As Hurricanes fans
gear up for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, North Carolina’s investigation
into problems with ticket sales remains active.
Many season ticket holders who were
given priority access codes to ticket sales on Ticketmaster reported to WRAL and the state Department of Justice that their access codes didn’t work as
intended.
Some fans reported waiting in a long virtual line only to be
kicked out of line and thrown to the back of the queue. By the time they made
it back to the portal, many tickets were gone, and they were forced to purchase
tickets at much higher prices on the resale market.
Bailey Aldridge, a spokesperson for the NCDOJ, told WRAL
that Ticketmaster has responded to the state’s inquiry and said it is looking
into the attorney general’s questions.
Questions remain about bots and presale access
So far, the attorney general’s office has received 37
complaints related to Hurricanes ticket sales, including complaints from
previous seasons, and four complaints related to FIFA World Cup ticket sales.
According to the NCDOJ, Ticketmaster told the state that some
of the issues reported by Hurricanes fans may have been the result of
exceptionally high demand for Stanley Cup Final tickets. The company also
indicated it plans to provide additional information about how it monitors and
responds to bots, a concern raised by fans who reported problems accessing
tickets despite having presale codes.
Aldridge said Ticketmaster also told investigators that
resale ticket prices operate in a separate marketplace and are often determined
by what consumers are willing to pay.
More to come from Ticketmaster
Attorney General Jeff Jackson launched the inquiry after
Hurricanes season-ticket holders complained they were unable to purchase
tickets during the presale despite receiving priority access. Some fans
reported technical issues, long waits in Ticketmaster’s virtual queue and being
pushed to the back of the line before tickets sold out.
Those fans were often left with only one option: the resale
market, where ticket prices were listed at thousands of dollars.
Ticketmaster is expected to provide additional answers to
the state’s questions in the coming days.
