This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Artist News Business News Legal Live Business
Ticketmaster could be fined over this weekend’s Bad Bunny ticketing problems
By Andy Malt | Published on Tuesday 13 December 2022
The head of the Mexican government’s consumer rights agency has criticised Ticketmaster over the issues that occurred at this weekend’s Bad Bunny concerts in Mexico City, pledging to fine the Live Nation ticketing firm.
Ticketmaster admitted this weekend that there were issues at the big Bad Bunny shows resulting in some people with legit tickets being turned away from the venue. In a statement, the ticketing company said that the problems were caused by a particularly high number of fake tickets being presented at the entrances to Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium.
“The presentation of an unprecedented number of fake tickets”, its statement said, overwhelmed the venue’s systems. “This generated confusion and complicated entrance to the stadium, with the unfortunate consequence of some legitimate tickets being denied entrance”.
Ticketmaster has already pledged full refunds for those refused entry, but Ricardo Sheffield, head of Mexico’s Federal Consumer Attorney’s Office, insisted in an interview with the Televisa network that affected Bad Bunny fans must also receive compensation of 20% of their ticket purchase price.
Seemingly of the opinion that the problems were the result of Ticketmaster overselling the Bad Bunny shows – rather than a high number of counterfeit tickets being in circulation – Sheffield also pledged to fine the ticketing business. He added that any fine could equal 10% of the company’s total sales in Mexico in 2021.
Responding to Sheffield’s comments, Ticketmaster said in a statement: “As it has been informed, on Friday an unprecedented number of counterfeit tickets, purchased outside of our official channels, were presented at the entrances to the venue. This situation, in addition to confusion among the access control staff, caused temporary intermittence in the access control system, which unfortunately impeded the identification of legitimate tickets for some moments. It is important to highlight that there was no overcrowding or overselling of tickets”.
Back in the US – where Ticketmaster is still being criticised for the issues that surrounded the recent pre-sale of tickets to Taylor Swift’s 2023 tour – another batch of tickets for said tour are about to go on sale. This time tickets will seemingly become available in a staggered fashion on a city by city basis.
As before, they will only be available to those who previously signed up via Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan scheme. Those eligible for the next round of sales were told by Ticketmaster: “We apologise for the difficulties you may have experienced [last time], and have been asked by Taylor’s team to create this additional opportunity for you to purchase tickets”.
UPDATE 15 Dec 2022: Added response to Ricardo Sheffield from Ticketmaster.
