NEWARK
– The availability of additional tickets
for the two Bruce Springsteen concerts at
the Izod Center tonight and Saturday, as required
under the settlement with Ticketmaster negotiated
by the Office of the Attorney General and
the Division of Consumer Affairs, will result
in 2,586 fans being able to attend the shows.
An
additional 381 consumers who overpaid for
tickets when they were unknowingly linked
from the Ticketmaster web site to the TicketsNow
resale site, will receive a collective $246,257
in refunds. The refunds amount to the difference
in the prices paid compared to the face value
of the tickets.
“The
concert-goers attending tonight’s show
include consumers who had their complaints
resolved under the settlement we negotiated
with Ticketmaster,” Attorney General
Anne Milgram said. “We are continuing
to review the business practices of the concert
industry in New Jersey to ensure consumers
are treated fairly when they attempt to buy
tickets.”
Ticketmaster
agreed to revise its business practices, including
not linking from its web site to the TicketsNow
resale site without approval from the Office
of the Attorney General, under the settlement.
Ticketmaster also is barred from speculative
pre-sales of tickets, as happened when tickets
were sold in February for this month’s
Springsteen concert in Washington, D.C.
The
agreement with Ticketmaster states that the
company “shall prohibit the sale, offer
of sale or advertisement of tickets to any
Entertainment Event (for which tickets are
being sold on Ticketmaster’s website
for primary ticketing) through its TicketsNow
website until initial sale on sale date and
time at its website for primary ticketing.
Respondent shall use best efforts to ensure
that all users of its TicketsNow website comply
with this non pre-sale provision.”
“We
continue to monitor Ticketmaster for compliance
with the terms of the settlement,” said
David Szuchman, Consumer Affairs Director.
“We will investigate new consumer complaints
about buying tickets for events and concerts
that are filed with the Division.”
Szuchman
thanked the New Jersey Sports and Exposition
Authority (NJSEA) for its assistance in making
the random ticket drawing possible.
Consumers
may file complaints with the Division of Consumer
Affairs by calling 1-800-242-5846
(toll-free within N.J.) or 973-504-6200
or online at www.nj.gov/oag/ca/ocp/ocpform.htm
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