Scalpers-is TBF an endangered species?!

[naughtybrown]

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Scalpers-is TBF an endangered species?!
« on: Today at 10:02:51 PM »    Reply with quote Modify message Remove message
Myself, husband and kids have been attending the Telluride Bluegrass Festival for the past 4 years.  My husband has been a devoted festival goer even long before meeting me.  On different years we have had other family members join us at this annual family event from my 75 year old father who suffered a severe stroke 6 years ago but traveled from Ireland and still raves about how he enjoyed Arlo Gutrie to a friend who came over from Australia to enjoy the experience. My 7 year old daughter has grown up hula-hooping by the stage and my 5 year old son constantly talks about Gumbo Woobly and finally having the courage to enter the talent show this year.  I seem to spend so much time in the kids craft tent that I have both kids and parents approaching me to paint their face next!  Each year we've had a wonderful experience from camping in Town Park to getting surprise back stage passes for The Frames show. (My sister's husband is a sound engineer in Ireland and seems to know people with great 'connections'!!).  Each year we've bought our tickets in January after we've recovered from the shocking expense of Christmas......
 
......so what a disappointment this year to discover what has evolved with the ticket sales.  I realize how difficult it must be to be fair with ticket sales but it makes me sick to see the tickets which have obviously been purchased by scalpers available for resale for ridiculous amounts of money on sites such as Stubhub and Ebay! Our initial reaction was to forget about TBF and not be part of this ridiculousness but its hard to turn your back on such a great, family friendly event.  We would love to attend the festival every year but what has happened this year makes this difficult and puts a dampener on the true spirit of the festival.  Still we will enter the lottery in February and hope for the best. But seriously, something needs to change.  How about allowing festival goers who you know have attended the festival to sign up for the next years tickets at the current years box office.  We would gladly book our tickets a year in advance.  This way you know the person signing up is a true festival goer and not a faceless scalper.  Just a thought!

Thanks for listening,
Yvonne

 Listening to: The Dirk Powell Band-great show at The Conway Muse, WA last weekend!

[bouzouki]

I spent the morning of Warner field ticket sales on the phone with a plumber, which did not get resolved, but when I finished with the plumber, I found all tickets sold.  I was heartbroken at the time.  Within a week, I looked up on Craigslist and found tickets for $450.  I won't pay those prices.  After all the years of going to TBF, watching tickets go on sale at an inflated price is not good.  if it means I don't go, so be it.

 Listening to: silence, at the moment

[landshark]

I spent the morning of Warner field ticket sales on the phone with a plumber, which did not get resolved, but when I finished with the plumber, I found all tickets sold.  I was heartbroken at the time.  Within a week, I looked up on Craigslist and found tickets for $450.  I won't pay those prices.  After all the years of going to TBF, watching tickets go on sale at an inflated price is not good.  if it means I don't go, so be it.

Got yer back Dan! I will keep a look out for you.

[diamondize]

I'm another avid TBF goer, 38 years behind me, how many in the future?
I have only camped all these years, but now my kids are about 20 years old, and they got me to get a condo. I made my reservations while prices were 'on sale' at a grand price still.
Only to find out that our tickets will be by lottery!!  So if I get 2 tickets, 4 of us won't get in. If I get no tickets, I lose about $800 on the condo and cancel. I do NOT like the set up.
I agree with the person who said, after I pick up my tickets and get my wristband, give me the option of buying next years tickets, or put me on a good person's list, or something.
This has been our family vacation for 2 decades. I'm sad by Planet's plan.

[landshark]

I have only camped all these years, but now my kids are about 20 years old, and they got me to get a condo. I made my reservations while prices were 'on sale' at a grand price still.
Only to find out that our tickets will be by lottery!!  So if I get 2 tickets, 4 of us won't get in. If I get no tickets, I lose about $800 on the condo and cancel. I do NOT like the set up.

DO NOT lose your deposit! You can post your Condo (if need be) on this forum and it will be scooped up in a flash. Good luck! I hope you don't have to.

 Listening to: My fax

[Debbiefromtucson]

I'm sad by Planet's plan.
    Logged
Actually, I believe that the planet has done this move to allow more 4 days to become available due to the extreme sell out this year..... I think they are trying to help.....

[dpkane]

I'm confident that those I know on the TBF and RG staff are listening loud and clear.  There may be nothing they can do this year, of course.  And that's probably not a lot of comfort for those that missed out on holiday prices or 4-day passes altogether.

But I have faith that Craig F. et al. are not letting this go unnoticed.  We all know Planet Bluegrass has and always will be ahead of the curve, and while making a living is always important, many many of us have been served well by PB's customer service and responsiveness to their loyal base.

Nevertheless, a heartfelt and personal letter to Craig, Steve and Dustin probably wouldn't hurt and would reiterate how much you value the PB festival experience, and your loyalty to it.  Write that letter now!!

Craig Ferguson (President)
Steve Szymanksy (Vice President)
Dustin Boyd (Ticketing)
Planet Bluegrass
PO Box 769
500 West Main Street
Lyons, CO 80540

[TRL]

It's clear something has to be addressed here. This doesn't need to turn into a will call nightmare and signing up at the festival itself for passes the upcoming year would form an elitist clic limiting those who  unfortunately missed out this year. It would be nice to have ideas shared with us so we can give feed back. This is such a great place and complete therapy for most of us, it would be a shame to see it turn into something we used to do.

 Listening to: The turtles howl