I touched on this yesterday. Lots of folks were having problems getting through on Ticketmaster.com. A friend reminded me that there was phone technology, and while I was able to buy tickets to one show, on my second go around TM was unable to process credit cards.
Like many fans, Ann Marie Madiefsky was at her computer before 9 a.m. Monday, waiting for tickets for two Bruce Springsteen concerts at the Izod Center to go on sale.
And like many fans, Madiefsky came away empty. After 40 minutes -- and an error message stating the service was down "due to routine maintenance" -- Madiefsky was told Ticketmaster had no more tickets. She was re-directed to TicketsNow, the Ticketmaster-owned internet marketplace where hundreds of tickets were available for hundreds and, in some cases, thousands of dollars over the $65 and $95 prices.
"I'm livid," said Madiefsky, 42, of Marlboro, who has been to dozens of Springsteen shows over the last 20 years. "It's a horrible, frustrating experience every time he comes around. No one will stand up to Ticketmaster. Nobody is questioning how these people are getting these tickets."
Ticketmaster says the Boss' popularity -- and the fact tickets for the North American leg of his tour went on sale the morning after he performed at the Super Bowl halftime show -- created huge demand. Springsteen is going on the road to promote his latest album, "Working on a Dream," released last month. He will play the Izod Center in East Rutherford May 21 and 23.
About 30,000 tickets to the two Meadowlands concerts sold in about 65 minutes, according to the Izod Center. Capacity for each show is just over 20,000. About 5,000 tickets are held back for the band, promoter and record company.
Ticketmaster spokesman Albert Lopez said only a "teeny" number of fans received the error message that Madiefsky encountered. He said those fans would be contacted by the ticket service to try to "close the transaction" since many fans were in the middle of making a purchase when they encountered the error message.
Lopez also said no tickets were moved to TicketsNow in advance of the primary sale.
"We're under contract with the venue, promoter and talent to put the tickets on sale at a specific time and date," he said. "We're are contractually obligated to do that and that's why I can guarantee we don't hold back and plant tickets on Tickets Now.
"There are probably 150,000 Bruce Springsteen fans wanting to see the show on any given night, and they are all competing for tickets and it just can't happen," he said. "There are a limited number of tickets. This happens every time there is a band that is touring and they have a dedicated fan base."
Lopez said Ticketmaster customers are directed to the secondary marketplace, TicketsNow, as a courtesy.
"We were totally sold out, so we provide fans with an opportunity to look within the secondary market," he said. Lopez said tickets being sold on TicketsNow are not owned by Ticketmaster or by TicketsNow but by individuals or brokers. TicketsNow receives a percentage of the re-sale of each ticket.
A change in scalping laws has helped spark the internet ticket market. In New Jersey, there are no restrictions on the re-sale of tickets on the internet.
Still, the state Division of Consumer Affairs will look into complaints made by consumers yesterday.
"We're trying to ascertain what happened with this process," said Jeff Lamm, spokesman for Consumer Affairs. "People want to know that they had an opportunity to get the tickets and that there was a level playing field. We don't know until we look at what transpired.
But many fans insist the sale is rigged.
"I don't buy what they're telling me," Madiefsky said. "It's a lie."
