Ticket holders for Arcade Fire concert in Montreal were able to get refunds days after revelations from American media Pitchfork On the leader of independent formation, others multiply efforts… in vain. Results? Evenco, the promoter, is increasingly angry with ticketing giant Ticketmaster.
Posted yesterday at 7:00 am
Sexual misconduct allegations against singer Win Butler generate refund requests for Montreal tour stop We are, on Dec. 3 at the Bell Center. This preceded Beck’s defection to join the rock collective’s North American tour from Montreal.
Maud Sills-Neron, like many others, couldn’t help but celebrate with Win Butler after four people claimed they were sexually assaulted by Arcade Fire’s lead singer. “I don’t want to praise a potential aggressor,” she said.
The young woman said that since the beginning of September, she had approached Ticketmaster four times for a refund. She recently sent a request to Evenco. “It’s still allegations, but the lack of any response from the group disturbs me. And Ticketmaster acts as if nothing happened. I’m very insulting to the people who put their trust in the media. »
In an online petition launched on Thursday, Ms.me Sills-Néron criticizes Ticketmaster for “no longer respecting buyers who don’t want to promote Arcade Fire in the spotlight” [des] New News “. “The group’s lack of response and the silence of the promoters involved suggest that the allegations have been discounted,” she wrote in her letter, supported by about 40 signatures at the time of publication.
A similar petition in English has garnered nearly 200 signatures, with disgruntled customers from around the world voicing their displeasure with the tour’s producer, Ticketmaster or Live Nation. We areIn social networks.
On paper, the ticketing service and evenco promoter’s purchase policies are clear: ticket sales are final unless cancelled. Under certain “limited circumstances,” “event providers”—Live Nation, in this case—may allow refunds at their discretion.
Press At least five people were able to confirm they had received refunds after sending a casual email to promoter Evenco just days after publishing the shocking Pitchfork story.
This “double standard” is more shocking to the ticket holders who have not received a satisfactory answer.
More interesting: Two customers who emailed a refund request to Evenco on the same date on August 31, 2022 received two different responses. One was called and was able to easily recover her money, while the other received an automated message with no further follow-up.
“Policies set forth by event providers generally prohibit them from issuing exchanges or refunds after a ticket has been purchased,” Evenco said in an email. Press.
For questions about the Arcade Fire concert, the promoter refers us to “Live Nation, producer of the group’s world tour.” It should be noted that Live Nation owns ticketing service Ticketmaster and 49% Evenco shares.
Neither Live Nation nor Ticketmaster responded to our requests for information at the time of publication.
“In this case, the promise or offer made by the company is no longer the same,” emphasizes Johan Brunet, a full professor in HEC Montreal’s Department of Marketing. It’s not something people buy in terms of content or ethical issues. »
For a professional in the cultural industries, it is clear that offering the possibility of reimbursement for concerts featuring Win Butler is the lesser evil. “It is often said that in good practice, it is better to lose a transaction than a customer. Arcade Fire’s target customer base is highly sensitive to stakes [d’inconduites sexuelles]. They are millennials, for the most part, and this affects their values. A form of arrogance and lack of respect. »
Beck lost his turn
Marc Lechasseur is determined to attend the December 3rd concert despite the controversy. He went there first to see his favorite artist on stage: Beck. “I’ve only missed one of his shows in Montreal since 1993. His latest album is one of my favorites. He’s what inspired my decision to buy tickets. »
When the music lover learned that Beck was canceling his tour, he immediately wrote to Evenco to refund the three tickets he had purchased for more than $500. “I never got an answer. »
Mr Lechasseur said he laughed when he received the email informing him of the artist who would replace Beck.
This message praises the Bouckman Experience, the best of the bunch! Funniest sentence in the world, at the end: “Your tickets are still valid. Good show!”
Mark Lechasseur
Here again, the ticket master policy is clear. Evenko also: “Note that the guest artists or the first part of the show is always subject to change. As your ticket is valid for the main artist, we do not issue refunds in case of change of guest artists. »
“I don’t think Beck is opening for Arcade Fire,” Mr. Lechasseur replies. I saw it as double-headed. »
“If the performance is different than advertised, the ticket holder may have recourse,” suggests Charles Tanguay, a spokesman for the Office of Consumer Protection. Press.
At this point, Maud Sills-Neron thinks it would be better to cancel the concert and refund all the audience members. Otherwise, she fears, one person’s actions will once again be paid for by others.
