As last night’s Black Keys show was their first performance in over four years, fans certainly were expecting some surprises. However, the surprise that met hundreds of fans was probably not exactly what they were expecting. According to CBS 2, hundreds of fans were informed at the doors that their tickets, purchased through third-party vendors such as StubHub, Vivid Seats and SeatGeek, were fakes.
The chaotic scene took place in Los Angeles’ Koreatown neighborhood, where hundreds of fans were stuck outside the doors of the historic Wiltern Theatre as the band went on around 9:20 local time. Official tickets for the performance were sold through Ticketmaster and labeled as non-transferable. Ticketmaster issued a statement to CBS:
“The presenters of the concert directed that these tickets be made available only to fans and that they be strictly nontransferable. This was messaged from the beginning with the announcement of the performance and throughout the sales process. Unfortunately, bad actors took advantage of this situation and posted screen shots of tickets that were not valid for entry onto the secondary market. We always recommend purchasing tickets from the official source.”
There is no indication at this time that the fake tickets will be refunded. CBS 2 spoke with several people outside the venue.
“Our StubHubs aren’t working,” a man that paid $800 for a third-party ticket told the network. “We paid full value for our tickets, and they’re not letting us in.”
CBS 2 has reached out to StubHub and The Wiltern. The venue is owned privately but operated by Live Nation.
UPDATE (9/23): StubHub has reacted to the confusion over this weekend’s Black Keys shows by issuing a statement. In the statement, the site makes it clear that the tickets were legitimate and that they were rejected due to the delivery method of Ticketmaster. StubHub has reimbursed all fans that bought tickets on the site while taking it a step further by offering an additional credit. See the full statement below:
“Unexpectedly, Live Nation and Ticketmaster issued tickets for The Black Keys concert through rotating barcodes, which limit how fans can use tickets. This resulted in fans who purchased legitimate tickets on StubHub being turned away at the entrance. Fans should not be punished for giving away or reselling their tickets. We strongly disagree with Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s approach and the negative impact it has on fans. As part of our FanProtect Guarantee, StubHub is proactively offering full refunds, and given the exceptional situation, we’re also extending a $100 credit to affected fans.”
Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat
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