Uncertainty for Jacko ticketholders
- 00:01:45
- ITN
Uncertainty for Jacko ticketholders
Fans holding tickets to Michael Jackson's sell-out 50-gig London shows at the O2 Arena are waiting to hear if they will receive refunds. In March, tickets to the This Is It concerts were snapped up by 750,000 fans, becoming the "hottest selling on the planet", according to organisers. Fans from around the world queued through the night to get their hands on tickets for the shows and they sold at a rate of 11 per second, 657 per minute and nearly 40,000 an hour. A giant screen showing a photograph of Jackson is on display today outside the arena. Underneath a black and white image of Jackson dancing, a message read: "At this moment our thoughts are with Michael's children, family and friends. We will announce ticketing information in due course." A representative for concert organiser AEG Live said an announcement could be made later, but there are delays due to time differences with the US. Extra tickets for the gigs were released this week. Seatwave issued a statement saying that all customers who purchased tickets for Jackson's O2 shows from it will get a full refund. The statement said: "Full information on how to do this is on our website at www.seatwave.com. We advise customers to use the website rather than our phone lines to obtain this information." A statement on Ticketmaster's website said: "We have no official information at this stage. As soon as we have any information, we will immediately contact all customers who have booked tickets through Ticketmaster." However, fans who bought tickets from a third party at a premium may find themselves out of pocket. Tony Northcott, of the Trading Standards Institute, said: "Sales coming through a third party like eBay or a man in the pub will be on sticky ground. If sales are through a third party then the terms and conditions disappear." He added that fans who are turned down for a refund but bought their tickets on a credit card should contact their card provider. Mr Northcott said: "Whoever underwrites these things is in for a big hit with all the money already splashed out and loss of ticket sales." The online shopping website eBay - which at one point this morning had nearly 500 posts advertising Jackson tickets ranging from £75 to £10,000 - urged buyers to contact their seller. A spokesman said: "We are working quickly to remove tickets currently listed for sale on the site and would encourage everyone who has bought tickets through eBay to contact the seller in the first instance to discuss a refund." Customers who bought their tickets under PayPal and experience trouble getting their money back can issue a claim. But they must open an official dispute through the site within 45 days of paying for the tickets.
ITN | June 26, 2009
