Jacksons v AEG Timeline Top Stories

Jacko fans petition against ticket scam

By | Published on Thursday 2 July 2009

Yeah, the more I think about it, the more dodgy this “well, you could keep your ticket if you want to, but it’ll cost you fifty quid” thing is. And an increasing number of Jacko fans are letting their feelings on the matter be known.

As previously reported, promoters of the ill fated Jackson residency at The O2, AEG Live, have said that fans who had bought £50 or £75 tickets for the now cancelled fifty night residency can, if they wish, keep the flashy lenticular ticket that would have got them admission to the shows as a special souvenir, but, and it’s a big but, instead of taking a refund. Which basically means the going rate for this bit of cardboard is between £50 and £75.

While it’s true tickets for the Jacko shows that never happened will be collectors items, it seems a little harsh to charge fans such a high price, given that, had Jacko not died, they would have got both the show and souvenir ticket for the same price. Especially when AEG boss Randy Phillips had assured ticket holders his company would treat them with the “reverence and respect” that Jackson himself would have demanded.

With that in mind, a group of fans have set up an online petition. While the fans say they don’t mind paying for a souvenir ticket, they feel fifty quid is far too much to ask. They are right, of course.

The online petition reads: “We, Michael Jackson fans, are asking AEG Live to change their proposal for the This Is It concert ticket refunds. AEG Live recently stated fans will have ‘the option to be sent the actual tickets they would have received to attend the shows in lieu of the full refunds which are being offered’. Many fans who were due to attend the show would love the opportunity to keep their existing ticket, however feel if AEG Live really wish to treat the fans with ‘reverence and respect’ after Michael’s passing, any tickets offered to us should be priced reasonably lower”.

The continue: “Tickets prices ranged from £50 – 75 not including booking and shipping charges. Michael Jackson fans have found it disrespectful of AEG Live to charge such an extortionate amount of money for a keepsake ticket and believe Michael Jackson and the Jackson Family would not wish for the fans and supporters to be treated this way”.

Fans are encouraged not just to sign the petition, but to add a message too. So far 845 people have done so.

The whole thing does seem like terrible public relations on AEG’s part, and really does suggest that management at the live firm are panicking about the financial impact the last minute cancellation of the residency is going to have on the company – despite Phillips’ assurances that everything is fine. It will also be interesting to see what impact the scam has on Dome sponsors O2, a brand which has invested millions trying to convince us that they are the mobile phone network of choice for music fans, but which is now – albeit by association – involved in ripping off fans of one of history’s biggest pop stars within days of his death. Yeah, great bit of marketing that.

You can read messages from disgruntled fans here.



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