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Ed Sheeran fans have been given the option to buy new face-value tickets, after several were turned away at the first show of the ÷ UK tour
By IQ on 25 May 2018
image © See Tickets
Kilimanjaro Live, DHP Family and AEG Presents, joint promoters for Ed Sheeran’s UK tour, which kicked off last night, have followed through on their pledge to invalidate tickets bought from unauthorised resale sites such as Viagogo.
The three promoters announced last July that the estimated 10,000 tickets (around 10% of all those sold) snapped up by touts would not be valid for the 18-date ÷ tour, which began at the 60,000-cap. Etihad Stadium in Manchester yesterday.
Three of the four major secondary ticketing sites agreed not to list the tickets, although Viagogo, predictably, refused to fall into line. The official primary ticket agencies are See Tickets and Ticketmaster, with Twickets handling resale duties.
Despite advance warnings sent to ticketholders by Kilimanjaro CEO Stuart Galbraith, a number of fans turned up in Manchester unaware they were in possession of cancelled tickets. They were given the option to buy new tickets at the face value of £150 and advised to contact Viagogo or their credit card company to claim back the “fraudulent” charge.
Galbraith told the BBC yesterday the measures ensure customers are paying “the price on the ticket that Ed wanted them to pay”.
“We have people we’re helping out today who have paid up to £4,000, which is just outrageous”
“Although it’s inconvenient for customers, we are helping them achieve refunds on transactions where they’ve just been ripped off,” he added. “We have people we’re helping out today who have paid up to £4,000, which is just outrageous.
“Everyone we’ve dealt with today, and we’ve dealt with hundreds, we’ve given them advice about how to receive refunds against their fraudulently traded tickets and we’ve sold them face-value tickets. So we’ve achieved what Ed wanted us to.”
Fans who can’t immediately afford to buy new face-value tickets will be given the option to come back and buy tickets for a different date, Galbraith added.
After four nights in Manchester, the ÷ tour continues continues onto Glasgow for three nights at Hampden Park (90,000-cap.) 1 to 3 June, three at St James’ Park (~52,000-cap.) in Newcastle from 8 to 10 June, four at Wembley Stadium (90,000-cap.) in London from 14 to 17 June and four at Principality Stadium (74,500-cap.) in Cardiff from 21 to 24 June.
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