Due to production and staging issues at the smaller venues initially scheduled for her upcoming Chicago and Detroit shows, Lady GaGa has moved the shows into larger arenas but is making fans re-buy tickets instead of honoring the originals.
The popular singer’s January 8-10 shows are being moved from The Chicago Theatre to the Rosemont Theatre, and her January 12-13 shows are being moved from the Fox Theatre Detroit to the Joe Louis Arena.
Tickets for the new locations will go on sale today, December 29, and the original tickets have been canceled. The elaborate Monster Ball Tour concerts feature a multitude of dancers, set changes and costume changes for Lady GaGa.
Moving shows from a smaller to a larger venue is not uncommon, especially for an artist of Lady GaGa’s current stature, but traditionally tickets for the original location are honored for the new show.
In an email to ticket holders of the Chicago Theatre shows, the venue only offered ticketing information but nothing further. The singer’s Web site also did not offer any details on why the original tickets are not being honored. Fans who originally bought tickets for the shows will be given first crack at the new ones through a special onsale, according to the email.
“Please note that Chicago Theatre tickets will not be honored for the shows at The Rosemont Theatre. Customers who purchased their Chicago Theatre show(s) tickets via Ticketmaster.com or Ticketmaster’s charge by phone service will be contacted via email or phone regarding the ticket refund procedure,” the email stated.
“Tickets ordered through Ticketmaster Phones or Ticketmaster Online will be automatically credited to the original purchaser’s credit card account within 7 to 10 business days. Tickets purchased through Ticketmaster Outlets or through The Chicago Theatre’s Box Office must be returned to the original point of purchase for a full refund,” it continued.
Coalition Media Group’s Troy Carter, Lady GaGa’s manager, did not immediately return a message seeking comment. A spokesperson for Live Nation, the tour’s promoter, also did not respond to questions.
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I love Lady Gaga! I have been a fan long before she was famous. I have to tell you that both Live Natiion and Ticketmaster are two of the worst companies on the earth. This entire experience has been a nightmare. The change in venue should have never happened in the first place. I do not believe that the change in venue was due to “production issues”. It is not believable that Live Nation does not know how to put on a concert or run a tour. They must know the specifications of a concert and how to find the right venue to meet those specifications. This is about selling 1000 more tickets and charging more per ticket. This is about GREED. The way in which the whole thing was handled tells you that YOU do not matter to them!
The lack of information and misinformation is breathtaking in its ineptitude. Your original tickets will not be honored and must be cancelled and new tickets bought. Do not cancel your tickets. New tickets go on sale to original ticket holders at 5pm tomorrow night on line. You have two hours to buy before the public can buy. I spent three days on the phone with Tickertmaster and everyone had a different story. Do this. Don’t do this. Do that. Don’t do that. You cancelled your original tickets, that was a mistake. Definitely cancel your original tickets and buy new ones. The pre-order does not apply to you. Your tickets will be honored. Your tickets will not be honored. All the information was too little too late and 95% wrong. Ticketmaster’s slogan is “providing world class service.” I can’t even laugh because I am so freakin angry!!
I spent a lot of money and time buying tickets- we all know how much fun it is to get on line and attempt to buy tickets. You have to keep trying and are amazed if it works. You feel lucky to spend a lot of money. Gaga sold out in four minutes. Moreover, while you are buying tickets on-line, you are timed! Not only do you have to pay a lot, you have to do it FAST or you lose your tickets and have to start over again. I am so angry I could kill Live Nation and Ticketmaster! You have to wait 7 to 14 days for a refund. Why can’t I time them as I get a refund? Why can’t I get my money back immediately? Why do I have to buy new tickets at all? So they can charge me more. Live Nation and Ticketmaster are going to have to do SOMETHING REALLY NICE FOR ME if they want my business again. They now have an enemy! ME! I want them to jump through my hoops! My advice to you is to rail against these people as much and as often as possible! We live in a new world where the internet and what you think and write can change things quickly for those who think they are masters of the world. We pay and therefore WE ARE the masters of the world. Say NO WAY to Live Nation and Ticketmaster until they make it up to you and mend their ways! There is great music performed at clubs all over town! You do not need Live Nation or Ticketmaster! Here are some names of GREAT performers: Vivian Girls. Chairlift. Anna Copa Cabanna. The Ropes. There is plenty of music for you to discover and love! I do love Lady Gaga, but this nonsense MUST STOP NOW! The shows are approaching and I still do not have tickets or a refund.
-Eric Chicago
GO TO TND AND STUB HUB IF U WANT TO SEE WHERE ALL THE GOOD TICKETS WENT 10 PACKS GALORE
Bull****!!! They are ******** i purchased these tickets 2 months ago and they decide to make a 10 days before WTF are you doing people!!! plans have been made and no you pull this ****!!!
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So Angry, got these tickets thru stub.hub for my daughters birthday bought them on her birthday now cannot exchange them, and have to pay for the tickets to be sent back, and was told the presale was only for Chicago theatre ticket holders BS, tried that will only allow one ticket purchase at a time. The tickets are again on sale through all the brokers at much higher price. WTF
As a broker, that’s a REAL bush league move on the part of someone who obviously has NO experience on how to run a concert tour. At the very least, original purchasers should receive access to a presale before the general public. Here’s hoping this is the last time this freak show of a ‘performer’ has the privilege of performing before sold out crowds.
I am in exactly the same situation. Bought two tickets from stubhub for detroit concert and would have to pay $125 for the same tickets I paid $75 for a couple weeks ago! We can’t afford that – totally ridiculous that our original tickets won’t be honored! I will not repurchase these tickets – a total crock of ****.
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how can they get away with this!!!!!! I cant even get 1 ticket now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! last time i EVER buy anything from her what a disaster
The way these tickets were done makes me think once a crook always a crook. Everyone understands “it’s all about money.” After my Detroit experience yesterday afternoon people would be better of avoiding everything to do with the downtown venues. Even if the show is good the underlying theme is at best dubious!
call your ATTY general the blame all goes on WILLIAM MORRIS call them if you have a problem…….
I agree with everyone who thinks this is B.S. My seats to the Chicago Theater were main floor and now we’re in one of the last rows in the balcony at the Rosemont Theater. They should have at the very least honored our original seats. It sucks, and there is nothing we can do about it. Ticketmaster and Live Nation are the worst!
DET actually moved are seats to the new venue in a similar location, still pissed about the how mixup though!!
we had front row at the fox section 4, basically in the middle. they offered us row 6 allll the way at the end. and, ticketmaster never sent us an original email until tuesday at 7pm (2 hours after presale) we read about it on twitter.
Got Replacements and extras?? charged twice!!!
I had very similar experience with this. I agree with everyone else as well, but yours explained in details what exactly was going on. My replacement tickets were supposed to be for the Jan12th concert.
1) It’s all about money and to sell more tickets.
2) They don’t care about the buyers, they just want more money, and they don’t care that they are putting us through the same grueling ticket-buying experience and wasting another few hours on the computer at the day and time THEY designate we have to get on the computer. As though we had nothing else to do in our lives, but be jerked around by promoters and TicketMaster . They are assuming I am sitting in front of the computer to receive their mass-produced email notifications to get on the computer at 5pm on Dec 29th to repurchase, and also assuming that I have NOTHING ELSE TO DO ON DEC 29TH AT 5 PM!!!!!!!!!!
3) I have to make a living (hello, anyone there know that we have to earn money to pay for food and the occasional concert?). Yes, please tell TM and Gaga and LiveN that we have to earn a living to pay for this garbage, and that means WE ARE BUSY AT 5pm on the day they chose!!!!!!!!!
4) OK, so we put our alarm on and sneak out of the office to run home and use the computer with our “special code” to repurchase tickets. Hope I don’t get fired from my miserable job and have to get on welfare because of this. But WAIT! The “code” won’t work!!!
5) So I’m on the computer with my heart pounding, typing away feverishly with my confirmation number and last name as it appears on my order (I had to look those up earlier… more time spent on something I thought I was done with, and now I can’t spend time with my family who is visiting from out of town and we had planned to do something special tonight). But of course that is not important to Gaga and TM and Lie N, what really matters to them is that they have “done their part” in telling me my tickets are canceled and to get on the computer at 5 pm . This reminds me of when I used to live in a COMMUNIST COUNTRY and we were constantly being told to do this and do that. When I asked for asylum to the US, I thought all that was behind me. But apparently I was mistaken. There is a whole set of NEW NIGHTMARES going on in the US, in addition to GREED, MONOPOLY, and BEING DICTATED as to what to do, or else. I remember standing in the bread lines for hours with a coupon in my hand which was our family allowance for bread and eggs. How different is this? It’s just not bread. Just a stupid GAGA concert.
6) SO I spend 30 minutes trying my confirmation number every which way, and I try typing my last name in different ways, just in case… then I notice that this event ALSO WENT ON SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AT THE SAME TIME, 12/29 5pm ! So I figure I will try that. But THAT is sold out! If I knew my code was not going to work, I would have gotten those without the code and at 5pm. But now it is 5:30 pm. So I’m f…ed, and I call TM.
7) Another 20 minutes being put on hold and giving the agent my ID and credit card and address. He confirms I had purchased Gaga tickets and has no idea that the concert has changed venue and new tickets have gone on sale. I am almost screaming at him at this point. He says “just a moment” and goes away for 10 minutes and comes back and says they are having issues with this and to try again “in a few hours”, at which time the issues would have been taken care of.
8) I call again in another hour. Another 20 minute hole on TM. Another explanation.
No resolve. Every time I call, I try using my code before calling just not to be wasting my time on the phone.
9) I call again at 9 pm, but their live agents are gone, now the system is “automated”.
I look up TM phone number in California, hoping those folks are still awake, and luckily I get a human being. I try to control my temper and explain the whole thing as though the guy knows nothing (which he doesn’t). He does tries to enter my codes for me and says “they don’t work”. I knew that, that is why I was calling you. Could someone PLEASE let me talk to a supervisor or someone who knows what is going on? (Am I getting paid for this?). Another 20 minute hold to get “customer service”. I thought that is who I was talking to! Same conversation again, ID, name, address, etc. Puts me on hold again. Talks to some supervisor. Answer: “Not everyone was set up to purchase at 5pm, only certain seats were allowed to repurchase at 5 pm. If you had a floor seats, you time will be announced later. You will get an email”.
10) Meanwhile my family left me in front of the computer and they went ahead and went out without me. I am missing out on tonight’s show with my family, and that ticket has now been wasted. Is TM going to repay me for my loss?
11) So WHEN am I going to get this “other email” that will tell me when I am supposed to get on TM to repurchase my tickets? Hey folks: THIS IS CHRISTMAS VACATION… IT IS THE ONLY TIME IN THE YEAR THAT I GET TO SEE MY FAMILY… ARE YOU TRYING TO RUIN IT FOR ME?? I DO NOT HAVE TIME TO BE GLUED TO THE COMPUTER… I HAVE NOOOOO IDEA WHEN MY TIME WAS SUPPOSED TO BE… it probably came and went, and all I can say is I hope TM and LiveN and Gaga’s promoter go out of business or go bankrupt (cheers!) or get sued BIG TIME.
12) I will be happy to JOIN any CLASS-ACTION LAW SUIT anyone wants to bring against TM, LiveN, and the promoter, combined. They better have good insurance.
email me: [email protected] and let’s see where we can take this.
This is extremely tiring. We as consumers should know better by now,that the law of supply and demand will rule, HOWEVER!! what transpired here was price gouging at its worst. Customer service at its worst, wrong, wrong, wrong info going out the door. Please I have read every newspaper article on this fiasco and all MIND you all of them, stated, oh you will be able to exchange your tickets. Please it didn’t and couldn’t happen. While you were suppose to be allowed to exchange, all the tickets were already in the hands of the brokers, ON SALE AS THE SUPPOSED EXCHANGE WAS GOING ON!!! Oh, yes I was stupid enough to purchase again, only because the original tickets were for my daughters birthday!!! Something has to change, you cannot get a ticket for a popular concert anywhere with out going through a broker and paying exorbitant fees, double or triple face value, shipping charges for a paper ticket and then a service fee, all for a paper ticket!!!
For someone who claims to love her fans, her “monsters”, Lady Gaga certainly has done those fans a huge disservice. Is she in the dark about the massive mess changing venues has caused for ticket-holders? If so, she should have insisted original tickets be honored, and whatever extra seats were left in the larger venue be sold. I have been very fortunate in the long run to have dealt with an honest person through Craig’s List in Chicago. He got his tickets from a friend who put in the computer time (and they were excellent 14th row seats.) He then resold them to me when he learned he would have to be out of town, and he was also out of town when this whole mess started. The original ticket buyer was not even aware of what was going on. Luckily, my guy is honorable and honest and has refunded me my full purchase price, but now I am out of great seats and will have to scramble for tickets I can afford. It is no secret Ticketmaster has sucked for a long time (Eddie Vedder had it right years ago), but I think some of the responsibility goes to Lady Gaga herself, and she owes her fans an apology.
I applaud all those that chose to have their own personal boycott and NOT purchase tickets to the larger venue…we create these monsters and only we can contain or destroy them. The fans should have shown Lady GaGa that if she could be so cavalier in her treatment of her fans then we could keep our money for an Artist like Neyo that tries to sing with the flu and cries on stage because he felt he let us down!
Luckily I got a refund for my original main floor $150 ticket. I decided not to get another ticket at a higher price in the nosebleed section. I was looking forward to this concert and now will not be attending. Ga Ga Gone. No longer a fan…
I purchased my tickets through AnyTickets and had not received them yet (sketchy i know…) anyway, they gave me a refund- and when i went to ticketmaster online at 10:00am the day of the general public sale… there were no tickets availble.. what a sham!
I live in the city and don’t have a car so any show in rosemont is an immediate no. i’m not walking in the snow. i don’t know if they even have cabs in the suburbs. i like her music but it would have been a way better show in my opinion at the chicago. it’s intimate, special and just a nice venue over all that really represents the city. anyhow, when she doesn’t feel nervous to come in the city i’ll be there. i mean honestly, she could’ve packed the united center easy… if i see her out shopping today, i’m so going to let her know that she better bust out her poker face and take my bad romance. She needs to stop with her love games and just dance with that stupid pa pa paparazzi.