Ticketing Debacle Leads Ticketmaster to Offer Rebates

Ticketmaster hopes a $50 rebate and soccer or football tickets will help it bury the hatchet with some angry Canadian fans.

The ticketing giant saw numerous complaints following a May 12th U2 concert at British Columbia’s B.C. Place, where its credit card entry system caused long delays. Fans with general admission tickets saw lines so long that they missed the opening act, Mumford & Sons. The system required fans scan the credit card used to purchase the tickets, which slowed entry to a trickle.

Spokesman Duncan Blomfield told reporters in May that the ticketing system wasn’t new, but had never been implemented on an event as large as the U2 show. According to news reports, Ticketmaster had similar delays with the paperless system at a Toronto Adele concert in 2016.

According to the Vancouver Sun, fans who complained are being offered a $50 voucher towards a future event through Ticketmaster. Additionally, B.C. Place is offering free admission to a Vancouver Whitecaps or B.C. Lions game, with $20 food and beverage voucher included. Not all those caught up with the slow system were immediately placated by the offers.

“Ultimately, how do you get a concert from these guys back,” resident Chad Euverman told the Sun. “You don’t.”

Victoria, B.C. resident Brenda Brophy had similar feelings, telling the Sun “It’s kind of like getting food-poisoning at a restaurant and them saying, ‘The next meal’s on us.’ Well no, I want my money back.” She indicated in her response to the offer that she would prefer cash compensation, or perhaps free admission to a show of her and her husband’s choice. She also told the Sun that she and her husband would join a class action lawsuit if one was started.

It is unclear how many individuals affected by the slow lines were offered this rebate, or how much it will cost either Ticketmaster or B.C. Place. Four concert attendees confirmed they had received the email related to the offer to reporters.