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Watford FC slam attempts to sell Sir Elton John concert tickets on eBay (From Watford Observer)
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Watford FC slam attempts to sell Sir Elton John concert tickets on eBay
12:36pm Wednesday 11th November 2009
Watford FC claim attempts to sell over-priced tickets for next summer’s Sir Elton John concert on eBay are in “incredibly poor taste”.
The former Watford chairman is holding the benefit concert to raise money for the cash-strapped club but that hasn’t stopped people putting tickets on online auction site eBay for more than double their face value.
One is attempting to sell two tickets with a combined worth of £200 for £500 and another is asking for £999 for two tickets, a hotel room and a "goody bag".
Watford FC’s head of customer sales Michael Jones said: “The sellers are breaking the terms and conditions of sale imposed by Watford FC and at this stage we do not intend to mail out the tickets in question.
“Whilst not contravening the rules of ticket sales on eBay, we believe the attempt to sell these tickets for profit is in incredibly poor taste when you consider that Sir Elton is putting on this benefit concert to raise money for the football club.
“That said, we shouldn’t allow the actions of two individuals to over shadow what has been a very successful sales process and with thousands of tickets being available for general sale at face value, we don’t believe they will achieve their aim for profit anyway.”
More than 8,000 tickets for the concert were sold in the first two hours on Monday.
Watford FC season ticket holders were given priority on Monday and Tuesday and the rest of the ‘Watford FC database’ have the chance to purchase as many as 20 tickets today and tomorrow.
The capacity for the May 29 concert, at Watford FC’s Vicarage Road Stadium, is 23,000 and the club are confident there will still be seats available when tickets go on general sale on Friday.
Click here for full ticket details
Click here to see read more about the concert itself
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Your Say YourWatford
imuz, bushey says...
2:32pm Wed 11 Nov 09
davidjohnbarnard, Cheshunt says...
2:41pm Wed 11 Nov 09
MikeS, Birmingham says...
3:02pm Wed 11 Nov 09
watfordkev, Watford says...
3:03pm Wed 11 Nov 09
And yes, the club have perpetuated it by allowing 20 per ST holder, which is barmy.
But even if it were 2 per ST holder you would still get this happening, just less of it!
ralphinator1, bovingdon says...
3:37pm Wed 11 Nov 09
After a bit of detective work, I was able to furnish the club with a name and location, so I hope that MikeS's wish is able to be granted.
Well done to the club for issuing the statement, which may also come to ebay's attention.
Agree it'll never entirely go away, but if ebay can ban the reselling of footy tickets, there's absolutely no reason why they can't do the same for concerts.
watfordkev, Watford says...
3:43pm Wed 11 Nov 09
MikeS wrote:I don't agree. The club, having set the ludicrous limit of 20 tickets per head, have got their money - so they have no right whatsoever to try and take the moral high ground.
Surely they can find out who's selling these tickets and put a freeze on their season ticket. They're supposed to be supporters of our club yet they want to make a few easy quid selling tickets they were privileged to have first refusal on and possibly depriving a genuine fan of a ticket. Disgrace!
You're absolutely right, it's a privilege to be able to get the tickets, and those who did broke no rules - far from it!
The club must face its responsibilities here. Two tickets each would have meant every ST holder who wanted to getting a chance to. But the club set the rule of 20 each, which implies they cared nothing about a fair share out.
I don't really see how they could put this freeze on ST holders who have helped sell this show out. (I hasten to add I have not bought any tickets!)
Also, it's not the same as selling a match ticket that might fall into the 'wrong hands' ie an away fan. Now that's another kettle of fish!
MikeS, Birmingham says...
3:55pm Wed 11 Nov 09
Prof Plum, Rickmansworth says...
3:59pm Wed 11 Nov 09
ralphinator1, bovingdon says...
4:35pm Wed 11 Nov 09
Prof Plum wrote:That's quite amusing, but back in the real world, the market for tickets for big events has become totally distorted thanks to the touting community and the acquiescence of outlets like ebay. Ordinary punters are getting fleeced left right and centre as a result and too much of the profit is going to people often operating on the edge of legality.
If someone can get 999 quid for a ticket on ebay or anywhere else good luck to them. If that's the sort of money people are prepared to pay to watch Elton doddering around then the club should have flogged the lot on ebay and wiped out its debts at a stroke.
I accept the point about the marketing of these tickets, but interest in WFC and the music of SEJ is far from synonymous, leaving the club with a dilemma; restricting to 2 per person would mean that too few would be sold to ST holders, leaving the bulk open to the scalpers anyway.
In reality, I very much doubt whether many people will be interested at these outrageous prices, but I do think that ST holders have a moral responsibility to the club not to indulge in this sort of activity and should face sanction if caught.
appyornet, Watford says...
4:35pm Wed 11 Nov 09
hornetcarp, higham ferrers says...
6:37pm Wed 11 Nov 09
ridiculous ticketing strategy......
sghbnige, Garston says...
6:53pm Wed 11 Nov 09
bomber18, Oxhey says...
10:39pm Wed 11 Nov 09
Thank Heavens I am not a fan of Elton,though I would be tempted to fork out a fiver just for the spectacle. Any offers from Ebay?
tonyevans22, whittlesey says...
12:16am Thu 12 Nov 09
sghbnige wrote:The person selling for £999 bought them from the club and has happily admitted that,also this is a message sent to me via her ebay address which is also very bad taste..
Instead of just being critical about the club's selling policy, maybe someone ought to get on to ebay and check out what was advertised. I looked on monday and found the seller bought these tickets via Elton Johns website. All you have to do is to scroll down to find out. However, now I cannot find the page in question, so perhaps action has already been taken.
lol thank you, i sold them for 800 thanks to the publicity, your a star, and i brought 20 more off the club to sell, xmas is gonna be good this year, good old elton john, with special guests, 4 poofs and a piano......
- eileen999pc(ebay)
tonyevans22, whittlesey says...
12:25am Thu 12 Nov 09
sghbnige wrote:Also this is the page your looking for and the tickets are not on sale on his website.we are at the bottom of the page in regards to his tour.
Instead of just being critical about the club's selling policy, maybe someone ought to get on to ebay and check out what was advertised. I looked on monday and found the seller bought these tickets via Elton Johns website. All you have to do is to scroll down to find out. However, now I cannot find the page in question, so perhaps action has already been taken.
http://web.eltonjohn
.com/concerts/
BigDaveH, Bicester says...
7:49am Thu 12 Nov 09
1. I have been a supporter of WFC since 1970 but unfortunately not a season ticket holder, so could not purchase on day 1.
2. I have also been a fan of EJ since 1969, and a member of the fan club, so purchased my "2" tickets from there on Monday morning, and will have a great view (as we did at Bristol).
3. We live in a market economy, so good luck to anyone who can make a profit by selling on their tickets. The club still got their list price.
4. Actually, if you wait until nearer the date I can guarantee you will be able to bid on tickets and get them at list or below, as these types of concert are rarely sold out (I have done this before).
Well, thats my rant. Can we talk about the great work that Malky has done this year?
the sniper, watford says...
11:37am Thu 12 Nov 09
BicesterLee, Bicester says...
3:44pm Thu 12 Nov 09
Nice to know we're not the only ones in this sleepy market town supporting the Horns.
BigDaveH, Bicester says...
8:00am Fri 13 Nov 09
Unless you have another "nom-de-plume" on BBC 606 then I know of at least three of us! I started taking my two kids to the Vic. from about the age of 10, but neither of them go now, and with a wife who dislikes "silly football", its great to know there is a kindred spirit in the locale.
Disney, Hemel Hempstead says...
9:23am Fri 13 Nov 09
What you may not know,though, is that members of the "Elton John Rocket Club" were exclusively offered tickets in Block B rows D to Q. These tickets were not available to season ticket holders and the person selling 2 for £999 on ebay is claiming they are "genuine fan-club tickets" For WFC to "slam attempts to sell tickets on Ebay" is like giving a child a bag of sweets and then punishing him for eating them all!!
BicesterLee, Bicester says...
9:35am Fri 13 Nov 09
Similar here with my other 2 kids and wife not that interested in football, although my wife will come to matches occasionally.
On BBC 606 as BicesterHornetLee, not very imaginative I'm afraid, 'does what it says on the tin'
the main one, Ricky says...
11:58am Fri 13 Nov 09
tonyevans22 wrote:Should anyone want to pay £999 for a ticket from eileen999pc on eBay, you may also be interested in her Robbie Williams tickets at £899, which she claims is a genuine sell :-).
sghbnige wrote: Instead of just being critical about the club's selling policy, maybe someone ought to get on to ebay and check out what was advertised. I looked on monday and found the seller bought these tickets via Elton Johns website. All you have to do is to scroll down to find out. However, now I cannot find the page in question, so perhaps action has already been taken.The person selling for £999 bought them from the club and has happily admitted that,also this is a message sent to me via her ebay address which is also very bad taste.. lol thank you, i sold them for 800 thanks to the publicity, your a star, and i brought 20 more off the club to sell, xmas is gonna be good this year, good old elton john, with special guests, 4 poofs and a piano...... - eileen999pc(ebay)
-
See her listing at http://cgi.ebay.co.u
k/ROBBIE-WILLIAMS-LI
VE-UPTO-6-TICKETS_W0
QQitemZ300365039704Q
QcmdZViewItemQQptZLH
_DefaultDomain_3?has
h=item45ef26c858
-
The listing (which finishes at 5.41pm on Sunday) even contains her phone number as well, so you can even discuss things with her!!!
sacc the aders, stevenage says...
10:53am Sat 14 Nov 09
SO IF THAT LADY WHO SOLD 2 TICKETS FOR |||||£999, GOOD ON HER, MATBE WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT EMPLOYING HER AT WATFORD IN THE TICKETING DEPARTMENT..
Sir Elton John will be performing at Vicarage Road for a third time on May 29.
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jackm91, Watford says...
12:44pm Wed 11 Nov 09