalpers, but as I've said, the system is obviously flawed. And I feel enforcing an upper limit on resale prices would probably be a better way to discourage scalpers (but free market, blah, blah, blah).

 

[macnyc]

Posted: 11/26/16 at 6:01am

Goanna, have you have any luck getting your tickets back?

Updated On: 11/26/16 at 06:01 AM

[goanna40]

Posted: 11/26/16 at 6:47am

No, no luck, unfortunately.

Ever since I namedropped the Bureau of Consumer Protection in my emails, Ticketmaster have stopped replying altogether.

My friend is periodically calling Ticketmaster and going through the motions of complaint elevation, but it hits a dead end when Ticketmaster invokes the higher power of the promoters and so far, have been unwilling to pass on any contact details. We've called the theatre itself, who have referred us back to Ticketmaster. And there's been no response to our emails/calls from Baseline. We're gonna keep trying, but we ain't holding our breath.

[Fan123]

Posted: 11/26/16 at 3:08pm

Crap. I didn't expect that outcome from my suggestion. Sorry about that, mate. (Although, grr, they're the ones who should be sorry!) For the little it's worth, if I were you I'd go ahead and file a complaint, since you don't seem to be getting results either way anyway and you've got nothing to lose. But heck, what do I know. (BTW, I don't have experience with the US consumer protection agency per se, so don't know how effective they are.)

[goanna40]

Posted: 11/26/16 at 7:34pm

Fan123 said: "Crap. I didn't expect that outcome from my suggestion. Sorry about that, mate. (Although, grr, they're the ones who should be sorry!) For the little it's worth, if I were you I'd go ahead and file a complaint, since you don't seem to be getting results either way anyway and you've got nothing to lose. But heck, what do I know. (BTW, I don't have experience with the US consumer protection agency per se, so don't know how effective they are.)"

Oh no, no apology needed! My friend floated the idea early on and it was definitely on the cards. We just hoped that it would lead to action on Ticketmaster's part, alas. I doubt it'll yield any results, but I guess there's no harm in trying.

[goanna40]

Posted: 12/2/16 at 4:05pm

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!

I got an email from a Ticketmaster escalations manager, saying they were forwarded an email about our Hamilton tickets (no clear details, but it appears composing an eloquent email to Baseline may have been the right move) and that there were replacement tickets for us!

My friend (who's credit card I used) just had to call up, confirm details and we were given 4 seats (strangely the wheelchair accessible seats, but I guess I'll settle for anything) for what we originally paid.

Thanks for all your help and support- could not have done it without this board- super excited to be heading to NYC next year! :)

Updated On: 12/2/16 at 04:05 PM

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 12/2/16 at 4:06pm

Wonderful news. Glad we could help!

[macnyc]

Posted: 12/2/16 at 4:19pm

That is great news!!! Enjoy the show.

[Esther]

Posted: 12/2/16 at 6:17pm

goanna40 said: "GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!

I got an email from a Ticketmaster escalations manager, saying they have been forwarded an email about our Hamilton tickets (no clear details, but it appears composing an eloquent email to Baseline may have been the right move) and that there were replacement tickets for us!

My friend (who's credit card I used) just had to call up, confirm details and we were given 4 seats (strangely the wheelchair accessible seats, but I guess I'll settle for anything) for what we originally paid.

Thanks for all your help and support- could not have done it without this board- super excited to be heading to NYC next year! :)

 

"

I'm not sure where your original tickets were, but the wheelchair access seats at the Rodgers are pretty good, IMO.  They are much closer than in other theaters (due to the stadium-style seating that occurs in the orchestra) & the sightlines there are pretty good.  I was relocated there from Row P orch (knee probs)  for If/Then.  They're in Row H, side section house right (maybe house left too, I don't recall)

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 12/2/16 at 6:30pm

Wonderful! I'm so glad they finally made this right for you

[goanna40]

Posted: 12/3/16 at 12:13am

Esther said: "goanna40 said: "GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!

I got an email from a Ticketmaster escalations manager, saying they have been forwarded an email about our Hamilton tickets (no clear details, but it appears composing an eloquent email to Baseline may have been the right move) and that there were replacement tickets for us!

My friend (who's credit card I used) just had to call up, confirm details and we were given 4 seats (strangely the wheelchair accessible seats, but I guess I'll settle for anything) for what we originally paid.

Thanks for all your help and support- could not have done it without this board- super excited to be heading to NYC next year! :)"

I'm not sure where your original tickets were, but the wheelchair access seats at the Rodgers are pretty good, IMO.  They are much closer than in other theaters (due to the stadium-style seating that occurs in the orchestra) & the sightlines there are pretty good.  I was relocated there from Row P orch (knee probs)  for If/Then.  They're in Row H, side section house right (maybe house left too, I don't recall)"

That's a relief! I wasn't sure what to expect with the wheelchair accessible seats (there are actual seats there, right?), but the spot is better (closer row-wise) than the ones I originally bought, so it's nice to have a bit of an upgrade.

 

[Castle2]

Posted: 12/3/16 at 12:18am

I'm so happy for you! I've been following your posts closely because I'll be traveling from New Zealand to NYC to see Hamilton in January, and it would be my nightmare for my tickets to all of a sudden disappear for no reason. I hope you have a great trip and enjoy the show!

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Posted: 12/3/16 at 8:08am

Woo hoo!  Love a happy ending.

[goanna40]

Posted: 12/4/16 at 6:45am

Castle2 said: "I'm so happy for you! I've been following your posts closely because I'll be traveling from New Zealand to NYC to see Hamilton in January, and it would be my nightmare for my tickets to all of a sudden disappear for no reason. I hope you have a great trip and enjoy the show!"

Yeap- and flights from our corner of the world aren't cheap either. Hope you have a great trip- so soon!

It's just super heartening to see that the team behind Hamilton were willing to hear my appeal and really look out for fans (or you know, covering their butts legally, but still, someone listened).

 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/4/16 at 7:58am

No legal issues.....unless they don't  return your money. 

 

Have a great time.

[10086sunset]

Posted: 12/4/16 at 8:08am

Truly happy to read the news...

Congrats! Happy it all worked out...