Hundreds Turned Away From Elton John Show Amid Fake Ticket Scam
"It broke my heart because I did spend so much money."
Hundreds of people were turned away from Elton John's Adelaide show last night, after purchasing fraudulent tickets through re-sale sites.
Promoters Chugg Entertainment have confirmed to The Music today that around 200 people were turned away from the show due to invalid tickets, with 15% of those then opting to purchase new valid tickets at the box office.
An Adelaide woman, identified as only Sam, called radio station FiveAA this morning, saying that she had purchased tickets for herself and her autistic son, James, for $388 on re-sale site Viagogo, only to be told the tickets were not valid when arriving at the gate.
"I bought these tickets way back in February on Viagogo… And they cost me $388. And I thought because it’s James’ birthday, I’ll do it. I booked them and I printed them off because you couldn’t print them off until about a month ago," she said on-air this morning.
"Long story short, we got to the gate and they said, ‘You need to go up to the window and get your tickets printed out.’ Well, we went up to the window and they said, ‘These tickets aren’t valid.’ And I said, ‘I bought them, I’ve got three pieces of paper here verifying that I bought them.’
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"My son was getting really distressed thinking that we wouldn’t be able to get in, he’s been looking forward to this for ages."
"It broke my heart because I did spend so much money."
The station later confirmed that the Office Of Consumer Affairs was launching an investigation into the incident.
Viagogo has told The Music today that they are looking into the claims, however they have reported that they have only received four complaints so far.
“Any fan that experiences problems with their tickets in gaining entry to last night’s Elton John event should contact Viagogo as soon as possible so we can help secure your refund," said a spokesperson.
"As with all tickets on our platform, Viagogo provides a guarantee that in the rare instance a customer has a problem with a ticket, we will either find a replacement ticket or give a full refund.
“We have become aware of some fraudulent activity that has resulted in tickets purchased with stolen credit cards being sold on our platform. We are doing everything we can do resolve this issue.
"There is no incentive for sellers to sell fraudulent tickets on our website because Viagogo does not pay a seller until a buyer successfully attends an event. Our role is to manage the transaction and make sure that the seller gets paid and that the buyer receives the tickets. We provide a safe and transparent service for Australian fans.
"Any seller who knowingly acts to deceive on our platform will have their selling rights rescinded and be banned from using Viagogo again."
John's tour continues on in Adelaide tonight. He kicked off his final Australian tour in Perth this past weekend and called out venue security for allegedly assaulting an audience member.
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