08-24-2018, 12:03 AM
(08-23-2018, 02:18 PM)Reverend Ike Wrote: It appears that the 2018 TSO presale process will be significantly different than last year's. The information provided by Ticketmaster after I re-registered as a Verified Fan is incomplete and vague. After the Verified Fan registration step, there is a second step where fans are "selected" (or not) to be allowed to participate in the presale. This "selection" step is conducted without explanation to the public, and apparently I will not find out whether I have been "selected" until the night (no specific time) before the sale date. If I am selected, then Ticketmaster will send me a magic code at 8:00 AM on the sale date and I assume it becomes the usual mad dash to get the best seats at that time (although Ticketmaster doesn't actually say whether we can log in at 8:00 AM or at some other undisclosed time).
Ticketmaster says that this random selection will occur "if demand exceeds supply". However, the Verified Fan registration doesn't ask how many tickets each person plans to buy for each show selected, so how can Ticketmaster determine what the actual demand is? If there are 1,000 Verified Fans for a presale, that could represent anywhere between 1,000 and 8,000 tickets.
I've been part of a group of from 4 to 8 fans who've attended the last 15 TSO shows, and I'm normally the one who purchases the tickets each year. This "selection" process puts everything in doubt. Should 2 or 4 or all 8 of us register separately as Verified Fans, in case I'm not "selected", and then whoever gets lucky (hopefully at least one of us) will get to wear the Buyer hat, with very little notice?
I've been reading about how this Ticketmaster process worked for other shows in the last year or so, and there are some ugly stories about long-time fans getting shut out. I know TSO's popularity isn't quite on the same level as Beyonce or some equivalent artist who will sell out an entire stadium in 15 minutes, so perhaps 100% of the Verified Fans will be "selected". But with no guarantee of that, it's a big slap in the face at long-term core fans. I'm all for finding ways to block resellers from snagging tickets, but this seems like an unfair, overly complicated method. And if the stories from other concerts are true, it didn't achieve its purpose, with people reporting that more tickets than ever were available from resellers. I hope TSO's management is watching closely how this process will impact their fans.
I would appreciate it anyone who has experienced this system first-hand at another concert's presale could add some details of their experience ...
This system is pretty much the same thing that was done last tour. The night before I was contacted through e-mail that my code would be sent by 8:00 AM which happened and then at 10:00 AM when the sale started I was in and out within 15 minutes. I read many of the horror stories and I am hoping that the problem has been rectified this tour. I got the seats that I wanted at the first try with out having to refresh for a different place.