OUTLAW BLUES: Talkin’ HEADLINER Bob Dylan canceled appearance Ticketmaster “no ticket refund” shakedown “abatement” paranoid blues
OUTLAW BLUES: Talkin’ HEADLINER Bob Dylan canceled appearance Ticketmaster “no ticket refund” shakedown “abatement” paranoid blues
“To live outside the law, you must be honest,” Absolutely Sweet Marie, Bob Dylan, 1966
On April 9 of this year, I bought a ticket for the final date of the “Outlaw Music Festival” tour. It was originally rumored when the dates were announced, but didn’t go on sale until much later than the surprise February 27th on sale dates for the original shows. (That’s when I got mine for the Mansfield date.)
According to my receipt, it was at 1:55 a.m., although it must have been earlier in the evening. Maybe it was west coast time? Somehow, I must have checked my phone, and noticed that presale tickets for Friday, September 20, at the BankNH Pavilion in Gilford, New Hampshire, had gone on sale. This lineup was slightly different on this leg of the tour, with John Mellencamp joining Willie Nelson & Family and Bob Dylan, replacing Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. While I like both Nelson and Mellencamp, and have seen the both live multiple times, on the same bill as Dylan, and also on different, separate tours. I bought a ticket to see Bob Dylan and … whomever. As I’ve been saying for the last 50 years, who knows how long this Dylan guy is gonna be around?
Through the “Blackbird/Artist Fan Club Presale,” I was able to buy a single seat right up close. The price was $199.50, with an additional $40 fee, for a grand total of $239.50. But wait, there's more! I even splurged for the BNHP Parking - a bargain at $20. Updated grand total? $259.50
This is no knock against Mr. Nelson or Mr. Mellencamp, but there was only one reason I was willing to pay such an exorbitant price, and cross state lines, to see this show, and that was to see Mr. Dylan.
It's a breach of contract.
On August 28, and through various platforms on the following days, it was announced that Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan would not be appearing at this final show of the tour in Guilford, NH. Who would be the artist worthy of replacing this legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee? Neil Young? Bruce Springsteen? Paul McCartney? Richard Thompson? Lucinda Williams? Oasis? If it was one of these artists, I would have found any to be a suitable substitute, under the circumstances.
The act they chose to fill Dylan’s shoes is someone named Charley Crockett. Again, no offense to Mr. Crockett, but to me, the one who paid $259.50, this is not an event that is worth that price.
Because of the wording of the agreement to which I agreed, I was not entitled to a refund. The concert will be held as promised. Of course if I didn’t agree to the terms, I wouldn’t be allowed to purchase a ticket. I’m no legal expert, but this sounds like something close to extortion, or entrapment. This is, of course, an outrage. That’s a lot of money for something I don’t want to see. I could understand, for instance, a credit from Ticketmaster, but this is unacceptable.
I contacted my friend Nichole Hersey, who has been known to successfully get refunds for shows, despite initial pushback from concert promoters and the like.
Email alertSo we went into action. We called Ticketmaster, and were on hold for about 30 minutes, then hung up when their offices were about to close. I called Blackbird Productions, the promoter of the event, and left a message. They never responded.
Nichole was skeptical when I told her that the credit card I used was from Chase Bank. She warned me that they would not fight for me, unlike American Express. I soon changed the default payment option at Ticketmaster, and just used it to buy a ticket to another show.
I called my credit card company’s “Dispute” line twice, and notified the customer service representative that I was recording each call. They were not very helpful. I was told that we don't actually know that Dylan will not appear, despite the official announcement from the venue, the promoter, and the performer’s website.
Their solution? Wait until at least 9 p.m. on the night of the show to confirm that Mr. Dylan has not played the set he had already said that he would not play. Then I should call the dispute phone line again. Then the credit card charge dispute could be entered. This is, of course, AFTER the show has ended.
For the record, the image on my ticket STILL has a picture of Bob Dylan, even though he is no longer listed as a performer. It’s also on my Live Nation alert, Bandcamp, and Pollstar.
The options of what to do with my ticket that I received from Ticketmaster are also unacceptable. I did, after all, agree to their “terms.” However, as I said, if I didn't, I wouldn’t be allowed to buy the ticket. Is “Entrapment” the correct word?
I could resell the ticket through Ticketmaster, hoping to get some of my money back (or maybe all?), if I give them my personal tax information. Ticketmaster recently snet me an email, saying they were hacked.
The other option is to sell the ticket back to Ticketmaster for (as of today) $49.30, I think it was about $75 earlier?
However, there is a precedent for getting a refund. There is something called an “abatement,” which is explained in this report. Someone was not satisfied that the band Toto had been substituted for Billy Idol at a concert back in 2022. While initially the customer was denied a refund from Ticketmaster, after a contract attorney contacted the ticket selling monolith, the Billy Idol fan received his refund.
Wish me luck. Monopolies suck.
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