As a wheelchair user with spinal injuries I spent all of 24 hours trying to purchase tickets to the Take That 2011 live concerts in the UK but with no luck. They are all now sold out. Here’s the problem.
As a wheelchair user you cannot buy tickets for concerts on-line , EVERYBODY else can but not wheelchair users, well you can but you will be seated in row 374, 28th seat in with no chance of getting you and the chair there! In other words wheelchair spaces that are reserved for our access needs are not sold online, instead wheelchair users have to ring a “so called” accessible number supplied by Ticketmaster. OK that sounds good and a sensible thing to do, the trouble is it’s the same number that 1 million other non-disabled people ring so getting through is near on impossible. Even after punching the redial button till your arm drops off!
If you should be lucky enough to get through to the "accessible booking line" of Ticketmaster, you will hear a message saying "this is an accessible 24 hour booking line for people with disabilities" you will them hear about 2 minutes of messages giving out other numbers then you will be asked to hold, 5 seconds later the phone will disconnect, I know I tried that a number of times. I then had a bright idea, the message says its a 24 hour booking line! great I will try at an unearthly hour and get through.
2am i'm bleary eyed but determined to get through, then a message says "this line in now closed, please call back during office hours"
So after a long wait, a massive phone bill and probably the only chance of seeing Take That with Mr Williams in tow I have lost out because of my disability and because I was unable to book in the same manner as the non-disabled. That in a word is “discrimination” whatever way you wrap it up.
Just in case i'm coming across as a moaning disabled person that's got the hump because he missed out, as i'm sure many non-disabled people did, please see this very issue raised by another disabled person in the TAKE THAT forum see Disabled Access Tickets that includes the following entry...
OK maybe Take That (the group) are not as members discriminating against the disabled but those that organise their ticket sales sure as eggs are eggs seem to be!
As a wheelchair user you cannot buy tickets for concerts on-line , EVERYBODY else can but not wheelchair users, well you can but you will be seated in row 374, 28th seat in with no chance of getting you and the chair there! In other words wheelchair spaces that are reserved for our access needs are not sold online, instead wheelchair users have to ring a “so called” accessible number supplied by Ticketmaster. OK that sounds good and a sensible thing to do, the trouble is it’s the same number that 1 million other non-disabled people ring so getting through is near on impossible. Even after punching the redial button till your arm drops off!
If you should be lucky enough to get through to the "accessible booking line" of Ticketmaster, you will hear a message saying "this is an accessible 24 hour booking line for people with disabilities" you will them hear about 2 minutes of messages giving out other numbers then you will be asked to hold, 5 seconds later the phone will disconnect, I know I tried that a number of times. I then had a bright idea, the message says its a 24 hour booking line! great I will try at an unearthly hour and get through.
2am i'm bleary eyed but determined to get through, then a message says "this line in now closed, please call back during office hours"
So after a long wait, a massive phone bill and probably the only chance of seeing Take That with Mr Williams in tow I have lost out because of my disability and because I was unable to book in the same manner as the non-disabled. That in a word is “discrimination” whatever way you wrap it up.
Just in case i'm coming across as a moaning disabled person that's got the hump because he missed out, as i'm sure many non-disabled people did, please see this very issue raised by another disabled person in the TAKE THAT forum see Disabled Access Tickets that includes the following entry...
Anyone had any success? I am furious as can get as many standing tickets as I want online for Tuesday but cant get anywhere near to even seeing if there is a wheelchair space available. This is a ridiculous system and so discriminatory as we are 'competing' with able bodied people on the phonelines for a tiny number of spaces compared to the number of able bodied tickets. I missed out last time for exactly the same reason. Soooo annoying!
OK maybe Take That (the group) are not as members discriminating against the disabled but those that organise their ticket sales sure as eggs are eggs seem to be!
I totaly agree with this post, I tried for my daughter from 8.30am in the morning until 1.40am the following day on 2 computers, 2 telephone lines constant. We rang all the numbers given from ticketmaster, the venue etc. No Takethat tickets.
ReplyDeleteI have now missed out on Bon Jovi, was on the phone with the venue this morning at 8.45am to be as friday hung up on, left hanging on etc to be told they didn't sell the tickets go on AEG live. No disabled seating showing. I found a number to ring direct, through companies listings..rang...have to go on line. I had to expain as yesterday, wheelchairs cant go in the standing..health and safety! i sent emails 5 hrs ago and just got reply, website now have disabled however can't book them, can for standing though..wonder why? perhaps the wheelchairs take up valuable room that they can cram able bodies into hence more ticket sales. I feel the whole thing is some kind of scam to look as if they are upholding the law.
Four of us have missed out on both gigs and i daren't tell my daughter it was because we couldn't get the access seat, how would that make her feel on top of the disapointment...TWICE.something must be done so no disabled/wheelchair user and their friends are left out of social interaction.
Sorry to hear that Mo, searching around the net it seems that this is a MASSIVE issue.
ReplyDeleteNo point trying Ticketmaster customer services either, that's a joke, even that line dies on you.
Guess they don't want to talk to us!
This is soooo true my mun is disabled and recovering from breast cancer, she wanted to go with me (her daughter) as we always said we would if she was still here and they got back together. We both tried all day and got nothing. We are so upset and fed up with being treated like this, what made it worse was my mum spoke to somone just after 8-30am and was told to put the phone down! why couldnt she have been put on hold? at least she would have had half a chance like the able bodied people!!!!!
ReplyDeleteJust been on Bon Jovi/ AEGlive can still purchase standing seats, yet no wheelchair. This afternoon i sent email asking how many places were allocated to wheelchair/disabled and when was the last ticket sold. Suprise, suprise no reply.....yet
ReplyDeleteI too had a complete nightmare trying to book tickets as a wheelchair user. I normally call the venue directly But as Im in manchester there was no chance as had no choice but to use see tickets. I tried all day with 2 phones and a website only stopping for bathroom breaks & still no ticket. Just one for me & for my carer thats all I wanted. Im sooooooo disapointed its untrue. I have always been able to get tickets for their concerts & im gutted. I normally feel ok about problems related to my disability but after this well I cant dwell on it. But what really tipped me over the edge was someone on ebay selling 2 wheelchair tickets for £120 so an able bodied person wanted to make some cash due to someone else's misfortune.. I wanna cry
ReplyDeletei am also a wheelchair user, my dad went though the same route as you with no luck with getting any tickets. I am very disappointed as i,ve been a fan of take that since they first came out and been to all they concert,s except this one but i will keep trying but it won,t be easy.
ReplyDeleteJust been on takethat.com and can still buy tickets in Amsterdam. If Take that don't have the same volume of fans as the UK perhaps they should have done more venues here! Still waiting for a reply regarding the number of disabled and carer seating for the Bon Jovi gig, have sent them another mail, not holding my breath. No one seems to care, why should they the tickets are sold regardless.
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ReplyDelete