Platinum Tickets: Yet Another Way Ticketmaster Can Screw You Over

This week, the opportunity to purchase tickets for upcoming Dave Matthews Band concerts via the Citi Card members presale happened. I’ve known this was coming for a while as my senses have been in hyperdrive from the moment the band announced that they would be touring this summer and releasing a new album. Happy days indeed!

So, on the morning of the Citi Presale I was sitting in front of my computer at 10:00 AM, with my presale code in hand, ready to go. At 9:58 AM I got to the site and navigated my way to the page I needed (Hartford presale) and at precisely 10:00 AM I jumped in. I entered my presale code and waited to see which seats would come up for me.

And then magically --- nothing! There were no seats available. The only “seats” I could purchase through the presale were lawn seats. What the hell? Lawn shouldn’t even be considered in the presale as far as I’m concerned, but that’s a post for a different day. What I really wanted to know was what had happened to all the presale tickets. Where were the great seats that I should have been able to get because I was a card-carrying member of Citi?

I refreshed and tried again and still got nothing. I refreshed and tried again and still only lawn would come up for purchase. What was going on? This terrible method of lather, rinse, repeat went on for about seven more minutes before I finally stopped myself. It looked like I was not going to get any presale tickets so I marked my calendar for the general on sale date/time and hoped for the best.

Yet something was gnawing at me and wouldn’t let go. Thus, I decided to give it one more shot. I logged back into the Ticketmaster site and searched for presale tickets again and something extremely odd happened. Tickets appeared! But they weren’t priced at the $85 - $115 dollars I had expected. They were priced at $220. What? And they weren’t even good seats for $220, they were in one of the last rows of the venue. How on Earth did my $115 tickets become $220. Welcome to Ticketmaster’s latest scam --- Platinum Tickets.  

When did section 600 become one of the best seats in the house?

If you aren’t familiar with what platinum tickets are I say, first and foremost, good for you. You haven’t had to deal with the pain and aggravation of learning how a huge corporation is looking to stick it to the people that it does business with once again. Regardless of whether you are familiar with this process, or you’re curious and want to learn more, please read on.

What The Heck Are Platinum Seats?

Yes, this was my introduction to platinum seats, and although they’ve been around for over a year, I’ve never had an encounter with them until now. According to Ticketmaster’s site (https://www.ticketmaster.com/h/platinum/buyerfaq.html): Official Platinum seats are premium tickets to concerts and other events, made available by artists and event providers through Ticketmaster. They give fans fair and safe access to some of the best seats in the house.  

Look at how misleading that statement is! Fair and safe access to some of the best seats in the house? What constitutes fair and safe access? Because the tickets are being sold through Ticketmaster and not Stub Hub or some other online third-party reseller? I’ve never had any safety issues with any ticket site that I’ve purchased tickets from. Frustration maybe (and that’s mostly from Ticketmaster themselves) but never safety issues. Is my computer going to shut down in the middle of a purchase and my credit card information will be stolen from a non-Ticketmaster site?

The statement also proclaims that fans will have access to some of the best seats in the house. This statement is partially true yet very misguided. First, it’s not only the best seats in the house. As I mentioned, for the Dave Matthews Band concert in Hartford, there were only seats available in the last row for a hefty fee (more than twice the announced price of the ticket). My curiosity led me to check other shows for that tour and there were seats available in the first sections of the venue. Not in the first few rows, but still what I would call exceptional seats. The price tag on those? Between $550 - $1,500 dollars. So, while fans may get access to some of the best seats in the house, they will pay a week’s salary for those seats. No different than if they purchased them through an online scalper site.

Why Do Platinum Seats Exist?

Platinum seats are just another combative measure by Ticketmaster against the online scalpers. For years fans have been going to sites like Stub Hub and paying a premium price for some of the best tickets. None of that money went back to Ticketmaster or the artists, so Ticketmaster is coming up with different ways to combat scalpers and pocket the profit. And rather than work hard with a think tank team of how to beat the scalpers (sorry, but verified fan is just a bust) this corporation figured the best way to beat the scalpers is to become scalpers themselves.

Platinum seats do not come with any extra rewards. There are no meet and greets involved. There are no invites to soundcheck with these seats. They are just regular seats at an extremely ridiculous price. Essentially what happens is Ticketmaster picks random seats throughout the venue, holds them back from general on sale and offers them to fans at a substantial increase. I am not even sure how this practice is legal, but that’s a question for another day and another post.

Ticketmaster saw an opportunity to make more money and ran with it. You can’t totally blame them for this (that is capitalism after all) but with their history of being a putrid company, this latest move is not sitting well with fans. People just want a fair opportunity to purchase tickets at the price the artist lists them for and not see those tickets be sold for three, four, or even five times more than the price originally quoted. Scalpers take away that opportunity and now Ticketmaster has become their own scalper.

What Does This Mean For The Future Of Concert Tickets?

There was a lot of discussion about this tactic in the forums of a popular Dave Matthews Band fan site (AntsMarching.org). And there was mixed reception to the practice. Some fans thought this was a good thing as a portion of the extra money was going to the band. Others thought it was terrible and that Ticketmaster had just found a new way to rip off fans. I tend to lean toward the latter. I think a corporation holding back a product that only it has access to, creating a fake demand, and then selling it for an astronomical price is just disgusting. Again, if they would focus on a better way to not let scalpers manipulate their infrastructure, this problem would become more manageable.

As it is, once someone (or some corporation) gets a taste of what fans will pay (higher prices) the practice will only expand and not go away. I think that for larger acts (Pearl Jam, Taylor Swift, Elton John, etc.) this practice is going to become the norm. And that means that as a fan, there will be even less opportunity to purchase a ticket at the stated price set by the artist. And at some point, it may lead to a backlash or a drop in ticket sales.

This week, in addition to DMB, U2 presale tickets went on sale for Madison Square Garden. And while they weren’t “platinum” seats, U2 wanted between $175 - $250 for tickets (some in bad locations). I love me some U2, but I am NOT paying that much to see them. And thus, I have decided that U2 and I are done. Sure, I will miss their concerts, but I can’t justify the cost of seeing them live – especially when you add on the cost of getting to the event. And my point is that if platinum seats continue to happen I will be priced out of more and more shows. And it’s not just me. I know that I am not the only concert fan on a budget. If there are people out there who want to forego their groceries for the week to attend a concert they really want to see, I say God Bless Them. And I mean it. But I like to eat. And I have alternative plans.

As ticket costs continue to rise with ideas like platinum seats, the bigger band concerts that I attend are just going to be less and less. I didn’t do Springsteen on Broadway. I didn’t do Bon Jovi. I’m not doing U2. And given the way this Dave Matthews Band ticketing is going, this may be the last time I see them as well. This is great news for clubs like The Starland Ballroom, The Bergen PAC, and The Wellmont Theatre. Because I will start attending more shows there, seeing affordable acts. That is, until they decide they want to sell platinum seats too. Then I guess it’s video only for me!

Are Aging Rockers Out Of Touch With Their Audience?

I have noticed a disturbing trend this year that involves aging rockers and the price they feel their fans should pay for the privilege of seeing them in concert or meeting them in person. Sadly, they really do believe that it is a fans privilege to meet them. They seem to have forgotten that without fans, they wouldn’t be millionaires and would most likely be struggling 9 to 5 workers like the rest of us. They also seem to believe that fans should pay an extraordinary amount of money just to breathe the same air as them. It’s getting ridiculous and out of control! And yet, more and more rockers are doing it. What’s going on with this trend and how can we curb it?

The disconnected divide grows larger and larger as the rocker ages every year. And I get it. Ticket prices for everything is up. Sporting events, concerts, Broadway shows…I understand that. And I am not saying that these guys shouldn’t make a living, because they should. But how much is enough? Some of these artists were pioneers of the low-ticket price years ago and now they are just cash grabbing. Some may argue that they are charging higher prices because there are no more lucrative advances from record companies that cover the expenses of the tour. Others will say if the artist didn’t charge that amount the scalpers would. Both of those comments may be true, but I still think that popular bands that have been around for a while and made a fortune could find a way to make an evening of musical entertainment affordable and scalper free. I just think they don’t care and want to cash out while they can.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the biggest offenders and offenses that are out there these days.

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen has always been considered the working man’s rocker. A friend to blue collar laborers all throughout the USA. And yet, he is now charging prices so exurbanite that his working-class fans can’t attend one of his shows. And I know that some people reading this right now are yelling that it’s better he gets the money than the scalpers. And I agree with that. If there is choice between the artist getting the money or a scalper getting the money, the artist should always get the money. But remember, for this Broadway performance, Springsteen used Ticketmaster verified fan service. A service that still no one understands, including Ticketmaster. Although the service did let a few people know that they weren’t the super fans they thought they were.

But in using this service, Springsteen truly believed that most people getting access to tickets for the Broadway shows were true fans. Which means that he made a conscious decision to charge his fans $850 to see this performance. Fans can choose to pay their mortgage for the month or see Springsteen on Broadway.  That is as unsettling as it is insulting. Did he really need to charge $850 for this performance? And the lowest ticket available was $75, which after fees is still a decent chunk of money. Springsteen has always been one of my favorite performers, but this Broadway experience has soured me on him somewhat.  

Gene Simmons

Gene Simmons has never been one to turn down a dollar. That’s part of his charm, I suppose. And now he is releasing a box set of unreleased demo tracks known as “the vault.” And for $2,000 this box set can be yours! Okay, so it does come with a meet and greet and a private concert, which is cool, but what if someone just want the songs? Well, unfortunately you are out of luck. There is no “music only” option. As of this writing, fans can’t even get a list of what songs will be included in the vault. That’s an expensive gamble that there are going to be songs on there they want. For all we know, there could be ten different versions of “Ring Ding Do” one of Simmons’ earliest songs that will find you laughing rather than singing along. Who is paying $2,000 for a box set of music? Does Gene not realize that most of his fans are not rich like him? I consider myself one of the biggest KISS fans in all the land, and there is no way that I would pay $2,000 for this. I would have a hard time shelling out $200! And yet, Gene believes that fans are going to fork over $2,000. The saddest part of this is that some fans will pay that money. I hope it’s the experience of a lifetime for them.

Meet and Greets

Meet and Greets are a relatively new way for aging rock stars to rip off their fans. Back in the day, rock stars used to meet their fans, sign autographs, pose for pictures, and do all of this as a way to say thank you to their fans. Thank you for making us rich beyond our wildest dreams. Now they charge you for the privilege of meeting them. What is this nonsense?! I’ve already paid you for your music, your performance, and your merchandise. Now I have to pay if I want two minutes with you before a show to take a selfie? And in most cases the charge for this is astronomical. The biggest rip offs that I could currently find are The Scorpions and, no surprise here, KISS. The Scorpions expect $450 to meet with them before a show and KISS wants $1,250. Groceries for the quarter or spend 2 minutes with KISS. Who is buying these packages?

High Ticket Prices

This really is nothing new. Older stars have been charging a lot of money to see them perform since I was a kid. I can remember wanting to see Frank Sinatra in concert when I was a teen and he was asking $125 a ticket. Back then the average ticket price was $20 and minimum wage (which is what I made) was $3.35/hour. So, paying $125 for anything was pretty much out of the question. I was extremely irritated that he wanted so much money to see him perform. Was he going to come out and hug each one of us for that price? Why was he asking for so much money? The simple answer then is the same as it is now…because he could.

Today’s aging artists are no different than the late great Sinatra was. America wants $250 to watch them perform. Look, I love me some “Sister Golden Hair,” ask any of my weekly card buddies, but I’m not shelling out $500 for my wife and I to hear it live. Paul McCartney expected that fans would pay that same price (and they did). Roger Waters wanted $250 as well to see him perform Pink Floyd songs without the rest of Pink Floyd. Take a hike Roger! And Bon Jovi, a band that used to cost me $75 for a pretty good seat, wants $350 for a good seat. Make a car payment or see Bon Jovi without Richie Sambora. Are you kidding me?!!!

What It All Means

The bottom line is that most aging rockers are really out of touch with their fans. Perhaps they think that since they’ve become successful over the years and have the money to afford expensive things (like million dollar homes and exotic sports cars) their fans have more money as well. And yes, I make more money today than I did 20 years ago, but I also have more adult expenses. Like a mortgage. Car payment. Utility bills. I don’t have the disposable income that I once did, and now if I want to see a show, I must choose between artists instead of taking in multiple summer acts.

Concerts used to be one of the affordable pleasures in life, an incredible form of escapism, that has now become a luxury if I want to see one of my favorite bands perform. Which is why I’m finding myself gravitating to newer bands more and more. Bands like Pop Evil, Shinedown, and The Strumbellas don’t charge me a week’s pay to see them in concert. They keep their prices reasonable. Part of that may be because they don’t have the notoriety to charge high prices, but I hope that’s not the only reason. I hope that they are a bit more understanding about the realism of the wages people make and want to keep their ticket prices low. Only time will tell.

Ticketmaster Got It Wrong Again - And That Doesn't Surprise Anyone

I wasn’t going to weigh in on the most recent Ticketmaster controversy that came up earlier this week with tickets going on sale for Bruce Springsteen’s Broadway shows. Long time readers of The Rock And Roll Guru are well versed in my disdain for the ticket monopoly. I’ve written about it with my posts on Yet Another Reason To Hate Ticketmaster, setting fair prices for concerts, and Why Ticketmaster Totally Sucks, just to name a few. I’ve ranted on Twitter (@RyoVie) endlessly regarding the raping of the fans that Ticketmaster seems to bask in. I’ve commented on endless blogs and websites about the evils of Ticketmaster. Yes, it’s clear that I am a hater. So why the need for another post about it? After last week’s debacle, I decided to revisit my posts regarding Ticketmaster and I saw that it’s been a while since I’ve given a good rant on the company.

What happened last week? Well, if you’re not a Springsteen fan, you may have missed out on all the hoopla. Thankfully I’m here to fill you in. About a month ago, Bruce Springsteen announced that he would be doing an extended run on Broadway. He is planning on solo performances, about five nights a week, at The Walter Kerr Theatre. This is a small venue that has approximately 975 seats. It is one of the smallest venues he’s ever played. To meet the demand for tickets and (hopefully) stave off scalpers, Springsteen decided to work with Ticketmaster and their verified fan system. The way this works is that fans must register their information prior to the ticket on sale dates. If you don’t register, you don’t get the opportunity to buy tickets. If you do register, you go into a lottery and will be sent a code the night before to buy tickets if you are selected. Otherwise you will be put on a standby list.

It sounds terrific. Forcing people to act before they buy their tickets. In theory, this would eliminate the automated systems from grabbing tickets before anyone else and it would slow the scalpers. But there are ways around that, as the public would soon find out. Example: let’s say I run a secondary ticket broker and I know that Ticketmaster is making me register to get tickets. What is to stop me from registering multiple accounts and having all my employees do the same? If I have 30 employees registering 10 accounts each, I now have 300 entries in the lottery. And if just a few of those hit, I can score tickets to resell.

And guess what happened? Fans registered. A limited number of codes were given out. A lot of fans were put on standby. And tickets went on sale. Then, within minutes, tickets were available on Stub Hub and other secondary brokers starting at $1,500 dollars. Yes, you read that amount correctly. The high-end tickets topped out around $10,000. To me that’s just criminal and people putting tickets on sale for that amount should have their tickets voided. They clearly don’t want to see the concerts, they just want the cash grab. And it’s not just a few tickets that are on sale through the secondary market. There are approximately 50 tickets for each show available through the numerous secondary retailers. Which means that Ticketmaster’s verified fan system was a verified disaster!

Ticketmaster released a statement claiming that only 3% of all tickets were on the secondary market and claimed this was a victory for fans. Then they fell back on their standard “supply and demand” argument as to why so many fans got shut out of tickets. However, this is not a victory. First, there are more than 3% of tickets on sale in the secondary market. Second, if every ticket sold went through a “verified” system, then Ticketmaster knows each person that bought tickets and what the ticket number is. What’s to stop them from voiding any ticket that’s listed in the secondary market and putting them back on sale for the general public? Or they could make the codes apply to only specific shows and only allow that number of tickets to be sold for each show. If fans get a code and don’t buy, then there could be a general on sale. Real fans already had their chance.

What makes all this worse is that Ticketmaster claimed that the verified system was going to allow real fans access to tickets. There were claims that basically stated the more you’ve seen Springsteen in the past, the more you would be likely to have access to the Broadway tickets. Then fans who have been to 75, 100, 125 Springsteen concerts were put on “standby,” which is insulting to those fans. And it didn’t stop Ticketmaster from emailing fans links to buy Springsteen merchandise. So, while they weren’t given an access code, they were asked to buy an overpriced hat or T-shirt, which is beyond sickening.

And of course, Springsteen announced additional dates as soon as the first wave of concerts was sold out. This only angered and confused fans more. There are several unanswered questions lingering in the air. If I was put on standby, am I going to be first in line to buy tickets for the new shows? If a fan already has purchased tickets to a show, are they going to be allowed an opportunity to purchase tickets to the new wave of shows?

What is Ticketmaster going to do with the new batch of shows going on sale this week? Is it going to be more of the same (a complete disaster), or are they actually working to fix the issue? Will they learn from the mistakes of this sale and apply improvements to future sales? Or will they just continue to be a greedy corporation that doesn’t care about the fans at all? Well, after more than 25 years of the latter, I don’t anticipate any change of heart taking place in my lifetime. In the end, it’s the fans that get screwed once again.