Paperless Tickets For 2009 Tour?
For those of you who have been keeping up with how the concert industry has been slowly trying to combat scalpers (aka ticket resellers), there has been a development thanks to AC/DC and Ticketmaster.
Over the weekend, a Dallas show for AC/DC went on sale and the only way you could purchase your ticket is by means of paperless tickets. The entire building was sold this way. Through doing a paperless ticket, it means that there is nothing physically available for sites like StubHub or eBay (or anywhere/anyone else looking to resell the ticket). For example, if I bought 3 pairs of tickets, and walk in 3 times with 3 different people, I’d have to pay 100% for 3 tickets and can only resell 3 as opposed to up to 6 (if it was a show I wasn’t interested in going to.) Waste of money for the ticket reseller, not to mention a heck of a headache to manage. The reselling market dries up as a result.
According to an industry source, this is most likely the way U2 will go with their concert ticketing for next year. Also, the source said that Live Nation will partner with Ticketmaster for the ticketing: “U2 is the biggest client and they don’t want to risk something going wrong with their system while they are still working on it.”
Now, the only issue with a paperless system would be the amount of swapping that happens between fans from city to city, and even between General Admission and seats. I’ve been a part of multi-city General Admission trades and I know how helpful they can be. This will impact this type of fan-to-fan help…but I’d take this inconvenience over having to deal with the ticket resellers ANY day!
More information about paperless ticketing:
- TicketMaster’s AC/DC news release
- TicketMaster’s Q&A about Paperless Ticketing
- Billboard: AC/DC Embraces Paperless Ticketing
Last 4 posts by U2isABLE
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So if there’s no paper ticket, what do you show to get through the door? If it’s a list, that will create some headaches.
Roman - we just added a couple links at the bottom of the blog post so you (and everyone) can learn more about how the AC/DC system works.
That sounds interesting; they even give you a receipt (souvenir?) at the door.
I think this is a cool idea, especially if it is done on a small scale. Like, if U2 did paperless just for the U2.com presale, and that would help keep scalpers out (hopefully) - great. But on the other hand, I agree with you that not being able to trade tickets would be a serious annoyance.
My understanding was that paperless was being used just for the fan club portion of the seats on AC/DC’s tour, not the whole building.
According to my source, it was an experiment in Dallas to see how it would work if the entire building was managed paperlessly. I suppose we’ll see how it turns out.
Just a note that from the band’s point of view they probably want to get as many individuals to shows as possible which the paperless ticket helps. It appears (rightly or wrongly) that they want to discourage the “super” fans following the band around from city to city…the change in GA rules between Elevation and Vertigo is another example of this.
First off, I think this is a great idea. I hate knowing that as expensive as U2 tickets are (figure $200 for best seats on the next tour, excepting the floor, if there even is one), it kills me to know that those will cost two or three times as much after the shows sell out. So I welcome anything that will keep ticket prices fixed.
Anyway, I was curious if you could know which sections of the building are paperless, so I hit the ticketmaster site and looked for AC/DC seats here in Boston. Sadly, it looks like they’re sold out - but wait a minute, Ticketmaster helpfully provides a list of tickets available FOR RESALE through their recent acquisition TicketsNow.com, an online broker where the cheapest tickets are TWICE face value!
I guess the more things change…
While I do see some pros to this, such as reducing scalpers getting their hands on the best seats and prices that are two or three times greater than face value. I also see some cons. The fact that everyone in your party has to enter at once just isn’t practical. People get stuck in traffic or won’t leave work a bit early etc. I’m not going to miss part of the show because the person I am going with is late. That is going to create some irate customers. What about parents of teenagers or young adults such as myself. Does that mean everytime I buy a ticket for my son that I have to attend that concert with him? What about people that don’t have credit cards? How does it work if someone in your party goes out to the concession or restroom during the show. Does the ticket buyer have to go with them? It also poses a challenge for those of us who like to upgrade. If I get a lousy seat during a pre-sale, I will try for a better one during the public onsale. What happens if someone in your party can’t attend any longer? Does the buyer just eat the ticket price? I would love to see an improved system but I think there are quite few questions to address first. Honestly, the reason many of us choose alternate means of getting tickets is because Ticketmaster offers a lousy system and they already over charge. How will ticketing work for people on guest lists or with credentials etc at will call?
This sucks big time. Fans love to tade tickets with other fans and sometimes people like to buy tickets with their parents credit card. This means that your parents will have to come with you to show rather than your best friend. I hope U2 doesn’t do this. If they want to do this just for the fan club members than fine otherwise PLEASE DON’T GO PAPERLESS !!
Actually the AC DC Dallas show was NOT all paperless. I just went onto ticketmaster.com and pulled up 2 tickets sideview with mail option.
Hey Scalpers have to eat too !
The last Led Zeppelin concert in 2007 at the O2 stadium was completely paperless. The scalpers were working that show also, I had to sit next to mine.
As much as a dislike ticket scalpers/ resale sometimes this is the onl way you might get into a U2 show , especially if the U2.com pre-sale is stopped. I’ve always got my tickets through the fan club for one show on the tour but for the other dates have had to go through the usual methods. Thankfully iv’e always managed to get through to book tickets myself. But that said friends of mine haven’t been so fortunate as me and so have had to get tickets off e-bay ect.
So i’m not too sure about the paperless method. As this might mean that i could miss out on seeing the band on the next tour if i wasn’t one of the lucky few who get through when the tickets go on sale,as might many who might be at work or out somewhere when tickets go on sale at 9.00am on a thursday as they often do.
For me U2 should start to look after the fans who’ve followed them from tour to tour a bit more than they do and i feel that a paperless ticket will just make it even more difficult to follw the band throughout the tour.
I encourage everyone who does not foresee a positive outcome to this global shift toward “paperless ticketing” (an oxymoron, since you get a paper stub with your seating assignment at the door -thereby eliminating the “green” perspective to this initiative) to visit the TicketMaster Website ande leave their feedback on their views
(http://ticketmasterus.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/ticketmasterus.cfg/php/enduser/answer_fdbck.php?p_sid=l9D-Xpgj&p_rating=171&p_subject=All%2520about%2520Paperless%2520Ticket&p_faqid=1308)
Here’s mine feedback submission: While I can appreciate TicketMaster’s attempts to overcome the growing problem of after-market ticket scalping, I sincerely hope that you can come up with a realistic solution for people who show up late for concerts. It seems patently unfair to penalize an entire group of concert-goers if one person in their party gets stuck in traffic, etc. What if it’s the middle of February in Chicago and the weather is inclement, wind chills near 10 below zero; are you going to make the 3 people in a party of 4 whom arrive early to see an opening act wait out in the elements until the fourth person arrives? Good luck…
It seems to me that there long time fans are a little hypocritical about this ticket issue. On one hand there are complaints about prices/availability/loyalty of band to fans but on the other hand there is this well I want my tickets for all the shows mentality. Of all bands U2 is big enough and egalitarian enough to be able to make lower priced tickets available to the most people. I’m all for it. Taking the scalpers out of the game will at least somewhat decrease demand on ticket sale day and if you don’t get a ticket yourself at least you know it will be purchased by another fan who will also really enjoy the show.
Look deeper. This is a way for Ticketmaster to control each part of the concert ticket buying experience. Can you say TICKETEXCHANGE. Brokers will still be involved, but now Ticketmaster will be able to get a little extra because these brokers must use TICKETEXCHANGE on Ticketmaster to sell the tickets. Think about that?!?!?!
Actually John…the general public including brokers can sell tickets on Ticketexchange, but only for a loss. TM only allows tickets to be posted for sale for face value or less. You actually lose money on the service charges as you are not allowed to charge more than face value period, even if TM actually charged you more when you bought them. Whenever you see tickets on ticketexchange at prices higher than face value, that is the Artist charging that, and more and more of them are doing that to make up the lost revenue from record sales. Look at any Tina Turner or Neil Diamond show. Almost all the seats in the first 10 rows on the floor and first 10 rows beside the stage are or were available here. Tickets priced higher than face on Ticketexchange are done so at the order of Artist management.
Crazy! Thanks Rick for setting the record straight. This should be an interesting year for us U2 concert goers.
Last time I wanted to see U2 the U2.com website shafted me royally when they couldn’t get me a pre sale ticket the site promised and then refused to refund my money.
Just another example of U2’s raging greed hidden behind their ‘ethical’ standards and those ridiculous sunglasses
Have you guys seen what Nine Inch Nails has done with their fan tickets? You buy them and tickets are NOT mailed out. You must pick up your tickets at Will Call with photo ID an hour before the show. After picking up your tickets, you are escorted to a room (an NOT back to the parking lot to sell your ticket) and then taken into the venue. The fanclub tickets have your name golden embossed on the ticket.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, this will do absolutely NOTHING to deter scalpers. In 98/99, the first 20 rows of springsteen’s shows were only available by phone, and required a photo ID to get the tickets. Scalpers walked in people 1 at a time and ate a ticket to do it.
Anyone that thinks otherwise is fooling themselves.
If they had 2 front row tickets, they’d bring one person in with the front row ticket and the other in with a crap ticket.
This might deter some individual reselling on eBay, but it won’t stop brokers.
And, of course, it means there will be no trading of tickets…and God help you if you’re going with friends and someone has to work late….oops….either he’s not going or you’re not going in…which would really suck if you have GA.
Sorry, but as far I’m concerned, this solution provides no benefits and no deterrence to the ticket brokers.
Anyone that thinks they’re going to suddenly have an easy time getting tickets is kidding themselves. I’ve managed to get great seats for most U2 shows at Face. That includes tix for some of the tough tickets, like Chicago, MSG, L.A., Miami, Houston, Dallas (4 different shows over 3 tours all floors), Seattle, NJ, ST. Louis, AZ….think I had tix for Philly and a few Denver shows too (many I sold to friends).
If you have a plan, you can get great seats, but it does take planning and the ability to adapt to your situation…in 2001, I worked for a company whose PBX was a carrier grade switch….redial was faster than you can imagine. Before that, I had a TM that very few people went to. Last tour, all I had was a cell phone and the internet…..and of course it takes the ability to trade. If they go ticketless, that’s going to be pretty much impossible.
We have been totally screwed over with the paperless ticket scam. The morning that the tickets went on sale for AC DC Vancouver, a friend agreed to help us try to get tickets as we knew it would be tough getting in. Our friend got through and purchased two tickets for myself and another friend. After booking flights to Vancouver from Saskatoon Sk. he receives an email notifying him that he purchased paperless tickets and that he had to be there in person inorder for them to be released. He is not purchasing an airline ticket for $800 just to get us in to the concert. We contacted Ticketmaster on many occasions but they have refused to help us out. So we are left on the hook with two concert tickets that we can’t use and flights costing $1600 for nothing.
Paperless tickets do not help out the fans, and scalpers are just meeting their clients at the gate to let them in.
There are many situations where they will not work.
Many tickets have been purchased as gifts. You might get sick and can’t make the concert so the rest of your party will have to miss too? No more corporate tickets. It is just one more way that Ticketmaster has screwed the fans.
If U2 has a lot of tickets available in a tough economy they would want to shift the responsibility for moving tickets to the fan with high ticket limits. That turns the fans into Ticketmaster surrogates trying to find people to use the other 7 tickets they bought.
Max, lots of tickets means that they went on sale and didn’t sell out. Fans aren’t going to suddenly buy up relatively bad seats in hopes of selling them (at least I hope they wouldn’t be so foolish).
You tell your friends and they buy tickets. The last tour that didn’t sell was Popmart, and because so much of the floor in New Orleans was unsold, people came in from all over the place (as I recall, it seemed rather last minute)…didn’t hurt that most knew they could move around the b-stage.
My guess is that if shows sell poorly, Clear Channel will drop prices on the unsold inventory to fill the arenas up. I know that happened in ‘97 at the Superdome…..and they moved everyone that bought the cheap seats down to the $55.00 seats.
The other thing they’ll do is not sell tix behind the stage (ala many of the shows after the last L.A. show on the Elevation Tour, including Miami. That’ll probably remove 1000 tickets off the top.
“Actually John…the general public including brokers can sell tickets on Ticketexchange, but only for a loss.”
You’re way off on that one. You can sell tickets on TicketExchange for any price you want. Check your facts!
Paperless tickets is a very bad idea given the requirements to get into the venue! I’m sure any parent that has young kids will tell you so. My daughter and her friends want to see a Miley Cyrus concert but are going to have to miss it because of this procedure. Most kids don’t have credit cards. It’s totally unrealistic to expect parents to show up at a venue to get their kids in the show. Kids buy tickets months in advance of shows and only God knows who will be available to take kids to the show, nevermind numerous parents having to show up to get groups of kids in. Some kids come from well out of town like in our case.
It’s easy to see that this procedure prevents the gifting or resale of a ticket which is necessary when plans fall through.
Once again the general public suffers because of the few scalpers. And scalpers aren’t a problem for the public, just for the greedy artists that aren’t satisfied with the ticket prices they set to begin with.
I shall be trying the Miley Cyrus paperless route so I can take my 8 year old daughter to see her. Not really looking forward to the process to be honest.
THIS IS A RIDICULOUS IDEA!! MY GRANDAD JUST BOUGHT ME AND MY BEST FRIEND MILEY CYRUS TICKETS!! I NOW HAVE TO ATTEND A MILEY CYRUS CONCERT WITH MY 77 YEAR OLD GRANDAD! THEY SAY THIS IS GOING TO ENSURE REAL FANS GET TO GO!! BUT MY BEST FRIEND IS A REAL FAN AND NOW SHE CANT ATTEND! WHAT IF THEY CARDHOLDER GETS SICK OR FOR SOME REASON CANT ATTEND! THEN EVERYONE ELSE THAT WAS GOING WITH THEM WONT BE ABLE TO ATTEND EITHER! FANS STOPPED AGAIN! AND ALL THE PARENTS WHO ARE HAVING TO BUY TICKETS FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND ATTEND BUT DONT WANT TO, ARE ALSO WASTING SEATS, SITTING IN A CONCERT THEY WONT ENJOY WHEN A REAL FAN COULD HAVE THEIR SEAT!!
IF YOU THINK THIS METHOD IS APPALLING THEN PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SIGN MY PETITION…IF I GET ENOUGH SIGNATURES I WILL SEND IT DIRECTLY TO TICKETMASTER! I HAVE ALREADY WRITTEN A LETTER OF COMPLAINT. I WILL MAKE SURE WE’RE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AND OUR VIEWS ARE HEARD! YOUR SIGNATURE COULD MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO THE FUTURE OF CONCERTS!!
THANK YOU!!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/paperlesstickets/
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/paperlesstickets/
PLEASE PLEASE SIGN
X
My parents bought me the tickets for the November 12th show in Hartford for my friend and i and they will just show the i.d. and etc and she will just let us go in by ourselves (we are both 15, 16) and will pick us up when the show is done. This will be the 2nd time i see miley, and my parents have no problem with the papeless route by any means.
hiii
miley cyrus is paperless tickets as well
but ive been reading the person who got the tickets on there credit card has to be there on the nite of the show to get you in. is this true cause my mum used her credit card for me and my sister n friends so will we not get in cause my mum isnt going with us
plz rite bk
if this is true its awaste off time like i live in belfast n hve 2 travel to dublin to get 2 c miley cyrus and my mum cant go soo how we gonna get in after paying all that money like four tickets and now we mite not be able to get in its ridiculous like
by the time miley cyrus is on everi 1 will b trying to get in and theres goin go be alot of moaing kids like am not a child like buh love miley cyrus and swear dah god if i dont get in il take a heart attact
even if there was a number to contact about this like it would help people like
how does young people have credit cards sake and y would are parents want to go to a concert like my mum is sick of listing to miley like aalll around the house so how she going to sit in a concert with her like im
OMG I BETTER GET IN