Released on: September 30, 2008, 7:37 am

Press Release Author: Howard Schwartz, Better Business Bureau, CT

Industry: Consumer Services

Press Release Summary: Hundreds of complaints filed nationwide by angry sports fans,
concert-goers and theater buffs against “ticket network direct” and
“ticketsmyway.com”

Press Release Body: Wallingford, CT - September 30, 2008 – Consumers who reserve
tickets online for sporting events, concerts and theater performances are fuming
over two online ticket brokers, the Vernon, Connecticut-based Ticket Network Direct
and Las Vegas-based Event Tickets LLC, which operates the web site
www.TicketsMyWay.com, after buyers received less than they bargained for, at
inflated prices – or nothing at all, according to complaints against the two ticket
brokers.

Connecticut BBB has processed more than 120 complaints about Ticket Network Direct
in the past three years, 63 of which were filed in the last year alone. Disputes in
the company’s BBB Reliability Report include complaints about ticket price
advertising, sales practices, delivery issues, customer service, product issues
refunds, etc. BBB has given Ticket Network Direct an “unsatisfactory” rating
because of unresolved complaints about the firm’s advertising practices.

Others have complained about Ticket Network Direct’s pricing claims, with one
consumer asking rhetorically, “Why would I purchase $89.00 tickets when the same is
available (elsewhere) for $49.00?”

Even though Ticket Network Direct’s online advertising claims it offers event
tickets at the “cheapest” prices and prices “lower” than the competition, Better
Business Bureau informs that tickets have been reported to cost significantly more
than their actual face value when bought through a secondary market ticket broker.
BBB therefore questioned Ticket Network Direct about some cases in which consumers
may purchase tickets at face value directly from the venues, despite the company’s
claim its tickets are less expensive than its competitors. To date the company has
not resolved BBB’s advertising inquiry.

In the meantime, consumers across the nation are flooding Better Business Bureau
with complaints about www.TicketsMyWay.com, a web site operated by Event Tickets,
LLC, claiming they paid for various events but that the tickets arrived too late,
received seats that were not valid or as good as advertised, and in some cases, did
not receive their tickets at all.

According to Connecticut Better Business Bureau President, Paulette Hotton
Scarpetti, “While there are legitimate online ticket sellers in whom consumers can
trust, people using online vendors have been complaining about a wide array of
questionable practices.”
BBB files reveal that some consumers did not get the tickets they ordered, and when
an event was cancelled they encountered rude customer service and other difficulties
when they sought refunds.

According to Scarpetti, “The number of complaints against TicketsMyWay.com speaks
for itself: There are at least 100 complaints about tickets not being delivered,
nearly another 100 involving refund and exchange problems, and on about 200
occasions, the company failed to even respond to BBB or consumers to resolve these
issues. TicketsMyWay.com therefore has an unsatisfactory rating due to its
marketplace practices.”

In their complaints, consumers who feel they were burned by TicketsMyWay.com
documented how when they disputed a charge with their credit card company, the web
site’s parent company Event Tickets LLC, threatened to send a collection agency
after them.
In fact the company’s web site states “If you dispute your charge with your credit
card company any time after you place your order you agree to pay a litigation fee
of $125 dollars, and may be responsible for the entire amount of your order plus any
interest and penalty fees associated with the servicing of your account.”

How Consumers can Protect Themselves When Buying Event Tickets Online:

-Shop around to compare prices, instead of accepting an online ticket-selling web
site’s assertion it sells event tickets for the cheapest and lowest price.

-Paying with a credit card or the PayPal online payment system provides protection
and the opportunity for reimbursement if the company is uncooperative. Never pay
with a cashier’s check or wire money directly to the vendor.

-Buyers should scrutinize any images of tickets posted online to ensure there are no
inaccuracies or alterations and cross-check the seat assignment with the map on the
venue’s web site before buying.

-Before shelling out money for an online event ticket, consumers must read the fine
print and policies on the web site and pay special attention to consumers’
protection options if they are not satisfied.

A full report on the various websites and company names under which Ticket Network
Direct operates may be found in a Reliability Report at www.bbb.org, under “Check
out a business or charity.”

Consumers who feel they have been misled when buying tickets online should file a
complaint with Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org, as well as the state Attorney
General’s office.


Web Site: http://www.bbb.org

Contact Details: Connecticut Better Business Bureau
94 South Turnpike Rd.
Wallingford, CT 06492
203-269-2700 ext 103